IND Southwest travelers share opinions on end of open seating

INDIANAPOLIS — More Indianapolis International Airport travelers use Southwest Airlines than any other airline. If you use them to fly, prepare for a massive change in boarding.

Southwest announced Thursday it will soon end open boarding after more than 50 years. It will switch to assigned seats and introduce a new premium class with extra leg room.

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"I don't like it," said Beth Stevens, who describes herself as a Southwest frequent flyer. "I feel like the people in first class are no better than me, they just have more money. I like not seeing that curtain like we're treated different."

The planned changes come after Southwest announced its second quarter financial earnings fell short of expectations.

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According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' most recent data , more than 2.7 million Indianapolis International Airport travelers used Southwest Airlines in the past year. American Airlines and Delta Airlines combined for roughly the same amount of travelers in that time frame.

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Stevens said she drives down to Indianapolis from Fort Wayne specifically to fly with Southwest.

"I like that you can carry on two bags for free and I like that I can pick my own seat at no extra cost," Stevens said.

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While Stevens likes open seating, Southwest claimed in a press release that 80 percent of its customers prefer assigned seating.

Cleo Dishman used Southwest to visit Indianapolis from Houston. He said he also prefers Southwest's current way of boarding.

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"A thing I like about Southwest is no assigned seating," Dishman said. "Maybe I can send a letter and make a gripe about it."

Southwest also announced plans to introduce overnight "red eye" flights next year.

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Stevens said she will still likely stay with Southwest, but said she may look elsewhere if they make one specific change.

"I understand it's probably a done deal with the seats, but if they could just keep the free luggage, that would be great," Stevens said.