Commissar SFLUFAN Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 I've never actually flown on Southwest so I have absolutely no clue if this is a good thing or not. Southwest to get rid of open seating, offer extra legroom in biggest shift in its history WWW.CNBC.COM Southwest is under pressure to drum up revenue from an oversupplied U.S. market and an activist investor. Quote Southwest Airlines is ending open seating and will offer extra legroom seats on its airplanes as mounting pressure on the carrier to increase revenue prompts the biggest changes to its business model in its 53 years of flying. The airline plans to start selling the first flights that will offer extra legroom next year, it said Thursday. It also plans to begin overnight flights, starting in February. Southwest executives have said for years that they were studying such changes and hinted in April that the airline was seriously considering assigning seats and offering extra legroom options. The airline currently puts customers in one of three boarding groups and assigns a number, setting off a mad dash to check in a day before the flight. Customers can get earlier boarding though if they pay for a higher-priced ticket, they’ll get a better boarding slot. When travelers choose a competitor over Southwest, the airline found in its research that its open seating model was the No. 1 reason for that choice, the carrier said in a release that outlined the changes. It also said 80% of its own customers prefer an assigned seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Their flights board significantly faster than other airlines because of the unassigned seating, it's way more efficient. So it'll hurt their plane turnaround times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firewithin Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 i just flew SW on my vacation last week as well as other times and its literally never been an issue. granted the most recent flight(s) were not completely full so people werent trying to squeeze in everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CayceG Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Thank GOD. It's the part of Southwest I hate the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_m_b_m_b_m Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Sw getting desperate since Ryan air et al are eating their low cost lunch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massdriver Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Works for me. I hate their unassigned seating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 24 minutes ago, Jason said: Their flights board significantly faster than other airlines because of the unassigned seating, it's way more efficient. So it'll hurt their plane turnaround times. Jetblue uses to board even faster because they boarded back to front. the reason anyone is going to a boarding group model is for 1 reason. $$$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fizzzzle Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 I've never understood wanting to board first when you have an assigned seat. Especially for long flights (coming from the pacific northwest, almost all of my flights are long flights). Why the fuck should I be in such a hurry to sit down in an uncomfortable seat longer than I have to? It's fucking stupid. I get it if you have kids or you're in first class, but I'll be chilling at the bar for the first 15-20 minutes of boarding, thank you very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 3 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said: I've never understood wanting to board first when you have an assigned seat. Especially for long flights (coming from the pacific northwest, almost all of my flights are long flights). Why the fuck should I be in such a hurry to sit down in an uncomfortable seat longer than I have to? It's fucking stupid. I get it if you have kids or you're in first class, but I'll be chilling at the bar for the first 15-20 minutes of boarding, thank you very much. Making sure there is room for your carry on 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fizzzzle Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 10 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said: Making sure there is room for your carry on Keep all your valuables in your backpack that you can put under the seat along with enough clothes to last for a day or two in case something happens, everything else in your dufflebag isn't a big deal if it gets lost for a day or two in the worst case scenario. Boom, problem solved. Enjoy your beer rather than standing at the gate like an idiot for 45 minutes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_m_b_m_b_m Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 18 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said: I've never understood wanting to board first when you have an assigned seat. Especially for long flights (coming from the pacific northwest, almost all of my flights are long flights). Why the fuck should I be in such a hurry to sit down in an uncomfortable seat longer than I have to? It's fucking stupid. I get it if you have kids or you're in first class, but I'll be chilling at the bar for the first 15-20 minutes of boarding, thank you very much. If you have young kids you want to be last on tbh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mclumber1 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 37 minutes ago, Massdriver said: Works for me. I hate their unassigned seating. I loved it for business travel. I'd pay the extra few bucks to get priority seating in group A. RIP open seating policy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 10 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said: Keep all your valuables in your backpack that you can put under the seat along with enough clothes to last for a day or two in case something happens, everything else in your dufflebag isn't a big deal if it gets lost for a day or two in the worst case scenario. Boom, problem solved. Enjoy your beer rather than standing at the gate like an idiot for 45 minutes. Stand at the gate like an idiot for 45 min or at the baggage claim for a similar amount of time then. I’d prefer to proceed directly to the exit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 15 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said: Stand at the gate like an idiot for 45 min or at the baggage claim for a similar amount of time then. I’d prefer to proceed directly to the exit And your bag can't get lost if you don't check