| Note: This announcement was a total nothingburger. Southwest just revealed that it’s “the official airline of the Southeastern Conference.” Yawn. |
While all we can do as of now is speculate, it looks like Southwest Airlines is planning on making a big announcement tomorrow.
In this post:
Southwest says “exciting things” coming Thursday
Southwest Airlines took to Facebook today to share that we can anticipate an announcement at 9AM on Thursday, July 11, 2024. I’d assume that’s 9AM Central time, given that the airline is based in Dallas, but I guess we’ll see.
Southwest has dropped fairly limited clues so far. The video is captioned as follows:
“You don’t want to miss this! Exciting things are taking flight tomorrow.”
Then the video simply shows a phone screen with a push notification that reads as follows:
“Time to check in for your Thursday 9:00AM Flight.”
What could Southwest be announcing?
We know that Southwest Airlines is going through a rough patch. Over the course of the past few decades, Southwest has been on average the best performing US airline, and it’s one of the few major US airlines that hasn’t gone through bankruptcy protection.
While other US airlines are constantly evolving their business models, Southwest has been remarkably consistent, continuing to offer two free checked bags, no basic economy, no assigned seats, etc. I suppose that consistency is both a strength and a weakness, in some ways.
There are increasingly calls for the airline to update its business model. For one, we’ve recently seen an activist investor take a big stake in Southwest. But even prior to that, Southwest executives have made it clear that they’re open to evolving the company’s business model.
With that in mind, what could Southwest be announcing tomorrow? I suppose it’s possible this has nothing to do with Southwest updating its business model, and it could simply be a route announcement, but that seems unlikely to me.
It’s also possible that Southwest will finally be announcing plans to introduce redeye flights, since that’s something the airline hasn’t historically offered, due to technology and contract limitations. We know this is in the carrier’s plans.
Or could the announcement tomorrow be about something much bigger? Could Southwest finally reveal plans to introduce basic economy, to charge for assigned seats, or to introduce extra legroom economy seating?
I’m thinking the airline may be hinting at something with how this tease is phrased, about how it’s “time to check in,” and how we should “check in for more tomorrow.” What changes could be coming that involve checking in for a flight?
Of course historically, checking in early for a Southwest flight is important, since it determines your boarding position. So I have to imagine that any change would making checking in at a certain time less important than it currently is, but who knows…
Bottom line
Southwest Airlines will be making an announcement on Thursday morning, though we don’t know much beyond that. If this announcement involves Southwest’s plans to update its business model, then this could be major…
What are you expecting Southwest Airlines will announce?
There are legit disabled people, like me, from serving our country for stingy idiots like you. Need to still pre board disabled people. Flew Frontier last 2 times and they have improved drastically. Can always fly other lines. Try Frontier, you may like them.
Did they announce anything?
Maybe the will get rid of carry on baggage. Loading passengers from rear to front would help in getting plane off in time
Well, the University of Florida is in the SEC, and Southwest doesn’t even fly into Gainesville. We need to drive a couple hours to get there from Tampa or Orlando. Not very good service in my opinion.
Let the preboards on first but start seating them from the rear. That I
Will end the “Milagros” flights
The most anticlimactic possible announcement now that it's after hours on Thursday I guess it's just the SEC thing. Yeah, in the name of higher educational institutes lucrative athletic programs. I hope they get a cut of the ILM and Merch - anything else would just be chartering a plane.
I know all the airlines love these school charters but to call that "news" when we're hoping that Southwest is ready to be a meaningful innovator again...
I am a senior citizen that doesn’t make much money but due to Southwest reasonable pricing I am able to do my travelling. No other airline allows you to check in 2 luggages free, right their it’s already a savings of $70-$90 dollars, so please never complaints how SWA WORKS just be glad they are doing their best to help travelers which is my own opinion.
Well that was exciting!!! NOT!
SEC partner. ;-)
LOL, another fail by Southwest. This could have been an email.
They said "exciting things" were coming. They just didn't specify exciting to whom.
