Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Airline Pilot Forums > Major
Southwest May Adopt Assigned Seats on Flights >

Southwest May Adopt Assigned Seats on Flights

Notices
Major Legacy, National, and LCC

Southwest May Adopt Assigned Seats on Flights

Old 05-17-2006, 03:23 AM
  #1  
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
 
fireman0174's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Aug 2005
Position: Retired 121 pilot
Posts: 1,032
Default Southwest May Adopt Assigned Seats on Flights

Southwest May Adopt Assigned Seats on Flights
By Keith L. Alexander
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Southwest Airlines acknowledged yesterday that it was considering abandoning its free-for-all boarding process and implementing assigned seating.

The nation's largest low-cost carrier said it spent $5 million to enhance its reservation system as part of an internal test to see if it could easily implement assigned seating. The company also is examining how assigned seating would affect its operations.

Southwest officials stressed that the airline has not decided to adopt assigned seating; it is merely aggressively exploring the possibility after complaints from passengers about the current system.

"In order to look at the possibility as to will this work for Southwest Airlines, we needed to bump up the reservation system a little bit," Southwest spokeswoman Beth Hardin said. "We're very much in the investigative mode as of now."

Southwest is the nation's only major carrier that does not offer assigned seating. Since the airline's founding 35 years ago, Southwest executives have been against designated seats, saying it would be costly to print boarding passes. The airline had also said the standard system would slow its ability to get flights out on time.

Despite the airline's low fares, some passengers, particularly business travelers, have never embraced the open-seating policy. To get a preferred seat, passengers have to arrive at the airport hours before their flight to be among the first group to board. Or they have to remember to check in for their flight via the Internet at least 24 hours before to earn a spot in that early-boarding group.

With a herd of passengers stampeding onto the aircraft to find seats, some travelers have likened the airline's boarding process to a cattle call.

On regular trips to Cleveland from Baltimore, Chevy Chase construction consultant Robert Salmon said he has often bought more expensive tickets on other carriers, such as Continental Airlines to avoid the risk of getting stuck in a middle seat on Southwest. Salmon says he has paid as much as $15 more each way, even when Southwest had lower price tickets available.

"I'm willing to pay for a reserved seat," Salmon said. "I don't consider [Southwest] because they don't reserve seats."

Southwest, the nation's sixth-largest airline, is the No. 1 carrier at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. In the fall, the airline will begin flying out of Washington Dulles International Airport.

As other airlines have cut costs and ticket prices and as budget carriers such as AirTran Airways and JetBlue Airways have expanded, industry experts said Southwest has lost some of its competitive edge.

"Southwest has to do this to stay competitive," said airline consultant Mike Boyd of the Denver-based Boyd Group. "They're going to be pushed out of markets if they don't."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...051601845.html
fireman0174 is offline  
Old 05-17-2006, 06:26 AM
  #2  
Gets Weekends Off
 
ryane946's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: FO, looking left
Posts: 1,057
Default

Two comments about this.
First, I think whoever invented first come first serve seating should try it sometime! I have never heard anyone say anything good about free for all boarding.

Second, how is this going to affect gate agents. I will be honest, I don't know much about the Southwest boarding process and how agents are involved. What I do know is that one of the advantages (actually, the ONLY advantage) to their seating policy is it makes gate agents jobs easier. How much will their workload increase? Will they have to hire more agents?
When big lines start forming for seat changes before boarding, how are they going to handle these people? It seems to me they will need to hire a lot more gate agents to implement this.
ryane946 is offline  
Old 05-17-2006, 06:41 AM
  #3  
Gets Weekends Off
 
tomgoodman's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: 767A (Ret)
Posts: 6,248
Angry Passengers lie

Many airlines have fallen into the trap of believing what customers say instead of watching what they do, which is to book the cheapest seat and squawk.
tomgoodman is offline  
Old 05-17-2006, 10:32 AM
  #4  
Freightmama!
 
Freightpuppy's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: 757/767 FO
Posts: 2,880
Default

All that's going to do is cause problems, IMHO. At least they can get people to the gate earlier cuz they want their A pass. If they switch, even more bafoons will be running up to the gate at departure time.
Freightpuppy is offline  
Old 05-17-2006, 10:48 AM
  #5  
Gets Weekends Off
 
captjns's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: B-737NG preferably in first class with a glass of champagne and caviar
Posts: 5,886
Default

Why would SWA have to hire additional gate agents? I don't think that there SWA agents will have a special change in seat selection magnet which would increase their work load beyond what it already is.

Tickets will still be scanned at the gate as pax board in the same manner.

Perhaps the additional expense that SWA may incur will be updating their computer systems to reflect assigned seats.
captjns is offline  
Old 05-17-2006, 12:39 PM
  #6  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: B777/CA retired
Posts: 1,481
Default

I have to laugh at the comment by the guy who had to pay a whole $15 to get a seat on CO. He probably spends more than that at Starbucks waiting for his flight.
cactusmike is offline  
Old 05-17-2006, 12:47 PM
  #7  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jul 2005
Posts: 185
Default

Would there be any benefit to allowing people to buy assigned seat tickets (at a little more expense) AND allow others to buy the free-for-all seats (at the same reduced fares)?

I personally HATE the free-for-all seating...but if I go in uniform, I usually get early boarding ( )...
dhc8fo is offline  
Old 05-20-2006, 02:27 AM
  #8  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: 737/FO
Posts: 222
Default

(On SWA assigned seating)

A guy I know flew 4 legs in the past 2 days, 95% full, 13 hours block time, stood in the galley for 75% of the onload and offload, etc.
He did not here one negative comment! Only positive comments... Not one person commented on the seat that they sat in. The only comments were that they were thankful for the "nice flight", "Thanks for getting 'me' here safely", ... etc. - very pleasant.
He talked to an AA guy (jumpseating w/ SW) who liked our seating policy because "people line up to get on a SW airplane and we have to pry some of our passengers out of the 'bar' to board at 'last call'.

Make your own conclusions...(25 minute turn vs. 1.5 hrs.)
Spanky189 is offline  
Old 05-20-2006, 08:31 AM
  #9  
Gets Weekends Off
 
IXLR8's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Posts: 138
Default

Gate agents workload may be increased by the people who now want an aisle seat instead of the center seat they currently have. Then they will want it in the middle of the plane..you know, it's safer there. Then, if they cant have it right away, they will want to stay in the boarding area when all of the pre-assigned reserved seats are cancelled. Then, if they dont get what they want, they stand there and complain about it, and the gate agent sends them down to see if the f/a can do anything, then the f/a comes up to complain to the agent....and on and on and on.....I have never flown SWA, so I am not sure how many agents they normally have at each gate/flight.
IXLR8 is offline  
Old 05-20-2006, 09:17 AM
  #10  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Sep 2005
Position: Telecom Company, President
Posts: 421
Default

Does it affect the guy in the cockpit? No

Should anyone really care if they are a pilot? No
IronWalt is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SWAjet
Major
30
07-22-2007 08:36 PM
Freighter Captain
Major
0
02-14-2006 11:34 PM
Baba Bluey
Major
7
11-14-2005 09:45 AM
SWAcapt
Major
2
10-20-2005 10:07 AM
captain_drew
Major
0
04-14-2005 02:52 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices