Southwest Airlines is undergoing a major renovation, including the interior of its aircraft, part of which includes the introduction of new, stylish, state-of-the-art R2 seats from Recaro. This move continues to spark debate among frequent travelers, particularly those traveling to and from Hawaii.
A key question is how these changes will affect comfort on long-haul flights to the islands.
The new Recaro R2 seats have just been presented at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. The German company’s latest seats, revealed in person for the first time, are designed with an exclusive customization of Southwest’s Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and are scheduled for delivery beginning next year. This is the first time Southwest will partner with Recaro, and the current seats belong to competitor Collins Aerospace. The seats feature several enhancements aimed at improving the passenger experience, including:
- Multi-adjustable headrests for added support and comfort.
- Dual cup holders accommodate left and right handed passengers.
- Seat back device holders make it easy to use personal electronic devices.
- USB-A and USB-C ports for in-seat charging.
As we’ve written before, there are concerns about overall comfort in these very thin seats, particularly on long-haul flights to Hawaii. The seats are ultralight, characteristics associated with space and fuel savings, but nothing that we think of in relation to an improvement in comfort.
One of the main concerns among passengers in dozens of comments relates to how these new seats fare on flights of five hours or more. Southwest’s existing seats have already been criticized for being challenging in terms of comfort for extended periods.
The introduction of thinner seats raises fears about reduced comfort despite strong assurances from the airline to maintain or increase usability.
Where are the assigned seating, premium seating, and maybe more changes?
Southwest appears to buck the broader industry trend of adding more profitable and in-demand premium cabin options, at least for now. Its concept of simplicity and affordability is still evolving relative to the complexities and costs of adding at least some reserved seating, premium economy or even first class. All of these deals are being widely rumored right now.
The addition of these new slim seats appears to indicate a shift toward the possibility of more segmented seating options and the possibility of Southwest adding any number of premium seating options in the near or long-term future.
- “It will be great to book an assigned seat with extra legroom at a cheaper price than other airlines flying from Hawai’i to the mainland.”
- “I fly in SWA, but not to Hawaii. You might consider it with a premium seat, a meal, legroom and a cocktail, if the price is right.”
- “The cattle calling seats, which were its unique feature, are now a disaster. I recently booked a flight to the west coast on SWA, paid for business class, then canceled and booked a flight on Hawaiian. The only reason I did that was because I wasn’t willing to roll the dice on what kind of seats would be left after the shenanigans that happened at the gate with preboarding. “It’s ridiculous in some markets and I’m not willing to take the risk of a six-plus-hour flight.”
- “We love everything about Southwest and book it whenever we can get a nonstop flight. Equally distributed legroom, boarding process, ability to deposit canceled flights, 2 suitcases released, all exclusive to Southwest. No problem. Don’t change anything!
- “Southwest should stay the course. They have the best legroom of all airlines for standard seats. My knees never touched the seat in front of you. “I love the southwest.”
- “All in favor of these improvements and maintaining morning flights to the continent.”
- “Note the options the CEO said: The new option will not include curtains. Therefore, special queues become a problem. I think they are targeting half-empty reserved seating, plus food and drink specials for a higher fee.”
- “The new seats look really uncomfortable.”
- “SWA is by no means the most affordable airline with the best legroom, seat pitch and overall comfort when flying in or out of the San Francisco Bay Area.”
- “I never fly SW to Hawaii!!! “If they had premium seating and assigned seating, I would consider it.”
For flights to Hawaii, comfort is paramount, that’s why…
We suggest that flights to Hawaii are among those most in need of premium options. Not only that, but Hawaii routes are also those where passengers have shown they are willing to pay more for greater comfort. Hawaii travelers endure long flight times that can reach up to six hours or more, including delays, boarding and disembarking.
Despite a host of attractive modern amenities, these new Recaro seats may still not offer the desired comfort for longer journeys.
It’s worth noting that Southwest has chosen not to retrofit its existing planes with these new seats. Therefore, passengers who are currently dissatisfied with their seats in Hawaii may have to endure the current situation much longer than is desirable.
The words of those who had the opportunity to experience the demo seats at the AIX conference in Hamburg were not universally accepted. So while Southwest Airlines’ introduction of these new Recaro R2 seats marks a big shift in its approach to cabin design and modern improvements, the core issues surrounding passenger comfort on long-haul flights to Hawaii they remain unresolved.
While Southwest confirms that it continues to explore new seating configurations, made possible in part by these new slimmer seats and the possibility of premium seating options, the future of the Southwest passenger experience will take some time to develop.
Do the upcoming changes to Southwest Hawaii flights make you more or less inclined to fly them to the islands?
Images courtesy of Tangerine.
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