Southwest Airlines used to stand out from the pack. No change fees. Two free checked bags. Open seating. A quirky sense of humor.
But lately? The airline is starting to feel more and more like everyone else. They’ve introduced assigned seats (for a fee), added extra legroom seats (also for a fee), and quietly hiked the price of extras like Upgraded Boarding.
And that brings us to today’s topic: in-seat power.
Back in 2022, Southwest announced that USB-A and USB-C outlets were coming to their planes. Flyers rejoiced—finally, no more hoping your phone would survive a cross-country flight.
The first retrofitted aircraft—Imua One—took off in May 2023, and we all assumed that was the beginning of a steady rollout.
Instead, it’s now 2025, assigned seating is already for sale, and the vast majority of Southwest’s planes are still completely powerless.
“Beginning This Year” — Forever
Southwest’s own website still says:
“We are excited to bring in-seat power to our aircraft beginning this year. Once installed, aircraft will feature USB-A and USB-C ports on each seat back, which are capable of delivering up to 60W of power.”
It’s the exact same quote they were using last year. Down to the phrase “beginning this year.” They just never say which year. Maybe that’s the strategy—if you don’t commit to a date, no one can accuse you of being behind.
Meanwhile, Southwest’s messaging has clearly shifted. Now the focus is almost entirely on “newly delivered” planes having power. The retrofit plan for older aircraft? Barely mentioned.
According to their own press release:
All new 737 MAX 8 aircraft delivered to Southwest are outfitted with onboard USB A and USB C power ports and larger overhead bins. Additionally, these features will be added to existing MAX 8 and 737-800 aircraft, a process that is anticipated to be completed over the next several years.
That’s corporate speak for: “It’s happening… someday. Maybe.”
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Based on current data from Airfleets.net, here’s the breakdown:
- Total aircraft: 811
- 737-700s: 333 – not getting USB power at all
- 737-800s: 205 – will be retrofitted (eventually)
- 737 MAX 8s: 273 – all new deliveries have power; older ones will be retrofitted
So out of 811 planes, only 478 are expected to eventually have USB power. That’s less than 60% of the fleet. Sure, the airline will receive more 737 MAX 8s, but until they retire the 737-700s, there’s still a large number of planes without power.
Our 2025 Flights: Still Powerless
We’ve flown Southwest several times this year using our Companion Pass. Do you know how many of those flights had in-seat power?
Zero.
Just look at these photos from 2025—all taken on planes with no USB ports in sight:
737-700. No outlets. No surprise.
Still no power on this one, either.
A whole plane’s worth of seats… and still no power.
And just for fun, here’s the slide Southwest used in their 2022 timeline showing off their “initiated cabin upgrades”:
Meanwhile… Assigned Seats Are Already on Sale
Funny how fast things move when they’re tied to revenue.
Southwest has already started selling assigned seats, with a full rollout coming in early 2026. They’re also launching extra legroom seats at the front of the plane.
If they can reconfigure the entire cabin for seat selection and legroom upsells in under a year, why is installing USB power taking “several years”?
Final Thought
Southwest’s plan to bring USB-A and USB-C outlets to its planes sounds great on paper—and on Instagram. But if you’re flying on one of the 333 737-700s, you’ll be out of luck. Even on the rest of the fleet, the process is moving slowly, and the messaging is vague.
So yes, charge your phone before you fly. Just like Southwest says.
And if you bring a power bank? Make sure it’s visible while charging. Yes, that’s really a rule. You can read about that right here. It’s also a new part of their flight attendants’ safety spiel.
Because who needs in-seat power when you can bring your own.
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