Southwest Airlines’ new premium seat with extra legroom.
Leslie Joseph/CNBC
Southwest Airlines“The first allocated seat has been released this week for flights starting next January 27th. What you pay will vary.
Prices depend on the route you are traveling and where you are sitting. Choosing your ideal seat will add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a family vacation, just like flying on other airlines.
For example, a round-trip ticket for the “selection” ticket class (the second cheapest type of ticket) between Denver and Orlando International Airports departed on February 14th and returned on February 21st. For seating, the airline is considered “preferred,” but costs $46 for windows or aisle seats with 7-13 windows and $41 for mid-row seats.
Customers with Elite Fleet Flyer status on airline or Southwest Airline credit cards will be exempt from a portion of their fees.
A few sheets located in the first six rows of Boeing The 737 Max 8 aircraft had won $96 in windows or aisles. Prices were similar, but slightly lower on the return flight.
Southwest Airlines seat chart for Boeing 737 Max 8.
Selecting the seat behind the plane is free and free for “select” tickets. The more expensive “Choice Preferred” tickets include priority row seats, while the most expensive option, “Choice Extra,” includes extra room seats, and also comes with free “premium” drinks, such as alcoholic beverages.
Same route, same day United Airlines At $665, non-league rooms seating ranged from $105 to $126 one way, and priority seats ranging from $37 to $42.
All changes to TH9E are part of Southwest’s plans to abandon the characteristics of its business model for over half a century. For decades, it included a quirky boarding system that led to a crazy dash at the airport, and a quirky boarding system that led to two free check bags for all customers.
Southwest rivals earn billions of bags and seat fees, and have raised questions from investors and Wall Street analysts about whether carriers are maximizing revenue. Last year, activist hedge fund Elliott Investment Management developed a major stake in the Southwest, calling for such changes, causing a shaking to the board. The US major airlines brought $12.4 billion in allocated fees between 2018 and 2023, according to a report by the Senate Committee.
The first bag fee for Southwest began with tickets sold in late May. The airline charges $35 for the first check bag and $45 almost along with other airlines.
The carrier also joined the rivals and launched a no-frills basic economy ticket that will not allow customers to receive a free, advanced seating choice. Southwest expects to benefit from next year when seat allocations come into effect.
“I assume that going to the allocated seat will have a positive impact on Q1. But if you manage to make it positive before that, that’s even more tail-spreading as you go through the second half,” Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said in a revenue call last week.
Southwest rewards its most loyal customers, and the select seats are rewarded as perks.
Frequent flyers with Top Tier A-list Priority Status in Southwest will earn you an off-legoom seating and two free check bags upon booking, and the A-list status holder can be booked 48 hours before departure, but there is no guarantee. Both groups have free access to priority seating. Some Southwest credit cards also provide access to your preferred seat, regardless of the type of fare.