OUR SPONSOR
Greater Ronkonkoma coverage is funded in part by The Core Station Yards, now leasing brand-new apartment homes in Ronkonkoma. Click here to book your tour!
Southwest Airlines — which has served Long Island MacArthur Airport since 1999 — is making a major change for the first time in more than 50 years.
Beginning Jan. 27, passengers will no longer board and grab any available seat. Instead, they’ll fly with assigned seating, a departure from the open seating model the airline has used since its founding in 1971.
The airline first announced the switch last July but hadn’t set a date until now.
“Our customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience,” said a Southwest executive vice president in a statement. “Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our customers — including the ability to select Extra Legroom seats — and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin.”
Here’s how it will work: Travelers will choose from four fare types — Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra — with seat selection tied to the ticket level. Basic fares will be assigned seats near the back of the plane, while Choice Extra offers premium seats with more legroom, typically located in the front and exit rows.
Tickets for flights with assigned seating go on sale July 29.
Southwest currently offers several daily departures from MacArthur, with nonstop service to destinations like Tampa, Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach and Baltimore. The airline also operates out of LaGuardia Airport in Queens.
Top photo: Credit: Southwest Airlines/Facebook
