The shift from open seating is expected to begin in the second half of next year, Southwest says. DALLAS — Southwest Airlines on Thursday unveiled the first details of its plans to begin assigning seats,

Southwest revealed how its going to change its signature open-seating policy to let passengers pick their own seats. In July, Southwest Airlines announced that it would be ditching its signature open-seating model for a more standard assigned-seating system—leading some to wonder whether Southwest is losing its most defining brand features.