Under assault from activist hedge fund Elliott Capital Management, the carrier's executives told a shareholder meeting that bags will still fly free, but much else will change for passengers of the budget airline.

Assigned seats could be coming to Southwest Airlines as soon as next year. The carrier said it expects to start selling tickets with seat assignments in the second half of 2025, with the first of those flights operating in the first half of 2026,

Southwest Airlines plans to start using assigned seating on planes in the first half of 2026 — one of many upcoming changes the company will roll out in attempt to improve the customer experience and profits,