Tag Archives: seating

Are You In Favor Of “Cattle-Call” Boarding?

There was a lot of attention paid to discount giant Southwest Airlines this week. First, the low-cost carrier announced it would no longer be allowing families with children to pre-board flights. Then, the company revealed that it would be sticking to its unique open seating policy—-a process many passengers have nicknamed the “cattle call.” In a previous blog I told you about Southwest’s efforts to experiment with different seating strategies. The carrier spent the summer running several different seating and boarding tests in San Diego and San Antonio. And according to airline executives, the results of those tests convinced them … Continue reading →

The Dreaded Middle Seat

Oh, the infamous middle seat… Is there anyone who enjoys sitting in the middle seat? As a child my parents would cram all four of us kids in the backseat of our family’s station wagon (this was decades before seat belt laws were enacted), which meant that not one, but two of us, were forced to spend drive time squished between the two lucky siblings who scored the window seats. And so it goes… from vehicle to vehicle… middle seat syndrome is hard to shake. Until now. Thanks to some ingenious British engineers, the dreaded middle seat on coach flights … Continue reading →

The Line Forms Here

As if you needed another reason to fly first-class (or another reason to despise the people who do), Northwest Airlines has just announced that it is offering first-class passengers and elite frequent fliers their own boarding line at airport gates. With the creation of these new lines, Northwest’s elite customers will be able to “bypass the line of coach travelers to board the plane if they’ve missed their first boarding call.” Basically, the change means the airline’s most-frequent customers and first-and business-class travelers will “never wait in a long line to board the airplane.” Technically, Northwest elite fliers can bypass … Continue reading →

So Where Do I Sit?

If you have ever flown Southwest Airlines then you are familiar with its “free-for-all boarding process.” The airline doesn’t assign seats. It never has. But, soon that could all change. Southwest executives recently announced that it has “spent $5 million to enhance its reservation system as part of an internal test to see if it could easily implement assigned seating.” In other words, the airline is “simply exploring” the idea of assigning seats, based on the number of complaints it has received from customers about the current boarding system. That would be me. Whereas, I don’t think the airline should … Continue reading →

Stylish Stackable Chairs

In the effort to save not only money, but also space, many people opt for stackable resin chairs instead of more traditional seating. These chairs are inexpensive, they come in assorted styles and colors, and of course, they are stackable so they don’t take up extra space when they are not needed. They are a great way to make the best of limited space and budget. These chairs work great in children’s spaces, as is, but some people are less than thrilled with the look when it comes to more grown up spaces. Adding cushions, pillows, or slipcovers to resin … Continue reading →