Southwest adds charge to board sooner

[kevschickee]

Jesus would have paid the 10 bucks so his family could sit together.

Oh Jeepers Creepers

 

[bstnsprts]

It's a shame Southwest wasn't able to wait to implement this plan as of the scheduled extension. Southwest isn't making money. They can't profitably fly passengers for current fares. Passengers booking airfare need to consider the cost of checking luggage, selecting seats or early boarding when booking an airline. The airlines didn't create the problem. We did by refusing to book profitable fares but accepting being "nickle and dimed"

I hate to think that SW is that bad off that they couldn't wait until January to begin this program. I actually don't mind being nickled and dimed. You can choose what you want to pay for instead of having it included in the fare. As for being profitable, the airlines set the fares, you can't blame consumers for choosing the cheaper fares. It's up to the airline to figure out how to make a profit, not the consumer. The two problems I have with EB is that first it was implimented on people that choose to fly SW before EB was in place. The second issue I see is that if I choose to pay extra fees I expect to get something for it. With EB a family of 5 could spend $100 and get "C" boarding passes. SW needs the revenue, but EB should be cut off at a certain point.

 

[bstnsprts]

Double Sorry.

 

[pooh4evr]

Well call me a sheep or whatever but I just "upgraded" (or whatever you want to call it) our tickets for flights in December. It clearly stated on the SW site that this sitll doesn't guarantee anything - you are checked in automatically 36 hours before your flight in the order you purchased the upgrade (at least that is how I understand it) so if I am # 40 to buy the $10 thing then we'll be #40 it doesn't guarantee an A pass at all I could still be B or C - but I suppose it increases our odds of getting an A - my kids are 8, 6 and 2 - we usually get A passes but I feel like I almost have to get the $10 thing to give us a chance of sitting together. It is not a very good idea and probably won't last long because of all the problems everyone has stated- it will take twice as long to load the planes with everybody getiing up and switching seats, or being upset because they can't sit where they want- Sw just need to increase all tix by $10 and assign seats already!

 

[Jestocost]

The "logic" of some posters escapes me completely. Bavaria has made some excellent points as have other posters. If you choose to believe that it is your right to expect everyone else to rearrange their lives for you just because you are tired of being "nickled and dimed," then I don't see any question as to where to put the selfish label.

Would you expect someone who paid big bucks for two front row seats to a Miley Cyrus concert to give up their seats because you bought the cheap upper-deck seats and your daughter can't see very well?

Would you expect someone to give up their table in a restaurant because they had the foresight to make a reservation, but you didn't and your child is hungry and "needs" to eat right away?

Would you expect someone who paid $50 to park across the street from the stadium to give you their parking space because you arrived five minutes before the game and can only find parking eight blocks away, which is too far for junior to walk?

Apparently some people would expect such things.

There are hundreds of things in life that require you to do some extra planning, be flexible with your arrangements or to pay more if you want things to be exactly the way you want them to be. Seating on SWA now is one of those things. I think I preferred the old way overall, but now that the rules have changed you have to abide by them or you can't expect that the world will fall in line to accommodate your needs just because. You may disagree, but it's reality and sometimes reality bites. I'm afraid you are going to find yourself in some unpleasant situations (and probably already have) with that attitude and you have no one to blame but yourself.

I will move from one seat to another to help someone out and have done so on many occassions, just for the record, but I don't think it is my moral obligation to do so.

 

[Hannathy]

Sw just need to increase all tix by $10 and assign seats already!

I disagree with this. I don't care to pay $10 because I really don't care where I sit or my kids sit. If one of my kids really wants a window them I may pay for them to be an early boarder and pick out their own seat but I would rather have the $10 for funnel cake and turkey legs.

I like the idea of a base fare and then paying for what is important to you. Like seat assignments OK pay $10, like to take luggage then pay for it. Want a drink again pay for it. Want a carryon bigger than fitting under your seat pay for it.
This would be my ideal way to price tickets.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

And the logic of why these seats on the plane are so special escapes me. Your equating a front row seat at a concert to a coach seat on a plane? Are there magical seats that are just so special that I don't know about in all my travels?

What is "special" is sitting near your traveling companions. Why do you care where you are if you are sitting next to a loved one? Thats what is really confusing me.

If you do get up for others and its not for a moral obligation then what is it that compels you to get up?

Yes I will concede that no one should expect you to get up and yell at you to do so...but at the same token you shouldn't just plant yourself firmly in your seat saying I paid for this and not be flexible if there are special circumstances...Its just a silly seat compared to the opportunity to make someones trip much more pleasant sitting with their child... Of course if it moves you from your traveling companion then it doesn't make sense either.....


