An airline changes the way it does business: Southwest Airlines adds reserved seats.
This week, Southwest Airlines added reserved seats to its offerings. In May, he increased accountants’ fees. Some passengers cried crocodile tears over that change. But, from a passenger perspective, the change to reserved seats has been welcomed more warmly.
This is a seismic shift in Southwest’s egalitarian ways, and it’s even tougher than the baggage fee. For more than 50 years, passengers have had their choice of seats. Now, Southwest is like every other airline. The old ads said you could sit just like you would in church!
It appears this will increase Southwest’s revenues.
Yesterday, all the seats were allotted. The lineup of passengers at check-in may be changed with poles indicating boarding groups. Seats that used to be the best, such as exit rows or seats near the front of the plane, will cost extra. Plus, there will be extra legroom seats Available to members of Southwest’s frequent flyer program or credit card holders. Of course, passengers can pay full price.
According to The Hill, “Southwest first announced plans to eliminate its long-standing open-seating policy in July 2024 to boost revenue. But the company also claimed its passengers are increasingly preferring assigned seating models with premium seating options.”
Critics argued that open seating was better for guests who booked in groups, or passengers who had to change flights at the last minute (as they would not be immediately relegated to the lowest-priority seats on the plane, as might otherwise have happened on a different airline). Some people felt that switching to assigned seats was just a money-making strategy.
Of course, not all seats will cost extra. But for the best seats, you’ll have to pay extra unless you’re very lucky. But for passengers with extra spending power, they may choose to spend more to sit closer to the front of the plane and in extra legroom seats.
Southwest’s assigned seats will work like this.
Hill notes the following: “Customers booking flights with Southwest are now instructed to select from three seating options: “Standard” seats, located in the rear of the cabin; “Preferred” seats, located near the front; and “Extra Legroom” seats, which are located near the exit rows and offer 3 to 5 inches of additional legroom.”
Southwest’s website states that the type of seat a passenger purchases determines when he or she boards and whether he or she is eligible for other amenities. The changes also mean slight changes to Southwest’s pre-boarding policies for active-duty military members or families with children.
Some people save seats for others. Others argue among themselves to keep the middle seat. Still others will open a seat between them and sit. At the last minute, they give up the seat to a solo passenger, who gets the bonus of an aisle seat. I’ve used this trick many times, both to get an aisle seat or to save a middle seat.
Sometimes I just sit in the middle seat.
Others try to beat the open seating game by taking their time. They harm other passengers with hard contact. Leaving on time is the key to Southwest’s entire operation.
Southwest Airlines claims that 80 percent of its passengers prefer assigned seats. I don’t believe in them.
Maybe it’s 50/50. But can Southwest please give me access to this survey? Southwest’s board of directors shut down the “Bag Fly Free” program last May. This change had to be made due to pressure from investors. I suspect that the issue of seat reservation arose due to the same nefarious pressure from investors.
I believe Southwest’s 2006 survey was in favor of open seats. I actually thought the open meeting would continue.
The best thing about assigned seats is knowing where you will sit on the plane before you board the plane. Otherwise, the option is taking risks. For me, I only paid extra for a Southwest flight from Tampa to Phoenix. I bought an upgraded seat to have more space on a long flight.
Southwest flights aren’t that long for me. I don’t plan on paying extra for a flight unless it’s a very long one.
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Charlie Leocha is president of Travelers United. He has been in Washington, DC for the past 14 years working with Congress, the Department of Transportation and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative on the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 to 2018.
