{"id":2308316,"date":"2024-07-25T17:49:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T21:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/southwest-airlines-where-freedom-open-seating-goes-to-die\/"},"modified":"2024-07-25T17:51:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T21:51:07","slug":"southwest-airlines-the-end-of-open-seating-freedom-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/southwest-airlines-the-end-of-open-seating-freedom-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Airlines: The End of Open Seating Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsouthwest-airlines-the-end-of-open-seating-freedom-7%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2308316&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Southwest\u200d Airlines (SWA) has announced it will discontinue its unique \u2062open seating policy, \u200da change that \u2062has provoked significant\u200d backlash from its\u2062 loyal customers. This decision comes after the airline&#8217;s management indicated it was made to improve \u200ccustomer experience and address financial struggles, as they seek to enhance their profitability.\u2062 Critics argue that this move\u2062 sacrifices the freedom\u2063 and affordability that made SWA popular among\u200c ordinary travelers, particularly those who \u200bdo not have easy access to major airports. The article highlights that many long-time Southwest passengers appreciate the option of choosing their seats freely and believe that assigned seating will lead to higher prices and a less \u2063hospitable flying experience. The change is seen \u2063as a shift away \u2064from the principles\u200c of transparency and low\u200d fares that have long been a hallmark of Southwest Airlines, raising concerns about the \u200dfuture of budget travel in the airline industry.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Hardworking Americans were once again betrayed by big business this week when Southwest Airlines (SWA) announced it will soon relegate its famous open seating policy to the graveyard of good airline travel policies.<\/p>\n<p>First came the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/12\/15\/under-the-weight-of-southwests-fatties-fly-free-policy-normal-people-will-pay-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&ldquo;fatties fly free&rdquo;<\/a> policy. Now, the beloved airline has <a href=\"https:\/\/swamedia.com\/releases\/release-66ab759a702a76e0bcb37c45465c6a58-southwest-airlines-launches-enhancements-to-transform-customer-experience-and-improve-financial-performance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allegedly decided to ditch <\/a>the 50-year tradition that set it apart from competitors after &ldquo;listening carefully to Customers and conducting extensive research.&rdquo; A deeper dive into SWA&rsquo;s press release suggests that the company chose the change with hopes of saving its <a href=\"https:\/\/swamedia.com\/releases\/release-66ab759a702a76e0bcb37c45465dcace-southwest-airlines-reports-second-quarter-2024-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">flailing second-quarter profits<\/a>, a dip <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/business\/article-southwest-airlines-to-start-assigning-seats-breaking-50-year-tradition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several major airline carriers<\/a> suffered regardless of their seating policies. <\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ClayTravis\/status\/1816479181196136582\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blowback<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TicTocTick\/status\/1816445461126922248\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">that<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/lindseymagness_\/status\/1816459032313385018\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ensued<\/a> after SWA President, CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board Bob Jordan debuted the change on Thursday morning, however, suggests the loyalists who have kept the heart-branded Boeing carrier afloat for decades are not pleased.<\/p>\n<p>SWA has long been hailed as <em>the<\/em> airline that made it possible for regular Americans who love the freedom to choose and don&rsquo;t have easy access to massive metroplex airports to get across the country with efficiency and ease. The beloved airline&rsquo;s discount prices and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/southwest-airlines-the-end-of-open-seating-freedom\/\" title=\"Southwest Airlines: The End of Open Seating Freedom\">noteworthy hospitality offered sky passengers<\/a> an affordable air travel option other than notoriously <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/unlimited_ls\/status\/1788597104664830100\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">brawl-<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DramaAlert\/status\/1792666356556374183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">plagued<\/a> budget carriers like Spirit and Frontier.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, those who love SWA but long for a better shot at a front-row chair and some legroom already have the opportunity to pay for priority boarding offers like Earlybird check-in and A-list preferred status. <\/p>\n<p>If SWA fliers wanted assigned seats and the higher prices and unfriendly flight attendants that come with those, they would fly American. Or Delta, which is still <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/technology-outage-delta-air-lines-delays-7361e641fe2c656d7fba06e4a0424c6a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scrambling to satisfy<\/a> the customers it left stranded at airports around the country last week.<\/p>\n<p>SWA&rsquo;s attempt to &ldquo;broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future Customers&rdquo; by getting rid of that freedom to choose, however, will inevitably jack up ticket prices in an attempt to win over customers who are happily married to airlines that already offer assigned seating. So much for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/todayinthesky\/2015\/10\/08\/southwest-airlines-zings-competitors-fees-in-new-ads\/73613386\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&ldquo;Low fares. Nothing to hide. That&rsquo;s TransFarency!&rdquo;<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Trusting passengers to pick where they sit keeps costs low and gives the airline wiggle room to offer flash deals and rewards programs that actually benefit travelers like me who want to fly. And that&rsquo;s good because flying ain&rsquo;t cheap. <\/p>\n<p>The only reason people like me can afford air travel in the face of price hikes that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/select\/airline-ticket-prices-are-up-25-percent-why-and-how-to-save\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">outpace inflation<\/a> is because of SWA&rsquo;s open seating policy. I don&rsquo;t live in the boonies, but I also don&rsquo;t have easy access to a metroplex where&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/southwest-airlines-the-end-of-open-seating-freedom-3\/\" title=\"Southwest Airlines: The End of Open Seating Freedom\">budget airline options abound<\/a>. SWA is the only sky bus that offers reasonably priced flights to choice destinations from my hometown.