Southwest Airlines passengers will get assigned seats for the first time, marking a major shift in the carrier’s business model.

Pack your bags! After more than 50 years of a free-for-all seating approach, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is soaring ahead on its plans to roll out assigned seating for its travelers.

Starting July 29, customers can begin booking tickets with seat assignments for flights departing January 27, 2026.

Southwest Airlines Implements Major Change to Signature Offering first appeared on Parade on Jul 22, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared. As millions of travelers flock to the airport on vacation, a widely-used airline has axed hundreds of flights throughout the U.S.

The airline announced Monday that its new assigned seating will be available at the time of booking for flights beginning on January 27, 2026.

Southwest Airlines announced Monday that the open-seating option that set it apart from competitors only has a few months left.

Southwest Airlines on Wednesday reported second quarter earnings, but indicated its fare strategy overhaul briefly ran into trouble after launching new “basic” economy tickets. The company reported earnings of $213 million,

Southwest Airlines Co. expects economic turmoil to erase as much as $1 billion of its annual pre-tax profit this year, prompting the US airline to offer shareholders a much-reduced outlook for 2025.