Southwest Will Start Booking Flights To Full Capacity December 1

Southwest Airlines has limited the number of seats they’d sell on each flight, so that no one would have to be in a middle seat and everyone would have some space between them. They’ve been in a camp with Delta, Alaska, and JetBlue offering customers greater comfort (both physical, and peace of mind during the pandemic) and in opposition to United Airlines and American that have been booking to full capacity.

We’ve known that this strategy wouldn’t last, and even Delta has said their capacity limits – which only blocks most middles – would last through the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Southwest Airlines now says their sales caps will only last through the end of November and Thanksgiving travel. They will start to book to full capacity December 1.

Where prices are similar, then, and where you’re either comparing two non-stop flights or two connecting itineraries, Delta represents better value for December travel.

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. Money and profits are always more important than if they are infecting passengers
    Until it’s you or a loved one that gets ill and potentially dies
    Less mileage liability too for the carrier

  2. @dbag yeah because sitting 17 inches from someone by keeping the middle seat open makes a difference. Nope it doesn’t as far as spreading the virus. The fact that you think 17 inches makes a difference is insane.

  3. @Your daddy says, 17 inches is better than 6 inches, to me, but also the fact that there are 1/3 fewer potential covid carriers within my vicinity, too.

  4. If SW. Does this… they MUST still enforce the mask wearing policy which they only sometimes do and not very rigorously! AND … there are some folks who need to be told to wear the mask over nose and mouth and chin…repeatedly!!! SW… have your attendants enforce the rules. If a customer refuses, have them arrested at the end of the flight!!! Do it!!!

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