radarlove
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2005
- Posts
- 677
Balon: Southwest Airlines' new policy is peanuts
Robert E. Balon
Friday, September 28, 2007The one thing that you could always count on at Southwest Airlines was a reasonably fresh bag or two of peanuts, fairly low fares, and the expectation of arriving pretty much on time. Beyond that, with regard to comfort, accommodations, and scheduling, well, it was pretty much a crap shoot.
Now, the fares are much higher and even the peanuts are iffy. I was given some stale crackers of dubious nature that were essentially tasteless the other day. No peanuts in sight.
And after extensive market research, Southwest has determined that it's so-called "open boarding" system needed an overhaul. Upon hearing the news I was quite pleased. You know what I mean: the scene at airports where Southwest had hubs would always consist of diehards lining up at the boarding gate literally an hour ahead of time so they could be first in the queue. I never really understood this cattle-car mentality but then again there are many things I don't understand.
So did the Peanuts Airline finally decide to join every other major airline in the world, catapult itself into the modern age and start preassigning seats? Sorry, but no. Rather they have revamped their "open" boarding system because their research shows that customers still like to choose their own seats. They're still using the Group A, B, C, D etc. boarding group mentality. But now when you get assigned a boarding group, you also get a number to determine your place in line in that group. So instead of your ticket saying Group C, it will now say Group C12, meaning you will be twelfth in the C line. (Wonder if it ever occurred to any of the suits at SW that customers booking though an agent or on-line could still "choose" a seat from whatever was left in the inventory).
Are you kidding me? I can see it now: panicked Southwest flyers jockeying for position in the queue; fights breaking out because passenger C12 is in line ahead of C 8. Or worse still, passengers actually thinking their seat on the plane is number C12 or C8 and demanding that seat once they board.
I can see a harried boarding agent trying to make sense of it all and losing control of the impending hoarde.
You've got to hand it to Southwest though: no one has ever accused them of pushing the proverbial envelope. They should get the award for best "back-in-the-day airline" in the US.
I thought there was some hope for SW when they finally shelved their ridiculous campaign that assailed the dignity of every overweight passenger. (Recall that heavier passengers had to demonstrate that they could put both armrests down or face the prospect of having to buy an additional ticket, not to mention unrelenting public ridicule?) But I was wrong again. Now they've moved on to legislating the sartorial standards of their fliers.
They kicked a young woman off a flight the other day for wearing a mini-skirt and a short top. Some forward thinker in the flight crew made an arbitrary decision and ordered this girl to go to the airport gift shop and buy a longer shirt. Consider that this misguided moral imperative is from the same airline that allowed its flight attendants to prance around in hot pants for the better part of a decade. Where the hell is Herb when we need him?
Robert E. Balon
Friday, September 28, 2007The one thing that you could always count on at Southwest Airlines was a reasonably fresh bag or two of peanuts, fairly low fares, and the expectation of arriving pretty much on time. Beyond that, with regard to comfort, accommodations, and scheduling, well, it was pretty much a crap shoot.
Now, the fares are much higher and even the peanuts are iffy. I was given some stale crackers of dubious nature that were essentially tasteless the other day. No peanuts in sight.
And after extensive market research, Southwest has determined that it's so-called "open boarding" system needed an overhaul. Upon hearing the news I was quite pleased. You know what I mean: the scene at airports where Southwest had hubs would always consist of diehards lining up at the boarding gate literally an hour ahead of time so they could be first in the queue. I never really understood this cattle-car mentality but then again there are many things I don't understand.
So did the Peanuts Airline finally decide to join every other major airline in the world, catapult itself into the modern age and start preassigning seats? Sorry, but no. Rather they have revamped their "open" boarding system because their research shows that customers still like to choose their own seats. They're still using the Group A, B, C, D etc. boarding group mentality. But now when you get assigned a boarding group, you also get a number to determine your place in line in that group. So instead of your ticket saying Group C, it will now say Group C12, meaning you will be twelfth in the C line. (Wonder if it ever occurred to any of the suits at SW that customers booking though an agent or on-line could still "choose" a seat from whatever was left in the inventory).
Are you kidding me? I can see it now: panicked Southwest flyers jockeying for position in the queue; fights breaking out because passenger C12 is in line ahead of C 8. Or worse still, passengers actually thinking their seat on the plane is number C12 or C8 and demanding that seat once they board.
I can see a harried boarding agent trying to make sense of it all and losing control of the impending hoarde.
You've got to hand it to Southwest though: no one has ever accused them of pushing the proverbial envelope. They should get the award for best "back-in-the-day airline" in the US.
I thought there was some hope for SW when they finally shelved their ridiculous campaign that assailed the dignity of every overweight passenger. (Recall that heavier passengers had to demonstrate that they could put both armrests down or face the prospect of having to buy an additional ticket, not to mention unrelenting public ridicule?) But I was wrong again. Now they've moved on to legislating the sartorial standards of their fliers.
They kicked a young woman off a flight the other day for wearing a mini-skirt and a short top. Some forward thinker in the flight crew made an arbitrary decision and ordered this girl to go to the airport gift shop and buy a longer shirt. Consider that this misguided moral imperative is from the same airline that allowed its flight attendants to prance around in hot pants for the better part of a decade. Where the hell is Herb when we need him?
TC
