One of the most satisfying aspects of my job is to work alongside my colleagues to plan and execute exciting major companywide strategic initiatives. I’m pleased to report significant progress that we’ve made recently on one of these, which is a fleet modernization plan to ensure that we maintain a safe, efficient, and Customer-friendly fleet. Last month, we made a huge announcement regarding the evolution of our planes with the 737 MAX expected to join the Southwest fleet in 2017. Today, we have more big news regarding the interior of our Boeing 737-700s. Allow me to introduce you to EVOLVE: The New Southwest Interior, an eco-friendly, cost-efficient new look for our cabin with an emphasis on
comfort and personal space.
We will begin retro-fitting our Boeing 737-700 aircraft with the new interior this March, and we expect to have that done by the end of next year (2013).
EVOLVE will maximize the space inside our planes, and grants us the opportunity to increase the number of seats on board from 137 to 143, without sacrificing the Customers' personal space. In fact, sleeker seats will provide additional space under each seat for carryon luggage and approved pet carriers. To be clear, it was never our objective to add a row of seats, and the extra row isn't the main reason for this redesign. Once we examined how much space would be saved, it was determined we could accommodate the increase, without sacrificing comfort.
Remember the Green Plane? The materials tested on the Green Plane are being incorporated into the Evolve interior. Each seat is lighter by nearly six pounds, which adds up to a savings of 635 pounds per aircraft (even with the extra row) and is expected to result in more than $10 million in ongoing annual cost savings. The new seats are made using E-Leather, an eco-friendly, lightweight, and scuff resistant alternative to traditional leather. E-Leather is made from natural leather fiber that is upgraded and combined with a high performance core utilizing eco-friendly technology. The seat cover is manufactured by Irvin Automotive of Pontiac, MI, and they produce high quality covers quickly and at a much lower cost than our current manufacturer.
The new design also makes the bottom cushion lighter and more comfortable. These seats are better for your back, and provide better lumbar support.
We're also installing a fixed wing headrest on each seat that will provide for a more relaxing experience, especially if you decide to take a snooze.
We've replaced the seatback pocket with a netted pocket that's not only more form-fitting to the seat which allows for more knee room, but also makes it easier to see what items have been stowed in it.
Additionally, we're rolling out some new carpet… well, quite the opposite actually. Completely recyclable, carbon-neutral carpet will be laid in squares, rather than rolls, which eliminates the need for total carpet replacement. The new carpet will reduce labor and material costs and is fully recyclable at the end of its life-cycle.
Under the seat, we're replacing our current life vest pouches with lighter, more environmentally-friendly pouches. This is also one of the main reasons you'll have more space under your seat: each pouch is smaller and about one pound lighter.
As you can see, the redesign is inspired by Southwest's past with a nod to its future (and our commitment to being a Green Company). Natural, earthy tones combined with our Canyon blue and clean, aluminum accents give our Red Bellies a more modern, fresh appeal.
So about those extra seats: we hope to start making those additional seats for sale on southwest.com here by the end of the first quarter, for travel in the second quarter. Of course, this isn't as easy as flipping a switch; we will gradually introduce those extra seats into the system as newly retro-fitted planes come online. Needless to say, we’re excited to EVOLVE our cabin experience!
Hope you enjoy this 360-degree tour of EVOLVE:
As always, thanks for flying on Southwest!
Comments
Can you please answer the question that has been asked and ignored multiple times here? What will the new seat pitch be?
I hear they're reducing seat pitch from 32" to 31".
The best thing you could do is now remove the overhead bins! Seating will go faster! One carry one that fits under the seat, the rest checked!
Contnental "add extra seats" and promised "extra comfort" a years ago. The goal of adding extra seats was accomplished. Losing an inch of pitch has a huge impact on comfort and a thinner cushion. Please don't do this!
I like what i see, i am hopeful that when i experience it, i will also like it. On paper it does sound concerning (reduction of recline & the reduction of the seatback to seatback distance (though only by ~1 inch), but i do understand that that measurement is only part of the story & that the changes to the seat pocket & padding have been optimized, so that the reported user space is the same & so that is good to hear. I am hopeful that the real life user experience translates into an equal or better experience in the user comfort. I do fly Southwest a lot so ..
.. but one thing i am disappointed to not hear about in this post & is not visible in the tour, pics or video is inflight power, with the world moving to more & more electronic gadgets & Southwest adding Wi-Fi to their planes it would be nice to see minimally the inclusion of a USB port to power a portable device like a mobile phone or tablet. I understand that is money & it will add weight, but it is also providing a little bit more for the consumer especially a business traveler that may not have had the chance to charge his/her device from a long day on the road as they head to their next stop. (I know there are many electrical outlets at the Southwest gates (& i applaud SWA for this !!) but sometimes the timing doesn't work to get there in enough time to plug in & charge prior to the flight. ) ... just something to consider as there will be an opportunity to outfit the planes as they are changing to the new interior.
.. but overall, very nice work Southwest !
I adore all the naysayers who immediately see change and assume the worst. I'm a tall guy as well, but I'm going to reserve judgement till I actually sit in the new seats. I love that you'll be able to add more seats and increase revenues. I'm sure you wouldn't have made these changes unless you tested everything out first. Good job gang!
Nice interior, but SWA still has a long way to go to catch up to Virgin America. They have the same low fares, but charge for bags. On a long flight it's worth the extra $25 for mood lighting and free WfFi & my own TV. Now fix the RR Program and I'll be back more often.
I am only 5'4" and don't have enough leg room, so I can only imagine how uncomfortable it is for taller passengers. Airline travel is increasingly uncomfortable and claustrophobic. I would have been more impressed if you got those sleeker seats and ADDED leg room and/or width.
I have flown a few of Republic's Embraers with what appears to be similar style seats (in Frontier configuration...the planes in Republic configuration were horrible) and, based on that experience, don't see a problem here. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised with those.
Obviously I'll reserve final judgement until I've actually experienced them in the Southwest configuration, but initially, I see no problem here.
(DISCLAIMER...I have never had a problem with Southwest's seat pitch or width.)
I am a frequent flier and will reserve judgement until I get in a plane with this new interior. I am 6' 3" and will know as soon as I sit down if what you are advertising is true or not. I am skeptical. As it is the virtual tour shows a tall person and it looks like the headrest is hitting him in the shoulder blades worse than the old seats would have. It looks very uncomfortable and is a back killer, especially on long trips.