Southwest May Start Assigning Seats
For 30 years, Southwest has resisted assigning seats, arguing that doing so lengthens the time needed for boarding.
Southwest aims for just 20 minutes between landings and takeoffs, something that’s a key component of its business plan. But that policy doesn’t sit well with passengers who really, really want a guaranteed window or aisle seat. And for groups, it can be a challenge to find adjacent seats.
Southwest may assign passengers to seats for the first time because the company thinks it can make the change without adding to the time planes spend at airport gates.
The carrier probably won’t make a decision for at least a year, reported Bloomberg News.
A study within the last year showed the Dallas-based airline that ticketing-data technology it was developing may increase efficiency enough to consider assigning seats, President Colleen Barrett said.
Charles Kao
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