Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Isom is quietly rolling out assigned seats by 2025, and your wallet will feel the sting before you even buckle up. After decades of open seating, this shift—fueled by pressure to boost profits—means the days of sprinting to snag a front-row spot for free are over. Frequent flyers who rely on Southwest's no-fee bags and flexible perks could see those vanish too, as Robert Isom hints at "modernizing" the business model to match rivals like Delta and United. Expect higher ticket prices for preferred seats and a potential end to the beloved two-free-checked-bags policy, which could cost families up to $140 more per round trip. Your morning commute or vacation budget just got a lot more cramped, with analysts predicting a $200 million annual profit bump for Southwest—straight out of your pocket.