Southwest Airlines (LUV) Is Up 5.7% After Pivot To High-Margin Seat And Add-On Fees

In recent months, Southwest Airlines has shifted away from its long-standing “no hidden fees” approach by charging for seat assignments and extra legroom, remodeling cabins to support this change and reporting more than US$1.00 billion in EBIT from these extras, with bags also becoming a major revenue contributor. This pivot shows how Southwest is monetizing services it once included in the base fare, aligning itself more closely with rivals while benefiting from higher fares on routes...