Southwest Airways has revealed plans to utterly overhaul its cabins beginning in early 2025. I can’t assist however be interested in what the airline isn’t mentioning, although.
Southwest companions with RECARO on new seats
As of early 2025, Southwest intends to introduce all-new cabin interiors for newly delivered Boeing 737 MAX plane, which is able to embody new seats from RECARO. The RECARO seats can have a multi-adjustable headrest cushion, a private digital gadget holder, and energy shops.
Southwest states that the brand new design is predicated on intensive analysis masking buyer and worker perceptions of shade, consolation, and their aspirations for the general onboard expertise. The airline claims that the brand new design brings to life Southwest’s heat power with deep blue tones, sky blue accents, and a nod to the Southwest Coronary heart woven all through the carpet.
I imply, it’s laborious to get too excited a couple of new financial system cabin that doesn’t even have private televisions, however I do need to say that the cabin appears fairly good when it comes to the little design particulars, just like the stitching on the seats, the totally different tones of blue on the headrest, the sample on the carpet, and many others.
Right here’s how Tony Roach, Southwest’s Chief Buyer Officer, describes the brand new cabins:
“Southwest flies above our competitors with industry-leading flexibility and our legendary Hospitality. Our redesigned cabin inside considerably enhances our inflight Buyer expertise and can complement the superb service that our Crews present.”
Whereas there are not any agency plans to retrofit current plane with these interiors, Southwest is presently engaged on retrofitting 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s with USB-A and USB-C shops, in addition to bigger overhead bins. This can be a challenge that was first introduced in Could 2022, and it’s anticipated that it’s going to take a number of extra years to finish.
Will Southwest be densifying cabins?
RECARO is understood for its very slim and light-weight seats, that are in fact nice for airline economics, and maybe a bit much less nice for passenger consolation.
It’s fascinating that within the press launch in regards to the new cabins, there’s no point out of how the cabin format will change, a method or one other. I can’t assist however think about that a part of Southwest’s motive for investing in new cabins is a objective of a extra dense cabin configuration.
Southwest is understood for having fairly snug cabins. As an ordinary, the airline has 32″ of pitch in financial system, and has 175 seats on its 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s. Frankly I’d be stunned if the airline doesn’t use this chance to squeeze in an at the least an additional row of seats in comparison with the present configuration.
By switching to a fair thinner seat, maybe the airline may make the declare that it’s densifying the cabin with out taking away legroom. So to me that’s the large query, as a result of I really feel like there could also be a bit extra to this than simply making the cabin prettier.
Backside line
As of early 2025, Southwest Airways is introducing new cabin interiors on its newly delivered Boeing 737 MAXs. The airline can have a brand new cabin design, in addition to new seats from RECARO. The cabin finishes do appear to be a pleasant enchancment.
I’m curious what this implies for cabin density, as I’d be stunned if the airline maintains the 175-seat format it presently has on its 737 MAX 8s…
What do you make of Southwest’s new deliberate cabin interiors?
