09-03-2009
04:46 PM
6 Loves
Great article! Love seeing the beyond the scenes stuff, especially the "Lines of Flight"
... View more
Like the majority on here I am disappointed by this "fee". The reason Southwest has been so successful in the past and has attracted so many loyal customers is the simplicity and equality of its service. Now Southwest has added another class of passenger and made the boarding process that much more complicated; Southwest should have stuck to the KISS priniciple (Keep It Simple, Stupid).
I realize Southwest needs to change and grow as conditions change but I think it will create more challenges, and perhaps loss of some customers, than it is worth to the bottom line. I will wait to personally reserve judgment until I see what kind of boarding position I get without paying the fee however.
There is a really easy to get Southwest to abandon this idea follow Southwest travelers: DON'T PAY THE EARLYBIRD FEE! If hardly anybody purchases this option it will likely go away quickly, especially when travelers who do pay the fee see that nobody else is buying EarlyBird and they could have gotten a good boarding position without paying the fee.
... View more
11-24-2007
05:24 AM
2 Loves
I have flown SWA since the new boarding procedure, and it worked fairly well. However, the poles with the groups of 5 on them seem to be too close, as all 5 of us could not fit between them. Maybe there were people not lining in the right sport and this was the problem? Like others have said, enforcement will be the key, ensuring people board in their "group of 5" and not out of turn. My flight was half full, so that definitely helped make the process smooth. The only other thing is that there seems to be less seats in the waiting area to make room for the poles, thus not everyone will be able to sit until boarding as the new system is supposed to allow.
... View more
11-09-2007
08:54 AM
1 Love
This whole new A-list and Business Select boarding policy seems like it is straight out of "Animal Farm". "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others". I think the new numbered boarding group (A1-A60) was a good idea but now it makes it much harder to get an A boarding pass for those who are not A-listers or spending an outrageous amount on a fare. I respect that Southwest needs to find a way to increase revenue, but as others have said it goes against the core values that has made Southwest successful for 35 years. I will enter this with open mind however and see how it all works out when I travel next week.
... View more
