Southwest Airlines is a reliable American airline that has been in business for close to 50 years.
The airline is in a fleet modernization process and has selected the Boeing 737 Max aircraft line as their replacement for several of their older Being 737 aircraft.
As of February 2024, the Boeing 737 Max 8 accounts for just under half of the aircraft in Southwest’s inventory. With more orders that have yet to be fulfilled, soon the Boeing 737 Max will dominate Southwest’s aircraft fleet.
This guide will provide you with the history of Southwest’s Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. We’ll also discuss some of the flights & routes this aircraft type is used for, the cabin features, and what passengers say about their experiences flying on Southwest’s Max 8 aircraft.
When Did Southwest Airlines Get the Boeing 737 Max 8?
Southwest Airlines historically has operated only Boeing 737s. From the -200 variant to the -800 (only skipped the -400 variant), the 737 has been a mainstay of the Southwest Airlines fleet.
However, the Boeing 737 has been in production and service for nearly 60 years. Southwest identified the need to upgrade its fleet with the newest variant of Boeing 737.
In 2011, Southwest ordered its first 737 Max 8’s from Boeing cementing its place as the launch customer for this next generation of Boeing aircraft. The airline placed an order for 150 aircraft to be delivered in 2017.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 delivery was delivered on time with the first airframe landing in Southwest’s possession in August 2017. The airline commenced the first revenue flight for the new aircraft in North America in October that same year.
Southwest’s Early Challenges Operating the Boeing 737 Max 8
However, Boeing and Southwest Airlines both experienced some headwinds with the Boeing 737 Max 8 in 2019 as the entire aircraft class was grounded due to technical design failures that led to two fatal aircraft accidents in Asia and Africa, respectively.
All Boeing 737 Max 8 had to be inspected and pilots had to undergo new training on the aircraft systems. In late 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration lifted the 737 MAX 8 groundings and by March 2021 Southwest was operating the aircraft type again for revenue service.
The issues with the aircraft cost Boeing billions in dollars and well over 1000 canceled orders for Max aircraft.
What is the difference between a Standard Boeing 737 & a Boeing 737 Max 8?
Southwest Airlines flies Boeing 737 Next Generation (Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800) and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. They don’t operate any other aircraft types from any other aviation company.
So, how does one know what Boeing 737 aircraft type they are flying on? There are some slight differences between the 737 Max and the 737 NG that only a keen eye can notice.
The Boeing 737 Max has Slightly Larger Wings
Southwest’s Boeing 737 Max 8’s wings are bigger than the wings of the Boeing 737-700 & 737-800.
The overall surface area for the Boeing 737 Max 8 wings measures a total of 1370 square feet. The Boeing 737 Next Generation class aircraft have a smaller surface area of 1341 square feet.
The wingspan for the Max 8 is also larger than the Boeing 737-700. However, if the Boeing 737-700 has winglets it will have the same size wings as the Max 8. The Boeing 737-800 has the same size wings as the Max 8 as well.
Boeing 737 Max 8’s Have More Efficient Engines Than Boeing 737 NGs
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8’s are powered by the new CFM LEAP-1B engines. The Boeing 737 NG class is propelled by the CFM56-7 Series engines. The CFM LEAP-1B is the successor to the CFM56-7 Series engines. The latter engine was built in 1995 while the newer was first completed in 2013.
With the world more conscious about carbon footprint and the impact fossil fuels have on the environment, the new engine found on the Boeing 737 Max 8 is built to be more efficient.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 needs less fuel to fly farther and longer than the Boeing 737 NG class. The maximum range for the 737 NG class approaches close to 3000 nautical miles. In comparison, the Boeing 737 Max 8 can fly a max distance of closer to 4000 nautical miles.
That means that Southwest’s 737 Max 8s have no issue flying across the country and can even fly across the open Pacific Ocean to provide service from the West Coast to Hawaii.
What Routes Does Southwest Airlines use the Boeing 737 Max 8?
Southwest Airlines has an aircraft fleet that is solely comprised of Boeing 737 aircraft. With the Boeing 737 Max 8 still being delivered, the Southwest fleet is majority Boeing 737 NG aircraft.
