Southwest starts assigning seats to some passengers

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Southwest Airlines Co. began assigning seats to some passengers Monday, a first for the maverick carrier that for 35 years has let travelers choose where to sit on a first-come, first-served basis.

It's only a test — for now. The Dallas-based airline wants to know if assigning seats will slow down its ability to unload incoming planes and board passengers for the next flight. It takes the carrier 25 minutes on average to turn a plane around, and any delay can add to the airline's costs.

Southwest carries more domestic passengers than any other airline, and it is the only airline in the United States to have what it calls "open seating," said spokeswoman Marilee McInnis.

"Open seating has been a big part of our success in allowing quick turn times," said McInnis, noting that a new reservation system is being installed to handle assigned seating and international flights. "But times are changing, and we have technologies we didn't have before."

McInnis said customers contact Southwest in equal numbers to either decry or praise open seating.

Chief Executive Gary Kelly has said the change is not definite, and if Southwest does eliminate open seating it won't be until late next year, at the earliest.

About 200 flights departing San Diego over the next few weeks will have assigned seating. The city was chosen for the test because of its mix of leisure and business travelers, as well its mixture of long-, medium- and short-haul flights.