Southwest Airlines has installed extra legroom on ...

Southwest Airways technically would not launch assigned seating for an additional 4 months. However beginning now, when you’re flying with the airline to Hawaii, you will be on a airplane that already has its new extra-legroom seats.

And because the airline hasn’t ended its open seating coverage simply but, which means a major boarding place may land you a kind of spacious seats at no added value.

As of this week, the Dallas-based provider has completed putting in extra-space rows on all of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets — the identical plane it makes use of on flights to and from the Aloha State. It is a milestone in Southwest’s push to get all of its planes reconfigured with extra-legroom lodging earlier than late January 2026, when it formally launches open seating and begins charging further for these roomier rows.

So, consider this because the “mushy launch,” of types, throughout the last few months of first-come, first-served seating.

Practically half of Southwest planes now have further legroom

It is not simply Southwest’s Hawaii flights which have its new extra-legroom seats, both. As of Sept. 8, the provider had retrofitted 380 of its planes with the brand new seating setup — about 47% of its fleet.

As a part of the cabin revamp, crews additionally put in in-seat energy shops and bigger overhead bins on all of Southwest’s MAX 8 planes that fly its longer routes.

Associated: Southwest’s ‘variable’ redemptions take effect

Southwest’s MAX 8 (and Boeing 737-800) planes which were retrofitted now function 5 extra-legroom rows on the entrance of the plane and three extra rows of elevated seating close to the mid-cabin emergency exit.

We must always observe that these are simply common coach seats with extra legroom. So for now, as you board a airplane that has these spacious rows, you could have to look intently to see what sort of seat you are selecting.

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Southwest just lately started putting in specially-colored headrests to make its extra-legroom seats stand out. However you will solely discover the colours on a few quarter of the planes which have the brand new seating setup.

This is what the MAX 8 and 737-800 seat map will appear to be as soon as the plane is outfitted with the brand new configuration.

Southwest started refitting its planes this spring after announcing its shift to assigned and extra-legroom seating in 2024.

The provider has already started selling flights with assigned seating, which formally begins Jan. 27, 2026. At that time, prospects who buy the airline’s newly named Alternative Further fare could have entry to further legroom.

Prime-tier Speedy Rewards A-Checklist Most popular members will be capable of choose a kind of seats totally free inside 48 hours of a flight’s departure. Vacationers who carry the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) will be capable of do the identical.

Learn extra: Southwest unveils big credit card refresh: 50% fee hikes, but new seating and boarding perks

Greatest methods to get a Southwest extra-legroom seat in 2025

Between now and January — whereas Southwest nonetheless has open seating in place — your finest guess for scoring one of many extra-legroom seats is to safe an early boarding place.

The airline sells Upgraded Boarding as an elective add-on inside 24 hours of departure. This ensures an A1-15 boarding place — and, in essence, ensures an extra-legroom seat shall be out there while you get on the airplane.

Learn extra: What to know about Southwest Airlines’ 8 boarding groups starting in January