Since Southwest operates exclusively throughout the United States, there are no specific routes that each aircraft can fly.
For example, you can catch a flight from Baltimore to Los Angeles one day on a Boeing 737-700, and the next day that same flight would be flown by a Boeing 737 Max 8.
It comes down to what aircraft is available. Much of this has to do with Southwest Airline’s point-to-point system.
Southwest’s Point-to-Point System
Most airlines operate using a hub and spoke system. A hub and spoke system is when an airline has an airport as its base of operations and offers flights between that airport and smaller markets. These smaller markets bring passengers to this central airport to connect them with flights to other destinations.
For example, Alaska Airlines uses Seattle Tacoma International Airport as its hub airport, it offers flights between Seattle Tacoma and smaller markets, like Bozeman, Montana. A person flying out of Bozeman, Montana will not find a nonstop flight to Newark, New Jersey at their local airport on Alaska Airlines. That means they’ll have to fly to the Alaska Airlines hub at SeaTac and connect on a flight to Newark, New Jersey.
Southwest’s point-to-point system is a bit different. The airline wants to prevent passengers from changing planes to connect to other flights. They’ll prefer you to fly nonstop to wherever you want to go if there is a demand for that route.
For example, a passenger at Long Island MacArthur Airport can fly nonstop to Palm Beach International Airport. Southwest does operate hubs, but this particular flight doesn’t involve flying to that hub.
Point to Point System and Plane Positioning
This point-to-point system has a major impact on plane positioning as well as the aircraft type you can anticipate flying on. Southwest planes don’t exactly have a home base. A Boeing 737 Max 8 can fly upwards to five flights a day with each flight arriving and departing at different airports.
In comparison, most other airlines often fly a flight in one direction and then return the aircraft by flying the flight in the other direction. Those aircraft often end their days at the airport they started their day from.
This can lead to severe consequences for Southwest if planes get delayed due to weather as evidenced during its shutdown during its holiday disruption in 2022.
Southwest Flights to Hawaii and Costa Rica
For longer Southwest flights from the mainland to destinations like Costa Rica and Hawaii, the airline opts to favor using the Boeing 737 Max 8.
The reasoning is that the Max 8 is ETOPS-180 certified. That means if the aircraft were to lose an engine, it could fly on one engine on a full passenger load for 180 minutes (or three hours)
This is extremely important for any route over water. For example, the flights to Hawaii have no airports in between to divert to if an emergency occurs.
The Boeing 737 NG class is also ETOPS 180 certified, however with the MAX 8 having a longer range, Southwest might feel more comfortable using that aircraft type on these flights over open water.
| Route | Airport 1 | Airport 2 |
| Baltimore – Costa Rica | Baltimore Thurgood Marshall International Airport | Juan Santamaría International Airport |
| Houston – Costa Rica | Houston Hobby International Airport | Juan Santamaría International Airport |
| Denver – Costa Rica | Denver International Airport | Juan Santamaría International Airport |
| Sacramento – Honolulu | Sacramento International Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| Oakland – Honolulu | Oakland International Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| San Jose – Honolulu | San Jose International Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| Las Vegas – Honolulu | Harry Reid International Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| Los Angeles – Honolulu | Los Angeles International Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| Long Beach – Honolulu | Long Beach Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| San Diego – Honolulu | San Diego International Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| Phoenix – Honolulu | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport |
| Sacramento – Kahului | Sacramento International Airport | Kahului Airport |
| Oakland – Kahului | Oakland International Airport | Kahului Airport |
| San Jose – Kahului | San Jose International Airport | Kahului Airport |
| Las Vegas – Kahului | Harry Reid International Airport | Kahului Airport |
| Los Angeles – Kahului | Los Angeles International Airport | Kahului Airport |
| Long Beach – Kahului | Long Beach Airport | Kahului Airport |
| Phoenix – Kahului | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | Kahului Airport |
| Oakland – Kailua – Kona | Oakland International Airport | Kona International Airport |
| Los Angeles – Kailua – Kona | Los Angeles International Airport | Kona International Airport |
| Las Vegas – Kailua – Kona | Harry Reid International Airport | Kona International Airport |
| Oakland – Lihue – Kauai | Oakland International Airport | Lihue Airport |
| Los Angeles – Lihue – Kauai | Los Angeles International Airport | Lihue Airport |
| Las Vegas – Lihue – Kauai | Harry Reid International Airport | Lihue Airport |
Cabin Configurations and Inflight Amenities
Seats
The seats found on Southwest flights are very standard. They each have a leg room of 32 to 33 inches and a width of 17.5 inches. That is a step up slightly from ultra-low-cost airlines, Spirit Airlines or Frontier Airlines. However, it might be just a bit smaller than what you can get on JetBlue Airways.
