A number of you have dropped me notes commenting on the change of boarding procedure at Southwest, and essentially you are all asking the same question. Don’t I think this is just an interim move to an eventual reserved seating process?

Probably.

Then again, I can’t believe they are also not going to try and “up the ante” to become a “first-boarder.” In other words, they will either start charging a surcharge for emergency row “first class” seats, or they may offer some way to “bump” up your place in line.

For a fee of course.

On what should be our big day of writing and editing PlaneBusiness Banter — unfortunately my day has so far turned into a day of going through check lists (cat food- yes, dog food- yes, people food, needs work, water- need more, yard- stuff needs to be brought inside, PlaneDad – he needs to go get food, gasoline, etc.)

Why is this, when if one goes to the National Hurricane Center website they say there is “no cyclonic activity” in the Gulf/Atlantic?

I don’t think they are going to be saying that after their recon plane gets back to Keesler Air Force base after its 11:30 run.  This water vapor image from this morning shows you why.

As I said earlier this week when this thing was flopping around over Florida, I just am not in the mood for Jerry. (I didn’t check to see if “Kramer” is the next name on the list, but interestingly, there is another suspicious looking tropical disturbance right behind this one.)

Yippee.

Name of the bail bond company that provided the bond for O.J. Simpson today.

No, really.

And hey, if you’re wondering what this has to do with airlines — here’s your ten second airline quiz of the day. Which airline did O.J. take from Las Vegas to Florida this afternoon.

Bzzzzt.

US Airways.

There.

Technorati Tags: you_ring_we_spring, O.J.Simpson, US Airways

Southwest Airlines said today that it is going to modify its boarding procedures beginning in November.

Based on the airline’s trial runs in San Antonio — the airline says it has decided to stay with open seating, but with a twist.

Beginning in early November, passengers will be assigned a letter and a number on their Southwest boarding pass when they check in for a flight (for example: A32).

This combination will be, in effect, a passenger’s position in the onboard process. Meanwhile, boarding positions will be separated into groups of five. When a passenger’s boarding group is called, they will find their designated place in line to board the aircraft.

According to the release, the A group will queue first in two lines: A1-30 on one side of marked columns and A31-60 on the other side, followed by two groups of B, and then the remaining Cs.

You can access a video of the new process here.

While the change initially seems confusing, the part I like about it is that when you check-in online, you will get priority — and you will know your position in your respective group immediately. No having to get to the airport earlier anyway and sit on the floor, just to make sure you have a high boarding priority.

From what I can tell at this point, I think the airline has found a great way to accommodate both camps of passengers pretty well – those who want assigned seats, and those who don’t.

Ticker: (NYSE:LUV)

Technorati Tags: airlines, Southwest Airlines

So apparently this weekend a Houston television station felt compelled to jump on the Kyla bandwagon. Only this time the station rehashed what is a familiar story about some Southwest passenger who was told he had to buy another seat on the airline in the past, because he weighed over 400 pounds at the time.

The difference between now and then? Obviously now it’s a race for reporters who obviously don’t have any better things to do than to root out other passengers who have been “demeaned” or “embarrassed” by Southwest Airlines. And clearly there are those folks out there who see this quest as a chance for them to be on television.



And I quote,

[J.R.]Hill says for him that meant being pulled out of a line in front of more than 100 passengers and being told he was too fat.

“I hate to admit it but I was in tears,” said Hill.

Hill decided to speak out after hearing about a woman who claimed Southwest made her ” cover up” with a blanket, and about another woman whose mini skirt was said to be too provocative to fly.”

The man weighed 435 pounds at the time this happened. I’m sorry Mr. Hill. But you should have been told to buy another seat.

Remember when we had to endure a series of copy cat “I found a [fill in the blank here] stories? You know, “I found a dead rat in my Wendy’s chili.”  Or, “I found a dead mouse in my Wendy’s salad?”

So here’s the question for the day. What new story will hit the airwaves this week? Someone was too tall to fly on Southwest? They were too ugly? Too old? Someone found a sunflower seed in their bag of LUV nuts?

<Shaking my head>

Ticker: (NYSE:LUV)

There goes the weekend…

I certainly hope this area of tropical disturbance does not go ballistic when it hits that hot water of the Gulf of Mexico. I’m just not in the mood.