I like the "don't fix it if it aint broke" theme of a lot ot the responders. I've been on a southwest plane just about every week for the past 18 years. I've earned a companion pass for the past five years and only this year failed to qualify due to my territory changes. Southwest boarding process is the most stress free of any airline I've flown. The ability to pick my seat or the person I sit next to (or more importantly, the person I don't sit next to) has a lot of value to me. I've been able to sit with friends noticed during boarding or grab a window seat and snooze. Other airlines purport the "zone" system is better but, unless you have status, you are stuck in a later boarding zone and have to gate check because there is no overhead space.
By the way if our beloved Southwest institutes assigned seats, they will probably have to introduce a class system for their elite frequent fliers because "status snobs" (and yes I can be one of them at times) will want priority boarding and overhead space. Then instead of waiting in neat orderly lines, we will all be bunched up at the boarding gate waiting for our group to be called while others push through the crowd to board at their appointed time.
The current system is efficient and gives passengers flexibility to choose. For those families traveling together, if you cant sit with your kids, ask a flight attendant for help. I can't remember the number of times they have made an announcement to ask if someone would be willing to switch seats and successfully found a volunteer.
Tom
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