In making the announcement at its Dallas headquarters, CEO Gary Kelly rejected the possibility of any time soon moving into the industry mainstream by assigning seats. While sticking to its open seating, Kelly said, Southwest is planning some changes that will reduce the time its passengers stand in line at the gate.
 

Starting in early November, Southwest is going to give passengers an assigned number within its current boarding groups: A, B and C. They'll get the number and the group when they check in, which can be done within 24 hours of a flight. A related change: A and B groups will be expanded to 60 passengers. Southwest's Boeing 737s — its only aircraft type — carry 137 passengers.

Southwest spent nearly three years looking at the possibility of assigning at least some of its seats. It recognized that many travelers will have nothing to do with the popular discounter because of an open-seating process often derided as the "cattle call."
 

In customer surveys and tests of alternative boarding procedures at San Diego and San Antonio, it sought ways to improve efficiency and better serve its passengers.

Kelly said Southwest executives were surprised to discover that a large majority of its regular customers actually prefer the open-seating policy. Just as important, he said, Southwest discovered that seating policy had little impact on customers' choice of airlines.

"What they really don't like is the boarding process," not whether Southwest assigned seats, he said of travelers. "For most of our customers, open seating is not really any big deal."

As a result, Southwest is now committed to what Kelly called "the freedom to choose your seat" and likely won't readdress that question for "probably another 10 years."

The new boarding process will eliminate the need for passengers to wait in line. That will free up passengers' time, Southwest says, so they can sit down, shop in an airport store or get a snack.

So passengers can see when it's their turn, Southwest is going to install "now boarding" displays at gates. The display, for instance, would tell passengers that those in group A with Nos. 1 to 5 are eligible to get on the plane and grab a seat.