The airline has operated under an open-seating policy, sometimes referred to as a cattle call, for nearly 55 years. Gone are the days of waking up early to check in and secure a good boarding group. Instead, like every other airline, customers will be assigned a seat number. Equally significant, it will add seats with extra legroom and charge more for them.

The open-seating policy, while divisive, was a core part of the airline’s identity. When Southwest announced the news of its pending elimination in July 2024, the airline said it had conducted “extensive research” before making the change and found that 80% of Southwest customers and 86% of potential customers prefer assigned seating.