One (of the many) things I love about flying Southwest is their open seating policy and is something that sets them apart from other airlines. I often book flights with friends, and we all book separately and at different times. Then, we all check in 24 hours before our flight so we can line up close together and then sit together. Assigning seats will make sitting together hard to do, especially if we book at different times. Unfortunately, Southwest has to make changes to keep up with the other airlines and stay competitive in the market. People that aren't loyal to Southwest and often fly other airlines, don't like the open seating policy because they aren't familiar with how it works. This will help to draw additional customers to the airline and will increase their revenue as well.
Even with this change, Southwest will still be my airline of choice. I just hope they don't take away some of the other perks they offer such as free bags and no change fees! Still love Southwest!
