Southwest Airlines Quietly Upgrades Fleet with Power Ports and Larger Overhead Bins

Southwest Airlines has been quietly working on a fleet-wide retrofit project to enhance the customer experience. The project aims to add power ports and larger overhead bins to its Boeing 737 aircraft.

The project is part of Southwest's effort to stay competitive with legacy carriers, particularly in terms of amenities. The carrier currently operates three different interiors within its fleet: Evolve, Heart, and Elevated. The Evolve Interior features outdated B/E Aerospace Innovator II seats, while the Heart Interior has Collins Aerospace Meridian seats.

Southwest is taking a three-lane approach to retrofitting the aircraft. Some 737-800s with the Evolve Interior are being replaced with Recaro R2 seats as part of the Elevated Interior. Other 737-800s with the Heart Interior are simply getting ports added, while remaining 737-800s with the Heart Interior will be retrofitted with the Elevated Interior.

The project is expected to be completed soon, with all 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s set to have power outlets. However, only a subset of Boeing 737-700s will receive Collins Meridian seats with USB ports, as the B/E Aerospace Innovator II seats cannot support in-seat charging ports.