Bob Jordan, the CEO of Southwest, indicated Thursday in an interview with CNBC that there may be changes to the airline’s famous “choose-your-own-seat” boarding process, saying the company is “looking at new initiatives, the way we seat and the way we board our aircraft.”
Southwest currently has an open-seating policy, in which passengers do not have an advanced seat assignment and can choose any open seat upon boarding.
“We are evaluating options to enhance our Customer Experience as we study product preferences and expectations, including onboard seating and our cabin,” Jordan also said in an earnings release.
Jordan also confirmed the news that Southwest was pulling operations from four North American airports: Bellingham International Airport in Washington, Cozumel International Airport in Mexico, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York. The airline will also reduce flights service Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The changes will begin on August 4.
