southwest may change ...allow assigned seating

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by CarolA
Well, don't hold your breath. The article says "may" and it does not sound to me like SW has even looked into this. I would almost gurantee that if SW thinks this will slow down things and mess up their on time schedule they won't do it.

SW is really good at getting you in the air on time and they have VERY little dead time on the ground. That is one of the keys to thier profits. The assests are in use, not sitting around.

Like I said earlier, I dislike the words "may", "could" or "might".
In reality, it means nothing.

 

[Alison Wonderland]

I hope Southwest goes to assigned seating. It's the only nonstop to Orlando out of my town. I'll never forget being told I couldn't preboard with my 5 year old and searching vainly up and down the aisle for 2 open seats!!! I was not aware of the "A" "B"
"C" seating system. So now I worry about getting there early enough-- anxious over whether I am going to get an "A"!! So it would be a relief to me to get an assigned seat.

 

[simba2]

SWA is the most on time airline. They can get a plane unloaded and reloaded and back in the air in record time and this is because of no assigned seating. When people just select a seat and not have to look for a specific seat it takes less time. I love SWA and do not object to open boarding.

 

[Lewisc]

There was talk that the FAA might require SW to assign seats. In the case of problems they might want to know who was in what seat.

SW attributes their quick trunaround time to no assigned seating. It gets people to the airport gate early. A lot of people are lined up before the plane is even at the gate. I doubt SW will start assigning seats unless required by regulations.

 

[NotUrsula]

Now that SWA has gone to generated paper boarding passes, there is a simple way to determine who is in what seat. All you need is an FA with a portable barcode scanner to walk down the aisle and scan the boarding passes after the plane is in the air.
One quick satellite call can download all the passenger locations back to HQ.

Personally, I think that the odds of SWA implementing assigned seating are lower than the odds of their putting in seatback screens and/or power jacks. Power jacks are the best investment to bring in the business market, and TV's are very popular with the vacation market, especially on the Disney routes.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by NotUrsula
Now that SWA has gone to generated paper boarding passes, there is a simple way to determine who is in what seat. All you need is an FA with a portable barcode scanner to walk down the aisle and scan the boarding passes after the plane is in the air.
One quick satellite call can download all the passenger locations back to HQ.

Personally, I think that the odds of SWA implementing assigned seating are lower than the odds of their putting in seatback screens and/or power jacks. Power jacks are the best investment to bring in the business market, and TV's are very popular with the vacation market, especially on the Disney routes.

I agree the odds of SWA implementing assigned seating is low BUT if the FAA requires seat location prior to take off there may not be an alternative. I'm sure SWA is considering seat assignment and other options if needed. Not sure how much the scanner and satellite modem would cost.