"No Frills Southwest May Start Charging for Some Frills"
Feb 12, 2019, 8:18 am
#46
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: WN A-List Pref, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 460
Speculation from TPG points to Euro-style business class:
https://thepointsguy.com/news/southw...ees-next-year/
Obviously, that would make some here happy. The problem that I have with introducing that as a "fee" is that they already have BS fares, which already demands a premium over AT fares. So, BS would be guaranteed no middle seat and the BS fares would rise even higher? I can't really make sense of this option any other way.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/southw...ees-next-year/
Obviously, that would make some here happy. The problem that I have with introducing that as a "fee" is that they already have BS fares, which already demands a premium over AT fares. So, BS would be guaranteed no middle seat and the BS fares would rise even higher? I can't really make sense of this option any other way.
Feb 12, 2019, 11:16 am
#47
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: AA Plat Pto, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,536
Possibly Rapider Rewards point bundles at purchase/check-in? The Big 3 offer this for passengers with great redemption plans/poor math comprehension. I am not a taker but Southwest also hasn't got a single dollar from me for EBCI.
Feb 12, 2019, 1:06 pm
#48
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,966
... and. stand. next. to. me,. seated. in. row. 22+,. at. ride-share/bag-claim/rental-car-bus. anyway. Then again, there's always someone sitting in the back with me who gets up the minute the "ding" goes off just to stand up unnecessarily, so who the f knows what's going thru folks' minds.
I stand by "fetish", based just on the hundreds of "seat saving" threads here on FA alone.
Feb 12, 2019, 1:20 pm
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,454
Nothing, given the other alternatives I've floated. 
Heck, no. I much prefer that those seats be reserved for the standard A/B/C boarding order. If someone in A1-C-60really wants to sit in the back of the plane (and apparently such WN critters, such as yourself, exist), then the odds of me scoring the front half of the plane go up if we can first handle preboarding families. It also reduces the scourge of seat saving, IMO.
Unsure why we have an arbitrary row 1-4; rows 1 to 12-16, depending on the plane, is the front half.
Heck, no. I much prefer that those seats be reserved for the standard A/B/C boarding order. If someone in A1-C-60really wants to sit in the back of the plane (and apparently such WN critters, such as yourself, exist), then the odds of me scoring the front half of the plane go up if we can first handle preboarding families. It also reduces the scourge of seat saving, IMO.
Unsure why we have an arbitrary row 1-4; rows 1 to 12-16, depending on the plane, is the front half.
If you aren't willing to pay for anything other than a reserved specific seat, then this discussion is barren. WN won't be selling those, so WN is just not an airline you should fly. When you must, maybe consider it like going to Costco. You can get what you need there, but you just know going in there will likely be long checkout lines. As my Dad used to say, you have to take the bad with the good in this world.
And if I get a B1-30 boarding position, I'm pretty much sure I'll get an aisle seat (my preference) somewhere near the wing, so I wouldn't think there's enough demand to reserve the entire front half of the plane for the impatient. Besides, if they're not specific seat assignments, the guy who forked over some simollions and ends up in a middle seat in row 15 isn't really going to be that thrilled, is he?
The front 24 slots. Bid on them.
Feb 12, 2019, 2:04 pm
#50
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,459
No, they pay up because they've somehow got it in their minds that somehow on an aircraft where ~95% of 137+ seats are all about the same, there's some cachet to be in the front. Explain to me then why is it that I see people asking the guy on row 5's aisle to get up so they can take the window when row 7's totally empty? I just don't get that..
95% the same? Seriously?
About 33% of all seats are middles. Sure those are just the same. Of the remaining seats 50% are aisles and 50% are windows. Yea, those are just the same.
You see see no difference between row 5 window and row 7 window, except that row 7 window is somewhat blocked by wing / engine. Yea, no difference.
Do do you seriously think the noise level behind the wing is the same as the noise level in front of the wing? Not to you obviously.
Feb 12, 2019, 2:21 pm
#51
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,966
Same legroom and seat pitch, so yeah. If you wanna go all reductio ad absurdum like you have then yes- 95% of all the windows are the same, 95% of all the aisles are the same- hell, even 95% of all the middles are the same.
But again, if people wanna spend extra money to sit up front, and it doesn't cause those of us who couldn't care less any reduction in benefit nor pricing, charge away, WN! I wish there were a way I could sell my nearly-constant A-16-thru-30!
But again, if people wanna spend extra money to sit up front, and it doesn't cause those of us who couldn't care less any reduction in benefit nor pricing, charge away, WN! I wish there were a way I could sell my nearly-constant A-16-thru-30!
Feb 12, 2019, 7:33 pm
#54
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Los Angeles, Chicago
Programs: WN A+/CP, UA 2P, National Car Exec, Hyatt Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 26
Speculation from TPG points to Euro-style business class:
https://thepointsguy.com/news/southw...ees-next-year/
https://thepointsguy.com/news/southw...ees-next-year/
Sure, maybe they don't devalue them *every* year, but they sure as heck devalue them fairly regularly.
Last edited by BarryPeters; Feb 12, 2019 at 7:43 pm
Feb 12, 2019, 8:36 pm
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Sometimes known as [ARG:6 UNDEFINED]
Posts: 26,694
Same legroom and seat pitch, so yeah. If you wanna go all reductio ad absurdum like you have then yes- 95% of all the windows are the same, 95% of all the aisles are the same- hell, even 95% of all the middles are the same.
But again, if people wanna spend extra money to sit up front, and it doesn't cause those of us who couldn't care less any reduction in benefit nor pricing, charge away, WN! I wish there were a way I could sell my nearly-constant A-16-thru-30!
But again, if people wanna spend extra money to sit up front, and it doesn't cause those of us who couldn't care less any reduction in benefit nor pricing, charge away, WN! I wish there were a way I could sell my nearly-constant A-16-thru-30!
Feb 12, 2019, 8:39 pm
#56
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
So true. Rapid Rewards has never used "miles" as a currency either. The bloggers lifeblood is peddling CCs, but I doubt if many of them have ever set foot on WN. Maybe if we get "Euro Class."
Feb 13, 2019, 8:53 am
#57
Join Date: May 2004
Location: US
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 973
One bag free would not alienate many fliers, they can keep it 2 bags free for A List and credit card holders. Also they can make changes to Rapid Rewards last minute cancellations especially for non-A list customers.
Feb 13, 2019, 12:11 pm
#58
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,945
I don't think making it one bag free per person raises much revenue though.
Feb 13, 2019, 12:22 pm
#59
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: WN A-List Pref, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 460
In the end, I don't think it would save much cost or raise much revenue either way.
Feb 15, 2019, 3:12 pm
#60
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
Better to charge for something they already have on the plane..like luggage or seat selection. My guess would be luggage because it would require very little investment in new systems. Just a new billing line.