On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines ushers in a new era by eliminating one of the last remnants of its former branding and embracing assigned seating.

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.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

“When a Customer elects to stop flying with Southwest and chooses a competitor, open seating is cited as the number one reason for the change,” Southwest Airlines said in a news release at the time.

Any sweeping change to an airline’s customer experience is likely to be divisive. Still, airline analyst Henry Harteveldt said alienating passengers who found the open-seating policy to be pleasantly egalitarian is worth the risk.

FILE: Baggage handlers load a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 passenger aircraft at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

“Southwest’s decision to offer assigned seats and extra legroom seats will help Southwest attract more passengers who may have avoided the airline up to now because of its lack of these two products,” Harteveldt told SFGATE in an email. “Assigned and extra legroom seats help Southwest narrow its product gaps against other airlines, which will help make the airline more competitive.”

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

Hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, which Bloomberg has previously referred to as “Wall Street’s most feared fund,” took a 10% minority stake in Southwest in September 2024 to force the company’s hand into what it saw as “the most compelling airline turnaround opportunity in the last two decades,” according to a letter it sent to the company’s board.

Following the takeover, Elliott seated six........

© SFGate