I win the internet today with my prediction yesterday:
"Maybe they've blown a ton of money to be the official airline of the SEC and will sponsor a bowl game or two?"
Oh Southwest....
So hilarious that that's the announcement! They really know how to work the blogger world into a frothy frenzy just to announce...this. lol, pure hilarious!!!
So many hints there, just like you pointed yesterday.
Most people just choose to ignore.
Just read the comments everywhere.
The bigger issue is the comments reflect the opinion of WN flyers too.
So either WN is just plain or their marketing is savvy and sinister.
Or they are trying to yank Elliot's chain which probably ain't wise. Proxy battles have been won with leaders having far less of a share of a company...
Every time I walk by delta or united there is the mob of people, out into the concourse, jockeying for entry into the jetway. Please SWA, do not change the civilized method of boarding. Line up in #’s and sit in a seat. There’s nothing more simple. Ps…I flew 83 flights on SWA last year and I’ve flown 53 so far this year.
Every time I walk by Southwest there is a mob of wheelchairs
Sorry the wheelchair fiasco and SW lack of handling is worse than UA or DL mob of people.
Well, some people like to be beaten, too. For me, I'll take my assigned seats, chance for upgrades, and free FF tix to places slightly more exotic than Amarillo. Plus, the WN bothersome boarding bingo (where you have to walk up to complete strangers and say, "are you A12? I'm A11!") isn't any more "civilized."
A new plane livery is my guess.
How about plugs for charging electronic gear?
Totally laughable blog post.
Maybe there will be news tomorrow, maybe not and anyway, if there are any news, we don’t know what they will be about?
This is publishing a blog post merely for the sake of publishing ANYTHING.
Yay! paid checked-bags!
Like paying for checked-bags???
Non-Educated Guesses
-DFW Flights
-Assigned seating/extra legroom for Business Select and Companion Pass members.
-Paid seat assignment for standard legroom section
-Wanna Get Away is open seating with 10 rows in the back?
-Redeye flights
I'm still waiting for the promised charging ports that were announced a year ago...
So many people on here complaining about SWA’s seating and boarding. It’s one of the things I love about the airline (alone with no change fees, cancellation fees, baggage fees, fee fees, etc)! Boarding on any other carrier takes forever, they have 90% of the people in one group. If you don’t like SWA’s method, fly some other carrier (literally all of them to choose from). Leave SWA alone for the rest of us who love them!
Yep,I too love the 24 hour check-in frenzy. Or paying extra for the chance to get into the A group. The actual boarding process is fine, it's getting to it that's the problem
After much consideration Southwest will switch to Airbus. Lol j/k,
Southwest should recognize they are not a low cost airline and give customers what they want. First class cabin and assigned seats.
Got that right. I remember the days of the fun, low-fare market disrupter airline. When I flew out of Dallas, As long as I wasn't checking a bag, I could usually find a better fare elsewhere. But then Southwest started chasing business travel and putting on the fare squeeze.
I think (hope) it will be an announcement about the anticipated red-eye flights rather than changing the seating because I thought they said a decision about seats wouldn't happen until after September. Whatever it is, I sure hope it's good news!
"Southwest announces agreement to acquire JetBlue Airways for $9.27 per share in cash, including a prepayment of $2.50 per share in cash payable upon JetBlue stockholders’ approval of the transaction and a ticking fee of $0.10 per month "
- Just putting my assumption in :)
Hopefully the news will be that Gary Kelly & Bob Jordan are stepping down
Return to EWR!
Ah Southwest's time at EWR... They really struggled but prices were low.. I remember flying EWR-STL-SAT for $65... And of course it came with free bags. Also paid $45 EWR-MCO. These kinds of dates were the only reason I flew out of Newark.. OLD TERMINAL A was horrible back then.
I wish you would not publish articles like this. There is absolutely nothing to report on. They said they will announce something tomorrow. Better to wait until the announcement happens.
