Southwest Airlines: The End of Open Seating Freedom

Hardworking Americans were once again betrayed by big business this week when Southwest Airlines (SWA) announced it will soon relegate its famous open seating policy to the graveyard of good airline travel policies.

First came the “fatties fly free” policy. Now, the beloved airline has allegedly decided to ditch the 50-year tradition that set it apart from competitors after “listening carefully to Customers and conducting extensive research.” A deeper dive into SWA’s press release suggests that the company chose the change with hopes of saving its flailing second-quarter profits, a dip several major airline carriers suffered regardless of their seating policies.

The blowback that ensued after SWA President, CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board Bob Jordan debuted the change on Thursday morning, however, suggests the loyalists who have kept the heart-branded Boeing carrier afloat for decades are not pleased.

SWA has long been hailed as the airline that made it possible for regular Americans who love the freedom to choose and don’t have easy access to massive metroplex airports to get across the country with efficiency and ease. The beloved airline’s discount prices and noteworthy hospitality offered sky passengers an affordable air travel option other than notoriously brawl-plagued budget carriers like Spirit and Frontier.

Plus, those who love SWA but long for a better shot at a front-row chair and some legroom already have the opportunity to pay for priority boarding offers like Earlybird check-in and A-list preferred status.

If SWA fliers wanted assigned seats and the higher prices and unfriendly flight attendants that come with those, they would fly American. Or Delta, which is still scrambling to satisfy the customers it left stranded at airports around the country last week.

SWA’s attempt to “broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future Customers” by getting rid of that freedom to choose, however, will inevitably jack up ticket prices in an attempt to win over customers who are happily married to airlines that already offer assigned seating. So much for “Low fares. Nothing to hide. That’s TransFarency!”

Trusting passengers to pick where they sit keeps costs low and gives the airline wiggle room to offer flash deals and rewards programs that actually benefit travelers like me who want to fly. And that’s good because flying ain’t cheap.

The only reason people like me can afford air travel in the face of price hikes that outpace inflation is because of SWA’s open seating policy. I don’t live in the boonies, but I also don’t have easy access to a metroplex where budget airline options abound. SWA is the only sky bus that offers reasonably priced flights to choice destinations from my hometown.

There’s no doubt that flying is becoming less and less enjoyable by the year. The only thing that makes shrinking seats, cardboard-like snacks, and airlines’ embarrassing embrace of wokeism better is choosing my seat.

Open seating may get a bad rap from people who fly with other airlines, but who cares what they think? Choosing your own seat isn’t just the cherry on top of SWA’s other perks like family-friendly boarding, bags that fly free, companion passes, and smiley staff. It’s the whole sky sundae.

SWA’s friendly staff and informative boarding process make it easy to get settled in a flotation device-equipped chair. If a passenger doesn’t like his neighbor or wants a better view of the clouds, open seating makes it easier to talk someone into switching because passengers did not pay for specific spots. Thanks to pick-where-you-plant-yourself policies, customers can even make last-minute flight changes and cancellations with little to no penalty.

After today, I count myself among the growing club of SWA loyalists who think the carrier has “gone soft” by selling out the one thing that set it apart from other airlines in exchange for unpromised profit. SWA let their desire for new customers and greediness get ahead of them and their frequent flyers’ wishes, and now people like you and me are literally going to be paying for it.

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.