BIG news, people. For YEARS, Southwest Airlines has taken a different approach to flying. Unlike many major airlines in the US, Southwest passengers boarded under an “open seating policy” where seats were not preassigned. The policy was pretty controversial, and many travelers have hoped the rules would change.

Well, it seems like that long-awaited update might finally arrive. Southwest Airlines shared a BIG announcement about the future of open seating.

Southwest Airlines has some big plans. The company shared several announcements “designed to elevate the Customer experience, improve financial performance, and drive shareholder value.” Most notably, Southwest plans to assign seats, offer premium seating options, redesign its boarding model, and introduce redeye flying.

We previously reported that Southwest CEO Bob Jordan stated, “We’re looking into new initiatives, things like the way we seat and board our aircraft,” following a weak first quarter, but reassured travelers that Southwest was not considering charging for checked bags. At the time, Southwest did not share when — or if — these changes would go into effect, but now Southwest has officially made its decision.

In a new statement, Southwest stated that the company will provide more details on its comprehensive plan to deliver “transformational commercial initiatives, improved operational efficiency and capital allocation discipline” in September. That said, we do know that Southwest decided to assign seats and offer premium seating options on ALL flights.

Southwest explained that the airline conducted a research investigation and found that “80% of Southwest Customers, and 86% of potential customers, prefer an assigned seat.” Further, Southwest will offer a “premium, extended legroom portion of the cabin” due to customer feedback. At this time, cabin layout details are still being designed, but Southwest expects roughly one-third of the seats on its planes will offer extended legroom.

So, what do you think of this news? Are you among the 80% of Southwest customers who prefer assigned seating? We’ll be sure to share more information about this historic change, so stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest travel news, so stay tuned for more.

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Are you among the 80% of Southwest customers who prefer assigned seating? Let us know in the comments!

The post NEWS: Southwest Airlines Will END Open Seating Policy Following Customer Feedback first appeared on the disney food blog.