The seat assignment situation used to be efficient and effective but quite honestly I don't believe that it works any better than having an assigned seat. I've flown for years on Delta and since we moved to NM our airline of choice is naturally Southwest Airlines. Boarding feels like a cattle call. When we first started flying Southwest we arrived at the gate like everyone else and took a seat. Now we're forced to be early 'que-ers' and consequently end up seated on the floor or on our carryons. I agree that the number of pre-boarders has increased substantially over the last year or more. While many of them appear to be justifiable it's difficult to tell with others. One final word and this is a general comment about flying - for those folks who are rather large, please remember that I paid for my seat just as you paid for your seat (not your seat plus half of mine). Perhaps airlines should take this into consideration and address it somehow without being punitive or discriminatory. I have been on many flights where I have literally been crammed between two huge people and ended up with one quarter of my seat, paid for just like the folks who sandwiched me. Perhaps I should be given a refund or discount since I only occupied 1/4th of my seat. Southwest Airlines is a great choice for us, but think about changing to assigned seating.
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