Over the rest of the year, all aircraft in Southwest’s fleet will be retrofitted to accommodate the new seats with up to 5 inches of expanded legroom, the company said in a statement.

Beginning in early 2026, Southwest Airlines will move to an assigned seating model with some premium, extra legroom seats available for purchase. In the meantime, customers can snag those roomier seats for free on some Southwest Airlines flights, and one airline expert recently explained how.