According to passengers who are flying on Southwest Airlines, there's plenty wrong with their new seating policy.
Users are taking to social media and to Reddit to voice complaints about the airline changing its policy from allowing people to pick a seat when they board the plane to pre-arranging and buying their seat.
Southwest formally ditched its open seating policy on Jan. 27 after 54 years.
And one user was so disgruntled with a recent flying experience on Southwest that her post on Reddit is titled "Now it's Extortion."
"Bought a Basic Fare non-stop ticket for my daughter. Check her in EXACTLY 24 HRS before departure. It says there are no seats, she's on standby and may have to take a later flight ( that would be next day)," a woman named Sweaty Crab wrote on Reddit.
"So I check the "upgrade seat" option and, sure enough, there are literally dozens of empty seats FOR SALE on her flight. And even worse, according to the seating chart, there were well over a dozen seats in light blue in the back of the plane that it wouldn't assign her."
Dozens of others piled on with the same issue, claiming the airline doesn't reserve a seat for basic fare passengers until they actually pay the upcharge for a place to sit. Some wondered if the attorney general would get involved.
Among frequently cited issues, tickets appear to be 'standby' until you pay for an upgraded seat, plus parents and children who could formerly sit together naturally by boarding as a group now risk separation because seats are automatically assigned without grouping parties together. After what it termed a "bumpy rollout" of the new seating plan, the Austin Statesman reported Southwest is refining its policies.
“Since launch, we’ve been closely monitoring input and real-world behaviors to validate our assumptions and identify where we can refine the experience," Southwest said in a statement. "Those insights are now informing a series of early adjustments designed to smooth operations and reduce friction as Customers and Employees adapt to the new boarding and seating process.”
As part of the new adaptations, logic will be improved in the ticketing system to better group travelers together, larger overhead bins that can hold up to 50% more bags will be installed across most of the fleet by the end of 2026, and signage will be added to designate bin space above extra-legroom seats.
Will that satisfy customers? It remains to be seen. As simpleflying.com noted, "The introduction of baggage fees and newly structured fare bundles marks a departure from the simplicity that once defined Southwest’s brand. For decades, the airline differentiated itself with open seating, the beloved “Bags Fly Free” policy, and a straightforward pricing philosophy. To many loyal customers, the cumulative effect of these changes signals a significant identity shift that risks eroding the distinctiveness that once set Southwest apart from its competitors."