Southwest Airlines sets a date, plan for the end of open seating

Southwest Airways passengers will fly in assigned seats for the primary time on Jan. 27, the service informed CNBC. Clients can begin shopping for tickets with assigned seats on July 29.

The transfer ends greater than half a century of open seating on the airline, a coverage that has set it aside from rivals for many years — together with two free checked luggage. Each issues are altering as Southwest’s leaders search new income streams to maintain up with extra worthwhile rivals.

Southwest mentioned in March that its host of initiatives would add $800 million to earnings earlier than curiosity and taxes this 12 months and $1.7 billion in 2026.

The airline first introduced it could finish its open seating a 12 months in the past, however it had but to set a date.

The modifications are a part of Southwest’s huge overhaul of its enterprise mannequin. The service in March additionally mentioned it could begin charging many purchasers to verify luggage and introduced new fare sorts this spring. High-tier clients are exempt from lots of the new restrictions and costs.

Southwest used pc fashions and stay exams to make sure the brand new insurance policies would not decelerate boarding and would get planes again within the the money-making air rapidly.

“We needed to make it possible for, as we designed a boarding assemble that form of paired nicely with assigned seating, that we had been optimizing for effectivity, but additionally the second precedence: balancing that with ensuring that we’re taking good care of our most loyal clients, so tier members, cardholders and clients who purchase our most premium merchandise,” Stephanie Shafer Modi, managing director of fares and ancillary merchandise at Southwest, informed CNBC.

Come Jan. 27, the hallmarks of Southwest’s open-seating coverage — setting an alarm to safe a spot within the boarding line, the A-B-C teams, the large stanchions marking off boarding order and the on-board scramble for a favourite seat — will likely be gone.

That every one will likely be changed by eight boarding teams, primarily based on seat choice, standing and different components. Probably the most loyal and largest spenders will get on first, however seat location will decide boarding place. This is the order:

• The primary two teams will embrace the highest tiers of elite frequent flyers, and people with high lessons of tickets.
• Teams three via eight will likely be for “Selection” and “Primary” ticketholders relying on their seat location.
• Bank card holders and Fast Rewards bank card members will board no later than Group 5.

There will likely be two queues.

The airline did not disclose costs for seat assignments as an add-on price, which on rival airways, can differ relying on route and demand. Entry to some seats will depend upon the kind of fare, and Southwest will promote normal seats, most well-liked seats and extra-legroom seats.

Southwest has been busy reconfiguring its Boeing planes to incorporate extra-legroom seating. About 200 plane are full, or about 25% of the fleet, a spokesman mentioned. Whereas these seats aren’t on sale but, the airline has been promoting earlier boarding to clients earlier than their flight, which might improve their possibilities of getting extra-legroom seats.

Southwest clients have proven that sitting collectively is a precedence, Shafer Modi informed CNBC, whereas acknowledging that it’s going to look totally different with the brand new boarding course of.

“I feel that if households need that sense of management, they’ve the optionality to choose their seats via … our present merchandise that we’re promoting,” she mentioned. “We’ll attempt to do our greatest to make it possible for households are seated collectively regardless of how they purchase a ticket.”