Southwest Airlines has finally set a date to introduce assigned seating, which travelers can now book.
The move isn't a surefire win from the jump, but it certainly alleviates a significant amount of collective frustration among travelers.
By doing away with its polarizing open seating policy¡ªSouthwest was the last airline to let passengers choose their seats upon boarding¡ªthe Dallas-based budget carrier is at least bringing a sense of fairness to the embarkation process.
While Southwest's A, B and C group boarding process was basic and relatively easy to grasp, it's often been likened to the Wild West, as passengers with a little extra coin at their disposal (purchasing priority boarding at the last minute) or tricksters (those hacking the system) could plow ahead of you, taking up invaluable overhead bin space and possibly your preferred seat in the process.
On a full aircraft, that could be the difference between a window seat with a view, a more spacious exit row spot, or a cozier aisle seat with some extra space to spread out and easy access to the lavatory.
There's always a nervousness around a Southwest gate because every seat is up for grabs.
Southwest will transition to an eight-group boarding process that will unsurprisingly reward its loyalty members and those willing to purchase the most expensive fares. And while seemingly more complicated, it at least eliminates the unpredictability that either gave you an adrenaline rush or left you with a sinking feeling in your stomach.
Southwest Airlines plane at William P Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas. (Photo Credit: Patrick Clarke)
With seat assignments, passengers will know ahead of time where they're going to be and thus won't feel duped or cheated. And, if we're lucky, less inclined to stand up way too soon and crowd the gate.
Southwest's old policy will certainly be missed. However, it opened the door for a slew of annoying hacks.
Travelers could shell out extra cash at the last minute to upgrade their boarding position, rendering the letter and number on others' boarding passes irrelevant.
You could even pop in a pair of headphones or play dumb and move to the front of the line and ignore fellow travelers' request to see your boarding number in hopes the gate attendant wouldn't refuse you.?
But then there are the passengers who take advantage of the airline's kindness in regards to family and disabled boarding. I wholeheartedly believe families should be seated together no matter their ticket situation, but if you flew Southwest regularly, you quickly caught on to the hack of large families and groups exploiting this offer.
In what I can only assume was an effort to avoid headaches at the gate and bad press as a result, Southwest would allow an individual¡ªoften in a wheelchair¡ªto board and bring their entire travel party with no limits.
The motivation for such a policy was admirable, but the abuse was rampant and those of us who stood in line watching it were often left with our blood boiling. The ups and downs of Southwest's lottery-style seating can get addicting sure, but it might be time for rehab.
Southwest's new approach to boarding is unfortunate in that it makes the industry uniform and ultimately eliminates the Wild West option for those who enjoyed it or may have even thrived in it (sometimes you have to tip your cap).
However, it puts customers on a more even playing field where only money can get you to the seat you covet.
It's not ideal, but man is it American.?
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