Southwest Abandons Open Seating

Southwest Airlines announced Thursday it was abandoning one of its foundational features and dropping open seating in favor of the assigned seating used by all other airlines. It's also going to start operating red-eyes. It hasn't announced a date for the boarding changes but will begin booking red-eyes in February of 2025. The airline said it will continue to allow passengers to check baggage for free.

The changes are the result of an 18-month process to make the airline more profitable. “We are completely focused on our plan to transform the airline, transform our financial performance,” Chief Executive Officer Bob Jordan said. That will likely include adding premium economy and even business class seats in a shift away from focusing on the leisure market to attract more business customers.