Southwest Airways has spent the previous few months eliminating all of the issues that used to make it distinctive.
For a few decade, I flew Southwest as a result of it provided cheap costs, no charges for checked luggage, and no assigned seats. As a result of I flew a few times a month, I had A-Record standing within the airline’s Speedy Rewards loyalty program, so I used to be assured to board within the top-third of shoppers utilizing the airline’s previous system.
Beneath that system, the airline used A, B, and C boarding teams with numbers assigned from 1-60. You might pay to get an A 1-15 spot, and the airline charged for folks to be checked in early, and top-tier loyalty members have been assured to board between A and B, even when they’d a decrease place on their ticket.
The issue is that the airline additionally provided pre-boarding, the place folks needing help can board earlier than any of the assigned teams. Largely, that meant permitting folks in wheelchairs to board early.
That created an fascinating downside that I witnessed many occasions.
“On one Southwest Airlines Tampa flight, 30 passengers boarded early and got better seats for free because they said they needed wheelchair assistance. Then they walked off the plane and all the way out the terminal themselves on arrival. They didn’t all need a wheelchair, but cracked a code,” Gary Leff wrote at View From the Wing.
The airline’s new boarding system will repair that downside.
Southwest Airways had a perceived downside
Realistically, passengers had no option to know if folks truly wanted a wheelchair or boarding help. However in case you paid for, or earned, an early boarding spot, it was irritating to see folks board forward of you who later didn’t seem to really want that benefit.
“Southwest lets passengers pick their seats on a first-come, first-served basis. You board earlier if you buy the most expensive tickets, if you’re a frequent traveler, or if you pay for early boarding. Or if you fake the need for a wheelchair,” Leff wrote.
- That’s why Southwest Airways has extra wheelchair passengers than every other airline.
- It drives up the airline’s prices (they pay for the wheelchair service!) and cheats different prospects out of higher seats. These larger prices additionally imply larger common airfares.
- And it makes an incredible spectacle: the “Jetbridge Jesus” flight, the place passengers come on with a wheelchair to get the most effective seats, and miraculously stroll with none help when the flight is over.
- That is horrible for passengers who actually need wheelchairs, with individuals who don’t want them taking on the scarce service. These with an actual want are compelled to attend longer.
Airways are required to offer help and can’t query passengers who self-identify as needing assist.
“When a passenger with a disability requests assistance from an airline to move through the airport, the airline is required to promptly provide the requested assistance. This assistance may be guide assistance for an individual who is blind or wheelchair assistance for an individual with a mobility impairment. To receive such assistance, the passenger must self-identify to airline staff at the airport as the person with a disability needing this service,” in accordance with U.S. Division of Transportation tips.
As somebody who flew Southwest a few times a month for years, I’ve repeatedly heard gate brokers clarify that they can’t query a passenger’s request for help underneath federal guidelines.
Southwest Airways makes a change
Southwest, nevertheless, will clear up its notion and seat-saving issues later this month when it strikes to assigned seating. That may also clear up a second downside the airline confronted, the place one member of a component would board early after which save seats for household or pals.
“This all ends January 27, when assigned seats begin on Southwest. No more scheming. No more strategizing and winding up with extra value from an empty middle seat next to you. It’s all based on luck of which seats other passengers assign in the cabin in advance,” View From the Wing reported.
Southwest Airways is now charging for seat assignments.
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Southwest Airways’ modifications are in regards to the backside line
Southwest Airways didn’t begin promoting assigned seating and charging for luggage to make issues higher for patrons. The tip of individuals being indignant over pre-boarding and folks saving seats are byproducts of the airline making modifications so as to increase its backside line.
“In 2026, we expect to recognize even greater benefits from our portfolio of Southwest-specific initiatives, including a full year of revenue from bag fees. We expect to deliver more than $1 billion of incremental EBIT from assigned and extra legroom seating in 2026 and hit a full run rate of approximately $1.5 billion in 2027,” Southwest CEO Robert Jordan stated in the course of the airline’s third-quarter earnings name.
Southwest’s modifications do include some dangers.
“What’s notable is the fact basic economy ticket sales tanked after they made changes in May, and are just now rebounding,” Katy Nastro, journey professional at Going, informed Buyer Expertise Dive. “The next half of the year will give us a better gauge into how all of these changes have played out, but so far, their timing could not have been worse amid a soft market.”
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She identified that early outcomes weren’t good after the primary change, charging for checked luggage, was rolled out.
“One month of selling a ‘basic economy’ product they saw their revenue per available seat mile decline by .5 percentage point, and that’s with charging for bags,” Nastro stated. “While they say bag fees are looking healthy, with softer demand, they’ve likely had to discount base fares which means they aren’t making pure profit from bag fees.”
Southwest Airways says it is on monitor
Jordan and different Southwest Executives have been insistent that its modifications are working.
“We quickly implemented many new product attributes and enhancements, and the results are showing—we delivered a profitable quarter, with both unit revenues and unit costs performing better-than-anticipated, are reaffirming our full year 2025 EBIT guidance, and expect meaningful margin expansion in the fourth quarter,” he shared within the firm’s third-quarter earnings launch.
Southwest shared some key income numbers
- Internet earnings of $54 million, or $0.10 earnings per diluted share
- Internet earnings, excluding particular items1, of $58 million, or $0.11 earnings per diluted share
- Report third quarter working revenues of $6.9 billion
- Delivered outcomes forward of the corporate’s expectations, pushed by each better-than-anticipated unit revenues and unit prices
- Returned $439 million to Shareholders by way of a mixture of share repurchases and dividends
- Launched the sale of assigned and further legroom seating for flights starting January 27, 2026, with the amount and composition of preliminary bookings according to expectations
- Reaffirming full yr 2025 earnings earlier than curiosity and taxes, excluding particular objects steering vary of $600 million to $800 million
The airline, nevertheless, dangers angering the general public and social media influencer response has been blended.
“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,” Smitarani Tripathy, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData, informed Journey and World Tour.
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