Airlines of course do everything they can to monetize their loyalty programs, since it’s the highest margin part of their business. Along those lines, Southwest Airlines has introduced a noteworthy promotion, though the value proposition is questionable (thanks to oceanbreeez for flagging this). Buy Southwest Airlines A-List elite status.

Southwest Airlines Selling A-List Elite Status

TheStreet

The struggling airline is facing massive pressure to make major changes from an activist investor.

Southwest Airlines plans drastic boarding and seating changes

USA TODAY

Southwest is overhauling its whole boarding process, among other changes designed to "elevate the customer experience."

Get ready for assigned seats: Southwest Airlines ushers in big changes

CBS LA

DALLAS – Big changes are coming to Southwest Airlines.The Dallas-based airline announced Thursday it is putting an end to its open seating policy, will begin offering premium seating and is introducing redeye flight options. The airline said the changes are the next step in a "continuing strategic transformation" and are designed to "elevate the customer experience." According to research conducted by Southwest, 80% of customers and 86% of potential customers said they prefer an assigned seat. In addition to assigning seats, Southwest will offer premium, extended legroom portions of plane cabins. One-third of seats will offer the extended option."Southwest's decision to start...

Southwest Airlines ends open seating, introduces red-eye flights

After more than 50 years, Southwest Airlines is getting rid of its unique open seating model and will now assign seats. The airline made the move to meet the evolving preferences of customers who say they want seat assignments. Southwest also said it conducted testing that included live and more than 8 million simulation-based boarding trials before making the change.

In major shift, Southwest is getting rid of open seating and will now assign seats

Hawaii State

Tampa, FL

Business Insider

The FAA is investigating after a Southwest flight headed to Tampa was diverted to Fort Lauderdale after reaching a dangerously low altitude.

A Southwest Boeing 737 Max was just 150 feet above the ocean before being told to pull up, reports say

Oklahoma State

Mens Journal

A Southwest flight rapidly dropped hundred of feet as it neared its destination in the third low-altitude incident for Southwest in four months.

Southwest Flight Suddenly Drops While Above Water

Murfreesboro, TN

The US Sun

ONE lucky lottery player almost missed out on their prize when a gas station employee allegedly tried to keep the golden ticket for himself. The clerk stole the winning lottery ticket from the customer by hiding it in the trash after he discovered that it was worth $1 million, police said.

I won $1 million on a lotto scratch-off but didn’t get a penny after clerk threw it in trash – now he’s facing jail time

Lancaster County, PA

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community_voice

NewsByJoshua

Fans of Frisco's Chicken were left reeling as the beloved Peruvian-style eatery announced the closure of all its locations in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The chain, known for its delicious food and strong community values, posted a heartfelt note on its doors, informing customers of the devastating news.

Favorite Chicken Chain Suddenly Closes All Stores, Heartfelt Message Found on Doors

Reuters

(Reuters) -Southwest Airlines on Thursday announced sweeping changes, including plans to end open seating and offer seats with extra legroom on its airplanes as it faces pressure from an activist investor to improve financial results.

Southwest Airlines turns to assigned and premium seats to lift earnings

Delta Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines were among the countless companies impacted by a massive IT outage that resulted in almost 2,000 flights within, into, or out of the United States getting canceled on Friday, July 19. Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, remains unaffected. According to Flight Aware, the widespread IT...

Jokes Are Flying About Southwest's Outdated Tech as Airline Dodges Worldwide IT Outage Grounding Flights

The Associated Press

Southwest Airlines plans to drop its tradition of more than 50 years and start assigning seats and selling premium seating for customers who want more legroom. The airline said Thursday that it has been studying seating options and is making the changes because passenger preferences have shifted. The moves could also generate revenue and boost financial performance.

Southwest breaks with 50-year tradition and will assign seats; profit falls at Southwest, American

Florida State

Another Southwest flight flew dangerously close to the ocean this month and now the Federal Aviation Administration wants to know what the heck is going on at the airline. 'Twister' Remains The Greatest Car Commercial Of All Time. The Florida flight is one of three similar incidents that have happened...

Southwest Flight Comes Within 150 Feet Of Crashing Into The Ocean

A SHOPPER has abandoned her cart thanks to confusion over an online deal. The Safeway customer decided to go elsewhere after trying to make the most of a coupon. Sharing her story on X, a shopper named Casey said the store should explain its deals more clearly. “Never ever have...

Safeway apologizes after shopper left cart of groceries and ‘went elsewhere’ due to online error

Connecticut Public

There’s a recurring fantasy running through Dinaw Mengestu’s new novel, Someone Like Us: It’s a fantasy about a word-of-mouth, nation-wide network of taxi cabs that would come to the aid of "immigrants, migrants, refugees, anyone who was in the wrong place and needed to be somewhere else but didn’t know how to get there.” The drivers would be immigrants themselves and, therefore, more trustworthy to their nervous passengers.

'Someone Like Us' is a fresh, idiosyncratic novel about immigrating to the U.S.

BuzzFeed

They're getting rid of this 50-year mainstay.

Southwest Is Ending Open Seating, And 1 More Major Change Is Coming Too

It’s a big day for Southwest. Not only has the airline announced plans to introduce assigned and premium seating, but the airline is also adding redeye flights. This is long overdue, and the news coincides with the carrier’s Q2 2024 financial results. Southwest will operate redeyes as of...

Southwest Airlines Redeye Flights Coming… Finally!

Springfield, IL

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Sonya Massey ducked and apologized to an Illinois sheriff’s deputy seconds before he shot the Black woman three times in her home, with one fatal blow to the head, as seen in body camera video released Monday. An Illinois grand jury indicted former Sangamon...

Bodycam video reveals chaotic scene of deputy fatally shooting Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help

Portsmouth, NH

A humpback whale slammed into a fishing vessel off the coast of Portsmouth Tuesday, throwing two passengers overboard. The two passengers were reportedly rescued by another fishing boat, and no injuries — to either person or whale — were reported. A video of the event filmed by someone...

Whale slams into boat off Seacoast: 'It was just wrong place, wrong time.'

Southwest plans to offer pricier seats with extra legroom and end open seating on its planes. The shifts are the most major in the airline's more than five decades of flying. Southwest expects to start selling seats with the new cabin option next year. The airline plans to start selling...

Southwest to get rid of open seating, offer extra legroom in biggest shift in its history

NewsBreak

Southwest Airlines says ‘assigned and premium seating’ will replace open seating plan

An unofficial motto of Southwest Airlines’ open seating process for its people boarding its planes was once, “You can sit anywhere you want — just like...

Southwest Airlines says ‘assigned and premium seating’ will replace open seating plan

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