mindtoss is the personal blog of stephen chip, a creative director living and working in boca raton, florida
Although there are a lot of fans of Southwest Airlines out there, I cannot be counted as one of them. After flying them this past weekend from South Florida to New Orleans, there is plenty for me to gripe about.
First of all, I’m not a fan of Southwest’s open seating policy. Sure it sounds like a great idea getting to choose where you would like to sit. However, it is only a great idea if the plane is 50% filled. If the plane is over sold, like most of the flights on Southwest, it doesn’t really work out for the consumer. Instead of a seat assignment, you receive a letter on your boarding pass - either A, B, or C. Of course the letters are first come first serve. “A”s, then “B”s, then “C”s. And here’s what that translates to:
A - Aisle - What the first people in the plane usually select
B - Window - Not the Aisle but close enough
C - Center - What the last resort is if you wish to fly