Southwest Airlines is ending one of its most popular, defining, and sometimes controversial offerings.
One ofSouthwest’smost democratic offering as an airline is its overt seating policy . It allows mass to pick out their buns once they board the plane instead of being assign a posterior beforehand . Besides the airway ’s want of baggage fees , this is what Southwest is make out for . But as of July 25 , we know that Southwest ’s 50 - class clear seating policy is cease . In a freeing to investor , Southwest said it would be swapping its opened seating insurance policy for " assigned and premium seating . "
" This is the end of an epoch for egalitarian travel vaunt Southwest , " Going ’s travelling expert , Katy Nasto , explained to Thrillist . " family unit will likely be the most impacted , and tump over by the late newsworthiness due to the fact that sitting together ( and not make to pay or pray for a tail together ) was always a extremely coveted perk for travelers . There already has been vocal disappointment by loyalist upon hearing the news , but their generous bag and ticket modification policy might keep loyalist from jumping ship . "
" We ’re looking into newfangled first step , thing like the way we seat and board our aircraft , " Jordan toldCNBCback in April . The airline presently only offer one socio-economic class of seating room — the only agency to guarantee a more " favored seat " is by booking its early boarding offering .
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When will Southwest’s open seating policy end?
Even though we know that open seats is ending , we do n’t have the exact date for when that will materialise . Nastro says that we will likely be impart specific date for when the Modern policy will go into effect by September . Right now , we only do it what Southwest has told us .
" In increase to assigning seats , Southwest will declare oneself a premium , extended legroom circumstances of the cabin that research shows many customer powerfully prefer , " thestatement read . " While specific cabin layout details are still in design , Southwest expects rough one - third of seats across the fleet to extend extended legroom . "
Will Southwest’s open seating policy be missed?
Anywhere you look on travel - tie in corner of the cyberspace , you will find proponents of Southwest ’s opened seating . " I care being able to see who my seatmate is and avoid sure people , like baby or trashy old ladies who yak the whole flight , " one Southwest fan wrote onReddit , in just one object lesson . But there are also plenty of multitude who complain about the policy and the"seat savers"who have taken advantage of it over the year . And according to Southwest ’s own data , most Southwest passengers are ready to leave undefendable seating area in the past times .
" The research is clear and signal that 80 % of southwestern customers , and 86 % of likely customers , favor an assigned seat , " Southwest ’s account says . " When a customer elects to break off fly with Southwest and chooses a competition , open seating area is mention as the number one reason for the change . By act to an specify seating model , Southwest expects to branch out its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future customer . "
It ’s also unclear how this could change other popular seats insurance policy that Southwest offers and which jell it apart from other airlines , such as itsfamily seating policyand itscustomer of size of it insurance . Plus , will it slow up embarkment down ? The openhanded draw of open seating was that it was a much faster embarkation cognitive process . " Southwest has always sort of been the outlier , " Nastro explained regarding the airline business ’s insurance . " They did hasten up the embarkment process . That was something that they pioneered . "
Is Southwest the only airline trying to make more money?
Southwest is n’t the only airline that is n’t well-chosen with the first quarter of tax revenue for 2024 . American Airlines alsodidn’t meet its earn outlook . The more traditional airline has n’t announced any major insurance shift . Other major airlines — Delta and United — have announce that they have had financial succeeder by declare oneself more premium seating options . Meanwhile , we all have intercourse what ’s been chance recently withbaggage fees — nearly every major airway has increased its luggage fees this year . This is where Southwest still stands out — carry - ons and the first two suss out bags still fly free .
Ultimately , the open seats insurance policy change is less about satisfaction and more about the opportunity to increase receipts . " Southwest call for to make a variety to keep up with their competitors , and adopting more legroom and nightlong schedules is sort of a win for client , but more so the airway ’s bottom line of reasoning , " Nastro said .
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