Big Change Now In Effect For Southwest Flyers In Minnesota

If you're flying out of Minnesota on Southwest Airlines, there's a big change that's now in effect, and it's one you'll definitely notice.

As we know, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is the largest airport in the North Star State. Airlines at MSP served 163 nonstop destinations from the North Star State in 2023, up from 156 destinations in 2023 and 145 destinations in 2022.

While 18 different airlines offer service at MSP, Delta Air Lines by far offers the most. Delta says it runs nearly 330 departures from MSP to 119 destinations across the globe, offering nonstop service to international destinations like Amsterdam, Paris, London, Seoul, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico City, Tokyo-Haneda, and more.

SEE ALSO: New $45 Fee Starts Sunday For Certain Minnesota Travelers

Southwest Airlines Presence at MSP Airport

While known nationally, Southwest Airlines is less popular at MSP. According to data from Essential Airport Information and Services, Southwest is based in Dallas, Texas, and operates around 250 weekly flights from MSP to about 10 destinations, including Chicago Midway, Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, and others.

Southwest currently averages around 36 departures from MSP per day. It accounts for about 5 percent of total flights at MSP, the Metropolitan Airports Commission noted. But if you're on one of those Southwest flights leaving the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you'll already notice a big change the airline just implemented:

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Southwest Officially Ends Open Seating Policy

Open seating is now a thing of the past. That's right, as of January 27th, 2026, Southwest officially moved from its first-come, first-served seating policy to assigned seats, USA Today reported.

That move is one customers wanted, Southwest noted when it announced the policy change back in July 2024. Southwest's executive vice president of brand services, Tony Roach, told USA Today:

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...

Why Southwest is Moving to Assigned Seats

While that is likely true, there's another reason Southwest moved to assigned seats, like just about every other airline: Bigger profits. ABC News reported that the new policy will also allow the airline to 'offer passengers more flexibility with a variety of seat preferences including extra legroom, preferred seats and standard seats,' the story said.

Because, of course, if there isn't already, there's soon likely to be an extra cost if you want one of those preferred seats or a seat with extra legroom, allowing Southwest a new way to boost its bottom line.