Southwest Airlines has undergone a slew of changes over the past year, some good and some not so good. One of the positive changes for many passengers is the introduction of assigned seating as well as extra legroom seating. Now, we have a timeline for when the Dallas based carrier plans to introduce the new seating options.
Southwest Plans to Retrofit All Aircraft by Year End
Southwest Airlines operations employees will begin retrofitting aircraft on April 30, 2025. The airline will initially focus on its Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 MAX aircraft before beginning work on its Boeing 737-700 fleet later this summer. The airline plans to retrofit every single plane in the fleet by year end.
With the retrofits expected to be completed by year end, Southwest plans to begin offering assigned seating for sale in the third quarter of 2025 with the product entering service in early 2026.
Southwest plans to retrofit its current economy cabin into multiple sections. The airline is referring to this as three different options however, in reality, there are only two differences in seats. These are broken down below as described by the airline:
- Extra Legroom Seats: A roomier experience with more legroom to stretch out, at the front of the cabin as well as near the exit rows, with up to five additional inches of extra legroom as compared to Standard seats.
- Preferred Seats: Standard legroom seats near the front of the cabin and exit rows.
- Standard Seats: Standard legroom seats located at the back of the cabin.
It’s worth noting that the five additional extra inches of legroom will only be found on the Boeing 737-700 fleet, other aircraft will have between 3-4 inches of extra legroom.
The Southwest Technical Operations Teams at maintenance bases in Denver, Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta will complete the work and the first retrofitted aircraft expected to enter service on May 1. Retrofits will also include the addition of larger overhead bins and in-seat power.
Experience Extra Legroom Seating For Free
Southwest plans to operate flights with assigned seating in early 2026, presumably after all retrofitted aircraft have entered service. With the first retrofitted aircraft expected to go into service May 1, there is a large window where aircraft, especially the 737-800 and 737-8, will have extra legroom seating installed while still operating open seating flights.
Preboards and passengers holding Group A boarding passes will have a decent shot at getting extra legroom seating for free by being one of the first passengers aboard the aircraft. It may drive some passengers to purchase Business Select tickets which guarantees A1-A15 boarding to ensure that they can snag a seat with room to stretch out. These extra legroom seats will have special visual indicators to make them easy to identify.
While there have been many negative changes at the airline over the last year, assigned seating and extra legroom seating is something that I’m looking forward to.
Summary
Southwest Airlines will begin retrofitting aircraft with extra legroom seating on April 30, 2025. The first plane is expected to enter service on May 1, 2025 and will include upgrades to the overhead bins as well as in-seat power. The airline plans to have the entire fleet retrofitted by the end of 2025 and will begin flights with assigned seating in early 2026.
