Southwest Unveils Updated Look for Fleet’s Cabin Design

by  Elissa Garay | Jan 18, 2012
Southwest Airlines plane
Southwest Airlines plane / Boarding1Now/iStock

Southwest Airlines has offered a peek at its new cabin interior design plans, part of a $60 million revamp set to begin rolling out in March. The airline intends to retrofit the majority its current fleet, putting a focus on cabin comfort, efficiency, and sustainability.

The upgraded cabins will feature durable and environmentally sensitive materials geared towards lessening onboard weight and waste products (look for recyclable carpets), brighter color accents, and slimmer passenger seating. The new seats will bump up those available onboard from 137 to 143 and offer improved ergonomics, as well as increased under-seat room for carry-ons. They'll also reduce the recline from three to two inches – a pain, perhaps, if you’re planning on dozing, but as it applies to the guy in front of you, too, it guarantees less intrusion into your personal space overall.

Ultimately, the extra seating will allow for revenue opportunities that will help stave off the airline implementing any new additional fees (Southwest still offers complimentary checked bags and other fee-free offerings that have long since disappeared from most all U.S.-based airlines). Similar cabin design overhauls will be made on the airline’s subsidiary AirTran Airways planes, as well.

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