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Brian and I tackle what I’m now calling the ULCC cycle of death. I may have coined the term, but really, we’re just talking about how United feels about the ULCCs after its latest earnings call. Is it real? You’ll just have to listen and find out.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Pocket Casts
PIT’s Ultra Low-Cost Carriers Expand Into Non-Leisure Markets – Blue Sky News
Pittsburgh airportʻs news site took a look at some of the ULCC changes as well, with a focus on what it meant for PIT, naturally. PIT is definitely a beneficiary of the current trends.
Southwest Airlines plans to start assigning seats, breaking with a 50-year tradition – Associated Press
I wrote about redeyes, but I did not talk about assigned seating. I’m glad to see it happening, along with extra legroom. I really don’t think there’s any real downside here.
Why Travelers Should Start Preparing for the Next Airline Scheduling Meltdown – Condé Nast Traveler
The headline doesn’t really reflect what’s in the article itself. This is really just about what travelers can and should do when things do go wrong.
5 comments on “Cranky on the Web: The ULCC Cycle of Death, Southwest Seating”
The only downside of assigned seating is annoying customers, but hey, as long as the airline gets more money and investors are happy, that doesn’t count, right?
I don’t think assigned seating is annoying many customers, certainly not more than a very small but vocal minority at Southwest, and I would argue (based on people voting with their $) that charging pax for assigned seating is still a net benefit for consumers.
Given how many people pay for for assigned seating at other airlines, and how many people buy up (or check in exactly on time) at Southwest to get into an earlier boarding group (not to mention those who want to sit together while traveling with older children or others who don’t qualify for early boarding, but who still follow the rules), there’s a real demand for the security of knowing one will have a seat they like among pax, including among pax at Southwest.
As with basic ecnonomy at most other airlines, pax can still have all the fun of non-assigned seating by simply not paying for the premium of assigned seating and get assigned an airline by the airline the day of the flight.
Great podcast. You guys do an above average job. ??
Bick – Above average is what we’re aiming for! ;) Thanks.
You say ‘Farn-borrow’, we say ‘Farnbruh’ (similarly, ‘Edinbruh’)