Welcome To The Red-Eye: Southwest Schedules Its 1st Ever Overnight Flights

July 25th, 2024. This was the historic day that Southwest announced the end of ‘open’ seating in exchange for assigned seating. The considerable change, to be operational next year, is about attracting more passengers and benefiting from their additional revenue. Like other carriers, it will also generate significant revenue by enabling passengers to pick particular seats and extra legroom options.