Southwest is redesigning its cabin interiors. Here's what the planes will look like.
Southwest Airlines is gearing up for some major changes over the next two years, an overhaul the carrier is betting will win big with passengers.
Along with more red-eye flights and a shift to assigned seating after 50 years of open seating, Southwest is redesigning the interior cabins of its 800 existing aircraft.
"This is a very significant change. It may be one of the most significant changes we've ever gone through," Ryan Green, Southwest's executive vice president commercial transformation, told CBS News' Kris Van Cleave, who recently got a sneak peek at the future cabins.
Southwest passengers will notice the difference, said Van Cleave of the redesign. Changes include larger luggage bins, new seat trays and device trays for all passengers throughout the cabin, as well as charging ports in all of the seats.
Southwest's customer research has shown what the industry is already seeing: People will pay for a premium experience. As a result, for an additional fee, premium seating with 3-4 inches of additional legroom will also be offered on refurbished planes.
"Customers want premium of all kinds, and if you're flying longer, that extra legroom is worth a lot," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told CBS News. Premium seating will be available in the front and back of the plane.
"For the passenger experience, you'll have these new extended legroom seats. Those will come at a cost," said Green. "And then, if you wanna sit towards the front, but you don't wanna spend the money for these seats, there will be your regular economy seats that are still close to the front. You'll be able to book those specifically as well," he added.
Southwest says it will begin booking flights with assigned seats in the second half of 2025 for travel in the first half of 2026. That's also when the airline expects the newly designed cabins to be available, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Jordan and other Southwest executives outlined the airline's remodeling plans this week at an investor meeting in Dallas. The changes come as the company, long known for its loyal customers, looks to meet passengers' evolving needs and boost its bottom line.
Said Jordan, "Consumer preferences have changed, and the way we fly has changed."