I don't believe a single person who claims to know anything about our booking software and its limitations. It is used by tons of airlines that do lots of big boy stuff, so I am pretty sure the software is no longer a limitation, but I don't know, just like every other pilot who claims they do.
Assigned seating in some form is coming, the sooner the better. The toothpaste is out of the tube with the whole pre board hack and people are just going to continue to do it. You can't build a premium category (A list) when the peasants get to jump ahead of the premium customers just by going up to the counter and asking to. It makes the premium customers angry and then they just switch brands. Those customers account for a significant portion of the revenue and especially the credit card revenue, which we all know is way more important than actually flying airplanes.
My A list friend contacted me the other day and asked why family boarding is now before A list. I told her it was probably just a rogue ops agent and went and asked. They confirmed it was a recent change. I told her to contact the company via Twitter. She did and got a nice email from the head of rapid rewards telling her that she was wrong and that it was just a mistake. So basically, the rapid rewards folks have no idea what is going on with their product. She did get a $100 voucher for her troubles.
This place is run by morons who have no idea what to do with their dated product that they just can't come to grips with.