Southwest is redesigning cabin interiors. Here's what the planes will look like.

Southwest Airlines is preparing to make some major changes over the next two years, an overhaul that the company is betting will be a big hit with passengers.

Along with more Red eye Flights and shifting To the assigned seats After 50 years of open seating, Southwest is redesigning the interiors of its 800 existing planes.

“This is a very significant change. It may be one of the most significant changes we've ever gone through,” Ryan Green, executive vice president of business transformation at Southwest, told CBS News' Chris Van Cleave, who recently caught a glimpse of it. Future cabins.

Passengers on Southwest will notice the difference, Van Cleave said of the redesign. Changes include new seat trays and device trays for all passengers throughout the cabin, as well as charging ports in all seats.

For an additional fee, premium seats with an additional 3 to 4 inches of legroom will also be offered on the refurbished aircraft.

“Customers want premium class of all kinds, and if you're flying longer, that extra legroom is worth a lot,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told CBS News.

Southwest says it will begin booking flights with assigned seats in the second half of 2025 for travel in the first half of 2026. That's also when the airline expects the newly designed cabins will be available, pending FAA approval.

Jordan and other Southwest executives explained Airlines redesign plans This week at an investor meeting in Dallas. These changes come as the company, long known for its loyal customers, looks to meet evolving passenger needs and boost its bottom line.

“Consumer preferences have changed and the way we fly has changed,” Jordan said.

Chris Van Cleave contributed to this report.