Airports in Italy are trialling new security and boarding technology that will mean passengers do not have to show their documents to get on a flight.
30.04.2024 - 21:51 / forbes.com / Bob Jordan
Last week, Southwest’s CEO Bob Jordan ignited a flurry of headlines when he suggested that the struggling airline could make changes to some of its long-standing policies in an attempt to increase ancillary revenue.
The company reported a $231 million loss in the first quarter of 2024, up from a $159 million loss in the same quarter last year. The airline is reportedly looking for new streams of revenue to boost earnings.
Southwest made clear that it would not change its industry-leading free bag policy, but it was less certain about other long-standing traditions - most notably, its unique open-seating policy.
That is, on Southwest, seats are not assigned prior to boarding. Customers receive a boarding group (A, B, or C) based on when they check in, and then sit wherever they want when they get on the plane. There is no first class or any other elevated class on Southwest (although you can pay extra to be in Group A boarding).
I’ve always thought Southwest’s open-boarding policy to be a cool idea, mostly because it’s novel and not seen elsewhere. But at the same time, there are drawbacks to the system.
As the airline considers doing away with the unique policy, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the open seating policy.
Here are the things I like about Southwest’s boarding policy:
New, Novel Experience: Being able to board the plane and pick any available seat is a fun, new experience that you don’t get on other airlines.
More Organized Gate: Southwest does a great job of keeping the boarding area organized. Southwest assigns passengers a boarding group (A, B, or C) and then a number (typically 1 through 60) upon check in. At each gate, there are posts with numbers on them that correspond to the boarding numbers, lining up passengers in a neat, straight line. The organized posts/numbers tell passengers where to stand as they prepare to board, instead of having passengers bunch up around the gate in order to board ahead of others.
Spontaneous Seating: People don’t talk too much on the plane anymore, but there is a charm to selecting your seat on the fly - and thus, selecting who you will sit next to. If you do end up getting stuck in a middle seat (usually Group C boarding), at least you can lay eyes on who you will be sitting between before selecting the seat. There’s something to that, however superficial.
Here are the things I don’t like about Southwest’s boarding policy:
Stressful Check In: Southwest’s boarding policy requires you to be on the ball when check-in opens 24 hours prior to departure. If you’re late or forget to check in promptly, you’ll end up in Group C, and most likely in a less-desirable seat. I don’t particularly like this aspect, since we are all busy and don’t always have
Airports in Italy are trialling new security and boarding technology that will mean passengers do not have to show their documents to get on a flight.
Over spring break, my wife and I took our four children from Utah to Southern California for a week at Disneyland and Universal Studios.
I (like you, I’m sure) have friends who don’t eat meat. I also have friends who don’t eat fish. Others don’t eat eggs. Then there are the ones who don’t eat fruit. Vegetables. Gluten. Dairy. Nuts. Sugar. Chiles. Salt. Sugar.
Southwest Airlines recently announced the launch of its new Orlando – Nassau route. Daily nonstop flights will connect Central Florida’s metropolitan hub with The Bahamas’ capital city at the height of the summer months. The Orlando – Nassau flights will operate from 4 June to 4 August, with departures from Orlando and arrivals in Nassau. “The expansion of Southwest Airlines’ Central Florida route map to include a new daily service to Nassau is another testimony to the government’s efforts and commitment to grow air stopover arrivals throughout our 16-islands destination aggressively,” says the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation.
A cruise port on Florida’s Space Coast is going bigger, planning to build a brand-new cruise terminal to meet demand.
JetBlue is making big cuts to its transatlantic network for the coming winter season. Analysis of new schedules shows almost one-third of its European capacity will be removed by the end of October. Notably, the changes are in addition to flights that were already due to be operated seasonally.
Toronto, Canada’sBata Shoe Museum recently announced the launch of their new spring exhibition called Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear. It opened on April 18, 2024 and will run for a total of 18 months.
Strikes are a regular occurrence in Europe, as employees withhold their labour to fight for better pay and conditions.
Southwest Airlines' settlement terms with the Department of Transportation (DOT) are kicking in — leading to future customers receiving compensation if they experience a significant flight delay. As part of the settlement sparked from the airline’s 2022 holiday meltdown, Southwest has agreed to award $75 or more in transferrable vouchers to travelers who reach their destination at least three hours late due to an airline-caused disruption or cancellation, according to the DOT.
The future of Australia’s newest low-cost airline is in the balance. On Tuesday, Bonza suddenly canceled its entire flying program and entered voluntary administration, a form of protection from creditors.
When Southwest Airlines reported larger than expected financial losses in its most recent quarterly earnings call on April 25,the airline also announced that it will be cutting service to four airports airports as of August 4, 2024. Additionally, Southwest is planning to reduce capacity at two other major destinations. The goal of these cuts is to “improve unit revenue performance and operating margin,” according to the earnings call. The airline has not ruled out further cuts to its network, adding to the uncertainty plaguing the airline industry in recent months.
A United Airlines passenger has been ordered to pay the carrier more than $20,000 after forcing a flight to divert.