Southwest Airlines Shares Jump 23% in 2026 After Launching Assigned Seating and Bag Fees
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Southwest Airlines Shares Jump 23% in 2026 After Launching Assigned Seating and Bag Fees
"We are providing EPS guidance that represents the lower end of our internal forecast."
"On Tuesday, we operated more than 3,200 flights as a different airline while continuing to deliver our usual high-quality operation."
"[...] you're like, 'What seat am I? Oh, I want to change my seat; I will pay more.' We see the fuller the flight, the higher the ancillary benefit."
Southwest Airlines surged 22.99% year-to-date through February 12, 2026, outperforming peers. Fourth-quarter revenue reached $7.44 billion, up 7.4% year-over-year, and operating income rose 40.65% to $391 million with EPS of $0.58. Management guided 2026 adjusted EPS of at least $4.00, up sharply from $0.93 in 2025, and characterized the target as conservative. A 2025 business-model overhaul introduced assigned seating, bag fees, basic-economy fares, and premium seat options after converting over 800 aircraft. Management expects first-quarter RASM to increase at least 9.5% year-over-year, and Wall Street projects $4.19 for 2026 and $4.75 for 2027.
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