Assigned Seating May Be Coming

[JS]

Okay...you just missed Ch12's entire point. First, with "assigned seating", a lot of people in row 20 will toss their bag in the bin for row 12 so they can "grab it" on the way off the plane. When row 12 is called, there isn't any space in the bin, so those folks have to wander around the plane to find an open bin space, then get back to their seat. There is no advantage for someone doing this on Southwest - you put your bag in the bin over your seat, then sit down. Someone in boarding group C is most likely to find space in the overhead pretty near the seat they sit down in. But even if some idiot does this on SWA, someone right behind him may just grab the seat in row 12 - because they weren't putting anything in the overhead bin - and when a "latecomer" gets on board, the only available seats are in the back of the plane anyhow.

"A lot" of people? Sure, I've seen a few people have to go hunting for bin space, but you two are blowing it way out of proportion.

Besides, what is someone to do on Southwest who boards late where overhead space is here, and the only empty seats left are over there? Same thing; you get to drag your suitcase around. It's not the end of the world, is it?

Secondly...it's easier to say that Southwest doesn't need more passengers who pay higher fares because Southwest is making a profit on the passengers they are carrying. Their relatively low load factors are somewhat misleading...it's easy to do when you have upwards of 20 daily departures in some city pairs. Some of those flights will be chock full. Some will be half full. The result is a system wide load factor of 75%. It's called "frequency". They are able to make half full flights work because there are already several completely full flights on many routes that day.

So Southwest is not interesting in increasing their profits? What an odd business strategy:

We make enough money as it is. We're not interesting in making even more money.

Send some of the extra, unwanted money my way -- I'll put it to good use!

 

[Ch. 12]

Thanks, KC. You saved me alot of typeing and I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Busdrvr]

C'mon -- the business passenger travels 10x the amount Grams does!

And the infamous "travel dept" (which could very well be your spouse, remember not all businesses are large) has to account to somebody too.

You either present a simplistic, silly response or a befuddling numbers answer.

I'm certain you're a competent pilot. But lower prices are here to stay.

As it should be. And should've been. UA price-gouged for years and pissed away billions. Now 'SmallBusinessInc' should pay extra for your commodity product?

Are you a Jake Brace disciple?

Yes, fares WILL stay lower. therefore, you should EXPECT what you pay for. the poster EXPECTS SWA to give him an assigned seat with the ability to roll in at 5 til departure into seat 1C. all the while paying the same price as everybody else. That's irrational. 10 times as much? not anymore, but a premium non the less (in actuality, large companies get "smoking deals' on bundled travel).

Jack brace deciple? HARDLY!!

 

[KCFlyer]

Okay JS...I'll have to use myself as an example. I don't use the overhead bins. I put my carryon under the seat in front of me. If some joker puts his bag in the overhead for row 12 and heads to row 20 (why they'd want to do that, I'll never know), I don't care if the bins full or not, I'm taking a seat in row 12. When the guy in group C goes to board, chances are really really good that there won't be a seat in row 12 for him to have...so bin space is a moot point. He'll go back until he finds bin space...then takes his seat there.

You miss my point on SWA not needing more high paying passengers. Let me simplify this as much as I can. They operate 17 nonstops a day between MCI and Chicago. Chances are good that the first 5 flights of the day are full with business passengers. Ditto on the 5 flights between 5 and 7:30 p.m. These are called "the popular flights". They are full of mostly business passengers. The Midday flights aren't completly full because they arrive at an odd time for doing business in Chicago. Grandma and Granpa really like these flights. The last couple of flights are not as full because they don't get into Chicago until late at night. The last flight might be only 30% full. These are called "the less popular flights". When you figure out the load factor between the "popular" flights and the "less popular flights", it comes out to about 75%. But you'd be hard pressed to walk right on to a "popular" flight that is already sold out, regardless of how much you were willing to pay. You want to fly at the last minute...welcome aboard the 2:00 p.m. flight.

