The final flight to use Southwest’s famous ‘open seating’ policy lifts off on Monday night. The airline has special plans to mark the occasion
Southwest marks the end of its open seating policy with special flight
- Southwest Airlines has officially ended its open seating policy after nearly 60 years of operation.
- The last flight to operate under the traditional open seating model departed from Honolulu Monday night, flying overnight to Los Angeles.
- The final flight under the old policy was aboard the Herbert D. Kelleher aircraft, a Boeing 737-8 MAX in “Desert Gold” livery matching the airline's original colors when it launched in 1967.
- The company said the decision to transition to assigned seating was driven by customer research, which showed 80% of passengers prefer a specific seat.
- The change aims to broaden Southwest's appeal and align it with other major airlines, though it may impact passengers who previously requested a free extra seat.