Southwest Airlines News

CNBC • Leslie Josephs

Southwest Airlines to End Open Seating, Introduce Assigned Seats and New Boarding Groups in 2026

Southwest Airlines will end its 50-year open-seating policy in early 2026, letting customers purchase assigned seats for flights departing Jan. 27, 2026. The carrier also revealed an eight-group boarding order to replace its existing cattle-call process.

2025-07-21T07:03:11.746231-07:00

Wall Street Journal

Delta Restores Full-Year 2025 Guidance on Strong Q2 Results, Signals Leisure Demand Recovery

2025-07-10T04:11:05.828047-07:00

Wall Street Journal

Southwest Ends 'Bags Fly Free', Charges US$35/$45 for Checked Bags from May 28

2025-05-26T21:42:35.259219-07:00

CNBC

American Airlines Faces $473 Million Loss in Q1 2025 Amid Economic Uncertainty

2025-04-24T04:47:07.322567-07:00

Southwest Airlines News Timeline

Skift

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Southwest CEO Projects Baggage Fees to Drive $1 Billion in Annual Profit Southwest Airlines’ newly introduced checked baggage fees, US$35 for the first bag and US$45 for the second, are pacing toward US$1 billion in annual profit, CEO Robert Jordan said. The shift underlines the growing importance of ancillary revenues to offset pressure on ticket yields.

2025-07-24T12:09:54.716915-07:00

Southwest CEO Projects Baggage Fees to Drive $1 Billion in Annual Profit

New York Times

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Black Passenger Alleges Racial Bias After Removal from Southwest Exit Row On a November flight from Chicago to Washington, D.C., a passenger says Southwest Airlines asked her to relinquish her exit-row seat because she was the only Black person in the row, raising questions about the carrier’s seating policies and potential racial profiling.

2025-07-24T07:14:46.084420-07:00

Black Passenger Alleges Racial Bias After Removal from Southwest Exit Row

Reuters

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Southwest Q2 Profit Misses Estimates as US Leisure Demand Stabilizes Southwest Airlines posted second-quarter profit and revenue below Wall Street estimates, dragged by soft US domestic travel demand, though it reported signs of stabilizing leisure bookings. The carrier said new baggage fee revenues helped offset some declines as it monitors evolving consumer trends.

2025-07-23T14:56:01.066153-07:00

Southwest Q2 Profit Misses Estimates as US Leisure Demand Stabilizes

Skift

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Southwest Ends Open Seating, Barcelona Caps Cruise Arrivals, Business Travel Nears Pre-COVID Highs Southwest Airlines will introduce assigned seating in a major departure from its free-for-all boarding system, while Barcelona moves to limit cruise ship arrivals to tackle overtourism, and corporate travel volumes climb back toward pre-COVID levels, fueled by resurgent demand for face-to-face meetings.

2025-07-22T00:08:29.663800-07:00

Southwest Ends Open Seating, Barcelona Caps Cruise Arrivals, Business Travel Nears Pre-COVID Highs

CNBC

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Southwest Airlines to End Open Seating, Introduce Assigned Seats and New Boarding Groups in 2026 Southwest Airlines will end its 50-year open-seating policy in early 2026, letting customers purchase assigned seats for flights departing Jan. 27, 2026. The carrier also revealed an eight-group boarding order to replace its existing cattle-call process.

2025-07-21T07:03:11.746231-07:00

Southwest Airlines to End Open Seating, Introduce Assigned Seats and New Boarding Groups in 2026

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Southwest CEO and Longest-Serving Flight Attendant Coincidentally Fly with Newest Crew Member A recent Southwest Airlines flight brought together the carrier’s longest-serving flight attendant, its chief executive and one of its newest crew members—by pure coincidence. The unplanned convergence highlights Southwest’s emphasis on hands-on leadership and the strong bonds within its cabin crew ranks.

2025-07-19T04:11:09.262880-07:00

Southwest CEO and Longest-Serving Flight Attendant Coincidentally Fly with Newest Crew Member

The Points Guy

Southwest Airlines to Add First New Destination Since 2021 with St. Thomas Service Southwest Airlines will launch nonstop flights to St. Thomas’ Cyril E. King International Airport in early 2026, marking its first network expansion since 2021. The move shifts the carrier’s post-COVID focus from densifying existing routes to adding new points on its map.

2025-07-14T14:37:30.971292-07:00

Southwest Airlines to Add First New Destination Since 2021 with St. Thomas Service

CBS News

Southwest ground crews battle triple-digit heat to turn 200 daily flights in Phoenix Facing triple-digit summer heat, Southwest Airlines’ Phoenix ground crews are tasked with turning around some 200 flights daily. Teams juggle fueling, cleaning and baggage handling under intense time pressure and soaring temperatures to meet tight schedules and maintain reliability at one of the airline’s busiest hubs.

2025-07-10T22:07:00.470976-07:00

Southwest ground crews battle triple-digit heat to turn 200 daily flights in Phoenix

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Dive into our Southwest Airlines news feed for a detailed look at the operational strategies, customer engagement initiatives, and financial health of one of the most iconic low-cost carriers. Our coverage tracks Southwest's efforts to maintain its competitive edge in the ever-changing landscape of the airline industry.