Southwest Airlines Community

I'm currently a contractor for Southwest, so I fly on the company's dime and wait until the very end of the boarding process before I hit the jetway so that Customers get the best seats. This gives a me a great opportunity to see the pros and cons of the new boarding system as well as a score a middle seat on every leg of the flight :) From what I've witnessed I've seen a few dramatic shifts in passenger attitudes and activities prior to boarding.... -Passengers are now able to sit down and relax before boarding. No more folks camped out for an hour waiting in line just to secure their spot. -In upgraded gate areas - families are enjoying the redesigned "family areas" to relax and talk. Upgraded comfy chairs with power sources are fantastic...I heard one guy mention "if I had seats like this I think I might actually come earlier" - wow! -The process seems a little confusing for some who either haven't flown Southwest in a while or are new flyers. Gate agent announcements seem to reduce the confusion but some more visual descriptors of the process at the gate might be helpful. -There is a concern that folks may not be exactly where they should be in line, say an A29 is lined up before an A4. I'm sure this process will be tweaked, or peer pressure will force folks to find their right spot in line. I think the biggest gain for us as Customers is the fact that we can use that time before boarding to eat, sleep, or work unlike in the old system where we had to just wait in line to secure our spot. Additionally, the new Business Select fares may sound a bit elitist - but heck, with oil at $90 a barrel it's going to be very hard for Southwest to keep it's prices down - just like an other airline. Letting a few pay extra to board earlier actually keeps the fares lower for the rest of us. At the end of the day the boarding process is designed to react to Customers concerns that they were tired of waiting in line. The revised fare options allows Southwest to remain competitive by offsetting rising fuel prices by allowing Customers that wanted additional perks - like being first in line - to pay for that privilege. Finally, before and after you you board that plane you're still surrounded by the best Customer service in the industry. Southwest keeps me happy, even when I have the last seat which puts me between the two largest fliers on the flight. They have attendants that actually like their jobs; they sing, they clap, they make jokes. You won't find positive attitudes like that on any other airline. - hands down. You have a problem with a flight and you call Reservations, guess what, you're not confronted with a confusing phone-tree queue, you get connected to a real person who really cares. Again - wow - try that with any other airline. They keep it simple and they keep it nice. For those that are concerned, try out the changes, see what you like, what you don't like, and voice your thoughts. Happy flying! ... View more