I'm a big fan of Southwest. I'll vote for designated seating.

Yep, I never flew SW unless I absolutely had to had to when I was working.

I paid an extra $15-20 more for priority seating and always got to sit where I wanted.

Same here. I'm driving anywhere I choose to go.

Open seating worked back when people had a small amount of decorum and when there was such a thing as embarrassment.

Now it's me me me, wheelchair taxi riders, and families thinking they need extra time to board because their 14-year-old refuses to look up from his phone. Too many people taking advantage of the system instead of working within it.

Besides that, it's now the nickel-and-dime economy. Extra for a certain boarding group, extra for a window seat, extra for an aisle seat, extra for being able to choose a seat, boarding fee, deplaning fee, fuel surcharge, take-off surcharge, landing surcharge...just wait and see how much that $99 fare actually costs a year from now.

Of all things holy & pure now SW has to step in line rather than do their own thing.

According to SW surveys, this was the main reason they are changing.

100%. If I don't get something in the A group, I upgrade immediately to ensure a window seat. I take zero chance of getting squished between two morbidly obese people who smell like beef and cheddars.

At least we ain't riding backwards like back in the day. That was soooo weird!!

Those were the GOAT seats…..almost like first class, but backwards.

I checked a bag that was 51 lbs and the guy goes, “what did you see?” Like an idiot, I said “51 lbs.” he said, “well, I saw 49.” Tagged it and dropped it on the conveyor belt and told me to have a nice flight. This was American at DFW though.

I haven't flown Southwest in years. "Open Seating" reminded me of the mad rushes for seats at concerts when I was a teenager.

One passenger advantage is that it will eliminate the questionable “preboarders” from gaming the system at the expense of those whom truly require it. The apparent healing powers of SW are phenomenal and can be witnessed, perhaps anecdotally, by those who frequently travel. A disadvantage will be longer boarding times…