Southwest Airlines has announced a major shift in its boarding policy, ending its signature open seating model after five decades. The change comes after the airline conducted extensive research showing that a significant majority of travelers—80% of current customers and 86% of potential customers—preferred assigned seating.

Company leadership described the move as a transformational step, with CEO Bob Jordan emphasizing that the decision was driven by customer and employee feedback. In preparation for the shift, the airline ran more than eight million simulation-based boarding trials to ensure operational efficiency wouldn’t be compromised.

While the move to assigned seating has been largely well-received due to passenger preferences, the simultaneous decision to eliminate free checked baggage has been met with widespread criticism, as it did not reflect customer desires. Nevertheless, the airline believes these policy updates are essential to enhancing the overall travel experience and boosting financial performance.