All articles tagged with #open seating
Southwest Airlines posted a Q1 profit of $227 million on $7.25 billion in revenue, boosted by ancillary fees after ending its open-seating policy. The airline guided Q2 earnings of 35–65 cents per share with flat to up to 1% capacity growth and expects unit revenues to rise about 16.5–18.5% year over year, while fuel costs remain a key headwind.
Southwest Airlines has retired its decades-long open seating policy in favor of assigned seating with three fare-based categories (standard, preferred, extra legroom) and a new boarding order tied to fare class and elite status. The change also ends the flexible policy for plus-size passengers, requiring two seats upfront. Premiering with water-cannon salutes and celebratory gates, the move aims to modernize the experience and boost revenue, but drew mixed reactions from longtime fliers who valued the old system’s unpredictability and egalitarian ethos.
Southwest Airlines is moving away from its open seating model to assigned seating loaded by groups using the Window-Middle-Aisle (WILMA) method, backed by a multi-tier boarding scheme that rewards priority boarding, extra legroom, and other perks for frequent fliers and credit-card holders. The change aims to lift profits—Intel says extra legroom could add about $1.5 billion annually—yet experts warn the added perks may slow boarding and complicate operations, reflecting a broader industry push toward revenue optimization over pure efficiency.
Southwest will switch from open seating to assigned seats starting Tuesday, offering standard seats with optional paid upgrades (preferred and extra legroom) and optional priority boarding. A new eight-group boarding system will place passengers based on seat location, fare class, loyalty status and benefits, with those buying extra-legroom likely in Groups 1–2 and basic-fare travelers in Groups 6–8. Passengers needing extra space must purchase an extra seat in advance, with refunds dependent on availability and fare class. Gate-area changes will roll out in phases over about two months. The move, part of a broader push to boost profitability and align with other carriers, follows Southwest’s earlier shifts away from long-standing perks.
Southwest Airlines is seeing limited open seating on its flights as demand remains high, prompting travelers to book soon to secure available seats and avoid last-minute shortages.