Southwest to trial assigned seating (copied article)

[mom2kazkids]

DALLAS - Southwest Airlines Co. will test assigning seats to travelers, another indication that the maverick carrier may get in line with other U.S. airlines by junking its first-come, first-served seating system.

Passengers will be assigned seats on about 200 flights from San Diego for several weeks beginning July 10, an airline spokesman said Tuesday.

The airline wants to know if assigning seats will slow down Southwest's ability to unload incoming planes and board passengers for the next flight. It takes Southwest about 25 minutes on average to turn a plane around. Any delay can add to the airline's costs.

Southwest is already updating its computerized reservation system to handle assigned seating and international flights. Chief Executive Gary Kelly has said neither change is definite, and that Southwest won't eliminate what it calls "open seating" until late next year, at the earliest.

"We want to make sure that we have studied all the possibilities and aspects of assigned seating before we make any change to what has been a very successful formula for the past 35 years," Kelly said in a statement Tuesday.

Travelers on Southwest flights board in three groups, with priority given to those who get boarding passes first - up to 24 hours before the flight.

Priority boarding passes are so valued that some customers pay Web sites to check in electronically and secure a Group A pass. In May, Southwest filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Dallas against one of the Web sites and has asked more than a dozen others to stop handling electronic check-ins for customers.

During the San Diego test, passengers will be called ahead of time and told to check in at the gate for an assigned seat, said Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart.

"We're going to take a look at this and see if it improves overall operational efficiency and see whether it customers are still smiling," Stewart said. "We really want to know how it affects turn times."

San Diego was selected - and only for outbound flights - because of its mix of short, medium and long flights, Stewart said. The airport is Dallas-based Southwest's 10th busiest, with 92 daily departures from 10 gates to 15 cities.

 

[seashoreCM]

One of the impasses that can occur during open seating is families putting infants without tickets in seats,m forcing flight attendants to take time to ask to see tickets.

As far as checking in at the gate to get an assigned seat, part of the success or failure will depend on whether someone who already got his "A" pass will still be eligible for an assigned seat and/or when those with assigned seats board relative to the A's, B's, and C's.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[BCV23]

I saw this article yesterday and was glad.

I think my days of booking on SW are over unless assigned seating happens. We have a disabled son who needs to sit by us and our last trip back from MCO there was no gate agent to help. Instead a sign said to go to another gate for assistance. Got there and the agent was chatting with two employees about different routes they could use for deadheading. About 15 minutes later, she got around to helping me. I made it back just in time to board but it was too close for comfort especially with the uncertainty of security lines at MCO. That day the lines were 45 minutes AFTER you got to the first security person.

When we were on Aer Lingus 4 or 5 years ago, they deplaned one side at a time. Very different and it went very fast. Flew them again to/from the States a few years later and those flights they didn't use that procedure.

 

[beachblanket]

I saw this article yesterday and was glad.

I think my days of booking on SW are over unless assigned seating happens.

Hear, hear. The massive downside of the cattle-call boarding mess at SW has always been downplayed on these boards.

And a lot of that had to do with who the SW environment does and doesn't appeal to. As another article I read on this just stated, "Southwest is now competing in new cities where potential customers aren't seeing the charm of open seating the same as many Southwest loyalists who grew up with it."

Bingo - we have always avoided this airline for that exact reason, and we won't touch them with a 10 mile long pole until they get rid of this downscale boarding approach.

As for those who like it and worry about it ending, once it's gone you're welcome to take Greyhound to your next Orlando vacation.

 

[Michael623]

When was the last time you saw an assigned seat airline turn a plane around in 25 minutes? I think this is a terrible idea. Time is money and will lead to higher fares. I think if assigned seats are important to you then book some other airline. If favorable schedules and cheap prices are your priority (like me) then book SW. SW is not for everyone but for me it is the best airline as is.

 

[wee-haggis]

I don't understand why pre assigned seating couldn't be sorted out at the time of booking (like Delta and may others).
Its simple....Go online at SWA......book your flights......you see an airline seating layout chart with avaiable seats colored appropriately......choose your seats,and thats it !...First come,first served.You also get to see in advance that the seats you want together......are together.
You then show up the airport as you would normally do,forget about the A,B and C lines........they announce seating of back rows,then work their way forward. Doing this takes no longer than the cattle call option.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

On the bright side... when they have equipment changes, virtually all of thier aircraft have the exact same seating configuration, so they won't have to re-arrange folks like the others do.

