DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines said Thursday that it plans to end the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and start flights with...
and start flights with passengers sitting in assigned seats during the first half of 2026 as the company tries toand other Southwest executives gave details about the airline's future transformation at an investor meeting in Dallas. The airline plans to reserve a third of seats on its flights for passengers who would pay a premium to get up to five extra inches of legroom - and provide a source of more revenue.
Southwest has been contemplating an overhaul for months, but the push for radical change became even more important to management this summer, when Elliott Investment Management targeted the company for its dismal stock performance since early 2021. Employee unions are watching the fight between Elliott Investment Management and airline management, but they are not taking sides. “That’s between Southwest and Elliott, and we’ll see how it plays out,” Alison Head, a flight attendant and union official in Atlanta, said.
Southwest gave ground this month, when it announced that six directors will leave in November and Kelly will step down next year. The airline is digging in to protect Jordan, however. “We’re willing to compromise, but acquiescing to a single shareholder’s demand for control of the company is not a compromise,” Jordan said. “There’s a lot to be excited about in Southwest, and we will not allow Elliott’s public attacks to distract us.”
Robert Jordan Southwest Elliott Investment Management
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