Airlines always like to claim they’re different from all the rest. Yet save for name, logo and routes, they all sure do seem to do the same things, especially the same as within the same class of airline. And then, as one makes a small change, the others follow.
One airline starts to charge for checked bags? So does almost everyone else.
An airline is charging to pick your seat? Nearly all of them piled on.
They figured out ways to make seats thinner and less comfortable, thereby allowing them to pack in a few more rows? Almost every other airline said, “Yes please!”
Southwest Did Its Own Thing… Until Now
Southwest was the outlier for years and years – they did things their own way. The first 2 checked bags remained free. They didn’t have assigned seating, instead relying on an open seating and “first come first served” line up. And although some planes had upgrades through the years, they even still had some old planes with comfy, cushy seats and leg room for days.
They certainly had their fans, along with their foes. They did make some enemies with their hands off approach on early boarding abusers. And there was no love lost when they introduced multiple ways to get the earliest of early positions.
But it was a whole different ballgame when the airline announced changes. Lots and lots of changes.
They started by announcing they were going to “upgrade” their cabins and install new seats that – you guessed it – look like they’re about 1 inch thin.
Then, after YEARS of surveying customers about the possibility of assigned seating, they announced that was coming down the pike, too…complete with traditional boarding groups.
And then – what do you know – they were going to start charging for those checked bags (unless you had the right credit card).
About the one thing that kept Southwest different from the other airlines was their saying they were going to keep using their pylons as a way to line up and board people. I didn’t know how they planned to do this, but it would be a great way to keep the gate lice away.
Well, guess what?
Yep, that’s going away too.
Southwest’s EVP of Operations, Justin Jones, said as much on an Airlines Confidential podcast last week.
“As it stands today we are going to do away with the lining up,” Jones said, suggesting the flip to traditional boarding groups (*cough* and gate lice *cough*) will occur when assigned seating is fully integrated into the airline’s operations.
Jones added that not using the line up pylons, “…allows us to break the groups up into smaller groups and have that more ordinal boarding towards the back half of the boarding process.” He clarified this will help with the airline’s operational efficiency, and will also allow the airline to manage the flow of passengers at the gate better, which is important for ensuring timely departures and smooth boarding operations.
Not Really a Surprise
To be honest, once Southwest had said they were going to have boarding groups, I wasn’t all that surprised with Jones’ admission that the pylons were going to go away. I mean, they served their purpose when they represented boarding positions. But once you’re part of a group, there just wouldn’t be a need for them anymore.
That being said, boarding positions are certainly much more efficient than boarding groups. And Southwest was #4 in on-time arrivals from January to December 2024, with a 78.57% on-time arrival percentage, so maybe they were doing something right?
But nah – charging for boarding groups will make more money. And if you’re an airline, Southwest has recently shown that it doesn’t matter how much your PAX like you; it’s money that counts most of all.
Bye-bye, pylons.
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