Does Southwest Understand the Assignment?

(Trying to) evaluate the first day of a new era for WN

You may remember that I predicted chaos on the first day of assigned seating for Southwest Airlines.

You also may remember that I said no one ever calls people out on predictions.

Well, here at Al on the Airlines, we are nothing if not accountable. So, in anticipation of a very important change for Southwest, I booked a flight for yesterday so I could see things for myself.

Then my driveway froze over.

And so did the roads in town.

And so did the interstate.¹

So, instead of a first-hand account of the new era of assigned seating for Southwest, this blog will have to commentate from afar… but we’re good at that.

So, let’s start with the booking process (which was not impacted by snow).

Southwest was known for decades for its overall simplicity, and this included fares. They featured far fewer fare buckets than other airlines, and their rules were easy to understand.

This is the chart I was confronted with when booking my flight. Wow.

My favorite part of this chart is that there are apparently two other charts to explain things if you have the Southwest Credit Card or are an elite frequent flyer. (Credit: Southwest)

Now, it’s one thing to have different fare levels and varying service bundles associated with those fares. But now, we have to mix in assigned seats. From a revenue management standpoint, this is great, because now Southwest can extract extra dollars from Basic Fare customers who don’t want to risk getting stuck in a middle seat.² From a customer standpoint, now I have to do even more math.

“Do I go Choice and buy up to a better seat, or do I go Choice Plus where the better seat is included? Is this fare level refundable now? Do I get a free Wild Turkey with this fare or not?”

And now, on to the thing I never thought I’d see on southwest.com — a seating chart.³ Once again, like every other airline, there’s a chance to buy your way to a better seat. We’ve gone from a cattle call to a margin call.

I’ll give WN credit: other airlines are charging more for almost every aisle seat on the plane, so at least there’s that. (Credit: Southwest)

One other pre-flight note: given the magnitude of the change, I assumed I would get multiple communications about assigned seating prior to my flight. That was not the case. I even got an email the day prior to departure reminding me to buy up to A1-A15 boarding. This was surprising.

I’m sure this was an oversight, or maybe someone in reservations was fighting this change with all they had! (Credit: Southwest)

But what about yesterday itself? Well, there were very few reports of “chaos,” so we can say that Al on the Airlines is 0-for-1 on predictions.⁴ That’s not to say everything went perfectly, but there weren’t any spicy videos of confrontations in the cabin or the like. The new process did apparently cause some issues with overhead bin space, as early-zone customers who once spread throughout the plane are now bunched among the premium seats. Additionally, if you have to change your flight at the last minute or you misconnect, you’re probably going to be stuck in a middle seat, now.

There was also more than one post on the interwebs about the removal of the infamous Southwest boarding number stanchions the night before and their replacement signage. Find someone who loves you as much as the airline industry loves stanchions and signage.

I know that Southwest leadership was forced—errrr, strongly encouraged—into some of these recent changes.⁵ I’d wager a hefty amount that the majority of frontline employees are not thrilled with them. My hope was that Southwest’s leadership would have found some way to imbue these changes with a bit more of their unique personality.⁶ I’ve already said it in this piece, I’ve heard it in the press, and I’ve heard it from more than one frequent Southwest flyer: what makes Southwest different from anyone else now?

Southwest will undoubtedly say its people. And they might be right — Southwest’s people are among the best. But it’s putting a lot of pressure on those people when they no longer work in the simple, easy-to-understand brand environment Southwest nurtured for decades.

I hope they keep showing the LUV.

1. The driveway, roads, and interstate remain frozen

2. Every airline has a revenue management department and they have already done all math on charging for everything you can think of — that doesn’t mean they will, but the numbers are ready if they need them

3. As someone who has been in the industry a long time, there are certain things about Southwest that I have trouble processing — those things include, but are not limited to: Southwest planes at O’Hare, Southwest planes at LaGuardia, Southwest planes in Hawaii, Southwest planes flying red-eyes, and Southwest planes no longer having peanuts

4. You can’t be wrong on all your predictions unless you’re wrong on the first one!

5. Lots of folks have already covered the impact of Elliott Investment Management on Southwest’s changes — the stock is up for now, but will the changes leave Southwest in a better place long-term?

6. For example, why not save a special set of seats for passengers still willing to set an alarm old-school style and check-in at 24 hours right on the dot?