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Open seating

Scooter30
Explorer B

Flight 2256 4.17.19; PHX to DAL - two entire rows of seats saved? I am currently on this flight contemplating whether I will turn into the Open Seat enforcer from now on, and put both the flight attendants and other customer in a bad mood, or if I will say goodbye to SWA and pull my A-list preferred travel dollars over to American.  Does either of these benefit SWA-sitting in saved seats and upsetting passengers or me moving my high frequency business to American?  

All SWA has to is simply have a published and CLEARLY stated policy that seat saving is not allowed or tolerated, and have the flight attendant and/or pilots enforce the policy.  Why they continue to upset their loyal, SWA educated and frequent customers is a mystery. 

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Open seating

SWDigits
Aviator A

If you search the message boards you'll find instances of people who have strong and differing opinions about seating, to include seat saving.

 

I think the best description I've seen is that the lack of a published policy becomes a de facto policy: seat saving isn't specifically prohibited and it isn't specifically allowed.

 

As this is primarily a customer to customer forum I recommend getting in touch with Southwest to provide your feedback -- phone, Twitter, and email contact options are available by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking "Contact Us" or using this link 


Customer | Home airport DCA

Re: Open seating

Scooter30
Explorer B

I am quite aware of the unhappy customers like myself who regularly put up with discourteous passengers who save seats and write about it on this forum.  Do we think SWA also monitors this forum?  I think they do, so this is also a place for opinions to be expressed. I have and will again make my displeasure know directly to SWA, however moving forward will no longer be passive with the policy.  Thank you for your wise counsel.  

The policy is very clear, “Open seating”.  There is no opinion, the first passenger to sit themselves in a seat has that seat.  If there is a purse or a bag in the seat, that seat is open, unless the purse or bag became an animated being and paid for the airline ticket, in which case it would need a separate seat from its owner.  Most people will be courteous to the discourteous, or ignorant, however I think that time is over.  

Since this is a customer forum, I call all educated, courteous passengers to stand your ground since SWA won’t, and move any personal objects in a seat that you want and sit down.  Ring the attendant call button so the SWA employee can explain the “Open seating” policy to the person who is obviously the most important person on the plane, and doesn’t need to follow the rules like everyone else.

if you want a reserved seat, fly another airline.  That is the most simple answer there is.

 

Re: Open seating

SWDigits
Aviator A

I agree that this is a great forum for opinions to be expressed!

 

On a personal note I post here because I love the Southwest business model and am fascinated by the seating policy/situation/debate/whatever you want to call it.  I don't have any skin in this game other than loving that I have Southwest as a transportation option.

 

My *opinion* is that the current set-up is confusing/causes debate/is ambiguous so I truly believe that your feedback is important.  I just think it will carry more weight if you send Southwest a good old-fashioned letter with your concern/recommendation(s)/and contact information.  Will it help?  I don't know.  But I think it will carry more weight than just a comment here (I recently sent a letter to the Investor Relations team and received a phone call with the information I requested).  I didn't state my thoughts about the "open seating" policy, so who knows, I may agree with you!  Or not!

 

Safe travels Smiley Happy

 

 

 

 


Customer | Home airport DCA