Southwest Airlines set dates and plan for the end of the open seat

Southwest Airlines Passengers will first fly in their assigned seat on January 27th, the carrier told CNBC. Customers can begin purchasing tickets on their assigned seat on July 29th.

The move ended at the end of the airline’s open seats for over half a century. This is a policy that has been different from its rivals for decades, and two free check bags. Both are changing as Southwest leaders are looking for new revenue streams to keep up with their more profitable rivals.

Southwest said in March that many initiatives will add $800 million before interest and taxes this year and $1.7 billion in 2026.

The airline first announced that it would close seats that it opened a year ago, but it had not yet set a date.

The change is part of a major overhaul of Southwest’s business model. The March carrier also said it would start charging many customers to check their packages, and announced new fare types this spring. Top customers are exempt from many of the new restrictions and fees.

Southwest used computer models and live tests to ensure that new policies do not slow boarding and ensure that the plane will be reclaimed into gold-making-made air.

“We designed a boarding structure paired with assigned seats, so we wanted to ensure that our most loyal members, card holders and customers purchase the most premium products by not only optimizing efficiency, but also ensuring that they are caring for the most loyal customers.

January 27th, Southwest’s Open Seating Policy Features – No longer set alarms to ensure boarding lines, ABC groups, large posts marking boarding orders, and onboard scrambling of your favorite seats.

Everything will be replaced by eight boarding groups based on seat selection, status and other factors. The most loyal and largest spender will reach first, but the seat location determines the boarding location. This is the order:

The first two groups include top tiers and top tickets for Elite Fourcreent Flyers. Groups 3-8 are “select” and “basic” ticket types depending on the seat location.

There are two cues.

The airline did not disclose the price of seat allocations on rival airlines as add-on fees that may vary depending on route and demand. Access to some seats depends on the type of fare, with Southwest selling standard seats, priority seats and seats outside the Legoom.

Southwest is busy reconfiguring it Boeing Airplanes that include seats other than the league room. About 200 aircraft are complete, or there are around 25% of the fleet, the spokesman said. These seats are not yet sold, but the airline sells previous boarding to customers before the flight.

Shafer Modi told CNBC that sitting together was a priority, but admitting that it appears to be different from the new boarding process.

“If the family wants that sense of control, I think they have the option to choose a seat… the existing product we sell,” she said. “No matter how you purchase tickets, we will do our best to make sure our families are sitting together.”