Southwest Assigned Seating Poll

[MrShiny]

If you are a Rapid Rewards member, you can vote in a poll about assigned seating on Southwest until August 11:

http://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewards/rr_survey.html?src=rreu060803

They state if they decide to go to assigned seating, it will not be until 2008.

 

[tmt martins]

I did all three of ours today

NO TO ASSIGNED SEATING

 

[richs52]

I voted YES to assigned seating.

 

[sandy6879]

I voted YES as well - having children makes me crazy about wanting to make sure we sit together. ON vacation, I made darn sure we were back in our hotel room 24 hours before the flight so I could check in for the flight.

 

[debabe723]

Just voted NO. Seems whenever DS and I fly on an airline other than Southwest, we get put in separate rows and have to beg other passengers to switch with us. I like being in charge of where I sit. Thanks for the link.

 

[MyGoofy26]

I voted no (except the only get to choose 24 hours before option) But really, I think the assigned seating slows things WAY down. I was amazed at how quickly we boarded and took off the first time I flew Southwest.

 

[mom2of2]

voted NO for everything

 

[nuke]

Another No vote from me and my family.

 

[pearlieq]

I think I'm going to be another No vote.

There are plenty of airlines that offer assigned seats. The one thing I kind of like about Southwest is that I can buy my ticket 2 days before the flight and still have a chance at a good seat, whereas on other airlines you're pretty much guaranteed a seat in the lav.

 

[tabrizia]

I voted ambilivant. In other words, I'd deal with assigned seating, but if it isn't there I am just as happy.

 

[MyGoofy26]

I think I'm going to be another No vote.

There are plenty of airlines that offer assigned seats. The one thing I kind of like about Southwest is that I can buy my ticket 2 days before the flight and still have a chance at a good seat, whereas on other airlines you're pretty much guaranteed a seat in the lav.

Yep yep. And as much as I 'rebuy' my seats everytime they go onsale. . . it'd be such a pain to keep picking seats over and over. Most airlines that allow you to choose your own seat, it's tough to get something together even a couple months before - people booking the window and aisle so that "hopefully" no one will split the middle. And I like not having to analyze who I want to sit by based on a dot on the screen - we all know WHO you get stuck by can be as much a factor on how good of a flight it was as WHERE you got stuck.

 

[Karenj2]

I also got the email, but I've never flown southwest yet, so I'm not going to fill out the survey.

It's interesting reading your responses, though.

 

[ducklite]

Do all you "No's" all book SW because of price or seating? If another carrier that offered assigned seats was less expensive, would you book them instead?

Anne

 

[mking624]

I voted "no". I actually prefer the way it is now. We've never been a fan of assigned seating, no matter what the airline. From everything I've seen on various websites and message boards, it seems that the people who don't want it are those who are frequent flyers with SWA.

 

[gottaluvdis]

Thanks for the link. I forwarded it to all travellers in my company. There has been much discussion of this since it was announced that SW did this as a trial on San Diego flights last month. The overwhelming sentiment from our travellers has been "NO" to assigned seats.

 

[azgal81]

No assigned seating for me either. I like it how it is. Getting into the A group is not that difficult. I usually book them because its cheaper then other airlines and the no assigned seating is just a benefit.

 

[salmoneous]

Do all you "No's" all book SW because of price or seating? If another carrier that offered assigned seats was less expensive, would you book them instead?Anne

SW gives me two things I really like - better service and better seating. I'm willing to pay a little more for each. Today, I'd probably pay 10% more for a SW flight than an identical legacy flight. If they switch to assigned seats, I might only pay 5% more.

 

[DMRick]

I voted no..I like how quickly we load compared to other airlines, and we have had our seats switched so much, and had to plead with others to switch on the assigned seating planes, that I find I like the control I have over my seating on SW. If they went to assigned seating, then I would book only according to price with the "other" guys who already offer assigned seating, instead of sticking to SW whenever possible.

 

[MyGoofy26]

Do all you "No's" all book SW because of price or seating? If another carrier that offered assigned seats was less expensive, would you book them instead?

Anne

There are really three things about Southwest that gives them the advantage, for me. Price? Heck yeah. But if you're patient, you can usually find great fares ($120 or less nostop round trip) out of Pittsburgh so really my preference isn't based a lot on that. Seating? Yep - I love being able to check in 24 hours early to get my A group and then hop into the first seat that looks good rather than stand in the aisle of a plane while 15 people in front of me look at their ticket, look at the row, look at the ticket, look at the row until they make it to the back of the plane. And the third is flexibility. I LOVE being able to buy a ticket full price and know that when it goes on sale, it'll take me about 30 seconds to cancel my flight and rebook at the cheaper flight and not lose a penny. I haven't seen a legacy airline be this flexible with changing flights and offering the credit. Southwest has totally taken away that "should I book or should I wait?" stress away.

 

[tmt martins]

Do all you "No's" all book SW because of price or seating? If another carrier that offered assigned seats was less expensive, would you book them instead?

Anne

I book due to the price and then get to choose my seats by getting the A's

The problem I see is that if they are assigning seats and they only have middles avail then I will just book another flight right then and there.

Others give discounts as well but then they won't assign seats for their cheaper fairs until you check-in ( airtran)

For long term planned trips it doesn't really matter as I'm ussaully booked when they open the dates and check-in right at the 24hr mark (cellphone).
But for the last minute trips is where the assigned seats become a problem.