Airlines should assign seats when booked...and not allow preferences i.e. window/aisle, front of plane, back of plane etc...That would solve it.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Frankly, Southwest was damned no matter when they decided to implement the fee (yes, it's a fee!) - to do so once the busy travel season (summer) is over makes sense. It would have been a logistical (and CSA) nightmare to implement the program only for flights opening up with a new schedule rather than all currently bookable flights. This way, it's available no matter when a person is flying, without the need to calculate dates or call Southwest for that purpose.

I hate to think that SW is that bad off that they couldn't wait until January to begin this program. I actually don't mind being nickled and dimed. You can choose what you want to pay for instead of having it included in the fare. As for being profitable, the airlines set the fares, you can't blame consumers for choosing the cheaper fares. It's up to the airline to figure out how to make a profit, not the consumer. The two problems I have with EB is that first it was implimented on people that choose to fly SW before EB was in place. The second issue I see is that if I choose to pay extra fees I expect to get something for it. With EB a family of 5 could spend $100 and get "C" boarding passes. SW needs the revenue, but EB should be cut off at a certain point.

 

[bavaria]

And the logic of why these seats on the plane are so special escapes me. Your equating a front row seat at a concert to a coach seat on a plane? Are there magical seats that are just so special that I don't know about in all my travels?

ABSOLUTELY there are 'special' seats on an airplane. Why do you think that many carriers charge more or only allow their elite members to sit in aisle seats, seats further forward, bulkhead seats? I WILL NOT fly in many seats. If I cannot get a seat which works for me I choose to deplane and fly later at my own cost.

Trading a middle in row 25 for a middle in row 26 may not make much difference, but demanding my 9A seat on a 757 and telling me to 'get back' to your middle in row 15 makes about 2 metres of difference.

SW was for years the great socialist airline in America (yes, I said 'socialist' which I hope is not considered 'political') It was an equalizer. There was no way to assure that one had anything better unless one received an A boarding pass. As technology and the industry changed, so did SW, with the introduction of the internet, 'business fares', and now early boarding.

The two largest LCC's in Europe charge for 'priority boarding'. I don't see the drama and whinging about it that I see here, and I read many airline websites and forums, and I fly almost weekly around the world.

Many major carriers do not preassign seats on short haul flights. On Lufthansa, one gets a seat assignment at the time of check in. Yet again I don't see drama or whinging or seat changing or demands like I do in America.

 

[bavaria]

And for those of you who don't understand why it is rude of you to expect others to move seats, perhaps you need to do some reading about the concept of 'saving face'.

In much of the world it is considered rude to put the other person in a position where they have no option but one in order to 'save face' or risk appearing rude themselves.

When you demand that someone moves for you, you leave them with no option but to move. If they don't move, I can assure you that you will then think badly of them, or start a thread about them on the internet, or worse berate them or even physically abuse them.

You leave that person with no choice but to give in to your demands, or to appear badly in your eyes.

The concept of saving face is used in international diplomacy but it is also a major part of many cultures around the world. It is impolite for one person to place another in a position where they have no options and no power to negotiate.

 

[bavaria]

Airlines should assign seats when booked...and not allow preferences i.e. window/aisle, front of plane, back of plane etc...That would solve it.

Again, that is a socialist model. Why shouldn't airlines give preference to their loyal customers, the ones who fly hundreds of thousands of miles a year, and are their bread and butter, and pay the highest fares? Why shouldn't some airlines give those seats to those who pay more?

Doing so is a capitalist model. I thought that was admired as a great thing here, but I may be wrong. (And thank you Lewisc for your PM trying to explain to me)

 

[crisi]

And the logic of why these seats on the plane are so special escapes me. Your equating a front row seat at a concert to a coach seat on a plane? Are there magical seats that are just so special that I don't know about in all my travels?

What is "special" is sitting near your traveling companions. Why do you care where you are if you are sitting next to a loved one? Thats what is really confusing me.

If you do get up for others and its not for a moral obligation then what is it that compels you to get up?

Yes I will concede that no one should expect you to get up and yell at you to do so...but at the same token you shouldn't just plant yourself firmly in your seat saying I paid for this and not be flexible if there are special circumstances...Its just a silly seat compared to the opportunity to make someones trip much more pleasant sitting with their child... Of course if it moves you from your traveling companion then it doesn't make sense either.....


Airlines should assign seats when booked...and not allow preferences i.e. window/aisle, front of plane, back of plane etc...That would solve it.

