Thursday, September 03, 2009

Markets In Everything: Early Boarding for $10

CS Monitor -- Fans of Southwest Airlines’s folksy and egalitarian ways are in for a culture shock: From now on, customers who pay an extra $10 will get a head start on boarding.

9 Comments:

At 9/03/2009 2:05 PM, Blogger Larry Sheldon said...

What happens if everybody gives them $10?

 
At 9/03/2009 3:15 PM, Blogger Trevre said...

This is so stupid. Airlines spend so much time on boarding of first and second class passengers, elite members, bla, bla, bla, all while costing themselves and everybody else time and money.

If they would just board everybody at once, randomly, the boarding would take the least amount of time as seen in this study Group Zone Boarding Study

I never understood why they board first class first, you just have to sit on the plane longer, and it slows everything down.

 
At 9/03/2009 4:19 PM, Blogger juandos said...

"What happens if everybody gives them $10?"...

Ball bats to all that paid the $10, seat winners to those left standing...

"This is so stupid. Airlines spend so much time on boarding of first and second class passengers"...

Good one!

When did S.W. Airline start instituting first class service?

 
At 9/03/2009 4:20 PM, Blogger Ben Eng said...

Trevre, in first class you are immediately offered beverages and other amenities (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and on long haul flights a travel kit, slippers, noise canceling headphones, etc.), so being seated on the plane is actually more desirable.

There is also an advantage to boarding earlier for coach class in that you are sure to find space in the overhead compartments to stow your baggage. Later, there may be no room, and you will be forced to stow bags under the seat reducing your legroom, or to have your bags checked into cargo.

 
At 9/03/2009 4:42 PM, Anonymous Ἐγκώμιον Shill said...

"
everybody gives them $10?
"

I think that is what caused the housing bubble. Where were you 9 years ago? When you could have been saving us you were theorizing with Case and Schiller.

For shame
!

Schade
!

 
At 9/03/2009 4:52 PM, Blogger Shawn said...

larry; on southwest? I doubt it.

tre; really? boarding first class first lets you go from sitting in the lounge to directly sitting on the plane, where you are often given drinks. in short, you don't have to wait on the gangway (with the plebians...haha). Also...umm...your link does NOT say that random boarding takes the least amount of time. The 'reverse pyramid' and 'outside in' methods are the fastest, and random is shown as 'less fast' than block, though not as slow as back-to-front (a standard method that I'm most familiar with).

So...unless I'm missing something, your link doesn't jive with what you're saying.

now, this is a way to ensure that you get your carry-on bag in the overhead bin, at least until places stop charging extra for checked bags (some have already).

 
At 9/03/2009 5:29 PM, Blogger KauaiMark said...

"...at least until places stop charging extra for checked bags"

Not Hawaiian Air!

They just increased the charge for 1st bag checked from $15 to $20 --- EACH WAY!

If only there were more carriers allowed access to Hawaii routes...

 
At 9/03/2009 7:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"What happens if everybody gives them $10?"

They raise the price. No brainer.

 
At 9/04/2009 12:17 AM, Blogger KO said...

Southwest has had "Business Select" tickets for several years. That lets you board in the first 15 people. Costs more than $10, but it includes a free alcoholic drink.

Their frequent flyer status is "A-List" membership which gets you into the first 40? (50?) boarding slots. (The A group.)

All they're doing is offering something akin to A List membership for $10.

Believe me, they won't get everyone to pay it. They offer Business Select upgrades at the gate for $15 on the route I used to fly and I never saw one person get up after the announcement to take advantage.

 

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