The changes were announced in a press release on February 2.
Southwest Airlines says the new seats will create "enhanced head and neck support" and "ultimate comfort while maximizing seat width and overall support."
The company also said there would be no in-flight entertainment.
Since the news was released, passengers have been sharing their thoughts online and not everyone is seeing the benefits of these changes.
In a TikTok video viewed over 6 million times, TikToker Nuha showed what the new Southwest Airlines cabin will look like with the changes and why she thinks they're a bad idea.
"Never in my life did I think I'd see a video from an airline showing us their upgraded interior and it would make me want to book a flight with a completely different airline," the TikToker says in the video.
"You made smaller and thinner seats. I'm sure Southwest spent a lot of money on these upgrades but this has completely backfired."
@devotedly.yoursSouthwest Airlines debuts their new interior and I’m not sure anybody is excited for their smaller and thinner seats #southwest #delta
Many people in the comments agreed with Nuha.
"Imagine an 8hr flight in those seats," one person commented while another said, "Greyhound buses are more comfortable."
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines told SFGATE, their video of the new design on social media was "not an exact representation of the seat thickness."
The airline also said that it conducted "multiple rounds of comfort testing" for the new seats and that they have the same width, legroom and armrest size as their seats on other planes.
While it's still unclear just how comfortable the new seats will be or how customers will feel about them until they're rolled out in 2025, the new cabin design is just the latest change in the airline industry.
In Canada, seat sizes have been shrinking for years and other changes have also become apparent when travelling.
In 2016, the CBC reported on just how much seat sizes have shrunk over 20 years. The outlet reported the "average distance between seat rows" had dropped from 89 centimetres to 79 centimetres and the average seat size went from 46 centimetres to 43 centimetres.
Various Canadian airlines have made other changes since then as well. Several airlines charge for hot meals onboard, charge a fee for every checked and carry-on bag and others offer seat selection for a fee.
Narcity recently spoke with Gábor Lukács, the president of Air Passenger Rights, about how he feels about these consistent airline changes and which ones Canadians should be concerned about.
Here's what he had to say.
Shrinking seats can be bad for some people's health
Airplane passengers on a plane.
Alberto Tentoni | Dreamstime
While some airlines have cut onboard entertainment and hot meals that are included in ticket prices, those changes aren't necessarily all that concerning.
Passengers typically travel with smartphones, iPads and laptops so they can still watch a movie during a flight.
Lukács tells Narcity the most concerning change for him in recent years is the changes in seat sizes because that can pose health risks.
"Probably the most concerning part about these issues is the seat sizes to me and this is not just a concern about comfort, although certainly for people who are very tall, very narrow seat pitches can be a significant issue," he said.
The Canadian air passenger rights advocate adds that these types of changes can impose safety concerns.
"If you made a pitch smaller [seat pitches are the distance between a row of seats] then the first question is how quickly passengers will be able to stand up and move away from there. That's already a concern. And a bigger concern is if you have more seats, more passengers on board, will they still be able to evacuate [safely]."
Lukács also questions whether less room between seats will increase air rage incidents because people will feel more "locked up" as well as incidents of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
There are no minimum standards
While Lukács won't name names when it comes to airlines he has an issue with, the Canadian airline expert says he has noticed a "deterioration of services" in the airline industry.
Unfortunately, he says it will continue due to a lack of airline regulations in Canada.
"The problem is that as we see in many cases with the airline industry the profits dictate the decisions and there is no real consideration not just of discomfort but more objective criteria like passenger safety," he explained.
Lukács adds that as long as passengers are willing to put up with this, it's a free market for airlines because there are no regulations when it comes to issues like this.
"The ultimate problem is that people want to fly as cheaply as possible, which is understandable, and airlines try to cater to it without any laws or any way of setting minimum standards."
It would be "nice to have some regulations" in Canada
Lukács says when it comes to minimum seat pitches, he thinks it would be nice to have some regulations, especially for tall passengers. He says although he's not exceptionally tall, he has been uncomfortable on flights due to a lack of legroom.
Regulations in Canada would mean airlines would have rules when it comes to minimizing legroom onboard.
"In terms of regulations in Canada, we have a significant and ongoing problem with enforcement and lack thereof," he explained.
"That's a fundamental problem we are seeing. There are rules in many cases, there are laws and they are not being enforced. The government is turning a blind eye to breaches."
Other airlines are trying to change seats too
Thinner seats and no-inflight entertainment aren't the only changes coming to airlines.
Other major airline companies have announced much more innovative changes that will be coming to their aircraft.
In 2023, Air New Zealand shared its plan to offer the world's first sleeping pods for economy airline passengers. The airline is adding six full-length sleeping pods, called Skynest, so its passengers can sleep on an ultra-long flight.
According to CNN, passengers will have the option to book a four-hour window in the pod for between NZ$400-$600 (CAD$330-$496). That does not include the cost of the plane ticket. Amenities in the Skynest will also include a USB charging port, full-size sheets, a blanket and pillow, along with a reading light and ear plugs.
The pods will launch on long-haul flights in September 2024, according to a spokesperson via the Washington Post.
Double-decker seats on airplanes may be a concept we'll also be seeing on future flights.
The concept was designed by Alejandro Núñez Vicente, who had them on display at the 2023 Aircraft Cabin Interiors Expo and said he was "closer than ever to getting an airline partner," according to USA Today.
A report by CNN shows what the design will look like. According to the outlet, it includes four rows of seats, two on the top level and two on the bottom level and the seats do recline.
For those sitting on the bottom level, luggage will go under the seat in front of you. There are no built-in screens for inflight entertainment so passengers would be required to bring their own devices.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
