Southwest ends its 50-year open seating practice
OAKLAND, Calif. - A long-standing Southwest Airlines tradition has come to an end.
What we know:
Starting Tuesday, the airline is rolling out a new seating policy that assigns seats at the time of booking, ending a 50-year practice of open seating that allowed passengers to choose any available seat once on board.
For many travelers, the first-come, first-served seating system was a key reason they chose Southwest over competing airlines.
What they're saying:
"I think it’s terrible, because that’s why people used to fly Southwest," said Gill Gosal, who was flying to Long Beach on Tuesday from Oakland's airport. "Now I didn’t choose my seat in time and I have a middle seat."
Southwest announced the changes last year, saying the move is part of a broader effort to boost profitability. The airline also cited survey results showing many customers preferred knowing their seat assignment ahead of time rather than selecting a seat during boarding.
Others travelers expressed concern about comfort.
Cody Gore of Livermore said the open seating system previously allowed him to find seats with more legroom.
"I’m a little bit bigger of a man, so I need a little bit more room," he said. "Before I could get upfront and have enough legroom, so we’ll see how it goes today."
The new seating policy is one of several changes taking effect on Tuesday.