Southwest Airlines new seating policy sparks debate: GlobalData

Southwest Airlines Co, which is known for unique open-seating arrangement since its inception, has recently introduced assigned seating and extra legroom options. This significant change has sparked diverse opinions among the influencers on social media platform “X”. The varied reactions highlight the broader debate within the travel community about how this shift impacts the airline’s efficiency and brand identity, reveals the Social Media Analytics Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Smitarani Tripathy, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Some influencers see it as a necessary step to enhance customer experience, increase brand appeal, and boost revenue by aligning with the top US airlines. They believe offering more seating options will attract a broader customer base. However, others criticize the change, arguing it may undermine the airline’s efficiency and stray away from its legacy of innovative boarding practices.”

Below are a few popular influencer opinions captured by GlobalData’s Social Media Analytics Platform:

Bryan Clagett, International Fintech & Banking Advisor & Matchmaker said: “I personally believe @SouthwestAir made the right decision. I have only flown them once and I did not care for taking a chance with seat location. I want to control where and when I seat.”

Matthew Keys, Owner of Solano Media, LLC said: “Southwest Airlines is ending its open seat policy and will start assigning seats to passengers. It will also launch a new premium seating designation in an effort to boost revenue.”

Leslie Josephs, Airline reporter at CNBC said: “It’s happening: Southwest is getting rid of open seating and will start offering extra legroom seats in the biggest shift of the airline’s 53 years of flying, making it look a lot more like its bigger airline rivals. $LUV”

Seth Miller, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of PaxEx.Aero said: “BREAKING: After more than 50 years Southwest Airlines is adding assigned seating to its cabins. The carrier will also differentiate seating, with an extra legroom option on board.”

Sheel Mohnot, Co-Founder of Better Tomorrow Ventures said: “Never thought I’d see the day…Southwest Airlines is going to start assigning seats (& charging for premium ones) AND flying red-eyes.Both of these things are bad operational changes – Southwest had the fastest turnarounds in the industry (15 mins shorter than others) in part because of open seating (~4 mins of that delta). Open seating saves time in the boarding process because people rush to fill the seats and don’t have to search for their own..”

Ian Bogost, Contributing Editor at The Atlantic said: “I wasn’t a fan of Southwest Airlines open-seating, but at least it distinguished them from other carriers. With most of the industry in the hands of four carriers, flying is almost completely homogeneous.