Southwest Airlines 'refining' new boarding, overhead bin policies after recent complaints
It's been just over a month since Southwest Airlines ended its historic open seating and single-file boarding processes.
And after some early growing pains, the carrier is making a few tweaks.
In a letter to customers late last week, Southwest said it planned to "continue refining" some of its new procedures. It also pledged to make changes to its overhead bins after some customers expressed frustration about the new setup.
"We've already made several enhancements and will continue refining the experience to reward your loyalty," Tony Roach, Southwest's chief customer and brand officer, wrote in the memo viewed by TPG.
All of this comes on the heels of major changes the airline rolled out in late January.
Changes to boarding, overhead bin space coming
Over the next month, the Dallas-based airline plans to add new onboard signage to ensure only customers sitting in its new extra-legroom seats can use the overhead bins above those seats for their luggage.
This is something many of the largest U.S. carriers do to reserve bin space for customers flying in their extra-legroom rows.
In Southwest's case, this move comes after some travelers complained about purchasing (or upgrading to) its new higher-priced seats only to board and find the bins above their seats already occupied.
Another change passengers should see in short order: Southwest said it would aim to create "better balanced boarding groups" to improve the boarding and deplaning process.
As a reminder, the carrier now uses an eight-group boarding process more similar to the setup found at other airlines — and, like its competitors, reserves its priority groups for credit card holders, A-List status members and extra-legroom flyers.
Beyond that, the airline is accelerating plans to retrofit its cabins with larger overhead bins that hold up to 50% more bags. The airline expects that seven in 10 of the planes it flies will have those larger bins installed by the end of this year.
Read more: Southwest is adding Starlink Wi-Fi to its planes
Growing pains
It's not entirely surprising that Southwest ran into some pain points getting passengers (and their bags) on and off its planes.
Just within the last year, the carrier has:
- Introduced checked bag fees, prompting many more customers to carry-on bags instead of checking their luggage
- Pivoted from open seating to assigned seating
- Revamped its boarding procedures to an eight-group setup
In a recent interview with TPG, Roach acknowledged that the carrier saw opportunities to make improvements after the big shake-up.
"Kind of clarifying how the boarding groups are assigned. There were customers that want to make sure they have access to bin space," he said.
"I think we've heard some feedback of things people would like us to change," Roach added, "but we've heard the majority of people say it's actually a calmer and smoother process."
Bottom line
When Southwest first announced its pivot to assigned seating, the carrier cited customer research that, it claimed, showed more than 80% of flyers preferred an assigned seat over its old first-come, first-served model.
Time will tell how customers view that new policy in tandem with the myriad of other changes the airline has made in recent months.
Related reading:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards: Guide to earning and redeeming points, elite status and more
- Best Southwest Airlines credit cards
- How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
- Southwest A-List status: What is is and how to earn it
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight