A look inside Southwest Airlines' newly-designed planes taking flight in 2026
DALLAS - Big changes are coming for Southwest Airlines and its customers.
As employees got a first look on Friday, FOX 4 brought a camera on board as they unveiled a new design for planes that will take flight in 2026.
From the outside, the new Southwest Airlines 737 MAX Jet looks like all the others. But inside is where passengers will notice some major changes.
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Christopher Parker with SWA helped to redesign the cabin.
"When customers come on board the aircraft, they want to feel relaxed. They want to feel comfortable, and they want to feel a friendly environment," he said.
Customers will notice shades of a light blue meant to bring in feelings of nature and calmness into the cabin. About one-third of the seats will offer extra legroom.
Standard economy seats will have about one less inch of legroom. That’s to accommodate new, preferred seating with about five inches of extra legroom.
All seats will feature an enhanced headrest, enhanced bottom cushion and in-seat power on the seatback. There's also a designated spot for your table or cell phone.
And all passengers will benefit from added overhead bin space. The new design can accommodate 60 additional roller bags.
"We know having sufficient bag space on board the aircraft helps to reduce customer anxiety," Parker said.
The flight crew uniforms are also getting a refresh. The fabrics are more breathable and elastic.
The overhaul is part of CEO Bob Jordan's three-year plan to revitalize the Dallas-based carrier facing pressure from activist investors and domestic competition.
Effective April 2025, Southwest will stop service to 15 markets from its base at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, including big markets in South Florida along with Philadelphia and Cleveland.
It's not all cuts for Southwest, though.
At the same time, the airline is boosting its presence in Nashville with the addition of six new routes.
"The name of the game in the airline industry," said SMU Economist Mike Davis. "And it's true for all the airlines is that you've got to get more out of less. The more utilization the airline can get out of their airplanes, the better off they are."
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A spokesperson says pricing for the assigned seats is still being worked out.
The price for the basic fare will include an assigned seat, but you won't find out your seat until 24 hours before your flight. It’s similar to how American Airlines handles its basic economy tickets.