SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 5, 2013: A sign at a Southwest Airlines gate at San Francisco ... [+]
Last week, Southwest’s CEO Bob Jordan ignited a flurry of headlines when he suggested that the struggling airline could make changes to some of its long-standing policies in an attempt to increase ancillary revenue.
The company reported a $231 million loss in the first quarter of 2024, up from a $159 million loss in the same quarter last year. The airline is reportedly looking for new streams of revenue to boost earnings.
Southwest made clear that it would not change its industry-leading free bag policy, but it was less certain about other long-standing traditions - most notably, its unique open-seating policy.
That is, on Southwest, seats are not assigned prior to boarding. Customers receive a boarding group (A, B, or C) based on when they check in, and then sit wherever they want when they get on the plane. There is no first class or any other elevated class on Southwest (although you can pay extra to be in Group A boarding).
I’ve always thought Southwest’s open-boarding policy to be a cool idea, mostly because it’s novel and not seen elsewhere. But at the same time, there are drawbacks to the system.
As the airline considers doing away with the unique policy, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the open seating policy.
People line up based on boarding group numbers to board a Southwest Airlines flight at Oakland ... [+]
The Pros
Here are the things I like about Southwest’s boarding policy:
New, Novel Experience: Being able to board the plane and pick any available seat is a fun, new experience that you don’t get on other airlines.
More Organized Gate: Southwest does a great job of keeping the boarding area organized. Southwest assigns passengers a boarding group (A, B, or C) and then a number (typically 1 through 60) upon check in. At each gate, there are posts with numbers on them that correspond to the boarding numbers, lining up passengers in a neat, straight line. The organized posts/numbers tell passengers where to stand as they prepare to board, instead of having passengers bunch up around the gate in order to board ahead of others.
Spontaneous Seating: People don’t talk too much on the plane anymore, but there is a charm to selecting your seat on the fly - and thus, selecting who you will sit next to. If you do end up getting stuck in a middle seat (usually Group C boarding), at least you can lay eyes on who you will be sitting between before selecting the seat. There’s something to that, however superficial.
The Cons
Here are the things I don’t like about Southwest’s boarding policy:
Stressful Check In: Southwest’s boarding policy requires you to be on the ball when check-in opens 24 hours prior to departure. If you’re late or forget to check in promptly, you’ll end up in Group C, and most likely in a less-desirable seat. I don’t particularly like this aspect, since we are all busy and don’t always have the ability to check in exactly when it opens. I much prefer the ability to select my seat when booking the ticket.
Prompt Gate Arrival: On other airlines, when you already have an assigned seat, you can run to get coffee or a snack while the plane is boarding, knowing that your pre-selected seat will be available, even if you’re the last person on the plane. With Southwest, you must be on the ball at boarding time, lined up and ready to go. If not, you will likely get the choice of the worst seats.
Harder for Groups: If you’re traveling with family or friends, it can be more difficult to find seats together, especially if you are in boarding group C.
Less Benefit for Frequent Fliers: Southwest has a frequent flier program, but the upside is limited due to the lack of premium seats or upgrade opportunities.
The End of an Era?
Looking back over my list, I think it might be better for Southwest to let the old ways die off and switch to a more traditional seating policy. When novelty is the best perk of a system, it might behoove the airline to pivot to something more practical.
A switch to something more akin to industry standard might help the airline attract more frequent fliers and business travelers, who appreciate the myriad of advance-booking options offered by other airlines.
That said, other airlines can also learn something from Southwest - namely, its organized boarding policy that reduces congestion at the gate.
Either way, we won’t know what Southwest will do until later this year. Jordan said the airline will have more updates later this year after its investor conference in September, at the earliest.
