On Southwest Airlines new family boarding policy

[wdcbooks]

The interesting thing about Southwest as a company is that they don't try to be everything to everyone. They are the only airline that really attempts to limit overweight passengers and make them buy two seats if they can't fit. I would assume most people on that borderline fly another airline. Not incidentally it also is one of many reasons I enjoy flying Southwest.

Now, flying with small children isn't the same thing as being fat, but having those people at the front of the plane does increase the disembarking time and makes others wait longer to get off the plane. Not having small kids myself this policy is another small reason I would prefer to fly Southwest. They are obviously reckoning that more of us will choose to fly because we like the policy than the number of families that will use another airline. I never counted this as a huge issue for me, but there are enough airlines to cater to different needs and I hardly think this policy is an outrage. You can just book yourself on United or something and book early so you get a seat that works well for your situation.