Southwest ending open seating

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We always check in right at 24 hours in advance and get a spot in B boarding group. If you are in B boarding group, you are going to be able to find 2 seats together (and most likely 3 seats at the back of the plane). Families with young children get to board between A and B boarding groups, so, there are plenty of seats for them.

Funny that 4/5 said they would prefer assigned seating so there wasn’t as much satisfaction with the old process as you seem to think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Southwest sucks. Airline is stuck in the 70s. I've only flown on them once and everyone on the plane was unattractive.

Well, they weren’t immobilized by CrowdStrike.

[Anonymous]

This is a bummer. I like being able to choose who I sit next to....or more accurately, who I do NOT sit next to. I try to avoid being near small children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Too many people taking advantage of their system with “family” boarding and “disabilities.” I’m sorry for the people who actually needed pre boarding.

It's always interesting to see how many people need wheelchairs at departure yet somehow they are able to walk off the plane and not need a wheelchair upon landing.

Why does anyone “need” preboarding? The flight leaves at the same time whether they board first or last. If you want to get on early, pay for it.

Some people truly do need more time. My parents are old and move at a glacial pace. They use wheelchairs both on and off the plane. You don’t want general boarding held up while it takes them 10 minutes to shuffle to their seats. Also disabled people who are in wheelchairs for life. It takes time for them to board.

While I agree the vast majority don’t need pre boarding there are cases where it’s needed. The rampant abuse of it is what caused this change.

They can just as easily board last once everyone else is seated. They don’t “need” to be first. Or they can just pay for it.

Airlines choose to board them first because it's more streamlined and simpler to maneuver.

That’s fine but you can’t deny people were abusing this to get premium seats for their families since they don’t have to prove they have a disability. People are so naive here.

I'm disabled and use handicapped assistance. You're preaching to the choir. Anything and everything intended to make living with a disability a little simpler is abused. Some of the idiots abusing it need to experience some of the issues with it. Separated from my carry on in security. A flight attendant trying to put me on the wrong flight. Left sitting and forgotten in a transfer chair because the attendant had to check something and didn't come back. Those a-holes who cheat need to experience the other side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a bummer. I like being able to choose who I sit next to....or more accurately, who I do NOT sit next to. I try to avoid being near small children.

I certainly agree. And someone visibly sick.

[Anonymous]

I hope they add a true business class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope they add a true business class

That would mean buying all new planes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We always check in right at 24 hours in advance and get a spot in B boarding group. If you are in B boarding group, you are going to be able to find 2 seats together (and most likely 3 seats at the back of the plane). Families with young children get to board between A and B boarding groups, so, there are plenty of seats for them.

Funny that 4/5 said they would prefer assigned seating so there wasn’t as much satisfaction with the old process as you seem to think.

4/5 of what? Current Southwest customers? Current airline customers? Humans?

I'm the PP and I was just stating why I had no issue with the open seating policy. I didn't claim everyone like it but it always worked for us without always having to pay extra, and we never lied to pre-board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope they add a true business class

Why? Why does every airline have to offer business class? Why do all airlines have to be the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a bummer. I like being able to choose who I sit next to....or more accurately, who I do NOT sit next to. I try to avoid being near small children.

Bet you're the big guy who makes a beeline for the seat next to the tiny lady

[Anonymous]

This is just a money grab. They have stated up to 1/3 of the seats will now be “extra legroom.” They aren’t giving those away for free. And dollars to donuts they will take away legroom from the rest of the plane to do it, like all the other airlines. SW currently has the best legroom in economy seating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope they add a true business class

That would mean buying all new planes.

Just re-fitting current planes. And they are doing extra legroom seating. Whether or not they call it business class I'm not sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Southwest sucks. Airline is stuck in the 70s. I've only flown on them once and everyone on the plane was unattractive.

Well, they weren’t immobilized by CrowdStrike.

That’s because they are stuck in the 70s— windows 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many people taking advantage of their system with “family” boarding and “disabilities.” I’m sorry for the people who actually needed pre boarding.

It's always interesting to see how many people need wheelchairs at departure yet somehow they are able to walk off the plane and not need a wheelchair upon landing.

Why does anyone “need” preboarding? The flight leaves at the same time whether they board first or last. If you want to get on early, pay for it.

Some people truly do need more time. My parents are old and move at a glacial pace. They use wheelchairs both on and off the plane. You don’t want general boarding held up while it takes them 10 minutes to shuffle to their seats. Also disabled people who are in wheelchairs for life. It takes time for them to board.

While I agree the vast majority don’t need pre boarding there are cases where it’s needed. The rampant abuse of it is what caused this change.

They can just as easily board last once everyone else is seated. They don’t “need” to be first. Or they can just pay for it.

Airlines choose to board them first because it's more streamlined and simpler to maneuver.

That’s fine but you can’t deny people were abusing this to get premium seats for their families since they don’t have to prove they have a disability. People are so naive here.

I'm disabled and use handicapped assistance. You're preaching to the choir. Anything and everything intended to make living with a disability a little simpler is abused. Some of the idiots abusing it need to experience some of the issues with it. Separated from my carry on in security. A flight attendant trying to put me on the wrong flight. Left sitting and forgotten in a transfer chair because the attendant had to check something and didn't come back. Those a-holes who cheat need to experience the other side.

Blame it on your precious ADA that says companies can’t ask for proof. If they could, there wouldn’t be so much abuse.

[Anonymous]

But if you were really worried you could pay for early bird BUT it wasn't "$$$." It was $15 per ticket. So unless you had a lot of plane changes this was STILL way cheaper than what you pay on other other airlines. I don't mind paying $30 each way to guarantee my kid and I can sit together. On another airline that's $100 each way.

You haven't flown Southwest recently. I haven't seen Early Bird below $25 for several years.