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Southwest Airlines is currently undergoing a thorough overhaul of its brand, business model, and product. As part of this overhaul, the carrier is modifying its aircraft interiors to offer extra-legroom seating options. New Boeing 737 MAX 8s are being delivered with the new interiors, while aircraft already in the fleet are being retrofitted. As of January 20, 2026, all Boeing 737-700s have been refurbished with the new interior layout, as announced by Southwest Chief Financial Officer Tom Doxey on LinkedIn.
Whereas the newly delivered Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft also feature a new interior design standard and updated seats, the 737-700s have not received any changes other than the arrangement of the seats. On these planes, a row was removed to create space for the extra legroom row. Because this was a fairly minor modification, the 737-700s could be retrofitted in swift fashion, and Southwest technicians even completed the project a week early.
The New Southwest Airlines 737-700 Layout
Southwest Airlines has completed its interior retrofit project for its roughly 300-strong fleet of Boeing 737-700s. Originally, the carrier intended to commence the retrofits in December 2025, but elected to postpone the project until after the holiday season. Southwest Airlines planned for all 737-700s to be updated by January 27, 2026, but the project was completed a full week early, on January 20, 2026.
The scope of the project was fairly light, as the refurbishments consisted solely of updating the seat pitches. The aircraft are still in an all-economy layout, but the first six rows now feature 35 inches (89 centimeters) of legroom, available for a surcharge. The new extra legroom seats come at the expense of a row of economy, with the aircraft now featuring 137 seats rather than 143.
These planes still feature the carrier’s classic “Evolve” interior. These include Southwest’s prior-generation seats, and the 737-700s are not equipped with the Boeing Sky Interior. In addition, although the first six rows feature extra legroom, the seats will not feature any special markings or new seat cover designs. These are Southwest’s oldest aircraft and are set to be retired by 2031.
The Rationale Behind The Refurbishment
The new addition with the 737-700 retrofits is extra legroom seating options. Southwest first began flying Boeing 737s with extra legroom seating in mid-2025. The 737 MAX 8 and 737-800 fleets were the first to receive extra legroom seats, while the 737-700s were the last aircraft type in Southwest’s fleet to be updated. Until now, however, the carrier hasn’t been charging for the extra legroom rows.
On January 27, 2026, Southwest Airlines will launch assigned seating and will charge for extra legroom rows, in a break from its decades-long practice of offering open seating. The nature of Southwest’s operations means that it’s difficult to predict which aircraft will operate a specific flight. While this isn’t an issue when all aircraft feature the same interior, it becomes problematic if some aircraft don’t feature the extra legroom seats that Southwest is looking to monetize.
The carrier elected to first retrofit all Boeing 737s with the extra legroom seating, then launch sales of these premium seats, and begin assigning seats. While the 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s feature the same number of seats as before (175 seats), the 737-700s lost one row.
Southwest Airlines Updates Policy For Plus-Size Passengers Purchasing Two Seats
Starting in January, customers of size will now face more restrictions on when and how they can receive a refund for booking two seats.
The Latest Changes At Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines has undergone several high-profile changes ever since it was boarded by Elliott Investment Management in 2024. The carrier’s financials were worsening, and Elliott argued that management failed to evolve Southwest to be competitive in the 2020s.
Some of the changes made under Elliott have been a net positive. Southwest has established several interline agreements with foreign carriers, it now participates in the GDS, and it’s made operational changes such as beginning overnight flights. However, the carrier has also eliminated open seating, will charge for seat assignments and premium seating, while also ending its two free checked bags policy.
While these changes are in line with the rest of the airline industry, they also eliminate a large part of what made Southwest as a brand unique. Its unique attributes earned it a cult following, and these changes have alienated many Southwest loyalists. Now, the carrier has to compete largely on price and schedule, which is a far more difficult game.
