Do you fly SWA?

[all4disneyworld]

tks for the link.

There is one other reason that the assigned seating may make sense to the airlines. It could result in an extra revenue source, i.e. $5 for an aisle seat, etc. If all of the others go this way, Southwest would not be able to follow without assigned seats.

However, I cannot believe that a majority of people respond favorably to the idea of assigned seats. I would love to see what the breakdown is between their business customers, who should be considered their most valuable, as opposed to occasional leisure customers.

I fly southwest about 20-25 round trips a year, depending on what is going on. At one time I was platinum with Continental, but, theychanged their upgrade policies, etc. and started, basically, giving away the elite perks, which alienated me from them. Just an example of business acting to gain market while disregarding what they already have.

Yes, I am intrested to hear the results of this poll. We will just have to keep reading our RR emails and see whats happening. With the online check in it takes that anxiety out of the airport ticket counter situations. However, there is a woman that I see frequently flying to BNA and she literally stands for two hours in the front of the A line. And on my flights to PHX there is a couple that look like they have camped out, eating on the floor in the A line. I do appreciate the airports that have the seating on an angle with the lines so you are just in a group but not standing. Never fails though, as soon as the incoming flight passengers get off the plane everyone lines up. Makes me laugh!

 

[all4disneyworld]

Nothing wrong with saying it - it's one of the best things about the SW system. Not only do you get to pick your seat, you have control over who you sit near.

I do the same thing and I have kids, there 12 now but they were screamers and kickers once!!

 

[liznboys]

I'm a RR member and fly SW all the time and did not get the email.

I wish they would assign seats. I HATE the pre-boarding. I don't know how many times I've been waiting in the B or C line for an hour when someone walks up at the last minute with a bunch of kids and gets to walk right on. It's particularly bad on flights to Orlando, where the last time I flew down on SW more than half of the flight pre-boarded!!!

NOT TO MENTION... that smaller kids don't even have a seat... the are flying free because they are supposed to sit in their parent's laps. But because they pre-board, the kid will take a seat unless the flight's sold out. So all of us regular ole adults end up with bad seats in the back.

It irritates the stew out of me.

Um, you're assuming too much, and you're just plain wrong. Some of us PAY for our small children to have a seat, we do. Small children are not "supposed" to sit on their parents lap unless they didn't buy a ticket for them. Also, when we preboard, we walk all the way to the back of the plane. Literally, both flights we took in December we were in the very back row.

BTW, I'm so sorry for all you "regular ole adults" and the "bad" seats you have to sit in. LOL Life is just so hard, isn't it?

 

[all4disneyworld]

Um, you're assuming too much, and you're just plain wrong. Some of us PAY for our small children to have a seat, we do. Small children are not "supposed" to sit on their parents lap unless they didn't buy a ticket for them. Also, when we preboard, we walk all the way to the back of the plane. Literally, both flights we took in December we were in the very back row.

BTW, I'm so sorry for all you "regular ole adults" and the "bad" seats you have to sit in. LOL Life is just so hard, isn't it?

Hey liznboys!! Don't get upset over others that don't know what they are talking about!!! Kids can travel free 2 and under. I am pretty sure after that you have to pay for them.?. I think pre boarding is great for those who have kids and for those that donw. With kids you get to choose first, and for those who don't and don't want to sit next to them, you get to choose too!!!.... geesh we do live in America. Oh, and you know what they say about opinions...

 

[eclectics]

I don't fly Southwest. Jetblue is basically the same price and you can pick and pay for the seat of your choice on their website beforehand. They don't overbook like SW, so you will never be bumped. What good is an assigned seat on an Airline that aggressively overbooks like SW? They can still bump you off the plane. Jetblue's personal TV screen is a wonderful perk.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I love Jetblue but I now fly Southwest because of the Ding fares, those prices just can't be beat.

 

[salmoneous]

They don't overbook like SW, so you will never be bumped. What good is an assigned seat on an Airline that aggressively overbooks like SW?

SW's involutary bump rate was 0.69 / 10,000 passangers in 2005, somewhat below the industry average of 0.89 / 10,000. Not something I worry about.

Don't get me wrong, I like Jet Blue too, and those TV's are nifty! I'm a sucker for the you-are-here channel.

 

[eclectics]

SW's involutary bump rate was 0.69 / 10,000 passangers in 2005, somewhat below the industry average of 0.89 / 10,000. Not something I worry about.

Still, I like Jetblue's 0% better. Ya never know when that 0.69 will come out to bite you!

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I have not received this email but heard about it when I flew home in May.
Southwest is the only airline I fly and while I would have a problem if they started assigning seats, as I love the way they do it now, I have been so impressed with their service that I don't think it would make me stop flying with them.
My traveling is also going to decrease drastically following my graduation from college in May as I will stop flying between school and home so much.

 

[buckylarue]

Haven't had the opportunity to fly SWA yet, but will be taking it from Chicago to Pittsburgh next month. I don't mind unassigned seating myself; I like being able to choose my row-mates.

Northwest Airlines is planning on keeping assigned seats (and is already charging extra for aisle seats and exit-row seats), but is doing away with the 'now boarding rows x-xx' calls, so it is going to be a free-for-all getting on the plane, and then still having to get to your assigned seat, now past people stopped all along the plane getting into their seats! They think it will cut boarding time by 5 minutes per flight, but I doubt it...

 

[all4disneyworld]

I don't see how that will cut NWs time down either. But, I am impressed with the safety record of SWA. I have an 'insider' at the PHX airport who works with the TSA and he also is impressed with SWA.

 

[wvjules]

I love SWA. At first I wasn't sure I'd like the Boarding groups but now I like it. Their flight attendents are great...they're one of the best parts of SWA, that and I like their little snack boxes. I flew NWA on Wednesday and realized how much I missed SWA. Thankfully next weekend I'll be back on SWA to Cali.

 

[4greatboys]

I print out our boarding passes as soon as I can. We have gotten an A pretty much every time. We are also preboarders. My youngest flies in his carseat. I cant imagine not being able to preboard and trying to get on the plane with the carseat while everyone else is boarding as well. This also addresses why we sit in the front of the plane. The seats are very narrow and its hard to get down the isle with our carryons and carseat so we sit close to the front.

When my youngest was under 2 we didnt always purchase a seat for him. May times I held him. I sincerely doubt any other adults wanted to sit with me, my infant and my 2 yr old.