Your first look inside Southwest’s upgraded cabins! (7 photos + details)
Quick take
Southwest has started flying its first 737 MAX with a redesigned cabin that brings power at every seat, larger overhead bins, device holders, and distinct seating zones that include extra legroom and preferred forward seats. Assigned seating and fare bundles are slated to open for booking in late 2025 for travel beginning January 27, 2026, turning those zones into a clear premium ladder for travelers and corporate travel programs.
What is new onboard
- Seats and ergonomics: new RECARO economy seats with adjustable headrests, refreshed lighting, and materials tuned for longer sit times. Each seatback has a device holder and dual USB A and USB C power, closing a long standing productivity gap for laptop work.
- Overhead bins and tray tables: larger pivot bins and tray tables with two cup recesses improve stowage and workspace, helping reduce boarding friction and making it easier to keep a laptop open when beverages arrive.
- Cabin capacity: aircraft remain at roughly 175 seats, but space is redistributed to create premium zones up front and at the exits.
The premium zones
Southwest is not installing a separate first class. Instead, the cabin is divided into three seat types that will tie to assigned seating and bundles.
- Extra legroom seats at the front and near the exit rows. Early layouts point to about 34 inches of pitch in these rows compared with about 31 inches in standard rows. Some 737 8 and 737 800 layouts are expected to offer a sizable block of extra legroom seats.
- Preferred forward seats that prioritize a quick exit without added pitch.
- Standard seats in the remainder of the cabin with the new seat design and in seat power.
Color accents and subtle striping make the extra legroom section visually distinct, which helps crews and travelers find premium rows quickly during boarding.
Images of Southwest's new plane cabin design
Assigned seating and fare bundles
Southwest will move from open seating to assigned seats that you select at booking. New fare bundles will map to seat types and boarding priority, and elite Rapid Rewards benefits will layer on top. Assigned seating is expected to be bookable for travel from January 27, 2026, with details on how elites can choose Preferred or Standard seats and when they can move into Extra Legroom closer to departure.
What this means for business travel programs
- Predictability for tight turnarounds: assigned seating reduces the scramble for the first few rows and for bin space. That makes day trips with back to back meetings more viable, especially when you target forward zones.
- Policy ready seat tiers: Extra Legroom and Preferred create clear rungs you can map to traveler status, route length, trip importance, or time of day. If you already allow Comfort Plus, Main Cabin Extra, or Economy Plus on competing carriers, you will have a comparable option to codify on Southwest.
- In seat power as a standard: universal USB power at every seat and sturdy device holders make Southwest friendlier for laptop heavy work, which matters on transcons and midcons where productivity is critical.
- Change management for frequent Southwest flyers: EarlyBird and A Group tactics will matter less once assigned seating and bundles are live. Update traveler guidance so expectations shift from check in timing to seat selection and fare rules.
Rollout status and pace
The first new interior aircraft is in service now, and retrofits are underway. A growing share of the fleet already shows extra legroom rows in a soft launch, with visible headrest markers to help identify those seats. Expect steady cadence through 2025 as aircraft cycle through modifications, then a wider cutover as assigned seating begins for 2026 travel.
What we still do not know
Exact seat counts by tail and the final distribution of Extra Legroom versus Preferred forward rows may shift during retrofit. Upgrade mechanics at the airport, same day pricing between zones, and any last minute elite entitlements beyond what has been previewed remain to be detailed before the 2026 service start.
Timeline at a glance
- Now: first new interior 737 MAX flying with RECARO seats, power at every seat, device holders, larger bins, and new lighting.
- Second half of 2025: assigned seating and premium bundles expected to open for booking on flights operating in 2026.
- From January 27, 2026: assigned seating and premium seat zones in regular operation, with loyalty benefits layered in.
Bottom line for Engine readers
Southwest’s premium cabin approach is pragmatic. You get clearer choices without a separate first class, stronger inflight power and work surfaces, and a booking flow that finally lets road warriors choose a seat in advance. For travel managers, this is the moment to define who gets Extra Legroom or Preferred seats, on which routes, and under what conditions, so teams are ready when the 2026 schedules open.
