Here's a hybrid solution that might make everybody happy: allow assigned seating online only 24 hours before the flight (or day before). People who care will login and pick their seat. People who don't, won't. It sounds like last-minute business fliers love that they can get a decent seat, which is difficult on other carriers, where all the discount buyers way in advance have snapped up all the good seats. At the airport, let assigned seaters board before the open seaters. Assigned seaters lose the privledge of their assigned seat if they're not at the gate before open seaters board.
Options:
-charge a small fee for getting an advance seat assignment
-only offer assigned seating through the web site, to avoid both expensive call center calls and protracted seat negotiations at the airport check-in counter.
I think this would really differentiate SWA from other airlines in a positive way.
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