Agree Or Disagree: Southwest's New Seat Policy Is A Money Grab

Get ready to say goodbye to the wildest part of flying Southwest: the open seating battle royale! For years, getting on a Southwest plane was like a chaotic game of musical chairs, where only the fastest survived and families had to sprint down the aisle to sit together. Well, the fun is officially over. Southwest is now ending this tradition, and while they claim it's about "seatisfaction" let's just say a lot of people think this new plan is less about giving you "choices" and more about grabbing your cash.

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Here are Five Fast Facts on Southwest Airlines' upcoming seat changes:

1. ⏳ When It Begins - Starting with flights on January 27, 2026, Southwest will no longer have open seating. The glorious free-for-all where you could potentially snag a great seat if you boarded fast enough is officially over. The playground is closing for good!

2. 💰 There's An Upcharge For That - The airline is now offering new fare bundles where you can pay extra to choose your seat, get extra legroom, and a few other goodies. You heard that right - now you can pay for the privilege of getting what used to be free...

3. 🤦 Well, Duh - Some people are calling this a giant "money grab." Thank you, Captain Obvious. But it's a change that could rake in an estimated $1.5 billion in annual revenue, so the shareholders will love it (while they fly first class on other airlines, no doubt).

4. 📈 Joining The Club - Other major airlines have been doing this for a while, and collected an estimated $3.2 billion in seat selection fees in 2024. So, Southwest is just late to the "charge for everything" party, but they're coming in hot now!

5. 👀 Just The Latest - This isn't the first dramatic change Southwest has made recently. This new seating policy follows their other recent decision to also end the beloved "bags fly free" policy. It's like they're slowly erasing everything that made them unique and fun. Also, the things that actually made them cheaper than the other big airlines (which they're not, now).

🔥Bottom line: In just a few months, the days of open seating will be gone, and with it, the great Southwest boarding chaos. It will make boarding calmer, and likely make them a cargo hold full of cash, but it will be interesting to see how their satisfaction scores do. After all, if you're stuck paying more for one specific seat -- and how can it ALWAYS be beside the person who just ate that giant burrito?! -- but Southwest isn't upgrading their other services to be just as good as the big airlines...what's keeping them from becoming an airline that is really just Delta's un-fun twin? Not much "seatisfaction" there, huh?

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Do you think this is just a money grab? And will this change your view of Southwest Airlines?

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