AlyE

I heard this about a year ago from some of the pilots and trainers at SWA. What is your take on this new move? Do you think it will help or hinder SWA?

MSNBC.com
Updated: 9:38 a.m. CT June 21, 2006
DALLAS - Southwest Airlines Co. will test assigning seats to travelers, another indication that the maverick carrier may get in line with other U.S. airlines by junking its first-come, first-served seating system.

Passengers will be assigned seats on about 200 flights from San Diego for several weeks beginning July 10, an airline spokesman said Tuesday.

The airline wants to know if assigning seats will slow down Southwest’s ability to unload incoming planes and board passengers for the next flight. It takes Southwest about 25 minutes on average to turn a plane around. Any delay can add to the airline’s costs.

Southwest is already updating its computerized reservation system to handle assigned seating and international flights. Chief Executive Gary Kelly has said neither change is definite, and that Southwest won’t eliminate what it calls “open seating” until late next year, at the earliest.

“We want to make sure that we have studied all the possibilities and aspects of assigned seating before we make any change to what has been a very successful formula for the past 35 years,” Kelly said in a statement Tuesday.

Travelers on Southwest flights board in three groups, with priority given to those who get boarding passes first — up to 24 hours before the flight.

Priority boarding passes are so valued that some customers pay Web sites to check in electronically and secure a Group A pass. In May, Southwest filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Dallas against one of the Web sites and has asked more than a dozen others to stop handling electronic check-ins for customers.

During the San Diego test, passengers will be called ahead of time and told to check in at the gate for an assigned seat, said Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart.

“We’re going to take a look at this and see if it improves overall operational efficiency and see whether it customers are still smiling,” Stewart said. “We really want to know how it affects turn times.”

San Diego was selected — and only for outbound flights — because of its mix of short, medium and long flights, Stewart said. The airport is Dallas-based Southwest’s 10th busiest, with 92 daily departures from 10 gates to 15 cities.

WannaFly4SWA

I don't think SWA would implement it if it was going to hinder them. I say good move, give it a shot. If it doesn't work, hey, at least you know your current system works pretty well...

Baburang

I think they need to leave it the way it is, seriously...everyone is always at the gate lining up so they can get a decent seat instead of having idiots wonder around the airport and end up delaying the flight!!!

av8r4aa

I think the "Fall of Saigon" seating really needs some improvement.
But it seems to work for SWA.

I would like to have a dump truck method for deplaning.
Stop at the gate and the nose gear gets jacked up about
70 degrees and everyone gets dumped out the back.

Or maybe like the freight guys have.
Use those cargo containers for say 50 pax.
shove em in and lock the door.
have a Flight Attendent shove some water and pretzels
under the door.
We will let you know when its time to get unloaded.

hyflyt560

Here's a thread that could evolve into something we all agree on...passenger ignorance in how to move your a$$ on board and sit down! Same with deplaning.

Scout

Well I know one thing for sure, lining up only works in a society like the USA. Most Americans accept/respect order. This would never work in Europe. Lining up is just not in the nature of most Europeans, ever notice how disgusted and annoyed they look when their lined up at the US airports? Just my 2 cents!

ArmyRC12Dude

I must agree with scout, and the European version of Southwest, RyanAir has a pretty interesting fix to that. When you check in, you get your boarding card, numbered sequentially fom 1 through 179 (I think). Anyway, at the gate, there are three "chutes", one for numbers 1 through 89, another for 90 thorugh 179, and a third for family's with small children and elderly / disabled. When they call to board, the family line walks out, then the 1-89chute, then the 90 -179 chute. Seemed to work pretty well - all our flights left on time. Luckily, we have a toddler and a 5 year old, so we got the family line. Some Europeans abuse that a little though - I don't usually consider a teenager a "small child".

DaveP2

I hope they don't "get in line" with the "other U.S. airlines" by going to bankruptcy court!


I know I'm not an airline pilot, but where's the sense of changing a "very successful formula?" With the economy recovering the way it is, any upset in the Southwest formula may cause pax to go to another airline while SWA figures out how to do this change.

Maybe I'm a little too conservative here, FWIW...

Dave

HalinTexas

Sounds like they're also thinking of Int'l ops.

Gman

Southwest is doomed.

Never fails. There they have a succesful model and someone decided to screw with it.
As far as I heard that test in SAN did not last more that a few hours after the PAX revolted.
The average SWA pax will get up, line up and board the aircraft as soon as the jetbridge door is opened (wether there is an aircraft at the end of it or not).
Thats how they are trained, thats how they react.

The way you guys speak of your customers (who pay your paycheck) speaks volumes (garbage truck, freight...)

We here at JetBlue don't do that, we treat them with respect and they in return treat us the same way.