Southwest Airlines is to allow customers to reserve seats, scrapping the free-for-all of unassigned seating it has operated for 50 years.
The company said it also planned to charge for "premium" seats with more leg room, add red-eye flights, and redesign its boarding system.
The announcements came as the firm reported that profits plunged in the April-June period to $367m, down 46% compared with last year.
Chief executive Bob Jordan said the seating changes would "unlock new sources of revenue".
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It had been known as a holdout in the industry for not hitting customers with extra fees for items such as checked baggage.
But its share price has dropped sharply over the last few years, as its profitability lags others in the industry.
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"Although our unique open seating model has been a part of Southwest Airlines since our inception... this is the right choice - at the right time - for our customers, our people, and our shareholders," Mr Jordan said.
Shares in the firm rose more than 6% after the announcement.
Let's be clear about it: Jordan doesn't give a rat's ass about the employees or the customers. It's all about the share price. It's all about raping the customers as hard as they can to maximize revenue and please Wall Street.
MBAs and banksters have ruined this country. They've wrecked Boeing, they've made the other airlines into flying shitshows and now they're coming for the last airline that actually gave a shit about its passengers.
If you can't drive to where you're going, I respectfully suggest that you stay the fuck home.
3 comments:
Yeah, it's always about fucking consumers. I remember reading a statement from a food produces, I don't remember which one, after they reduced the amount of product in their packages and selling it at the same price. It was: "Our consumer research has shown that customers want smaller, more convenient packaging". We need to shut down the Harvard, Yale, and Stanford MBA programs until we figure out what's going on.
"Shut them down", hell. Lock the faculty inside the building and commence a game of Bounce the Rubble.
I like your style.
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