Bottom line, the 75% load factor doesn't say that each and every plane is only 75% full. Adding assigned seating will most likely NOT result in tons of business travellers filling the odd hour "less popular" flights, since the "popular" flights are selling out rather nicely today without assigned seating. Why mess with something that's working?

 

[SWAFA30]

Those of you who fly us on a regular basis may have noticed bar codes on our new boarding passes....the more observant among you may have also noticed the podiums that are being installed at the entrances to every jetbridge throughout the system. These podiums will eventually house a sophisticated computer touch screen, bar code scanner that our Operations Agents will use as they board our flights. Ostenibly, the purpose of this equipment is to give agents instant access to information such as which passengers have failed to board and any changes to the flight plan that may need to be passed on to the flight crew....yeah right. This is seriously high tech and expensive equipment to perform a function that can be accomplished by simply calling down to Operations or speaking with a gate agent. Common sense tells me that the decision has already been made to begin seat assignments. Time and motion studies are currently being done for the gate readers and a systemwide roll out is expected by years end. Our competition has proved that you CAN offer assigned seating and still get your aircraft off the gate in 30 minutes or less. The leather seats and new paint jobs are making their way into the fleet. Assigned seating will simply be the next step in the
"jetBlue-ification" of SWA...can IFE be far behind? I call it SWA version 2.0

 

[PD]

Somehow todays "business passenger" expects to pay the same as Grams, but still thinks you should worship the ground he walks on.... You want a assigned seats and a meal, then tell your travel dept to pay the diff betwen the two products

I don't think anyone said anything about a meal, and assigned seats would solve a few problems for everyone. One of the key issues is time, the time it takes to get to the airport, the parking issues's at many airports and getting through security in a timely basis. In some cities (Like Cleveland) the rental car returns are cause enogh to make you late for the gate. Additionaly with SW if you have to transfer you have to go through the whole process again. BTW I assume from your tone you pay the rack rate whenever you check into a hotel.

 

[KCFlyer]

Let's certainly hope we aren't seeing the "Jetbluifcation" of LUV. Yes, Jetblue assigns seats. But their planes are at the gate longer than 25 minutes. Can you point out any airline that turns their planes as quickly as SWA and offers assigned seating? JetBlue doesn't offer high frequency, point to point flights, and they were not created from the start to cater to the business traveller. Southwest, while offering more and more "long distance" flights, still has a lot of bread and butter, half hourly flights between cities. That is geared directly at the business traveller, no matter who might say that business travellers avoid the airline because of a lack of assigned seating. When it comes down to catching a flight that fits your business schedule, or tailoring your schedule around the departure times of an airline that assigns seats, the airline that fits your schedule will get the business every time...even if it means you're in the C boarding group. And very few business passegners care to watch ESPN on their PTV during the flight. Most of them are reviewing their plans for their business.

Another negative of assigned seating is that those passengers who have been paying your last minute, unrestricted fares did so because they knew they had a choice of where they were going to sit. That's catering to the business traveller. Start assigning seats and your "premium" passengers who bought a ticket this morning to go to Chicago will end up assigned to a center seat because all the aisle seats were taken up by "Gramma and Grampa" who booked 3 months in advance.

BTW PD...very soon you'll be issued your boarding card for both flight segments when you check in for your first flight. No more "rechecking" in down the line.

 

[mrman]

KC-
While I agreed with you in the past, in that WN needed fewer gate agents than the HCC because they don't have to jack with seat assignments, with the advent of Kiosks no one sees gate agents anymore. Where NW had 3 agents at every gate, they now have one (the same with WN). The cost of more agents because of agents is not an issue anymore. WN will be introducing gate readers soon. With automation one will need gate agents time less and less. Turn around time is now the real cost. I suspect with the dissatisfaction with the HCC WN is seeing more of a chance to grab the business traveler that won't book on WN due to no assigned seating. They may see this increase in revenue is more than the cost savings.

 

[wnbubbleboy]

Company news states today that assigned seating is not going to happen.