Southwest Airlines recently announced several significant policy changes that include charging for checked bags and introducing assigned seating. CEO Bob Jordan indicated that these changes are being implemented quickly to keep up with industry standards, contrasting the slow pace of competitors. He mentioned that assigned seating would alleviate issues for cabin crews when families cannot sit together under the open-seating arrangement. Jordan emphasized that these changes align with the company’s evolving business model while recalling co-founder Herb Kelleher’s earlier commitments to maintain certain traditions.
"[O]ther airlines went through these changes over a decade or more. There is a bit of catch-up here because we're moving to that world, but in months, not a decade."
"[I]f in the open-seating world a family gets on and they can't sit together, the flight attendant is having to police that in the cabin."
"What's funny is that Herb would say: 'We're never going to change boarding. We are never going to go into a big airport like LaGuardia. We're never going to have a frequent-flier program.' And then we would do it."
Collection
[
|
...
]