Southwest’s New Seating Policy Sparks Outrage

Brad Todd, a frequent Southwest flyer, was shocked when a flight attendant barred him from switching seats on a nearly empty flight from Kansas City to Reagan National Airport. Todd had paid for a seat in row two but wanted to move back a row to spread out. The attendant told him he had to return to his assigned seat or the plane wouldn’t take off.

Todd’s experience is just one of many horror stories since Southwest switched to assigned seating on January 27. The move was meant to increase revenue, but it’s been a disaster so far. Over 3,000 people commented on Todd’s social media post about the incident, with most slamming the airline.

What’s Going Wrong

Flight attendants are strict about assigned seating, even when there are empty rows available. Passengers are forced to put their carry-on bags in compartments far from their seats, which is causing chaos. Families are also being separated because the airline didn’t consider the need for family seating.

Henry Harteveldt, an aviation analyst, says Southwest made a mistake by not allowing passengers to switch seats. He’s surprised by the issues with family boarding and hopes the airline will address them soon.

Southwest’s Response

The airline says it’s making adjustments to smooth out operations, but it won’t specify what those changes are. It’s clear that the new boarding process is confusing passengers and causing problems with overhead bin space.

Todd says he’ll fly Southwest less often if the airline doesn’t fix these issues. He likes assigned seating, but the execution has been poor. ‘If they’re not going to be fun and flexible, then you might as well go with somebody that has a first-class cabin, a sandwich, and a lounge in the airport,’ he says.