I don't think it will be seat related, they posted this comment in reply to someone asking what it's about: "✈️"
I am probably in the minority but I like open seating. I head to the back find a row with 2 windows so my window seat has some extra room to lean in and then I hope that empty seat between me and my husband stays empty or a tiny person sits there - either is a win! Regular seats have way more legroom than Delta Main that’s for sure!
Seriously chill. I read this article and now I’m interested. On your blog feel free not to publish this news.
Yup - it's hardly a long wait, is it?
How exactly would a hybrid assigned seating/open seating work? Let's say I'm connecting on assigned seat PNR. My first leg is 30 minutes delayed for X reason and my connect time went from 50 minutes to 20. I come in to A2 and leave out of Q680(b) and get to the gate just before they close out the flight. Assigned seats board first then open seating; my seat was taken during open call. Do I confront the customer? Hail a FA to straighten it out?
This could get messy.
Wheelchair folks can now relax as they board the plane last!
Assigned seating, my guess too. Maybe block front rows for business fares. Maybe block middle set as well - for European style business class. Maybe update to FF program as well.
I’ve got a business in Texas and use SWA for all my dallas-houston- austin business travel. Swa is fast, dependable, better airports. I love non-assigned seating. It’s fast and efficient. The less like American that SWA is the better. A blocked middle seat would make swa more appealing for longer flights. But all the other “improvements” sound like a turn off to me.
I have been in LUV with Southwest since my first flight 30 years ago. Once I became a frequent flier, I slowly started avoiding them - and now 20 years and a few million miles in business travel I don't fly Southwest at all. Even if they were competitive on price, I've become spoiled with free bags, early boarding, reserved seats, lounge access and upgrades.
It's also been a bad stock investment, since my first...
I have been in LUV with Southwest since my first flight 30 years ago. Once I became a frequent flier, I slowly started avoiding them - and now 20 years and a few million miles in business travel I don't fly Southwest at all. Even if they were competitive on price, I've become spoiled with free bags, early boarding, reserved seats, lounge access and upgrades.
It's also been a bad stock investment, since my first shares in the 90s when B-School talked about how many successive quarters of profit they had - 20 years later it's a boring stock to own.
If I were influential at Southwest:
1. I wouldn't add lounges, but would partner with someone like Chase or Priority Pass. The southwest credit cards are don't have the ultimate perks compared to my top airline card. I keep meaning to cancel my southwest card but it's my oldest one, so I chicken out but havn't gotten a benefit from it in a decade or more. All my CC spend is where the CC gives me something from the airlines I actually fly on.
2. I would address things that give travelers anxiety, namely: will they be comfortable when they sit down:
a. Commercialize and enable self booking under the Extra Seat Policy so anyone during booking can buy the middle seat to remain empty easily https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-seat-policy (aka Johnny Class seating)
b. Allow some fares to reserve seating in desirable rows, these folks board with group A and can reserve right off the bat. These rows would be large enough for laptop usage for those who want to work in flight.
c. Pre-recline the seats and lock them so there are no surprise laptop breaks.
As much as I want them to add some 2x2 seats, I don't think that will happen unless they have a new subset of planes for long flights - perhaps follow the JetBlue gear change when they added Mint by having a secondary fleet with a higher class seat that serves special routes.
And finally, just because I shopped it yesterday, why do they want 30,000 points for the same flight American wants 9,000 for (5 day out booking to a 115 degree city)? They'd rather fly empty.
A new snack. That’s what Southwest calls an “exciting change”.
Probably starting service to DFW.
They did leave a pinned comment under the video that was just “✈️”
I have no idea what football would have to do with it. Tbh, I’d be pretty disappointed if it was just flights for football season, but I’ve been let down by this stuff before. In 2021, about two weeks after the bipartisan infrastructure law passed, Amtrak made *several* posts hyping up a “major announcement” and that they were “planning something big.” It...
