Brian,
First of all, there is a very old saying "Don't shoot the messenger". I feel that too many hold you personally responsible for this decision. It was a company decision not something that you just went, "Oh I have nothing better to do today, lets change the boarding process"
As far as the changes, I love the new boarding and numbering, I do believe it will make it easier and hopefully stop the standing and lining up as soon as the plane arrives. In fact it should even make it easier for others to get off the plane as so many times our gate agents would have to remind people to step away from the door so people can get off the plane.
As far as the children pre-board issue, I had the privilege of flying a different airline that does not offer the children preboard, when flying with my children. And I did not like it, with that airline, I had an assigned seat, there was just as much pushing as without. But all things aside we did survive. I would never fly this other airline with young children again because they did not preboard and with assign seats we were the last to board (zone boarding, icck). And before the trip we spent weeks trying to keep our assigned seats, they kept disappear.
With Southwest, I will at least be able to choose my seats. If I plan right I should get an A boarding group. Southwest staff and passengers tend to be a more friendly and helpful group so even if I am in the in between group of A and B I believe I will be able to sit with my family.
I work as a project manager, all projects have a plan, a test, a results, and an implementation. This is Southwest a business like any other. An airline that makes money and every minute costs money so if they can save on time of the ground "great". All projects take time and are good and bad. The only question that I had with this whole implementation is timing, but sometimes that cannot be helped. Timing the changes in boarding process with the holiday season, a largely unseasoned traveler season, is odd. I travel significantly for business and pleasure, on southwest and not.
All I can say is, give it a try and if you do not like it or have constructive feedback after you have tried it then give it. Southwest is one of the only airlines I find that truly appreciates constructive feedback.
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