We’ve written quite a bit about the changes at Southwest. It’s undoubtedly because we have admired their overall approach for so many years. For decades, when every big airline tried to be all things to all people, Southwest stuck to its guns and ironically flew more people in the U.S. than anyone else. We remember conversations in meeting rooms at major airlines where there was joking about their simplicity one minute and then praising it effusively the next.
We didn’t get to fly on assigned seating day one like we had hoped, but this past weekend we finally got a chance to experience the changes ourselves, departing from Love Field, right next door to Southwest HQ where all those decks about the projected value of a paid seat model were reviewed.1
From check-in until it was time to board, there wasn’t much different at DAL. The airport has always been the WN show. There’s a token Delta presence and JSX is across the runway at their own facility, but everything else is very much hearts and deep blue and Texas.2 You also have very distinct touches, like the messaging you see on the information displays. Only Southwest can authentically say things like “There’s still time for a quick bite,” and not have it come across as trying too hard.
But it’s boarding time when Southwest has always stood out. We remember getting ready to depart Orlando a while back and watching the inbound plane get to the gate about twenty-three minutes prior to our departure time. We thought, “There is no way they turn this thing.” Well, the shorts-clad agents did exactly that … with time to spare.
Well, this time, we also didn’t start boarding until about twenty minutes prior to departure. And while the agents were also wearing shorts, the process wasn’t nearly as efficient. That’s the nature of the beast when you have zoned boarding, as Zone 1 passengers tend to sit in the same area on the plane.3 It’s also the nature of the beast when lots of passengers have wheeled carry-ons to avoid bag fees. And it means you spend a lot more time in the jetway, which to Southwest’s credit was air-conditioned and featured cool speakers with recorded messages to remind people about the seating process.4 (We haven’t seen that before.)
We didn’t push on time, but we’re sure that’s a tradeoff that the new Southwest is willing to make for the extra revenue. The cabin design definitely gives off a new-ish feel, and when Starlink installations reach critical mass across the fleet, it will help mitigate (to an extent) the lack of in-seat IFE, which Southwest will never have. But we also thought they’d never have lounges, and well, we were wrong. Maybe they can call the folks down the road at AA and see about a bulk discount.
The flight attendants were just as friendly as we remembered (and expected) — we’ll always say they are Southwest’s most important asset, far more than any onboard technology. We’re also glad to see that they still take drink orders and then bring them on their unique twelve-cup trays — it’s (almost) always a nicer interaction than a cart down the aisle. And of course, the infamous Wild Turkey is still on the drinks menu.5
It can be hard for us to separate sentimentality from reality — the folks at Southwest are certainly proud of their new situation, including a boffo Q2 earnings report and a strong outlook despite the headwinds of fuel prices and economic uncertainty.6 Nevertheless, the similarity to other carriers that is creeping into the WN experience will always make us a little melancholy. As we were deplaning, it warmed our heart (in a nerdy airline way) to see the cabin crew cleaning the plane, something you’d never see on another big US airline. If Southwest’s employees can maintain that spirit as the physical world around them changes, then maybe assigned seats aren’t the end of the world.
This Substack has already noted its aversion to decks and will continue to maintain that posture indefinitely
We’re going to resist the urge to demand a return to the OG desert sand livery, but man it’s tough
Back when we were working on airport stuff, the super nerds at McKinsey took us through a study where random boarding was always the fastest, but no airline would ever do that — Southwest’s open seating was the closest we ever got
Texas hot is a different kind of hot
We were lucky enough to see Herb Kelleher speak at the Wings Club in NYC way back in the day and he joked about having Wild Turkey in his glass at the podium — we learned later he wasn’t joking
When we were at the airlines, we used to call a day with fuel price concerns and economic headwinds “Tuesday”