Blog Entry: Open Season on Southwest Airlines Assigned Seating
Wednesday July 12, 2006
Well, with flights coming in to PHX full of Southwest customers who didn't get to pick their own seats after boarding, the assigned seating controversy is heating up. We found a blog entry by Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly explaining the new "pilot" (no pun intended) program and offering a place for customer feedback. My feedback is, if it makes people happier and doesn't sacrifice efficiency, then we will just have to adjust to assigned seating. But what I will miss most is the ability to choose who I set next to on the flight. There are times I don't want to play nanny to the cute crying 9 month old twins with the tired mom or endure a three hour flight next to a drunk salesman. I like to have choices and the current "cattle call" arrangement seems to work for me. Here is information on the program and on where you can leave some feedback.
I think it’s a terrible idea. We fly Southwest precisely because they don’t have the hassle and formality of assigned seating.
I believe Southwest would be making a grave business error to switch to assigned seating. Why “fix” a system that’s not broken?
So you choose the seat you want, but who controls where the drunk salesman or the fat smelly old woman sits?
My point being. I choose the seat after these folks are settled in. Then I have a choice. Assigned seating will take that choice away!
I just worry as a see Southwest getting more and more like other airlines. Since Southwest is and has always been one of the few airlines making money, I just don’t understand why it wants to be like the others that are losing money. One of the things that made me fly south west and almost only southwest was the Frequent Flyer program which didn’t limit seats, the open seating was another and there is at least one more that so far has not been changed. (I’m not going to tell you because you might change it.) As these things change, there will be less and less customers like myself who will be faithfull to Southwest for all our domestic flights. Soon it will be just another airline.
You have some valid concerns. I think I should blog your post. I do like the new Southwest airplane, cookies though!
Liz
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