Southwest airlines disappointed a large contingent of its loyal customers back in January when a long awaited policy change was finally implemented by the airline. Even if you’re not a frequent Southwest flyer, you’ve probably heard about how the airline did away with its signature unassigned seating plan, and the backlash that followed when many passengers said it became incredibly hard to fly with checked bags as a result of the new rules.
The airline addressed the outcry after nearly a month of complaints, offering some different solutions to customers. However, there are still many passengers who say Southwest failed to address the biggest complaint about the seating, and they’re still calling on the airline to make more adjustments.
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@gilgra2025 @Southwest Airlines The airline that for decades use to ensure families sat together by asking if anyone would be willing to give up their seat. NOW!! Refuses to allow a family to sit together due to a person having an assigned seat on a plane with over 50 EMPTY SEATS!!!
♬ original sound – gilgra2025
Southwest Passengers Say the Airline Still Needs to Address Their Complaints
The airline has become well aware of how unpopular the idea to do away with unassigned seats has been. And while it’s tried to adjust some easier to address complaints like where carry-on bags should be stored, the airline’s biggest critics say it’s still missing the point.
Southwest’s departure from unassigned seating has become a pain point for many flyers, especially families. While Simple Flying notes that families were previously able to ensure they can fly together simply by boarding at the same time and snagging open seats near one another, the airlines new process has lead to parents being separated from their children due to the airline’s automated assignment process.
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TikToker @gilgra2025 documented an example of how this new policy looks in real life when he filmed himself on a Southwest flight that had gotten held up after he claims the flight crew made a toddler sit by themselves on a nearly empty plane due to the new seating rules.
And it’s not just families feeling the pain. Couples, friends, and even casual traveling companions can no longer ensure they will be seated together simply by booking together. When asked for a comment, a Southwest representative told Simple Flying, “Since launch, we’ve been closely monitoring input and real-world behaviors to validate our assumptions and identify where we can refine the experience. Those insights are now informing a series of early adjustments designed to smooth operations and reduce friction as Customers and Employees adapt to the new boarding and seating process.”
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Southwest Has Been Listening to Customer Feedback
The last thing I want to do is pile on Southwest when they are already taking a lot of heat from customers, but as a mom I can see how this new change would be very challenging for me and my family. That being said, it does seem like the airline is taking a lot of what its customers have to say under consideration.
For example, Southwest previously said it would begin adding additional storage and more clearly marked bins to deal with complaints about how hard it is to store carry-on bags near your seats due to the new changes. Maybe they will also heed passenger complaints about not being able to ensure groups can fly together next.
With Spring Break and summer travel plans right on the horizon, Southwest has a short window of time to solve this problem if they don’t want to miss out on those non-solo passengers who may opt to fly with airlines where they have a better shot of being sat next to the people they are traveling with.