Game-Changer At Southwest Airlines: One Simple Policy Shift Ends Seat Savers And Wheelchair Cheaters

Southwest Airlines lets passengers pick their seats on a first-come, first-served basis. You board earlier if you buy the most expensive tickets, if you’re a frequent traveler, or if you pay for early boarding. Or if you fake the need for a wheelchair.

That’s why Southwest Airlines has more wheelchair passengers than any other airline. It drives up the airline’s costs (they pay for the wheelchair service!) and cheats other customers out of better seats. And it makes a tremendous spectacle: the “Jetbridge Jesus” flight where passengers come on with a wheelchair to get the best seats, and miraculously walk without any assistance when the flight is over.

This is terrible passengers who really need wheelchairs, with people who don’t need them taking up the scarce service. Those with a real need are forced to wait longer.

But this is all about to change, because Southwest is moving to assigned seating. Wheelchair passengers may board earlier but it doesn’t get them better seats.

That’s also going to be a huge help with misbehaving passengers. Right now when law enforcement comes on board the airline doesn’t know the identity of the problem passenger.

If there are more passengers on the plane than there are supposed to be, you don’t know who is supposed to be there and who isn’t. If a passenger in a specific seat is causing problems, you don’t immediately know who it is. If a problem passenger doesn’t identify themselves, you need to take everyone off and reboard them to know who’s still on the plane.

That, too, will change.

This is also going to mean the end of seat saving. No more claiming 13 seats for your group or using a bag of donuts to claim a whole row of seats, and the ensuing conflict that comes from taking more space than your ticket allows.

Woman saving an entire row of plane seats behind her with donut bags.
byu/Hog_Fan inmildlyinfuriating

With one simple change – assigned seating – Southwest will solve many of the problems that turn boarding a Southwest Airlines flight into an exercise in game theory.

While I’m one of the few that actually likes part of how Southwest does seating today (but not lining up at the start of boarding), I don’t see the change as all good.

It’ll help Southwest’s bottom line, and not just on the revenue side selling premium and assigned seats. Wheelchair services are costly. This is also going to save Southwest at least $30 per wheelchair passenger.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Although we all hate paying more I’m happy to have a confirmed seat and not have someone knock me over trying to hoard a seat first in addition to other acts of bad behavior
    On the other hand if they price to high I’m likely to simply fly another airline
    And I’m thrilled to know the wheelchair club is finally getting canceled so folks who truly need it are good to go.

  2. Southwest can still be liked when it assigns seats for free.

    Air Canada and Westjet requires payment for seat assignments except for thr most expensive tickets. Even expensive, non-basic tickets charge for seat assignment. Canada is garbage. It is a stupid country full of people that want to rip off another person.

  3. I think for shuttle flights (Dallas-Houston comes to mind), everyone seems to know each other and at least in Texas, you can open carry a beer, lol.

    But you will always have people who feel entitled to cheat the system, just like my brother, David Biedermann. (He is successful, teased me as a kid, so I have no problem shaming him, lol). He literally changed the HTML of his boarding pass to say GROUP A instead of Group C, just because he was late 24 hours before.)

    Did it work? Of course! Sigh.

  4. @Jon Biedermann
    Isn’t that theft of service?
    Someone did a similar thing on Spirit with carry-on bags, and got banned.
    https://viewfromthewing.com/journalist-banned-from-spirit-airlines-for-teaching-people-how-to-scam-free-carry-on-bags/

    Speaking of banning… I don’t understand why Southwest hasn’t put in a simple policy: If a passenger requests wheelchair service for boarding, but then walks off just fine (in other words, Jetway Jesus), flag it, send out a formal warning (email or snail mail), and if a repeat incident occurs, ban the offender for life.

    *Example of formal warning for fraud: “It has come to our attention that you fraudulently requested wheelchair service on flight #### from ### to ### on ##/##/20##. Wheelchair service is only intended for passengers with disabilities who cannot walk on their own. The Air Carrier Access Act does not apply to passengers without disabilities. Should you be involved in another incident of fraud, you will be permanently barred from travel with Southwest Airlines and your Rapid Rewards account will be permanently closed, which will result in the forfeiture of all of your points. In addition, we reserve the right to pursue any and all rights and remedies, including bringing legal claims, against you.”

  5. I am so happy to see this coming to fruition, because there has been so much abuse over the last 10 years, and it’s only gotten worse. People saving rows of seats, and then the fake pre-boarders taking up the whole front of the airplane. How is Southwest able to make the Revenue to survive when this kind of BS is allowed. Southwest is in the business of making money. Regardless, if they charge more for extra legroom seats or not, like every other Airline does, the differentiator has always been the employees of Southwest Airlines. That’s what Herb Kelleher believed and I believe that to this day.

