Using POS to simulate First Class
 

Usually Fly Southwest with my wife who is on a Companion Pass (already qualified through 2013) using Chase card. I was thinking that on long flights that are traditionally full I could use points or price to buy the third seat between us. So for 1.5 times the points cost per ticket we could be assured of no one in the middle with plenty of room to ourselves. Some wanna get away points are low enough that its still WAY below business select, etc. Any problems doing this? I assume as a POS booking you also get pre-boarding which would save an early bird boarding cost too....
FYI I am not a POS - but does that really matter? Is there a "technical" requirement?

Also - woudn't that also allow me a refund on flights that are not oversold per their POS policy? Would it be discrimintory to deny me the right to buy a POS ticket if I can fit in one seat?

Wow, first post ever. Almost 6 years.

I've heard that there may be problems doing this if you're not a COS. Maybe have a bag with your prized pet rock in it, that occupies the seat. It must travel with you, or you'll die. ;)

Yes there is a problem. When they see you are not qualified they will not let you have the extra ticket and you will not pre-board.

There are a lot of us who would do this if it was permitted. That's probably why Southwest requires you to actually be a POS to buy the 2nd seat.

I think the "test" is whether you can occupy one seat and put the armrest all the way down.

Why wouldn't WN let you buy more than 1 seat?

The only thing I can think of is this:

(1) If they restrict it to just POS (by their definition), it's a max of 1-2 people per flight, with most flights of course having zero POS. Thus it's considered by most as a fair system, good PR with both POS and the people who would otherwise sit adjacent to them, and low total cost to the airline.

Also, they sometimes get media kudos whenever another airline gets bad PR for not having any kind of procedure at all, and it's still infrequent enough not to statistically impact loads, revenues, etc.

(2) If they opened it up to all, then it would become popular enough that it would start to mess with their revenue models in a statistically-meaningful way. If 10 or 20 people per flight are doing it, how does that affect what fare mix has to be offered for that flight to reach desired profitability, factoring in the probability that 10 or 20 refunds have to get issued after the fact? If WN has to change their fares significantly - or the mix of leisure vs. midrange vs. high fares - how would that affect them competitively?

(I don't pretend to have answers...it seems like I'd be pretty good at guessing which flights don't typically sell out, thus consuming two of the cheapest fares on the plane and getting one refunded later. Seems like that'd potentially close out others from getting those cheap fares, thus sending them in search of them on another airline.)

In short: I think their POS procedure is fair, but not scalable to huge numbers the way it is today. It's the "we're refund the 2nd one if we can..." rule that sets them apart from a legacy carrier where they will sell you two (nonrefundable) seats for yourself, your cello, or whatever.

I am a marginal COS (correct term per WN: Customer of Size). You will be challenged. I have been on a few occasions, but I am overweight, I have purchased the seat and I have a standing joke that diffuses the situation in my favor. "If I am not a COS I am just a double cheeseburger and an order of fries from being one." Its gets a chuckle and a gets me a pass.

The gauge is whether the armrests go a down on the 17" wide seats. For me they will go down snugly but not all of the way. They rest on my legs. Like many men, the extra weight I have is not between the seat arms, it is a bit higher, and you would be uncomfortable sitting next to me unless we really liked each other.

Flying as a COS has its drawbacks. You have to call and buy your ticket unless you are your own companion as I am. I "buy" my extra seat when I get my companion booking. You can not check in on line. You can not bypass the ticketing line as you must get your "Seat Reserved" card from a full service station. This is the most likely place you will be challenged, not at the gate.

If they decide that you have violated the T&C they can revoke your ticket and possibly take away your RR account, although either of these would be unlikely.

Also, they do not have to let you and your wife board together. The COS must preboard, but it is the OA's discretion if the companion preboards. Back when we had to get blue sleeves this was not a problem as an assistant can board with blue sleeve passengers. The Seat Reserved document is now used to preboard and does not get blue sleeve privileges. You would board first, but you would need to secure the seat for wife. That means you have to hold the whole row. That may not work out so well for you.

allowing two seats would present plenty of challenges, including some that were already named:

-WN would have to identify which were true Customer of Size tickets when eligible for a refund and when a refund is requested

-WN would have to create (save) many more seats together on connecting flights

-WN would add more preboarders to the already long preboard queues

here's the strongest disadvantage to selling two seats to a passenger:

-WN Would LOSE SIGNIFICANT REVENUE. Why? With a COS passenger the second seat is purchased at the same price paid. Imagine if people wait until the week before or day of flight to purchase the second seat. At that point ,they have just taken a business select/full fare off the market and instead paid potentially a low web only WGA price. If the customer bought the second immediately after booking, this situation wouldn't cause as much revenue loss, because WN could simply lower the fare inventory bucket by that extra seat.

I think it would it cause a ripple effect, perceived higher fares because the lower fares disappear faster, and less family/vacation/etc bookings because other potential customers are more likely to see only the higher fares.

WN would loose revenue because many BS customers would buy 2 WGA fares which are cheaper than 1 BS ticket.

:confused::confused::confused:

One BS ticket does not give you two seats.

Don't you think that many BS customers would buy 2 WGA tickets instead if they could be assured of no one sitting next to them??

Bring a cello, or at least a cello case (or something similar). Most airlines will sell you a second seat to carry your musical instrument in the cabin with you.

That will work. Except...... (You knew there would be an except didn't you?)

The musical instrument must be in the first row and no human passenger can be seated between it and the window. Bottom line, you get the middle and you are still sitting next to someone while your fake cello gets the good view.

Some airlines let you make buy a ticket for a passenger named EXTRA SEAT. I take it WN doesn't do that?

Yes they do, but only if you actually need it. This is presumably because on Southwest (alone?) the second seat is refundable. Apparently you cannot buy a non-refundable second seat.