Southwest unveils revamped plane cabins complete with extra legroom, spacious new seating

They’re pushing this makeover to the MAX.

On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines finally revealed the revamped interiors of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes, complete with extra legroom.

The redesign will roll out from Oct. 16, per a recent press release, marking a “major milestone” in the cabin overhaul of the aircraft, which Southwest has used since 2017.

“Each of these enhancements brings us closer to creating an elevated experience our customers told us they wanted,” the airline said in a statement, as reported by WFAA.

These “elevated” additions, which the budget carrier has been teasing for a year, include extra legroom rows, larger overhead bins and power outlets, along with spacious new seats by Recaro.

These spiffy new sky chairs will feature a multi-adjustable headrest cushion, an integrated tablet and phone holder on the rear, and a tray table with two cup holders

Meanwhile, a refreshed lighting, an updated carpet, and a palette of cool blue tones round out the fuselage’s futuristic reboot.

And that’s just the tip of the amenity overhaul — the jet will also debut an “Extra Legroom” section, with more top-of-the-line snack options, complimentary premium beverages, and earlier boarding positions once the airline starts offering premium and assigned seating on January 27, 2026.

Southwest’s retrofitting offensive has equipped approximately 40% of its current fleet with in-seat power, and 20% with the larger bins, although the focus remains on overhauling its MAX 8s and -800s first.

In addition to the MAX upgrades, airline also expects to begin outfitting more than half of its 737-700 fleet with in-seat power beginning in 2026 with completion slated for mid-2027.

The enhancements come amid a major airline makeover the Texas-based airline implemented as a way to bolster revenue and ward off advances from activist investors.

Along with scrapping the carrier’s famed “first come first serve” seating policy, the airline bagged the decades-old “bags fly free” policy, whereby passengers were allowed two complimentary checked pieces of luggage regardless of their ticket fare.

Critics claimed that ending these policies was the wrong move as they distinguished the airline from other carriers.

However, activist investor Elliott Management, which took an 11% stake in Southwest in 2024 and pushed the carrier to do away with many of these hallmark policies, argued that the airline had long suffered from “poor execution” and a “stubborn unwillingness” to modernize.