Well, when I've given up my seat I've done it and given up sitting next to my own kid (who is older). So I'm giving up sitting next to my traveling companions. So you can sit next to your child (who is younger than mine and which is why I did it).

I've given up an aisle seat with a six year old and a four year old in my row (ROOMY!) so their dad could have it. His seat was between two overweight men - one who hadn't showered recently (or perhaps had, but had body odor issues). It was not the most pleasant three hours of my life. And while I volunteered and got warm fuzzies from it - it turned out to be not a good trade for me.

I've had an aisle seat when five months (can't necessarily tell yet if you don't know me) pregnant. Since I think I was in the bathroom six times in two hours on that flight - it was a very special seat. Fortunately, no one wanted that seat, but that seat WAS special (it was also really close to the bathroom).

 

[Lewisc]

Some passengers prefer seats in the emergency exit aisle. Some passengers, particularly those with tight connections, want to sit near the front of the plane. Airlines are finding some passengers are willing to pay extra for "preferred" seats. Some airlines reserve "better" seats for their elite fliers. Some charge extra. It makes no sense to give those seats to passengers who book (deeply discounted fares) months in advance of their flight.

There were services that did OLCI for SW passengers. People were willing to pay. Obviously some people think it's important to check in exactly 24 hours before their flight. SW has decided to get revenue from those people. I'm not sure why the early BPs should go to passengers who have the time to check in at T-24. Giving them to passengers who are willing to pay an extra $10 makes sense to me.

I agree, passengers who booked prior to this new policy have grounds to be unhappy.

You need to book your flights with an airline that offers assigned seating. Just include any cost to select seats with the airfare when you're comparing airlines. No reason to exclude an airline which offers a la carta pricing.

And the logic of why these seats on the plane are so special escapes me. Your equating a front row seat at a concert to a coach seat on a plane? Are there magical seats that are just so special that I don't know about in all my travels?

What is "special" is sitting near your traveling companions. Why do you care where you are if you are sitting next to a loved one? Thats what is really confusing me.

If you do get up for others and its not for a moral obligation then what is it that compels you to get up?

Yes I will concede that no one should expect you to get up and yell at you to do so...but at the same token you shouldn't just plant yourself firmly in your seat saying I paid for this and not be flexible if there are special circumstances...Its just a silly seat compared to the opportunity to make someones trip much more pleasant sitting with their child... Of course if it moves you from your traveling companion then it doesn't make sense either.....


Airlines should assign seats when booked...and not allow preferences i.e. window/aisle, front of plane, back of plane etc...That would solve it.

 

[Jestocost]

And the logic of why these seats on the plane are so special escapes me. Your equating a front row seat at a concert to a coach seat on a plane? Are there magical seats that are just so special that I don't know about in all my travels?

What is "special" is sitting near your traveling companions. Why do you care where you are if you are sitting next to a loved one? Thats what is really confusing me.

If you do get up for others and its not for a moral obligation when what is it that compels you to get up?

Yes I will concede that no one should expect you to get up and yell at you to do so...but at the same token you shouldn't just plant yourself firmly in your seat saying I paid for this and not be flexible if there are special circumstances...Its just a silly seat compared to the opportunity to make someones trip much more pleasant sitting with their child... Of course if it moves you from your traveling companion then it doesn't make sense either.....


Airlines should assign seats when booked...and not allow preferences i.e. window/aisle, front of plane, back of plane etc...That would solve it.

Most of the time when I am traveling, I don't really care where I sit. If that is the case and I can help someone out, then I will move. Sometimes I do care where I sit--maybe I have a specific reason, maybe I don't--or maybe the person who wants me to move is just annoying, and then I won't. It's not a matter of some kind of moral compulsion or not.

I agree that there's nothing magical or special about an airplane seat. Someone who is prepared to throw a fit about it apparently believes differently, however. The way people talk about them you would think that they will live or die based on if they get to sit where they want and/or with who they want. I'm not the one elevating airplane seat location to the level of civil rights.

If you don't care about that and can be flexible about your seating arrangements, then you are someone who can reasonably choose not to pay the fee. If where you sit or who you sit with is important enough to you that you will, say, start a discussion board thread about how you're not going to pay and still will insist on your perceived right to sit together, then your choice to not pay very well could result in one or more interactions that are unpleasant for you, for SWA's staff and for many people around you.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

Again, that is a socialist model. Why shouldn't airlines give preference to their loyal customers, the ones who fly hundreds of thousands of miles a year, and are their bread and butter, and pay the highest fares? Why shouldn't some airlines give those seats to those who pay more?

