Bob Jordan, CEO: “Southwest will never assign seats. Open seating is fundamental to who we are and how we board efficiently.”

In July 2024, Southwest announced it would end open seating after 54 years. Internal research showed 80% of current customers and 86% of potential customers preferred assigned seats. Assigned seating launched January 27, 2026. Jordan defended the reversal at the Bernstein conference in May 2025, calling the changes 'things that Southwest has not done, were not part of that model until now.'