Southwest Airlines is doing away with a boarding model that has set the company apart for more than 50 years.
The Dallas-based airline – that took flight in 1967 – is saying "farewell" to its open-seating model.Along with booking your flight, passengers will soon be booking an assigned seat.Frequent fliers at Midway International Airport, on Thursday, said they aren't jumping at the idea of pre-selected seats. However, Southwest is looking to boost revenue and said the majority of customers it has lost to other airlines have cited open seating as the number one reason for making a switch.
"Just like going down aisles, maybe there’s somebody you don’t want to sit next to," said Tyler Fronk, a traveler. Officials with Southwest Airlines said through research, it determined 80 percent of its customers prefer assigned seating."My opinion is, it’s a shame because it differentiated the airline from all the other airlines, so I feel like there’s no reason to pick Southwest over an American, over United," said Meller.
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