Las Vegas number one airline is thinking of messing with the most fun part of the ticketing process, reports USA Today. It is running a six-week trial from San Diego by giving out assigned seating and the bottom line is that assigned seats may be faster and save money.
They’ve already made it too easy to get an “A” seat by allowing fliers to book 24 hours in advance instead of the original “after midnight” check-in. In the good old days, you really had to earn that aisle seat.
As the paper points out though, the change symbolizes the shift from the quirky upstart start up to a more mature airline that is taking on its major competitors on every front. CEO Gary Kelly says Southwest hasn’t changed but the old carriers are imitating it.
Other signs that Southwest is no longer a teenager: It is putting up fares, may add some movies and music and is doing a code-sharing deal. And it is getting some other planes than the traditional Boeing 737 and may even fly overseas. It’s already overtaken United and, with orders in the works, it could outrank American.
The real change is that it’s no longer just a short-hop airline where “no frills” work best. If you’re flying to New York, you might just want some food and a little entertainment.