it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Yeah the main reason to board asap is space to put your carry on where you seat. Nothing worse than having it stored multiple rows behind you so your stuck waiting for the flight to empty out to grab your stuff. When I traveled for work I always only took a carry on so I didn’t have to waste time with checked luggage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Just now, chakoo said: Yeah the main reason to board asap is space to put your carry on where you seat. Nothing worse than having it stored multiple rows behind you so your stuck waiting for the flight to empty out to grab your stuff. When I traveled for work I always only took a carry on so I didn’t have to waste time with checked luggage. Yup same. Can’t stuff my dress shirts in a backpack with my laptop and all that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 41 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said: I've never understood wanting to board first when you have an assigned seat. Especially for long flights (coming from the pacific northwest, almost all of my flights are long flights). Why the fuck should I be in such a hurry to sit down in an uncomfortable seat longer than I have to? It's fucking stupid. I get it if you have kids or you're in first class, but I'll be chilling at the bar for the first 15-20 minutes of boarding, thank you very much. it is about getting overhead space for carry-on, so you don’t have to go through then checking your bag and waisting time at bag claim. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 5 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said: Can’t stuff my dress shirts in a backpack But think of how cool you would look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSpreader Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 I refuse to check-in bags. I do one carry-on/one under-seat. We flew to Europe and they forced us to check in bags. They fit but I think they just didn't want to deal with finding spaces later, and they LOST A BAG. Our member of the party didn't get the bag back until 3 days before we returned. We were there for two weeks! (This was last fall.) She had to buy all new clothes & toiletries, plus all the afternoons calling the airlines/airpots and not getting through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 44 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said: I've never understood wanting to board first when you have an assigned seat. Especially for long flights (coming from the pacific northwest, almost all of my flights are long flights). Why the fuck should I be in such a hurry to sit down in an uncomfortable seat longer than I have to? It's fucking stupid. I get it if you have kids or you're in first class, but I'll be chilling at the bar for the first 15-20 minutes of boarding, thank you very much. 26 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said: Keep all your valuables in your backpack that you can put under the seat along with enough clothes to last for a day or two in case something happens, everything else in your dufflebag isn't a big deal if it gets lost for a day or two in the worst case scenario. Boom, problem solved. Enjoy your beer rather than standing at the gate like an idiot for 45 minutes. I used to travel a whole lot for work (a couple of trips a month). I had zero interest in checking anything -- because I didn't want to wait for the luggage to come off the carousel (saving 45 minutes and not dealing with the other asshole passengers), paying the money to check luggage or risk having the hassle of dealing with lost luggage. Being on a trip for several days without my stuff is several orders of magnitude worse than sitting on a plane for an extra 10 minutes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 It great for short flights. Last couple years I've flown back and forth to so cal for Thanksgiving. Pay the extra few bucks for first boarding, get a window seat near the front with my carry on. It's only an hour flight so I don't have to get up, land and get off first and get the fuck up outta there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 The one thing I like about Southwest's boarding process is that I pretty much never have to put my carry on somewhere I'm not sitting. Just find the first spot with bag space and sit there. I hate having to put my bag rows behind my seat. It's inconvenient boarding and disembarking, and I feel like a dick for taking up "someone else's spot." Still, I refuse to check my carry on with my camera gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 This is farther down in the article Wade posted, I assume everything else they're saying about why they're doing this is just trying to deflect attention from this. Quote The airline is under even more pressure now to segment its product like other airlines after activist investor Elliott Investment Management disclosed in June a nearly $2 billion stake in Southwest and called for new leadership as the carrier underperformed competitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_m_b_m_b_m Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 7 hours ago, b_m_b_m_b_m said: Sw getting desperate since Ryan air et al are eating their low cost lunch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris- Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 8 hours ago, Fizzzzle said: Keep all your valuables in your backpack that you can put under the seat along with enough clothes to last for a day or two in case something happens, everything else in your dufflebag isn't a big deal if it gets lost for a day or two in the worst case scenario. Boom, problem solved. Enjoy your beer rather than standing at the gate like an idiot for 45 minutes. This is the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneticBlueprint Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 7 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said: But think of how cool you would look literally impossible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link200 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 9 hours ago, Jason said: Their flights board significantly faster than other airlines because of the unassigned seating, it's way more efficient. So it'll hurt their plane turnaround times. Not sure that is the case honestly. People tend to load up front to back. Kind of how other airlines do their boarding. Probably should review the CPGGrey video to find out 🙃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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