Over the past few months, Southwest Airlines has announced several controversial changes, such as adding bag fees and changing its boarding process. Travelers have openly chastised the airline for its recent changes,

Southwest Airlines has officially provided an end date for its well-known open seating policy: Starting July 29, 2025, customers booking flights for Jan. 27, 2026, or later will either have to choose their seat or be assigned one,

Here are some of the classic things Southwest Airlines used to say about its half-century-old open-seating policy, which starts going away tomorrow: “It’s open seating. You can sit anywhere you want—just like at church.