Southwest May Adopt Assigned Seats on Flights

[Brian Noble]

Personally, I don't care for the cattle call boarding. The tension level in the gate area is bad enough on airlines with assigned seats. On SW, I've seen some pretty questionable behavior by people trying to make sure they get the seats they want, unless the gate agent is on top of things.

For me, however, the question is moot: they almost never have good prices to MCO out of DTW, and every flight requires a connection. Between Spirit, Airtran, and NW, I always seem to be able to get direct flights for the same price or less than southwest wants.

 

[rparmfamily]

Personally, I don't care for the cattle call boarding. The tension level in the gate area is bad enough on airlines with assigned seats. On SW, I've seen some pretty questionable behavior by people trying to make sure they get the seats they want, unless the gate agent is on top of things.

For me, however, the question is moot: they almost never have good prices to MCO out of DTW, and every flight requires a connection. Between Spirit, Airtran, and NW, I always seem to be able to get direct flights for the same price or less than southwest wants.

Good point about the competition. Southwest's Fares will be rising soon due to their pre paid fuel is almost run out. They will be paying what the other carriers are and they won't be able to continue with low pricing.

 

[zurgswife]

I love SW

 

[DebbieB]

One thing SW would have on their side is they only fly one model of aircraft - 737. So they wouldn't have the issue that other airlines have where they change the model of the plane and that throws off everyone's seating. Plus they don't release dates far in advance, so that would eliminate seating changes because of consolidated flights.

 

[Pinnie]

I hope they DON'T go to assinged seating. One thing I like about it is I can AVOID sitting in front of a child that may spend the next 90 minutes kicking the back of my seat.

Also, I fly a LOT and the FAs are religious about NOT letting preboarders sit in EXIT row seats. The airline may own the plane but the FAA owns the EXIT rows. I have been the first one in the *A* line many times and my boarding pass is given back to me so when I get on the plane and snag the EXIT row seat, the FA knows that all the preboarders are on and that I am clear to sit in that row.

pinnie

 

[bicker]

certainly no thanks to the flight attendants.

Uh not much the flight attendants can do. If the flight has no seat assignments together they cannot make more seats. They cannot order passengers who have seat assignments around, pulling them from their reserved, assigned seats. They can barely get passengers to follow directions well enough to board only when their row is called!

That's going to be Southwest's biggest challenge: Dealing with the difficulties that come from giving passengers a feeling of quasi-ownership over an assignment.

 

[bicker]

Might they possibly go to a split system? Pay $10 extra for an assigned seat and pre-boarding privileges?

 

[tomerin]

in all of the times i have flown with my son i never have had a problem with the system of boarding as it is now. we always make sure we have an "A" boarding pass by either getting to the airport very early or just obtaining it on the internet. never have had a problem so it really doesnt make any difference to me if they go to assigned seats.


i could see the problem for larger families who cant preboard. if i was traveling with a larger group i would definitly feel more comfortable knowing ahead of time that we would all be sitting together

 

[Gary M]

Good point about the competition. Southwest's Fares will be rising soon due to their pre paid fuel is almost run out. They will be paying what the other carriers are and they won't be able to continue with low pricing.

As mentioned above SWA has had the benefit of lower fuel cost. With the same prices as the other airlines the "cattle call" will cause many of us to avoid SWA completely. I fly SWA as little as possible because of the "cattle call". A couple of days ago I returned from a r/t from IND to Montreal on Delta. You have assigned seats and they board by zones. We were early or on time on all legs of the trip and didn't take that long to board. I fly 12-15 times a year and will only fly SWA when the price is much cheaper. Next week I'm flying from IND to Vegas on SWA for $157 r/t which was much less expensive than other flights offered by other airlines. The last flight from IND to Vegas on SWA that I took only a couple of people in wheelchairs pre-boarded and no young children were on the flight. I will not fly from IND to MCO on SWA under any circumstances. The pre-boarding is over 1/2 of the plane. Believe me this is truly a cattle call with the rude white-haired people cheating on pre-boarding and the large "families" getting on early with junior. I am 64 yrs. old with white hair and am lucky enough to board honestly with the able bodied people.

If SWA starts to assign seats great for some of us and if not, great for the "cattle call" fans.

 

[Brian Noble]

Southwest has other cost advantages in addition to fuel hedges. Their labor costs are relatively low. Their single-plane-type model gives them efficiencies in maintenance, etc. They understand that a large segment of the traveling public views flights as a commodity, rather than a differentiable service. And, they are amazingly good at remembering that planes on the ground don't earn money. As a business, they are extremely well-run.

I flew DL for the first time in a while a few weeks ago---I really liked the zone boarding system, in part because our GA actually enforced it. Then again, I board in Zone 2 on DL due to having status on NW, so it's no wonder I liked it!

 

[Lewisc]

After 9-11 SW was the only major airline that didn't lay off employees, they cancelled very few flights and still made money. You're right, it's not just the fuel costs.

SW tries to avoid airports that have high fees and delays. That approach may be changing.

We may be reading too much into the article. A few years ago there was talk that the government was going to require airlines know what passenger is sitting in each seat. Assigned seats is really the only way to do that. SW may need to have the ability to assign seats to meet potential requirements as well has having the flexibility to change if needed.

I agree with Bicker, it's entirely possible SW will charge for assigned seats, only assign seats to passengers who are using a full fare ticket or even just assign seats at the time you get your BP (or even at the airport).

Open seating gets passengers to the gate early which contributes to on time departures.

The question is who should get the "best" seats. Passengers who pay more money, passengers that book early or passengers that get an A BP and get to the gate early? A system that guarantees middle seats to business travelers that book high fares close to depature doesn't sound like a good plan.

Southwest has other cost advantages in addition to fuel hedges. Their labor costs are relatively low. Their single-plane-type model gives them efficiencies in maintenance, etc. They understand that a large segment of the traveling public views flights as a commodity, rather than a differentiable service. And, they are amazingly good at remembering that planes on the ground don't earn money. As a business, they are extremely well-run.

I flew DL for the first time in a while a few weeks ago---I really liked the zone boarding system, in part because our GA actually enforced it. Then again, I board in Zone 2 on DL due to having status on NW, so it's no wonder I liked it!

 

[rparmfamily]

After 9-11 SW was the only major airline that didn't lay off employees, they cancelled very few flights and still made money. You're right, it's not just the fuel costs.

SW tries to avoid airports that have high fees and delays. That approach may be changing.

We may be reading too much into the article. A few years ago there was talk that the government was going to require airlines know what passenger is sitting in each seat. Assigned seats is really the only way to do that. SW may need to have the ability to assign seats to meet potential requirements as well has having the flexibility to change if needed.

I agree with Bicker, it's entirely possible SW will charge for assigned seats, only assign seats to passengers who are using a full fare ticket or even just assign seats at the time you get your BP (or even at the airport).

Open seating gets passengers to the gate early which contributes to on time departures.

The question is who should get the "best" seats. Passengers who pay more money, passengers that book early or passengers that get an A BP and get to the gate early? A system that guarantees middle seats to business travelers that book high fares close to depature doesn't sound like a good plan.

I think those who are in an elite status and those who pay the full are are titled to the "best seats" and then work it down the line. I think that the people on buddy passes and nrsa's need to board last. How about assigning seats to families of 3 or more that way they can sit together?