The real question is... after the test, when will you pick your seat? At time of booking, or when you check in?

 

[safetymom]

I was on Jet Blue recently and the plane boarded very quickly each way. They have assigned seats but you line up to board. So if you are up front in the line you get overhead space. I was amazed how quickly everyone boarded.

 

[ducklite]

When was the last time you saw an assigned seat airline turn a plane around in 25 minutes? I think this is a terrible idea. Time is money and will lead to higher fares. I think if assigned seats are important to you then book some other airline. If favorable schedules and cheap prices are your priority (like me) then book SW. SW is not for everyone but for me it is the best airline as is.

Frankly I've never seen SW turn a plane around in 25 minutes. It's generally closer to 40.

Anne

 

[sue1013]

Since JetBlue came to Newark we always fly them to Orlando. They have assigned seating and turn those planes around very, very quickly. It can be done.

 

[justplaingoofy]

We don't fly southwest for that reason of no pre assigned seats.

I am not complaining we just fly Jetblue instead... this fall JetBlue had lower prices, assigned seats, newer planes, leather seats, and tv's at every seat....

 

[ms.ojo]

As long as we have young children, and preboard, SW is the most economical option for us and we always have seats together. But as our children get older and that is no longer an option, I suppose we might change our tune. Will be interested in how this pans out.

For now...I just want to be able to access their website and see the Ding I rec'd awhile ago. It hasn't let me on for about an hour!!!!!

 

[Mandabella]

I'm confused.

Why does having pre-assigned seats vs. open seating make the planes turn around slower? I've flown South West and several other carriers and haven't noticed a significant turnover time difference between them and other airlines.

Even with pre-assigned seats, I've seen different airlines use different approaches to boarding the passengers.

 

[loveFL]

I was one to always say that I'd never fly Southwest until I tried it. I didn't think it was that bad, but I still wouldn't go out of my way to fly SWA. Usually I go with whoever is cheapest, and that isn't always them. I do like the idea of assigned seats, so I'm glad to see the change.

 

[simzac]

Frankly I've never seen SW turn a plane around in 25 minutes. It's generally closer to 40.

Anne

The main reason the time is closer to 40 minutes is due to their flights being early fairly often. When they have to turn a plane in 25 minutes, they do. I watch them at the airport in Indy quite often, and can say this from my past observations.

 

[simzac]

We don't fly southwest for that reason of no pre assigned seats.

I am not complaining we just fly Jetblue instead... this fall JetBlue had lower prices, assigned seats, newer planes, leather seats, and tv's at every seat....

No Jet Blue in Indy, but I wouldn't fly them even if they were. I hope SW doesn't adopt assigned seats, this is one reason we fly them. JMO

 

[loveswdw]

We had always flown Delta with pre-assigned seats until this last trip to MCO. We flew SW because they were A LOT cheaper than Delta. We did get to pre-board with my DS2.5. But even if we hadn't pre-boarded, we did have A passes both there and back. I didn't mind the cattle call too much. Just hated sitting in the airport to make sure we kept our place in line. With Delta we never had to sit in a line for an hour and a half.

I wonder if the pre-assigned seats would change the nice features such as the no-charge to change your ticket, etc. You read a lot on these boards where people change their SW tix several times to get the cheapest price. If the seats are assigned, would that be more difficult to rebook your seats?

 

[Michael623]

I fly SW once a month at least and they frequently turn the planes around in <25 minutes. In fact the last time I flew them the plane pulled into the gate 20 minutes before we were scheduled to depart and we still left on time. If it aint broke don't fix it!!!!!

 

[DebbieB]

I just got home from my first Southwest experience. I can't say that I like their system. At MCO tonight, probably 25% of the passengers were pre-boards with small children. They made an announcement that only parents or 2 adults can pre-board, no grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. OK, fine. My niece and I were probably about 20th in the A line. We get on and the front is filled with the pre-boards, but they also have packages on lots of other seats, I'm sure saving them for the other family members who could not pre-board with them. So what is the point of restricting pre-boarding to 2 adults when they are allowed to save seats for the rest? The first row we could find with empty seats was 17.

 

[bicker]

Pre-boarding families with children to or from MCO makes no sense.