<\/p>\n<p>There&rsquo;s no doubt that flying is becoming less and less enjoyable by the year. The only thing that makes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelpulse.com\/news\/airlines-airports\/shrinking-seat-sizes-and-disappearing-legroom-impacting-airline-experience-for-americans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shrinking seats<\/a>, cardboard-like snacks, and airlines&rsquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/07\/19\/get-race-quotas-out-of-the-cockpit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">embarrassing embrace of wokeism <\/a>better is choosing my seat.<\/p>\n<p>Open seating may get a bad rap from people who fly with other airlines, but who cares what they think? Choosing your own seat isn&rsquo;t just the cherry on top of SWA&rsquo;s other perks like family-friendly boarding, bags that fly free, companion passes, and smiley staff. It&rsquo;s the whole sky sundae. <\/p>\n<p>SWA&rsquo;s friendly staff and informative boarding process make it easy to get settled in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/southwest-airlines-the-end-of-open-seating-freedom-2\/\" title=\"Southwest Airlines: The End of Open Seating Freedom\">flotation device-equipped chair<\/a>. If a passenger doesn&rsquo;t like his neighbor or wants a better view of the clouds, open seating makes it easier to talk someone into switching because passengers did not pay for specific spots. Thanks to pick-where-you-plant-yourself policies, customers can even make last-minute flight changes and cancellations with little to no penalty.<\/p>\n<p>After today, I count myself among the growing club of SWA loyalists who think the carrier has <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jacksettleman\/status\/1816465968878563786\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&ldquo;gone soft&rdquo;<\/a> by selling out the one thing that set it apart from other airlines in exchange for unpromised profit. SWA let their desire for new customers and greediness get ahead of them and their frequent flyers&rsquo; wishes, and now people like you and me are literally going to be paying for it.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, hardworking Americans felt let down by big business once more as Southwest Airlines (SWA) revealed plans to abandon its well-known open seating policy, a hallmark of good airline practices. Following the controversial &#8220;fatties fly free&#8221; initiative, the airline has reportedly chosen to end a 50-year tradition that distinguished it from its competitors after &#8220;carefully listening to Customers and conducting extensive research.&#8221; A closer look at SWA&#8217;s press release indicates that this decision was made in an effort to boost its struggling second-quarter profits, a trend seen across several major airlines regardless of their seating arrangements.<\/p>\n<p>The backlash that followed SWA President, CEO, and Vice Chairman Bob Jordan&#8217;s announcement on Thursday morning indicates that the loyal customers who have supported the airline for decades are not happy with this change. SWA has long been recognized as the airline that enabled everyday Americans, who value the freedom to choose and may not have easy access to large metropolitan airports, to travel across the country efficiently. With its affordable fares and notable customer service, SWA provided a viable air travel option compared to budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier, which are often associated with chaos.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, those who appreciate SWA but desire a better chance at sitting in the front row or having extra legroom already have the option to pay for priority boarding services like Earlybird check-in and A-list preferred status. If SWA passengers wanted assigned seating along with the higher costs and less friendly service that come with it, they could choose to fly with American or Delta, which is still trying to make amends with customers it stranded at airports recently.<\/p>\n<p>SWA&#8217;s move to &#8220;broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future Customers&#8221; by eliminating the freedom to choose seats will likely lead to increased ticket prices as they try to attract customers who are already loyal to airlines that provide assigned seating. This undermines their promise of &#8220;Low fares. Nothing to hide. That\u2019s TransFarency!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Allowing passengers to select their seats keeps costs down and enables the airline to offer flash deals and rewards programs that genuinely benefit travelers like myself. This is crucial because air travel is becoming increasingly expensive. The only reason I can afford to fly despite rising costs is due to SWA&#8217;s open seating policy. While I don\u2019t live in a remote area, I also lack easy access to a major city with numerous budget airline options. SWA is the only airline that provides reasonably priced flights to desirable destinations from my hometown.<\/p>\n<p>Flying is becoming less enjoyable each year, and the only thing that makes the shrinking seats, subpar snacks, and airlines&#8217; awkward attempts at political correctness more bearable is the ability to choose my seat. Open seating may be criticized by those who fly with other airlines, but their opinions don\u2019t matter. The ability to select my own seat is not just an added bonus to SWA&#8217;s other benefits, such as family-friendly boarding, free checked bags, companion passes, and friendly staff; it is the essence of the experience.<\/p>\n<p>SWA&#8217;s welcoming staff and straightforward boarding process make it easy to settle into a seat equipped with flotation devices. If a passenger is unhappy with their neighbor or wants a better view, open seating facilitates seat swapping since no one has paid for a specific spot. This flexibility also allows customers to make last-minute changes or cancellations with minimal penalties.<\/p>\n<p>After this announcement, I find myself among the increasing number of SWA loyalists who believe the airline has &#8220;gone soft&#8221; by compromising the one feature that set it apart from others in pursuit of uncertain profits. SWA has prioritized attracting new customers and their own greed over the preferences of their frequent flyers, and now people like us will bear the consequences. <\/p>\n<p>Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also appeared in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University with a major in political science and a minor in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":490,"featured_media":2308317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-25-at-10.08.18%E2%80%AFAM-e1721920125172-1200x675-1.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[36197,36198,36196,36134,36137],"class_list":["post-2308316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-airline-policy","tag-customer-experience","tag-open-seating","tag-southwest-airlines","tag-travel-news"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-25-at-10.08.18%E2%80%AFAM-e1721920125172-1200x675-1.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/490"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2308316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2308317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2308316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2308316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2308316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}