Oct 6, 2013, 5:04 pm
Last edit by: alggag
Southwest has added one row of seats to virtually all its aircraft, increasing the seat count from 137 to 143. The pitch is tighter, the seats are thinner and lower, and passengers taller than 6 feet are finding it uncomfortable.
Only a few older 737-300's and 500's have not been refitted. The 737-800's, were originally equipped with the thinner seats but at a larger pitch which most customers find sufficiently comfortable.
In this thread we discuss the wisdom of this decision, discuss whether it makes sense to switch carriers, commiserate, and celebrate our occasional successes in obtaining the suddenly much rarer seats with extra legroom.
Only a few older 737-300's and 500's have not been refitted. The 737-800's, were originally equipped with the thinner seats but at a larger pitch which most customers find sufficiently comfortable.
In this thread we discuss the wisdom of this decision, discuss whether it makes sense to switch carriers, commiserate, and celebrate our occasional successes in obtaining the suddenly much rarer seats with extra legroom.
[Wiki] Southwest's new "Evolve" interior adds 1 row, claims to preserve knee room
Jan 19, 2012, 1:28 pm
#76
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Dallas, TX, AA 3MM EXP, WN
Posts: 1,808
Lets face it that they are doing something right when they have had 39 years of profitability while just about everyone else has gone bankrupt. Some several times. Meanwhile their neighbor down the rode is downsizing through bankruptcy. The interior issue is a straw to grasp for those who have not flown WN and yet complain, or those 3 Airtran FF's who think Atlanta is somehow different from the other big cities. WN did not buy Airtran for its planes XM or first class, WN bought it for a cheap way to expand ATL, LGA and open up some international. They run a tight ship and they move fast on projects. The new Love terminal is not being built by the City of Dallas, like HOU it is being built by WN with WN running the show. I suspect WN will have their integration complete before UA/CO become one or US has one pilot contract.
Sure the FF might be mad that they no longer get the upgrade, but their coach product, convenient airports, frequency, non-hub connecting sure beat the 4 remaining Legacies coach product.
Jan 19, 2012, 1:48 pm
#78
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,508
How's that reservation system upgrade coming?
Jan 19, 2012, 3:32 pm
#79
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
Jan 19, 2012, 5:39 pm
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: RDU
Programs: AA LT Gold, DL SM, HY Disc, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 12,505
- 10 flights a day to LGA
- 10 flights a day to a mix of international destinations (as Air Tran)
- 7 flights a day to MCO, TPA, FLL, BWI, HOU, MDW, STL, DEN
- 5 flights a day between a mix of DAL proxies (JAN, LIT, OKC, TUL, ICT) that continue on to DAL
- 5 flights a day to PHX, LAS, LAX, BOS, DCA, MSY
- an average of 2 flights a day to the remaining 28 cities east of the Rockies, ignoring the cities that are historical DAL/HOU-feeders such as AMA and CRP. Some like OMA and MHT might get one, others like PHL and JAX might get 3.
- 2 flights a day to SNA, SEA, SAN, SFO or OAK
That would be 165 flights to 53 existing WN destinations, plus 10 international. That's about the same domestic breadth as MDW, which serves all but 14 WN destinations.
Jan 19, 2012, 9:18 pm
#81
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,459
Jan 19, 2012, 9:37 pm
#82
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
My understanding was always that the seat pitch on WN's 737-700s was 32" (with a few rows slightly bigger), and would be 31" after Evolve. In the USA Today marketing piece, er... article, today, Southwest says the pitch is being reduced from 33" to 32". Anyone know the truth here?
Jan 20, 2012, 8:42 am
#83
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 368
Looking at the map, are these the places you are counting: Boise, Tulsa, Burbank, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Panama Beach, Milwaukee, Spokane, and then the Texas cities - Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, El Paso, Dallas, Corpus Christi, and South Padre Island? I think I am getting 15.
Jan 20, 2012, 9:19 am
#84
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
That's why you'll often see larger kids (very small kids still "fit" below the neck curve) and shorter adults recline a bit (or more, yes) as soon as they can. I do limit my recline, and always look behind to see how much kneeroom is there, but please understand that it's a tradeoff -- while a taller person is of course less comfortable with the seat in front reclined than a shorter person is, the shorter person is less comfortable with their seat fully upright than the taller person is.
Having said that, I concur that this project sounds like marketing spin on what it really is -- adding a row to the plane. But I remain open and prepared to be pleasantly surprised on boarding one...
Jan 20, 2012, 2:20 pm
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: RDU
Programs: AA LT Gold, DL SM, HY Disc, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 12,505
As a MDW flyer, I did not know they were only missing non-stops to 14 places. I did know I could usually get non-stop flights.
Looking at the map, are these the places you are counting: Boise, Tulsa, Burbank, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Panama Beach, Milwaukee, Spokane, and then the Texas cities - Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, El Paso, Dallas, Corpus Christi, and South Padre Island? I think I am getting 15.
Looking at the map, are these the places you are counting: Boise, Tulsa, Burbank, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Panama Beach, Milwaukee, Spokane, and then the Texas cities - Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, El Paso, Dallas, Corpus Christi, and South Padre Island? I think I am getting 15.
I don't think taller people realize this (and some shorter people may not realize this is why they're uncomfortable), but *many* airline seats are sculpted at the top to optimize for apparently a 5'10-6' tall person -- for those of us who are shorter than that, that neck protrusion pushes us forward, or doesn't let our head go slightly back above the seat. Reclining a couple of degrees is the only way to relieve that pressure.
Jan 24, 2012, 6:51 am
#87
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Texas
Programs: Frequent Flyer
Posts: 435
Jan 24, 2012, 6:56 am
#88
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
I can hardly wait for the inevitable "I can not recline my seat enough on WN" thread that will appear within days of the seats hitting the system. As a non-recliner with a two piece computer in my junk pile (formerly a laptop with an attached screen), I welcome this change.
Jan 24, 2012, 8:09 am
#89
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA,AA,Marriott Platinum
Posts: 329
The current config is 22 rows of seats (23 including the front/bulkhead row).
Take away an inch of pitch from each to get 22 towards an extra row.
Since you need an extra 31" to add in a new row, that means 9 inches combined are being cut from the exit row seating and front row (bulkhead)
Take away an inch of pitch from each to get 22 towards an extra row.
Since you need an extra 31" to add in a new row, that means 9 inches combined are being cut from the exit row seating and front row (bulkhead)
Jan 24, 2012, 8:22 am
#90
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 124
I think the bigger issues are (a) whether the new seats are comfortable and (b) whether Southwest is telling the truth (e.g., reducing seat back thickness by 0.51"; reducing pitch by 1.49", and rounding both to 1" for marketing purposes). The devil, of course, is in the details.