Southwest begins selling flights with assigned seats

DALLAS (NewsNation) — After much than 50 years, Southwest Airlines is phasing retired its iconic open-seating policy and “bags alert free” perk.

Starting Tuesday, the hose began selling tickets for flights with assigned seating; the caller boarding and compartment operation is acceptable to motorboat Jan. 27.

The displacement marks the extremity of a signifier dating backmost to Southwest’s archetypal formation successful 1971. In its place, a much accepted boarding process with 8 boarding groups replaces the long-used A-B-C method.

Southwest: Flyers prefer assigned seats

The hose has said the caller exemplary is simply a nonstop effect to rider feedback.

According to Southwest, 80% of existent travelers and 86% of prospective flyers similar assigned seating implicit the choose-your-own model.

However, not each passengers look to beryllium connected committee with the revamp.

"I alert Southwest due to the fact that of what they were offering," 1 rider told NewsNation.

Another rider echoed those sentiments, stating, "One of the large reasons I alert Southwest was due to the fact that of that, and I'll surely deliberation doubly due to the fact that of that."

Southwest says farewell to escaped checked bags

The hose has said it's making bully connected its committedness of "one cabin, much options," offering assigned seats, redesigned cabins, much legroom and caller fare bundles.

As of Tuesday, astir 250 planes person been reconfigured to connection other legroom successful the beforehand rows, with much retrofits underway.

While the airline's two escaped checked bags argumentation is being retired, the carry-on allowance remains unchanged.