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Southwest began retrofitting its aircraft on April 30, 2025, with the first updated plane planned to enter service May 1. The work supported the airline’s move to assigned seating and designated extra-legroom seats; it was a phased program, not a one-day fleetwide makeover.
When did Southwest start cabin retrofits?
Southwest said its technical operations teams would begin the work April 30, 2025, and that the first retrofitted aircraft was planned to enter service May 1. The initial phase covered Boeing 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s, with 737-700 work expected to begin after the summer. Teams at maintenance bases in Denver, Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta were assigned the work.
The April 2025 announcement described the core change as re-pitching existing seats—adjusting the spacing between rows—to make room for extra-legroom seating. Southwest said the fleet would be touched between April 30 and the end of 2025, while upgrades and aircraft groups moved through the process in phases. The airline put it this way: “This process re-pitches existing seats to adjust spacing between rows to create room for Extra Legroom seating.”
Progress reported by Southwest
- In its second-quarter 2025 filing, Southwest said the FAA had approved and certified extra-legroom retrofits for the 737-8 and 737-800 in April. It reported that more than 220 aircraft had completed the extra-legroom retrofit by July 24, 2025.
- Southwest’s 2026 quarterly filing says assigned and extra-legroom seating began operating January 27, 2026.
- As of July 22, 2026, 107 aircraft retrofitted with RECARO seats had entered service, according to the same filing. Southwest stated: “As of July 22, 2026, 107 aircraft retrofitted with RECARO seats have been placed into service.”
These milestones describe related but distinct parts of the cabin program. Extra-legroom and seat-layout changes were underway before the later RECARO-seat rollout, so the 107-aircraft figure is not a count of every aircraft that had received any retrofit.
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What passengers may notice
Assigned seats and extra legroom
The changed layout supports assigned seating and designated extra-legroom seats. Southwest’s employee-facing careers material described the planned extra-legroom offering as up to five additional inches of pitch across roughly one-third of seats. Those are the company’s stated product expectations, not independently measured results for every aircraft. Southwest’s 2026 filing dates the start of assigned and extra-legroom seating operations to January 27, 2026.
Power, bins, and seatbacks
In-seat power and larger overhead bins are also part of the cabin improvements. Southwest says new 737 MAX 8 deliveries include these features and that it is adding them to existing aircraft, so passengers should not assume every plane has the same equipment. The airline’s 2025 description of new RECARO seatbacks specifies USB-A and USB-C ports and personal electronic device holders.
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A separate 737-700 power project
Southwest described a distinct plan to modernize power ports on more than half of its 737-700 subfleet. The airline said work would start in the second half of 2026, with a target to finish by mid-2027, prioritizing aircraft expected to remain in the fleet longest. This schedule concerns the power-port workstream and should not be treated as the completion date for every cabin retrofit.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to tell what is on a particular flight
Southwest’s company statements establish program plans and dated progress, but they do not provide a live aircraft-by-aircraft retrofit lookup. Seat layouts and amenities can vary by plane and by phase of work. Check the seat map and flight details when selecting a seat, and confirm the aircraft’s available features close to travel; an aircraft assignment or configuration can change.
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When comparing seat options, look at the seat’s location and designation, the stated extra-legroom benefit, whether seat power is important to you, and the fare and seat-selection terms shown for your itinerary. The company’s general descriptions do not guarantee a particular seat, port, or overhead-bin configuration on every flight.
Quick Recap
Sources and dates
- Southwest Airlines Media, April 2025 announcement on starting 737-800 and MAX 8 retrofit work.
- Southwest Airlines Co., Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, filed July 2025.
- Southwest Airlines Co., Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, filed July 2026.
- Southwest Airlines Media, 2025 cabin-design announcement.
- Southwest Airlines, “Customer Enhancements,” accessed October 8, 2026; Southwest Airlines Careers, “Commercial Transformation,” accessed October 8, 2026.
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