After five decades, Southwest Airline is putting an end to its open-seat boarding tradition. Even though the practice had been part of the company’s brand identity, passenger preferences and economic gain finally got the upper hand.
Since its establishment in 1971, Southwest Airline has opted for an “egalitarian operating philosophy”. Open-seat boarding was an important part of that approach, as were the lack of bag fees and first class cabins. This made flying more affordable, opening up a new way of travelling for those who weren’t able to fly before. To put it concretely, passengers were assigned one of three boarding groups and positions during check-in and once their boarding group was called to the gate, they lined up to go aboard. When in the plane, travellers could choose whichever seat they wanted. “Southwest open seating is the ultimate expression of its founding ethos: to make air travel affordable and accessible for everyone”, the company said on its website.
Earlier this year, in April, the company announced that the open-seat boarding might have to make room for other approaches following a $231 million net loss from the first quarter of 2024. “We are focused on controlling what we can control and have already taken swift action to address our financial underperformance and adjust for revised aircraft delivery expectations,” Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest Airlines, said in a statement at the time. “It’s been several years since we last studied this in-depth, and customer preference and expectations change over time.”
Now, the company has taken the decision to switch to assigned seats once and for all. According to a survey, around 80% of customers prefer an assigned seat and the move will also allow Southwest Airline to charge extra for their new premium options.
Many people took to social media after the announcement in order to express their opinion about the new measure. While some pointed out that it might be handier to have a designated seat, others will miss the open-seat boarding. “I have really liked their uniqueness. They weren’t like the other airlines,” Sandy Wolfe, a frequent Southwest flier, told CNN. “I thought it was an adventure standing in line. I always met great people.”
Whether or not Southwest Airline will also introduce other fees in the future, isn’t clear just yet. However, as investors at Elliot Investment Management are pushing for changes in management and growth in profitability, other measures might be imposed soon.