Seating Configuration
On Southwest’s Boeing 737 Max 8’s, the airline configures that aircraft for seating 175 passengers. According to Boeing, the aircraft can carry over 200 hundred passengers per flight but Southwest decided to go with a lesser seating configuration. You can expect this aircraft to be roomier.
The seats are set up in an all-economy class. There are no first-class seats or premium economy seating. Southwest put the seats in two columns of 3 seats separated by a middle aisle.
One thing to note about Southwest Airlines is that there is no assigned seating. It is a first come first serve seating arrangement. This means those passengers who can board first will probably get their preferred seat choice. People don’t always like this free-for-all all type of seating structure.
Southwest has recently announced an improvement to the cabin’s design, seating, and amenities that received mixed reviews. This cabin improvement is being implemented on its Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.
Amenities
On Southwest Flights, passengers receive bare minimum amenities however they are a step up from what you receive from an ultra-low-cost air carrier.
Southwest Max 8 flights do indeed have wifi available. However, there is a small charge for passengers to use wifi.
There aren’t any inflight entertainment systems on board Southwest aircraft, but passengers can use their devices for entertainment purposes.
As for meals, snacks, and drinks, Southwest provides complimentary drinks and snacks but does not serve meals. The airline allows passengers to bring their non-alcoholic drinks and purchased snacks on board the plane.
Our Thoughts About Southwest’s 737 Max 8 Service
Southwest Airlines is one of the more popular airlines in the United States. They’ve always been at the forefront of innovation and customer service. It would be hard-pressed to find anything negative about the airline as a whole besides its momentary lapses like its entire operation grinding to a halt because of poor weather or their boarding process.
As for their Boeing 737 Max 8 product, all indications have been very favorable. The aircraft experienced some troubles getting off the ground into passenger service, but the upgrade from the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft has been fairly positive.
The upgrade allows the airline to conduct flights to destinations not able to be reached by previous aircraft types, like Hawaii. The airline also receives cost savings because of the engine and fuel efficiency associated with this new aircraft type.
What Southwest Customers Have to Say About Southwest’s Boeing 737 Max 8 Service?
See below for several reviews we found across the internet that will help you get some insights into the experience of flying on Southwest’ Boeing 737 Max 8:
Just flew on one last night. Super quiet. Less struggle with the overhead bins. Roll-on bags fit a lot easier. Tons of legroom. 3.5 hour flight and seat was comfortable. Would like a phone charger and a seatback monitor. Overall very nice.
Reddit
Lots of legroom! Especially for a 7hr flt. Only downside is that the trays come out of the arm rest so we couldn’t lift them. But otherwise a good choice. Flight was full with only 10 unused seats. It is Southwest so food is just a snack so we always grab a sandwich for our flights. We are not big people so the seats are good for us.
Seat Maestro
If the MAX is the future, I am so ready for it. The entire interior is such a welcome refresh from the usual -700 series I experience on the route. So much roomier/less claustrophobic. The newer slim seats are much more comfortable in my opinion. Going to seek out the MAX from now on.
SeatGuru
Sources
https://community.southwest.com/t5/Blog/THE-POINT-OF-OUR-ROUTE-NETWORK/ba-p/6420
https://logisticsviewpoints.com/2023/01/02/the-southwest-airlines-debacle-what-really-happened/
https://www.flightconnections.com/route-map-southwest-airlines-wn
