When it comes to Southwest Airlines, mine is a family divided: My kids and I like the thrill of the airline’s famous open seating model (and the fact that Southwest’s family boarding time between groups A and B ensures that families with kids six and under can sit together), while my husband has long hated the unpredictability of not having a seat until you park yourself in one.
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Southwest’s announcement that it would end its signature open-seating policy is sure to shake things up for the airline’s large and loyal fan base, and maybe win it a few new converts (including my husband? TBD) along the way. But what does the change mean for families?
What are the changes?
Southwest announced two big changes to its seating policy: Assigned seating and premium seating that offers extra legroom (and my guess is early boarding, too). According to Southwest, the airline is moving to assigned seating due to popular demand, saying 80% of current customers and 86% of “potential customers” prefer an assigned seat.
A big concern for both the airline and its customers is whether assigning seats will slow the boarding process.Southwest says it has “conducted robust operational testing” with a mix of live tests and 8 million simulation-based boarding exercises, and reports it is confident the shift will “not compromise the airline’s operational efficiency.”
How will Southwest’s seating model changes affect families?
Southwest hasn’t announced (and likely won’t until September at the earliest) how these policies will apply to families, so I’m going to take some guesses based on the airline’s current policies and my experiences as a family traveler on both Southwest and airlines with more traditional boarding structures.
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Since Southwest has a history of doing right by families, and its free baggage (please don’t change that!) allowance, generally reasonable fares, and friendly service appeal to family travelers, I’m going to go ahead and assume that the airline will continue in the general spirit of family-friendly policies.
Currently, families with kids two and younger get priority boarding (more time to buckle in those car seats and get everyone settled), and families with kids six and younger can board between the A and B groups (or, if everyone has A boarding passes, with the A group). Families with older children (seven to 13) can request help finding seats so at least one adult (hilariously, airlines consider kids 14 and older adults) sits next to a child.
In my book, the gold standard of doing right by families is Alaska Airlines, which has a family seating policy that guarantees that kids under 13 can sit next to an adult on the same reservation at no additional cost. Southwest could implement a similar policy for its standard seats. In my opinion, letting adults reserve seats next to their kids should be the industry standard, as it benefits both families and the poor people who find themselves seated next to a four-year-old without a caregiver nearby.
Potentially, Southwest’s move to assigned seats could even benefit families, since boarding a plane in a group and not knowing for sure you’ll be able to find seating together adds stress to an already stressful part of family travel.
