We continue to improve the Southwest® Customer Experience with several modernizations already implemented and many more on the horizon. We’re moving to assigned seating and currently expect bookings to be available in 2025, including options for premium/extra legroom seats. Other upgrades include improved self-service options and on-board enhancements like upgraded WiFi, in-seat power ports, and a refreshed cabin design to come.
Read all about it: assigned seating, digital bag tracking, upgraded WiFi, in-seat power, bigger overhead bins, and more.
Learn more ›See how our new and upcoming self-service solutions can streamline the way you travel.
Learn more ›Enjoy even more flexibility when you fly Southwest® with flight credits that don't expire, updates to My Account, and new ways to pay online and onboard.
Learn more ›It’s a big change for us. Research shows the majority of Customers are all for it.
We currently expect to make bookings available beginning in 2025:
• All seats will be assigned: You’ll know exactly where you’re sitting before you even get onboard-especially great for those who want to sit together. We’ll be updating our boarding process too. More details coming soon!
• Premium/extra legroom seats: With the move to assigned seating, we’ll also be offering seats with extra legroom in a portion of our cabin. Details are still in design, but we expect roughly one-third of seats across the fleet to have this extra-comfy option
We’ve got it in the bag. Enjoy a more seamless day-of-travel experience when checking your bags with these new upgrades:
New • Pre-check your bags: Next time you fly with us, you can add your checked bags digitally in the app or at Southwest.com® before arriving at the airport and print your bag tags at the kiosk when you arrive. Doing so will expedite the self-service bag tag process at our kiosks to make checking in faster and easier.
New • Digital bag tracking: With Southwest’s new digital bag tracking, you are now able to track your checked bags from tagging to arriving at your destination.
We’ve upgraded WiFi equipment on every one of our planes to give you a better in-air experience. More bandwidth and faster data transfer rates mean you can stay connected to what’s important to you at all times. Here’s how:
Whether you’re keeping the kids entertained, or working to complete an important presentation, more power at your fingertips is always a good thing. That’s why we’ve included in-seat power ports on all new 737 MAX 8 aircraft delivered to Southwest, and why we’ll be adding them to our existing MAX 8 and 737-800 planes in the next few years.
All new 737 MAX 8 aircraft being delivered to Southwest feature larger overhead bins. Not only do the new bins provide more room for more carryon items, they’re easier to access when you’re boarding, and grabbing-and-going upon arrival. We’re also making steady progress on refitting the rest of our fleet with these larger overhead bins and expect that process to be complete in the next 2-3 years.
We’ve partnered with two of the world’s leading aviation design companies to upgrade your inflight experience. Starting as soon as early next year, you’ll see a refreshed look to our cabins, and enjoy new seats designed to maximize your comfort.
From boardrooms to beaches and everywhere in between, no matter your reason for flying, we aim to provide an enjoyable inflight experience. To help make your flight a great one, we're focusing on:
Food and beverage2
• Improved beverage options: In September 2022, we enhanced our offerings even further by adding hard seltzer, rosé, and more to our alcohol selection3, and in July 2023, we added AHA Sparkling Water and Sprite to our non-alcoholic beverage selection.
Learn more ›
Inflight entertainment
• Double the movies: This summer we've doubled the selection4 and now have over 100 movies available in our inflight portal's free-to-watch movie library.
• Improved movie discovery: We updated our inflight movie page to help you discover more great content to watch.
New • Easier wayfinding in our airport lobbies: We're making it easier to navigate the airport lobbies with our new airport signage that will direct you exactly where you need to go. We began our launch in June 2023 and will continue to roll out these signs throughout the year.
Over the last year, we've worked hard to put more functionality in your hands with new digital capabilities.
Flight credits don't expire: Wanna get away®, but you're not sure when? We're making expiring flight credits a thing of the past. Now flight credits are just like Rapid Rewards® points: they don't expire. Your flight credits are yours to keep.
Transferable Flight Credits™6: Select fares now include Transferable Flight Credits, allowing you to make a one-time transfer to another Rapid Rewards Member. Look for this benefit on our Wanna Get Away Plus®, Anytime, or Business Select® fares. Transferable Flight Credits don't expire.
