Southwest Airlines Community

Hi Lindsey,   > Enforcing any kind of rule about seating, when seating is very clearly and explicitly open, would be an inconsistency.   I could take this to the extreme.  The next time I fly on Southwest, I should be able to save 5 rows of seats.  Maybe 10.  I'll bring lots of things to put on the seats and tell everyone that they're saved.  In these forums, your customers have pointed out that people are "saving" rows of seats, not just one.  That's already an extreme and an abuse of the Open Seating policy.   > Open seating has proven to be effective and overwhelmingly successful for Southwest Airlines.   As I indicated, I wholeheartedly agree and would enjoy Southwest's Open Seating much more if the system wasn't being abused.   > As with any policy, there are going to be some for whom the situation is bothersome or not preferable.   You seem to be missing the point of these complaints.  People aren't complaining about the Open Seating policy; they're complaining about the abuse of this policy.  These customers want Southwest to adjust the policy regarding "saved" seats.   > If you ever do find yourself in a situation where the seats available are not suitable, please let a Flight Attendant know.   Your responses would be more useful if you actually read the posts in full.  As I pointed out, requesting assistance from a Flight Attendant on a plane with one aisle while a line of people are behind you waiting to board is impractical and almost impossible.   It's really quite simple:  Open Seating and allowing people to save seats is a contradiction.   Lindsey, while I appreciate someone from Southwest monitoring these forums, pretending there is no problem doesn't help.  Amend the Open Seating policy to remove the abuse of saving seats and it'll only make the policy that much better and increase Southwest's profit. ... View more

Hi Lindsey,   First, I agree with cgoflyer in that:   Allowing seat saving is a contradiction of the open seating policy.   When you're boarding a plane, there's a line of people with luggage behind you in an aisle really only meant for one person.  Please explain to me how you're supposed to even get to a flight attendant while you're trying to sit in a "saved" seat?   Picture this:  someone standing in the aisle, blocking passengers from boarding while waiting for a flight attendant to work their way over to you to allow you to sit in an "open" but "saved" seat.  How does that speed up the boarding process?  How is that fair to the person who has every right to sit in one of those "open" but "saved" seats?  How is that fair to the people waiting to board?   I've read numerous threads addressing this topic, even those marked as "solved" (even though they weren't).  I do appreciate someone from Southwest monitoring these forums and I've seen that you've responded to many of them.  However, your responses haven't really been useful to resolve this issue.   Tons of your customers are complaining about "saved" seats and tons of your customers are abusing the system.  I am personally quite content with Southwests open seating policy but I think it's about time Southwest resolved this once and for all.  You can't have it both ways. ... View more