Southwest Airlines economy fare passengers may have to sacrifice some precious legroom to make way for new premium seating sections on many of the

Assigned seats could be coming to Southwest Airlines as soon as next year. The carrier said it expects to start selling tickets with seat assignments in the second half of 2025, with the first of those flights operating in the first half of 2026,

The shift from open seating is expected to begin in the second half of next year, Southwest says. DALLAS — Southwest Airlines on Thursday unveiled the first details of its plans to begin assigning seats,