Doing so is a capitalist model. I thought that was admired as a great thing here, but I may be wrong. (And thank you Lewisc for your PM trying to explain to me)

Upgrades to first class solve that well. Of course you would need to pay the fare for an airline with first class. Not your budget discount Air Trans/ Southwest. Coach is coach is coach. Sorry.. I don't buy it and I have traveled extensively. Window/Aisle, Middle, Front, Back... I think its a bit over the top to have a favorite coach seat on an airline.. but thats just me.

For some things socialist models work well/ for others capitalist...not all people or countries are so black and white.

 

[bavaria]

Upgrades to first class solve that well. Of course you would need to pay the fare for an airline with first class. Not your budget discount Air Trans/ Southwest. Coach is coach is coach. Sorry.. I don't buy it and I have traveled extensively. Window/Aisle, Middle, Front, Back... I think its a bit over the top to have a favorite coach seat on an airline.. but thats just me.

Coach is NOT Coach. Why do you think that so many legacy carriers charge for those seats? A middle seat in row 25 is nothing like an aisle seat in row 7.

If YOU feel that those seats are the same, then please go ahead and select those seats in the back which have no fee, and I will continue to fly in the seats which work for me.

You are imposing your views onto others by insisting that there is no difference in those seats. Almost every major US carrier and millions of airline passengers disagree with you.

 

[bavaria]

Over on Flyertalk there was one thread that I recall on this subject in the miles and more forum. (For those of you who don't like me, imagine several dozen male versions of me all together in one place )The father was complaining that he didn't get seated next to his child, and it transpired that he didn't bother to check in until arriving at the airport.

He received zero sympathy.

Air Canada does a minor reduction in the fare (used to be $5, I believe now $3, crashbb, correct?) if one doesn't preselect seats. A mother came to Flyertalk and ranted and raved about the big evil poopyheads who refused to move for her and her 12 year old 'child' and it transpired that she elected to take the minor credit over selecting seats.

She received zero sympathy.

People have choices. If it means that much to you pay the AirTran seat fee. Pay the SW EB fee. Or fly an airline which does preassign seats. But don't come here and call us names and make judgements about us and tell us that our behaviour is incorrect because we didn't comply with your demands.

 

[crisi]

Coach is NOT Coach. Why do you think that so many legacy carriers charge for those seats? A middle seat in row 25 is nothing like an aisle seat in row 7.

If YOU feel that those seats are the same, then please go ahead and select those seats in the back which have no fee, and I will continue to fly in the seats which work for me.

You are imposing your views onto others by insisting that there is no difference in those seats. Almost every major US carrier and millions of airline passengers disagree with you.

I completely agree. Given a choice (and I may or may not be willing to pay for that choice depending on the trip and my mood) an aisle seat at the front of the plane is worth more than a middle seat at the rear of the plane.

And, if the way a flight fills up when you can preselect seats is any indication - those are the seats that book quickly - you and I are not alone.

 

[DizzyStitch]

They cannot allow young children to sit without a parent, so I wouldn't worry to much about it. This happened to me on a Southwest flight about 2 years ago when my dd was 5. We were traveling alone and there were not 2 seats together. No one was offering up a seat, so I found the first open one, sat my dd down and loudly annouced (in a lighthearted tone)..well Gianna you will be sitting here with these two strangers, let them know what movie you want, that you like apple juice and remember to let them know when you need to go to the bathroom. I will be way in the back of the plane where the next available seat is. Hope you ALL have a good flight ;-) You have never seen so many people offer up their seats NOT to have to sit with the 5 year old!

Funny! I figured a tactic like that would work or maybe just have a conversation with your child from your seat to theirs so that those who didn't want to change would have to understand what it is like to not be able to sit with a child because they need the center seat or some other thing like that. I would rather put two people together then to have then talking loudly around me

 

[sunnyday123]

I really don't see how this has made it to 10 pages. They are charging a fee to pre-board now. Nothing will change that. It's business. There are really few options. Pay the fee and sit together. Or don't and risk not getting to sit with your family of 65. I have a child who most apparently consider old enough to sit by herself. However, I don't feel she is, and if something happened on the plane, I would want to sit next to her, not some stranger that I don't know from boo.

So, I will either a) pay the $10 fee ( if flying this airline) or b) upgrade to their version of first class.

And for what it's worth, I would not give up my seat next to my daughter for someone else. We're sitting together, period, case closed. There are just some things you have to plan for, and this is apparently one of them. $10 more dollars per person should'nt make or break anyone going on vacation.