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Southwest Airlines already feeling the heat from frustrated passengers about the new boarding and seat assignment system for the Dallas-based airline, the world’s low-cost carrier is now also considering moving its dedicated forward crew overhead bin storage to the rear of the cabin to allow extra space for forward seated passengers.
This comes after complaints have been littering social media, with many upset with the recent raft of changes on board, including assigned seating, and continued congestion being found at the front of the aircraft cabin. Since shifting to assigned seating, this has seen the early boarders fill the first few rows of the front bins, leaving little space for passengers seated in the first few rows of the aircraft.
Moving Dedicated Forward Crew Overhead Bin Storage
As shared by aviation insider JonNYC on X, Southwest is now considering moving the dedicated crew overhead bin storage to the rear after complaints have come in regarding the congestion being felt at the front of the cabin. Currently, those with priority boarding are placing their bags in the front forward overhead bins, leaving little space for those in the allocated seats below.
While the proposed change would address these congestion issues, it has faced sharp resistance from the TWU Cabin Crew – Transport Workers’ Union, with TWU Local 556 immediately rejecting this unilateral decision, believing this is in no way an acceptable solution.
The Union shared the following statement on its Facebook page:
This situation is the direct result of poor planning by SWA Upper Management, and once again, the burden is being shifted onto Flight Attendants.
Look At Alternative Solutions
Whilst facing complaints regarding congested overhead bin space, the executive team at Southwest Airlines has made a quick decision to relocate the overhead crew bin location to the back of the aircraft. When this was proposed to the union, as noted above, it was immediately rejected. The belief from the Union is that the launch of assigned seating, the upper management team of WN has been unable to address the growing number of issues that are related to the bin space, and this should have been anticipated before implementation.
TWU Local 556 has stressed that this congestion is a result of poor planning by Southwest Airlines executives, and this burden is now as a result being shifted towards flight attendants. Alternative solutions have been suggested, which would see the extended leg room passengers have the overhead lockers closed before boarding, improve crew cabin bag claim at the gate, Flight Attendant A crew bag up front, or move the crew bin to above rows 7 or 8. These were also unequivocally declined by Southwest.
Additionally, the TWA union queried if these would be temporary solutions until overhead bin expanders were to be added in the last quarter of 2026 or early 2027, to which Southwest declined.
Southwest Passengers Divided Following Turbulent Debut For Assigned Seating
Mixed reviews for the airline’s new assigned seating system.
Advocating For Union Members
TWU Local 556 is strongly opposed to the proposal to move the forward cabin crew bin to the rear of the aircraft, to ensure members’ safety, working conditions, and professional needs. The TWU will continue to advocate to ensure all members’ personal items have locks for crew bins across all aircraft types (to which Southwest Airlines has confirmed it will act on).
Southwest Airlines announced back in July 2024 that it would be shelving its decades-old free-for-all seat allocation (which was also common with many European low-cost carriers until early last decade). This will now see the airline offer assigned seats, including those that provide more legroom. However, the acceptance of these change have been met with upset for some, who are now claiming it is causing congestion in the cabin.
The Dallas-based low-cost carrier, it believes the assigned seating options will now allow more experiences to be chosen by passengers, which allows the ability to select an extra legroom seat, new fare bundles, and Tier or Cardmember perks. New seat choices and assigned seating were bookable from January 27, 2026.
