In September 2024, Southwest Airways introduced that it might introduce assigned and further legroom seating, as one of the crucial largest adjustments to its industry style in many years. Within the intervening time, the corporate has after all long past far more excessive than that, and plans to start out charging for checked luggage, introducing fundamental economic system, and a lot more.Anyway, with regards to Southwest’s plans to introduce further legroom seating, there’s an replace, as airplane will begin to be reconfigured in a while. Alternatively, it’ll be rather a while ahead of the airline if truth be told begins charging further for those seats, in order that creates an enchanting alternative.
Southwest aggressively retrofitting airplane interiorsSouthwest Airways plans to beginning promoting tickets for additonal legroom seating today September 2025, for flights as of Q1 2026. In preparation for that transition, the airline is beginning to retrofit airplane with new layouts.
The airline has now defined the way it plans to retrofit its whole fleet:Southwest plans to retrofit the cabins of each and every unmarried airplane between April 30 and the top of 2025, with the primary reconfigured airplane anticipated to go into provider as of Would possibly 1Southwest plans to start out by means of reconfiguring its 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s, after which after the summer season of 2025, will get started reconfiguring 737-700s Southwest is reconfiguring planes in a single day at its upkeep bases in Atlanta (ATL), Denver (DEN), Houston (HOU), and Phoenix (PHX), and expects it might retrofit as much as 150 airplane in step with monthInitially, there will probably be no visible signs that some seats have further legroom, regardless that we’ll begin to see the ones added after the summer season of 2025While Southwest has introduced new-style seats, the ones will best be put in on newly delivered airplane for now; for plenty of planes, it’s merely the spacing between current seats that will probably be changedFor the time being, Southwest is continuous to make use of its present boarding procedure (regardless that that can exchange ultimately as smartly). So over the approaching weeks and months, shoppers will doubtlessly have alternatives to fly in further legroom economic system seating with out if truth be told paying the rest further, which is lovely cool.
Southwest is introducing new 737 cabin layoutsHow Southwest 737 cabin configurations are changingOnce Southwest Airways reconfigures jets, how will the layouts exchange? There will probably be 3 seating sorts:Further legroom seats will probably be the ones on the entrance of the cabin, with further legroom, in addition to at go out rowsPreferred seats will probably be the ones proper at the back of the seats with further legroom, and in entrance of the go out rowsStandard seats will probably be the ones at the back of the go out rowFor instance, under is a seat map that Southwest has equipped of its up to date 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 configuration.
Southwest’s up to date 737-800 & 737 MAX 8 layoutThe expectation is that Southwest’s further legroom seats may have 34″ of pitch, whilst same old seats may have 31″ of pitch. Necessarily, 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s may have legroom lowered by means of 1″ for same old seats, so as so as to upload extra legroom for different seats. Backside lineSouthwest Airways is beginning the method of reconfiguring its fleet, with a view to be offering further legroom seating. All planes are anticipated to be reconfigured between April 30 and the top of 2025. Alternatively, the airline doesn’t plan on promoting assigned seating till past due September 2025, for flights as of the primary quarter of 2026.It’s value being conscious about this venture, because you’ll begin to realize some adjustments on Southwest airplane. In order you board Southwest airplane over the approaching months underneath the present open seating thought, stay this in thoughts…What do you’re making of Southwest’s venture for reconfiguring 737s?
