BWI Airport travelers split over Southwest Airlines abandoning open seating policy
BALTIMORE - Travelers at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport are split over Southwest Airlines' move to end its open seating policy. Southwest passengers will be assigned their seats.
"It cool be good," said Southwest traveler Gerri Flowers.
Other passengers enjoyed the luxury of picking their own seats.
"I love the fact that you get to pick your seats," said traveler Davin Johnson.
According to research conducted by Southwest, 80% of customers and 86% of potential customers say they prefer an assigned seat.
The air carrier will also offer seats with extended legroom, will allow passengers to pay a premium for certain seats and will have red-eye options for flights in major cities as early as February.
Southwest traveler Judann Culver, who booked a flight from Baltimore to Jacksonville, said she won't miss the anxiety that comes with trying to get a top boarding position when checking in.
"I make sure my phone is all setup," Culver said. "I was actually driving home from work yesterday when I did it and I was worried about my Wi-Fi and I did it right on time and I still got B40."
Southwest reported that its second-quarter profit dropped to $367 million, which is down 46% from a year earlier.
Airlines across the board are grappling with reduced pricing power while facing higher costs.
As flights are being added faster than the growth in demand for travel, some travelers say they're hoping the changes stop at the seats.
"I love Southwest, so as long as they keep the two bags, I don't care what they do," Flowers said.
Southwest plans to begin booking assigned seating starting in 2025. Starting Thursday, travelers will be able to book red-eye flights for February