We get it - sometimes plans change. We're making it easier to go with the flow with updates to our change and cancel process. These include:
My Account is your one-stop-shop for managing your booked travel:
Pay your way online or onboard with flexible payment options:
The aforementioned investments were included in the Company's five-year annual targets through 2026 for operating costs and capital spending provided at its Investor Day in December 2021—annual inflation in operating expenses per available seat mile (CASM, or unit costs), excluding fuel, profit-sharing, and special items, in the low single digits range, and average annual capital spending of approximately $3.5 billion.
All Rapid Rewards® rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms.
1First and second checked bags. Weight and size limits apply.
2On flights less than 175 miles, food and beverage service will be limited to water only.
3Must be 21 or older to consume alcoholic beverages.
4As of May 2024, there are 124 movies in our Library.
5iOS Customers only, branded by Apple as “Preview Flight”
6Transferable Flight Credit™ allows you to transfer your flight credit to someone else. Both must be Rapid Rewards® Members and only one transfer is permitted. For bookings made through a Southwest® Business channel, there is a limitation to transfer only between employees within the organization.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This website contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to (i) the Company's initiatives, strategic priorities and focus areas, goals, and opportunities, including with respect to Customer experience enhancements, improved self-service options, upgraded Wi-Fi and ongoing improvements, in-seat power, larger overhead bins, new seating, refreshed cabin design, digital experience upgrades, and airport experience enhancements; (ii) the Company’s plans and expectations with respect to assigned and premium seating, including expected benefits, Customer demand, timing of implementation and bookings, boarding process, and cabin layout; and (iii) the Company's financial and operational outlook, expectations, goals, plans, and projected results of operations, including with respect to its capital spending and initiatives, and including factors and assumptions underlying the Company's expectations and projections. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current estimates, intentions, beliefs, expectations, goals, strategies, and projections for the future and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the impact of fears or actual outbreaks of diseases, extreme or severe weather and natural disasters, actions of competitors (including, without limitation, pricing, scheduling, capacity, and network decisions, and consolidation and alliance activities), consumer perception, economic conditions, banking conditions, fears or actual acts of terrorism or war, sociodemographic trends, and other factors beyond the Company's control, on consumer behavior and the Company's results of operations and business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (ii) the Company's ability to timely and effectively implement, transition, operate, and maintain the necessary information technology systems and infrastructure to support its operations and initiatives, including with respect to revenue management; (iii) the cost and effects of the actions of activist shareholders; (iv) the Company's ability to obtain and maintain adequate infrastructure and equipment to support its operations and initiatives; (v) the impact of fuel price changes, fuel price volatility, volatility of commodities used by the Company for hedging jet fuel, and any changes to the Company's fuel hedging strategies and positions, on the Company's business plans and results of operations; (vi) the Company's dependence on The Boeing Company ("Boeing") and Boeing suppliers with respect to the Company's aircraft deliveries, Boeing MAX 7 aircraft certifications, fleet and capacity plans, operations, maintenance, strategies, and goals; (vii) the Company's dependence on the Federal Aviation Administration with respect to safety approvals for the new cabin layout and the certification of the Boeing MAX 7 aircraft; (viii) the Company's dependence on other third parties, in particular with respect to its technology plans, its plans and expectations related to revenue management, operational reliability, fuel supply, maintenance, Global Distribution Systems, and the impact on the Company's operations and results of operations of any third party delays or non-performance; (ix) the Company's ability to timely and effectively prioritize its initiatives and focus areas and related expenditures; (x) the impact of labor matters on the Company's business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (xi) the impact of governmental regulations and other governmental actions on the Company's business plans, results, and operations; (xii) the Company's dependence on its workforce, including its ability to employ and retain sufficient numbers of qualified Employees with appropriate skills and expertise to effectively and efficiently maintain its operations and execute the Company's plans, strategies, and initiatives; (xiii) the emergence of additional costs or effects associated with the cancelled flights in December 2022, including litigation, government investigation and actions, and internal actions; and (xiv) other factors, as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2024.