corl737

Just wondering if anyone has an idea why our dear analyst Mr. Boyd has such a burr under his saddle regarding SWA's open seating policy? Has he never gone to a movie theater? If it's crowded and you need two seats together, just ask the person sitting there if they wouldn't mind making room. I've moved to a middle seat numerous times so a parent and child, two newly-weds, or even two not-so-newly-weds could sit together. Way-too-many other folks to even count have done the same. It's no big deal. It even makes the rest of the passengers feel better to see that someone still believes in being courteous instead of being a self-centered idiot.

I've never met him so I may be way off base. But ... from reading the tone of most of his writing I think Mr. Boyd's ego is so inflated that he believes he is owed better than being grouped with "normal" people.

Mach None

Most people do not prefer the cattle car approach to seating.

SWAcapt

Perhaps we should count the % of carriers making money with assigned seats and those with open seating.

Tomcat

Now that you've given up your 'industry secret" I'll have to go tell Delta management that's why they losing money by the truck load. I thought it was because they they have a family tree that looks like a telephone pole!

Mach None

That is a great argument. I will be sure to tell our management as well...oh, wait, Alaska made money and we have assigned seating. HHHMMM?

Ninety Two, Set

I don't think Southwest's profits are tied in any way to their open seating policy. It's more tied to their productivity i.e. keeping those planes moving and making money.

SWAcapt

Ninety-two, set, it's just a small piece of the big bussiness plan model. Yes, SWA does have the most productive employees, but you don't make money flying empty airplanes either. Apparently, there is enough pax that don't mind open seating.
Mach none, don't get your panties in a wad. I think Alaska is a great airline and it was my second choice (SWA, Alaska, FedEx) because of business models. I got invited to an interview at Alaska 6 weeks after I started here. There was no slam intended toward your fine airline, I was taking offense at the 'cattle car' comment above and responding. I'd like to look at it as our customers are smart enough to find an open seat without being herded into a certain one. We routinely sell 150+ tickets on pur 137 seat planes and 135 show up. When selling assigned seats, which seat number do you sell twice?

DH2WN

I work at SWA and I can tell you I totally dislike the open seating policy. You can see the passengers who travel alot don't like it either. It's not so much the entering and exiting the aircraft but the standing in line for 30 minutes so you get a good seat. Generally there isn't a dedicated area for the lines so they spill over into the seating area. So it annoys the passengers sitting there patiently. ie. MDW.

Additionally, it doesn't help boarding at all. Everyone has big rollerbags and it takes time because the people who get on first want to sit up front so they hold up the line right from the get go. I wish I could say we are always on time and it helps but then we don't use ACARS and can't deplane and board full flights in 25 minutes. It's usually thirty and we make it up without the use of ACARS.

When you non-rev you always get in the preboard because you are allowed. Next time you are traveling and it's a full flight get in line with everyone else and see how you like it. It's an outdated practice that needs to be discarded because technology has allowed assigned seating to be just as cost effective. We are so resistent to change around here it's going to bite us in the ass very soon. The fact gas is at an all time high and we still don't single engine taxi is mind numbing. I've been hearing for 5 years they have been working on procedures for it. It's time for change and it needs to start now before it's too late.

corl737

Ok, so what's that have to do with Boyd's beef with open seating?

I do agree that the biggest problem with ANY full load (assigned seats or not) is the excessive "carry on" volume. Some folks are convinced that if it has wheels it must be a carry on!

SWA did have a single-engine taxi procedure for a while. Amazingly, at most of the airports SWA serves there were no takeoff delays so it actually took longer to stop at the end of the runway, start the engine, re-run the checklists, etc. (you can forget starting on the roll!) Fuel costs are important but if you're 3 minutes late showing up for a 25 minute turn you've wasted 12% of the available time to get going again!

DH2WN

why forget starting an engin during taxiing? Every other airline does it? Maybe because our airline lives in the 50's?