They did leave a pinned comment under the video that was just “✈️”
I have no idea what football would have to do with it. Tbh, I’d be pretty disappointed if it was just flights for football season, but I’ve been let down by this stuff before. In 2021, about two weeks after the bipartisan infrastructure law passed, Amtrak made *several* posts hyping up a “major announcement” and that they were “planning something big.” It ended up just being a Black Friday sale, and not even a good one at that (the one from the year before was actually better).
So yeah, I know United has spoiled us with their teasers, but it is very possible this is just a nothing burger unfortunately, with SWA just trying to get a bit more publicity out of an otherwise mundane announcement.
For some reason it didn’t format the pinned comment text properly. It was a chin scratch, football, side-eye, and airplane emoji.
Double daily: SEA-HNL-NAN-SYD with 737s
If not, then probably reserved seating.
I'm forward to paying for a checked-bag.
The seating process is what makes WN so efficient. If you don’t get on the airplane quickly you will be trapped in the middle.
They’re changing their snacks. :-)
I believe that they should do assigned seating for Everyone!!! You buy a ticket and pick your seat at the same time!! It would make boarding so much easier! No more trying to save seats, no more cutting in line weather you are AB or C. No fighting over seats or trying to move people around to sit families together. The one thing hated by most SW passengers is the seating process. Please rethink your process.
Let's hope they move to assigned seats and end the "miracle flight" effect.
For the speculation on this announcement, I'm going with a new theme plane, "Jetway Jesus One". It may roll away on departure, but will arrive on some mechanical feet (SAS shoes or Crocs - varies with the flight), cut ahead of all other taxiing aircraft, and immediately rush to a Cinn-a-bon.
They would have nothing to gain by serving DFW. They learned a few things in ATL about super hubs. This is almost certainly something to do with a change in the way they do business.
Maybe new route to Toronto
Wishful thinking
How nice would that be.
Anything that takes away market share from AC is a good thing.
All Canadian airlines suck. They need foreign carriers urgently.
That should is my guess too.
They’re starting service at DFW. Calling it now.
Yep. The clause that would require them to give up gates at Love Field if they serve DFW expires in 2025.
Also a very good guess.
they're ordering A320neos! Haha..I wish!
I'm guessing it's a flash summer sale on fares, but only 6AM fares with 2 connections.
In the absence of Business Select having *real* domestic first class seats that are assigned . . .
Bankruptcy.
That's in an interesting choice of time. It's when Delta announces its Second Quarter financials to the investment community. I wonder which announcement the analysts will tune into !
Delta will release its financial results much earlier in the day but the earnings call will take place at the time of WN's announcement.
But all of the major analysts have teams that can cover multiple events. and it isn't clear that this is a Wall Street announcement anyway
Delta need not worry about anything Southwest would announce. Delta will keep climbing... Ed with his tie over the shoulder, excuse me I'm very important.... a fleet of well maintained spacetechtuned SeXiJeTs befit only for astronaut caliber aviators covering the world, oozing premiumness over all.
I hope they open up their flight schedules 10 to 12 months ahead of time like most other airlines. To wait until Aug 22 to see March schedules and book is ridiculous. God knows how much money they lose because passengers book early and cannot yet see the Southwest schedule.
We have the same issue in Europe. The LCCs (which traditionally, WN was) consistently release flights later than the likes of BA, AF, LH etc.
Probably special CFB flights.
Bob and Gary pursuing other interests, I hope ...
There's the SEC logo and football references. Probably something lame like football charters.
Had to look twice to catch them, but yeah, you're right. Really hoping this is something more substantial than that.
Maybe they've blown a ton of money to be the official airline of the SEC and will sponsor a bowl game or two?
Don’t get your hopes up. Not every marketing department is as savvy as United’s. They’re probably just trying to get a bit more press out of an otherwise uninteresting announcement. Adding first class or assigned seating is controversial among the southwest crowd, so they might not hype it up as much.
Flights to Europe maybe?
On 737s? Extremely doubtful.
Are you kidding? SW to Europe?
I'd settle for flights to Alaska.