Southwest Airlines has made several adjustments to its seating policies in recent years, but today, it announced its biggest change yet. According to a company press release, Southwest is officially doing away with open seating. But while the carrier is highlighting the shift as a way to "meet evolving Customer preferences," not everyone is thrilled. In fact, some passengers are now threatening to boycott Southwest over the "devastating" change.
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In the press release, Southwest outlined several impending changes, which include new premium seat options, a redesigned boarding model, the reintroduction of redeye flights, and assigned seating. The airline acknowledged that it has become known for its "unique open seating model"—which allows customers to pick their seat when they get on the plane—for over 50 years. However, Southwest is making changes after "extensive research," adding that customers actually prefer seating assignments (particularly on longer flights).
"The research is clear and indicates that 80% of Southwest Customers, and 86% of potential Customers, prefer an assigned seat," the release reads. "When a Customer elects to stop flying with Southwest and chooses a competitor, open seating is cited as the number one reason for the change. By moving to an assigned seating model, Southwest expects to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future Customers."
But on Reddit, some frequent flyers said they feel the exact opposite.
"This is literally devastating," one Redditor wrote in response to the changes. "I loved open seating and I say that as someone who flies out of [Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport] to [Orlando International Airport] and often stuck with a late b boarding number."
In a separate Reddit thread, another traveler called the change "tragic," while someone else noted that the seating policy was what made Southwest stand out.
"Open seating was amazing for Single fliers and even couples on most flights. Sad to see this go. No different than any other carrier now," a Redditor wrote.
As a result of the new assigned seating model, some travelers say they'll opt for another airline in the future.
"Honestly that was the one good thing left about Southwest, and I probably won't ever fly them anymore," a comment reads.
Another wrote, "Well, this will end my heavy use of Southwest in all likelihood. Southwest isn’t the cheapest by a mile already, but I use them because I always get a decent amount of leg room. With this change, I don’t see a reason to choose Southwest over any other airline. Maybe it’ll make them money, idk, but it’s gonna lose them my business."
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Not everyone is upset about the end of open seating, of course. Some Redditors said the writing was on the wall, as flyers have become "a lot less civil."
"Honestly the open seating thing felt like the hunger games," one user observed. "You had to remember to check in right as it opened and scramble virtually with everyone else to click the button first, so you got a good spot in line."
Some also said that they were never a fan of the open seating policy—or wouldn't even book with the airline because of it.
"I am one of those folks who would not book Southwest due to open seating. However, I do feel the market benefitted from having such a unique choice available, and I had plenty of other options from which to choose," a Redditor wrote.
Another voiced support for the change, writing, "As a semi-frequent flyer of Southwest Airlines, I have never really liked the open seating. Glad they are getting rid of it."
Southwest didn't include specifics on when the policy changes would go into effect, but customers are wary that other changes could be coming down the pike. In particular, travelers fear that the carrier will soon do away with beloved perks like no change fees and free checked bags.
"Disappointing. I guess I need to re-evaluate my loyalty to [Southwest] because now that they’ve jumped into the race to the bottom—it’s only a matter of time until they start adding things checked bag/change fees as well," a Redditor speculated.
The airline did not mention any changes to its baggage fees or change fees in the press release. In a statement to Best Life, a Southwest spokesperson confirmed that the bag policy remains in place.
