Michael S. Pascua The Life of a Freelancer

Priority Seating

I've been an avid flier of JetBlue because two of my local airports have service to the Orlando region. I understand their business model, their website is very clean, and they have televisions that I can watch shows about plane disasters on the History Channel while in a plane. On my last trip to Florida, I took Southwest for the first time.

At the Orlando Airport, JetBlue and Southwest tend to share the same area so I always looked around at the other terminals while on my way to the restroom. I never understood it. There were posts with numbers from 1-30 broken into groups of five. I shrugged and went to pee.

I finally experienced the posts. Apparently you have to pay more to get in the front of the line. Now that doesn't necessarily mean you get the front of the airplane, somehow there are a handful of wheelchair-bound passengers that will always make it in front of you. What I don't understand is why people couldn't just pick their seats before they boarded... like with JetBlue (or even Spirit, but don't get me started with them). One could do the math better if they realize they have to add ten dollars to their trip just for the chance to sit close to the front. I feel more comfortable knowing that I will be sitting in X row and Y seat.

Maybe it's because I suffer from last-kid-picked syndrome that I am disturbed by the way Southwest has formed the queue. Everything else was par: the piloting was fine, the service was decent, the snack options were lackluster, the stewardesses looked bored, and the bathroom wasn't as clean as I would hope. I'll admit that I would sit in the back if it meant I would pay less. I would also be willing to split up into different rows or put two people on the two isles if they really want to sit close.

Something about Southwest's queue screams, "If you're not part of the club, then sit in the back" to me. This clearly will never become a Rosa Parks situation and people will continue to shell out ten dollars to sit closer to the front. Will I ever fly Southwest again? It seems likely. Am I willing to shell out ten dollars? I'm not so sure. Eh, just put me all the way in the back, at least that way I can make it to the rear bathroom quickly.