Is Southwest Doing Away With Its ‘Choose-your-seat’ Methodology?

Southwest’s well-known boarding course of could also be up within the air.

On Thursday, after reporting a web lack of $231 million, the Dallas-based airline introduced a wide range of adjustments, together with the potential for brand new seating assignments and confirmed the closure of operations at a number of airports. 

“We’re new initiatives, the best way we seat and the best way we board our plane,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan mentioned in an interview with CNBC on Thursday, when requested in regards to the potential for a enterprise class or new seat project procedures, including that the corporate is “learning our seating, and our cabin.”

Southwest at the moment boards with an open-seating coverage, the place passengers select any accessible seat once they board the plane, versus having a reserved superior seat project. 

“Moreover, we’re evaluating choices to reinforce our Buyer Expertise as we examine product preferences and expectations, together with onboard seating and our cabin,” Jordan additionally mentioned in a Southwest earnings launch. 

Southwest’s boarding coverage has turn into a scorching subject within the journey group, with some on-line content material creators posting humorous takes on the method.

Along with the potential seating adjustments, Southwest confirmed that a number of routes can be canceled within the coming weeks on account of financial and mechanical headwinds. 

The airline will likely be cancelling flights to and from a number of airports together with Bellingham Worldwide Airport close to Seattle and Vancouver, Cozumel Worldwide Airport in Mexico, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and Syracuse Hancock Worldwide Airport. The airline may even be slicing again flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport and Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport, in accordance with the earnings launch.

The adjustments gained’t happen till August 4.

For vacationers waiting for plan future holidays, the airline has added a new path to Nashville from Cincinnati, that begins on June 4. Southwest additionally lately started rolling out the offers for loyalty factors. Members of the airways’ Fast Rewards program can earn a 50 p.c bonus on factors bought by way of Might 15.