Southwest: Fly With Us, Business Travelers

November 7, 2007 | Posted in: Airfares, Airlines, First Class, News

Southwest is reaching out to business travelers employed by companies of all sizes. With new boarding options and a slew of business traveler benefits, Southwest hopes to provide passengers a better experience and reshape its customer base in the process.

Road warriors will find the welcome mat is out at Southwest. The airline just unveiled its “Business Select” class which provides the ultimate Southwest perk: first crack at seat selection. All it will cost will be an extra $10 to $30 per flight, and Business Selectees will be guaranteed spots in the first part of the airline’s “A” boarding group.

Any other perks? Well, yes; “Business Selectees” also get a free cocktail.

And Southwest? They hope to get an extra $100-million a year in revenue, if enough business travelers take them up on this.

One Response to “Southwest: Fly With Us, Business Travelers”

1. Denise says:

   November 8, 2007 at 4:13 pm

   This is just a way to take a regular refundable fare, and add a *slight* perk to charge more money. It is not just an extra $10 – $30 per flight over the least expensive fare, but over their fully refundable fare. For example, an itinerary I purchased today was $118 r/t for their cheapest fare, $256 total for “Business” (refundable), and $286 total for “Business Select” (refundable with guaranteed A group and free drink – woohoo). I don’t know any business that would allow their travelers to choose a much higher fare just to be in the A boarding group, in my experience as a Corporate Travel Manager.

   Also not mentioned is their new “A List,” which automatically checks-in frequent travelers at 36 hours prior to take off, pretty much guaranteeing A group boarding (unless the flight is filled with A Listers). This is for travelers who fly at least 32 segments per year.

   Seems a little fishy to me that Southwest is announcing all their changes bit by bit. Obviously their focus is moving away from families and toward business travelers, but why wait for this new announcement? They didn’t want to further offend families at the same time that they took away their pre-boarding. I don’t think their new policies are any draw to business travelers, whose companies are in fact trying to SAVE money, not spend more. However, they are pushing families further away, who spend double, triple, quadruple etc. that of what a single business traveler spends. I think Southwest is cutting off its nose to spite its face. Sad.