(25 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chicago – 25 July 2024
1. Passengers checking in a kiosk for Southwest flight
2. Southwest customer Sean Kirkland using check-in kiosk
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Kirkland, Southwest Airlines passenger:
"Yeah, I’m not sure I feel about it. Certainly it was something that was unique to Southwest, always has been. You know, some people really didn’t care for it. To me, it was just kind of a factor of that airline and never really swayed my decision one way or the other as to whether I would fly or not fly with Southwest."
4. Mid of Kirkland getting ticket
5. Close of Kirkland holding boarding pass with seat A11 (because he paid for upgrade)
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Kirkland, Southwest Airlines passenger:
"With the seating by group, I think that that’s always been – there’s always a little bit of a jockeying for position and good seats and and, of course, paying to bump yourself up in that line. On the flip side, it’s always nice to know that you have an assigned seat, where you’re sitting in the aircraft, particularly when you’re traveling with family or colleagues for business."
7. Wide of Kirkland checking in at kiosk
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Kirkland, Southwest Airlines passenger:
"Specific to Southwest and their boarding policy, more and more people started buying their way up in the line, which kind of falters the system that they had in place. But in general, I think all of the airlines are struggling in their own way, flying is certainly not what it used to be, and the boarding process is always a little bit chaotic."
9. Passenger checking in at kiosk
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Kirkland, Southwest Airlines passenger:
"Again, it doesn’t really change, my decisions in, in, flying with the airline."
11. Kimberly King at check-in kiosk with her four children
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Kimberly King, flying with her four children:
"I would look forward to the change. I used to fly United a lot and I liked the assigned seats, especially with kids, kind of expecting and knowing where we were going to be. The only reason really why I continue to fly by Southwest is for the free bags with kids."
13. Group of travelers with suitcases
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Kimberly King, flying with her four children:
"I would definitely choose Southwest having seat assignments, as long as the free bags continue."
15. Wide of passengers checking in at kiosks
STORYLINE:
Southwest announced on Thursday it would do away with an over-50-year-old open seating policy that allowed passengers to choose wherever they’d like to sit, rather than pay for or be assigned to a seat on a flight, like Southwest’s competitors.
Southwest did not share further details on the rollout, but it plans to have more information for its investor day in late September.
Passengers are curious to how Southwest will implement these changes and if more changes are on the way.
"I would definitely choose Southwest having seat assignments, as long as the free bags continue," said Kimberly King who was flying with her four children from Midway International Airport.
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