Southwest Airlines recently revealed plans for a dramatic transformation that is sure to please travelers but also have them longing for the days when the low-cost carrier operated as a one-of-one.
Based on last month's Investor Day briefing at the airline's home in Dallas, Texas, the new Southwest is going to be much improved, with assigned and premium seating and upgraded boarding processes designed to enhance the customer experience.
Southwest also announced a new partnership with Icelandair that is scheduled to launch through its hub at Baltimore-Washington International Airport in 2025.
If it all sounds too good to be true it's because it is.
It's a money-making business after all and Southwest hasn't exactly been excelling in the wake of the pandemic.
Key investors have taken notice.
"We're now ushering in a new era at Southwest, moving swiftly and deliberately to transform the company by elevating the customer experience, improving financial performance, and driving sustainable shareholder value," Bob Jordan, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Vice Chairman of the Board, said in a statement last month.
Southwest has been forced to conform and while many despise the carrier's unique boarding process that's been likened to the Wild West—80 percent of Southwest customers and 86 percent of passengers who choose other airlines want assigned seats—it was ultimately the last aspect of air travel that felt fair.
Attentive travelers could set an alarm and check in exactly 24 hours before their departure to secure an early boarding group without paying the $25 early check-in fee.
Sure, you had to work, but in some cases that meant an aisle seat for under $100 roundtrip.
Southwest Airlines plane landing at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. (Photo Credit: Patrick Clarke)
The airline plans to offer extra legroom options with up to five additional inches of pitch for approximately a third of its seats, which is good news.
Unfortunately, that extra choice in seating and legroom is going to cost passengers who have come to rely on Southwest for offering a consistent product at a great price point.
The days of checking in early and snagging an aisle or window seat without having to outbid a fellow traveler are coming to an end. You'll have to pay for those coveted spots now and as a result, these flights will feel way less communal.
Two bags still fly free, of course, but that feels irrelevant if seats are going to cost travelers more.
The people at Southwest are and will no doubt continue to be spectacular. I've lost count of how many personable pilots and flight attendants have made my trip better in some form or fashion.
I don't doubt the carrier's crew members will continue to set the bar in terms of friendliness, efficiency and reliability but a new business model will inevitably result in changes to an airline that didn't require them from a passenger standpoint.
Flying Southwest has always been about doing so cheaply and efficiently for the most fun. The laidback crew members, free bags and in-flight entertainment shall remain but these changes aren't all good.
Southwest Airlines has been a singular carrier for half a century and while change is inevitable, I only hope it doesn't lose sight of the creativity and stubbornness that got it this far.
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