Southwest’s new boarding process may be the same as every other airline’s right now, but it will still take some time for the airline and its customers to adjust.
As Southwest Airlines shifts to assigned seating and charges for checked bags, many passengers have complained over the past month or so that they have had a hard time finding overhead bin space near their seats.
To that end, the airline said it is making some changes to how boarding is carried out and how space in the overhead bins is allocated.
According to an email to customers from Southwest Chief Customer and Brand Officer Tony Roach, the airline is working to balance boarding groups to smoother traffic on the planes.
The company has also added larger overhead bins to many of its planes and plans to increase the number of carry-on bags it can accommodate on 70% of its aircraft by 50% by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, Southwest will finish installing decals on some overhead bins by the end of the month, noting that the bins are reserved for passengers who pay for seats with extra legroom.
Still, Southwest says its business model transformation is generally going well.
“Overall, we are pleased with the implementation and customers have responded well to it,” Southwest spokesman Chris Perry told USA TODAY in an email. “We will continue to consider additional adjustments if we see something in the live environment that smooths the customer experience.”
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter who writes the cruising altitude column for USA Today. He lives in New York and can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Southwest Airlines updates boarding process amid passenger backlash