How serious is Southwest Airlines about changing its first-come, first-served seating policy, the only one of its kind in the US?
Airline observers say the possible change in policy is being driven by business customers who are the biggest objectors to the policy known as a ‘cattle call.’
“The surge to the seat turns off many passengers. In the past, Southwest was willing to default such passengers to other airlines. Today’s market conditions do not allow this,” said John D. Kasarda, a professor of management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
No immediate change is expected, however. Newspaper reports say the earliest Southwest might change its policy would be in 2008.
Report by David Wilkening