  6. @Jon Biedermann your comment was absolutely hilarious. I love putting friends, and brothers and sisters and family members on blast for their bad behavior, and then laughing at them. That is so awesome. They laugh when I do it to them and they know they’ve got it coming, so it’s all in good fun just like what it sounds like is your situation. Outstanding. Thanks for the good laugh. Tell your brother David Biedermann that I judge him, I judge him hard… but game respects game, so, nicely done.

  7. I used to use Southwest for a lot of my short trips (2 hours or less) because they flew directly to my destination. I stopped several years ago because of the behavior or people. I just wanted to sit down and get to my destination. The staff was always super friendly, you took a seat and went. But people have a way ruining anything easy and convenient.

  8. Even DL has some issues with pre-board for ‘passengers requiring further assistance’. However, the benefit is/was less.

    I’ve seen folks hobble up with a collapsible.walking stick, then immediately fold it up and stride down the jetway, just past the gate-to-jetway door.

    But I’ve never seen more than a couple.of those.on any given flight.

  9. I think Southwest is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Time will tell if their new strategy will work.

  10. But when you think about it, just know that instead of buying an EarlyBird upgrade. Now instead you get to choose your seat! Simple! All their doing is letting Earlybirds choose their seat! Relax everybody! It’s no big deal! Just keep the 2 free bags, please! So much less carryon craziness aboard!

  11. But, occasionally there’s a legitimate issue: I ended up in ICU in New Orleans … a few days after I was released flying MSY to DAL. An incredibly humbling experience: I had to be wheel-chaired from the curb, we were boarded first, got seats 1B&C to make it super-easy for me to get to the lavatory if needed (difficult, I couldn’t stand or walk), into the wheelchair in DAL. I don’t think 24-F would have worked.

  12. Yep this will suck. Today c40 something on an 800. Instead of paying 50 bucks for 1-15 boarding, got extra time boarding for free n grab a great extra row seat. Win win win.

  13. I used to hate the idea of no assigned seats but since I travel so much, at least 50-60 flights a year I like the flexibility of being able to still get a good seat if I change flights or book at the last minute. I don’t see that happening with assigned seats. Assigned seats aren’t the big problem solver. My last two non-Southwest flights had people sitting in the seat I had paid more for.

  14. I would not fly Southwest previously because of this very reason. Possibly now will consider them in my travels

  15. This again… Not everyone that uses a wheelchair service, but can walk on the plane is a cheater. I simply can’t walk all the way across the airport without falling and experiencing extreme pain. Does that mean I can’t walk a few steps? No. Also we are ACTIVELY discouraged from taking the wheelchair up the ramp by the gate attendants and the wheelchair pushers. The wheelchair pushers simply leave you at the gate, they don’t stay 2 hours to push you up the ramp. This leaves only the gate attendant to do it. The gate attendants will ASK you to walk up the ramp. I have seen article after article here that is horribly ableist and hateful toward those that use wheelchairs or have service animals. If you are going to report on these issues, at least get the facts and report in a fair and balanced way. You are contributing to the abuse of disabled people by the general public. It’s dangerous.

  16. My wife and I are over 80. Some of us at this age may not have problem walking, but do have a problem walking long distances between the concourse like at Sky Hsrbor. Sure we can walk down the jetway, but these every long walks- no way especially pulling a carryon. We also need help when getting our checked bags. In our case we don’t have relatives or friends always there to help us. Are we going to be singled out because of our age.

  17. For me this is a game-changer. I can finally fly the Baltimore – Albuquerque route, previously that option did not work for us because on top of the inconvenience of driving to Baltimore, the stress of not having an assigned seat and the havoc of boarding was just too much. Good news for our family.

  18. The cost of the earlybird option must not be sustainable to Southwest profit margins anymore. No mater what Southwest protrays as new the bottom line is its all about business! I guess too many wheelchair scammers has dampen profits. Southwest will charge more for perfered seats however this is the trade off for early bird and other A list programs that charged more. The question is will they change their checkin and carry on entitlements? I hope they don’t become too greedy. The new seat assignment offerings will make customers more honest and healthier. Besides walking is better for you.

  19. Southwest was once so popular that it didn’t matter what they did, passengers still came to them. Especially in the Kelleher days. Now Herb is gone and SWA is just another big airline. Now they have to compete on the same playing field as their competitors.
    Also, they let their technology department languish in the past and their computer system was 30 years old. If they hadn’t started from such an elevated place, they would have already been out of business.

  20. Once again, Southwest invited the scammers when they started the boarding process by saying if you are a preboard Customer and can walk down the jetway they will board you first. That is when the scammers jump into line. Well, I have learned my lesson. I use a wheelchair, and walking, especially where there is an inclined surface, I am a falling hazard. But when they make that announcement I will grab my cane and line up, and most often hold up everyone behind me because I cannot go deep into the aircraft.
    As for the brilliant person who said “first on, last off” , would that be because you are so superior to all other passengers that you, and only you are either most important or you are the only one with a connection to make. That would be you Donald Harrod.

  21. My parents on their last few flights can walk, but not very fast. Their habit was to get a wheelchair to the plane and between connections but to walk the aisle of the plane to and from their seats and to transport at their final destination. This started when they were in their 80s.

    My mother in law during her last 10 years or so was ok only if it was an airport she knew or she had a guide. She would get lost in any airport that she hadn’t learned earlier. So, wheelchair orders for all intermediate airports.

    While there may be a legitimate reason for some people to use wheelchairs to and not require them from, that would only be for a few of the people on a flight.

  22. I’m always amazed at the number of wheelchairs that come up empty from an arriving flight. Apparently Jesus loves to give back the miracle of walking when people are flying. Jesus must watch ATC and travel bloggers video on Youtube all day in heaven.

    The way to get around this is that people either provide a bona fide doctor’s note or they will board and deplane last. Some of these people will experience the miracle of mobility even before they board their flight.

  23. Not everyone who gets a wheelchair to the ramp and then walks on and off the flight is cheating the system. I am 68 and have a lung condition that allows me to walk short distances, but I can not walk more than a few hundred feet without stopping to catch my breath. This is a physical condition that is not obvious and I feel horrible every time I have to get a wheelchair to make it to the flight and back to luggage claim. I always give a HUGE tip to the person pushing the wheelchair, usually 40 dollars because I feel so bad having to use the service.

  24. The other problem with the so-called wheelchair boarders is that Southwest always seems to allow the multiple other members to be board at the same time. One problem begets another…

  25. @Samus Aran – the problem with that is they have no way of know who to send the email or letter to. They would have to detain them to get the info… and if the person chose not to give it… then what?

  26. I like the open seating and do not pay for early boarding. If there is a “person of size” or someone lacking hygiene, I can find another row to sit in. You cant do that with assigned seats.

  27. My husband has fallen on the slick concourse floors 3 times in the last year. Last time he came inches from cracking his skull, and did injure his knee and shoulder. This is because he has neuropathy in both feet. I now insist that he use a wheelchair. Know that using this service dampens his dignity, and adds another hour to our arrival. Jetway Jesus is typically a no show upon arrival and I foray ahead to scope out a luggage cart or empty and then I push him from there.
    Excited for assigned seating because there are many more long flights than the good old hops in the southwest region so a decent seat is more valuable.
    My peeve is when I pay for earlybird and get B16 and then an entire family boards between A & B. Jesus was not the only one to bear a cross.

  28. As the companion pass holder of an A lister, we have enjoyed the automatic assignment of boarding position and the ability to change flights within 24 hrs of flight and be able to board at the end of the the A group. Neither of these benefits will apply under an assigned seat system. Looks like they are throwing A listers under the 737s.

  29. I’m still curious how this will shake out on through flights such as DAL-ABQ-LAS. WN passengers are quite accustomed to changing to better seats (closer to the pointy end) on a enroute stop. It may turn into “wack-a-mole” for the Gate Agent.

  30. Southwest thinks this is the slick thing to do. As an every week business traveler I have used Southwest exclusively for over forty years and the seating policy is why I have. Often times I book a day or two before my flight as my business priorities shift. When I have tried other airlines, what I have experienced is that two days before a flight all that is left is center seats on the rear of the plane. So I generally change websites to Southwest where I know my status will get me on board earlier and I can get a decent seat. I would estimate that I spend over thirty thousand dollar a year with SWA. That’s all going to change and I have already begun experimenting with American. If SWA doesn’t need all the revenue I bring them then that is certainly their right to feel that way. I’m betting there are a lot more business travelers that feel the same way than they even realize. I predict they are about to take a nosedive financially.

  31. Mike F – completely agree with you. SWA is no longer the low price leader, and with assigned seats their biggest other differentiator is out the window. Given how much i fly, particularly on short notice, open seating IS the reason Ive preferred SWA. Might as well rebrand as Spirit… Herb is rolling in his grave.

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