Warning: Ken is hacked ! Really hacked!
Last week, SWA got nailed for using uncertified maintenance parts on its 737s. Bad news, but I can live with that … you gotta take some risks, right?
But, this SWA policy change is personal since (a) I’m cheap and (b) I’ve gotten the “fast-trigger online check in” down to a science.
I just may cancel my SWA Freq Flyer credit card …
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What has Ken so upset ?
Southwest Airlines will begin charging $10 to some passengers looking to board its aircraft before others.
For the extra $10 fee each way, passengers can reserve their boarding spot while buying their ticket.
Under the Dallas-based low-fare carrier’s current policy, passengers can begin to check in 24 hours prior to their flight. Passengers who check in the earliest get to board first.
A Southwest spokeswoman said the new option allows passengers to not have to worry about checking themselves in.
While many airlines have been charging passengers fees for beverages and baggage, Southwest has aggressively marketed its “no frills” consumer policies to set itself apart. What sets this option apart? Southwest’s passengers have a choice of paying the $10 fee.
“These are opportunities that customers can have the option of taking advantage of, instead of being forced to pay the additional fee,” she added.
Washington Business Journal, Southwest Airlines adds $10 fee to reserve boarding spot, September 2, 2009
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/08/31/daily56.html?ed=2009-09-02&ana=e_du_pub
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The Homa Files 
September 3, 2009 at 8:50 am |
If customers band together and reject the $10 fee in uniform, then the attempt will be defeated.
There’s some irony in that SWA heavily marketed their “good guy” approach against nickel & diming customers (baggage fees, food/drink fees), and now risk losing any goodwill they have accrued.
September 3, 2009 at 9:00 am |
For them, it’s a very smart move. Now that Southwest doesn’t have their fuel hedge windfall to rely on, they need to generate more revenue. This new fee basically goes to the bottom line (less any IT infrastructure costs) and they can position it as “customer friendly” as it is still optional.
September 3, 2009 at 10:30 am |
SWA is simply montizing the repacking of a service into an experience.
September 3, 2009 at 11:44 pm |
Another misconception about Southwest is that going Standby on a flight is “Free”. It is only free when a customer pays FULL fare. How many people pay FULL Fare on Southwest? Probably none. If a passenger wants to go standby on a flight and gets on, they get charged the difference in fare. As we all know the difference in price between a ticket purchased in advance versus the price of a ticket the day of travel is huge. As a previous poster mentioned, SWA is eroding their position as the “good guy” with news of their “used” plane parts/$10 Fee/”free standby”. They are not going to be the “good guy” much longer. In fact, they may become more like Razor Ramon, the “bad guy”, by saying they are the “no fee” airline when in acutality the opposite becomes true. They are slowly going to become the Ryan Air of the United States. Mark my words.
I will also add that SMH does bring up a good point in terms of a way to influence SWA to cancel the new $10 charge for an A Boarding pass. US Airways earlier this year tried to start charging passengers for ALL drinks (water included). There was huge pushback from passengers and this practice was put to a halt. Simply, don’t pay the fee, complain to SWA (as much as you can) and let the free market economy work. If a tree falls in the forest and no is there to hear it, does it make a sound?? If a fee is charged to passengers and nobody pays it, is there a fee??