JJ5 & others, let me explain why I like an assigned seat. It actually has more to do with what happens PRIOR to boarding than once you are on board.

I hate crowds. I know, especially given the current air travel situation, it's becoming increasingly harder to avoid them, but I try whenever possible. I'll give you an anecdotal comparison:

I recently was forced to take a WN flight, where, if I wanted a chance at a halfway decent seat, I was forced to stand in a crowded line for 45 minutes.

Compare that to a recent DL flight I took, where I was able to find a quiet corner to wait until my zone was called. Since I already had a seat, I didn't have to worry about trying to fight to get on board first in order to get a decent one. Could I have been seated next to someone I would have preferred not to have been seated next to? Sure. Just like the WN flight, where, even though I paid the highest amount possible because it was a last-minute flight, I was in the dreaded "C" group, and forced to sit next to Cletus & the odious food he brought on board.

rkkwan, I think it has more to do with the fact that for many years, WN was the only real LCC choice. Now that there is more and more competition in the LCC arena (not to mention that their fuel hedges are drying up), WN is realizing that when fare price is not an issue (because the fares are virtually the same), their service/amenities (with pre-assigned seating being one of them) fall far below that of their competitors. Sorry if that's not music to the cattle car enthusiasts' ears . . .

Well, I'm your standard issue cattle car enthusiast speaking here. Some aren't even named Cletus, I'm not, and some do like to travel and occasionally have manners.

No one is "FORCING" you to stand in a line for 45 minutes, LT. You simply find your quiet spot, as you "dictate" yourself. Then do as I do and follow up you boarding pass group. I'm sure this with your exactness, will put you at the end of the A's. A point, that will insure your absolutely pristine and chosen seat.

And I am sure you will find a vast couch or something of that order far away from the crowds in a soon to be departing airplane terminal, for the interval. LOL!

With longer flights, the logistics may be different, and rkkwan's points are well taken. But for the short, frequent runs that made Southwest, I will write to keep it as it was.

And then all the IMPORTANT people as you are LT, can choose to go with the excellent competition.

At my hub, every SW flight is full and they are buying more terminal spots continually, just bought ATA's in the last few years, which were NOT in the '90's.

There is no one on any plane that I WANT to sit next to. I would hate not having an assigned seat. I really dislike flying and when we fly together I want to sit with my husband.

No one ever listens to which rows they're boarding and it doesn't seem like they ever correct anyone. I always used to just wait and get on last but now there's no place to put your bag anymore if you do wait.

You wouldn't want to sit next to George Clooney? DOH!

I've flown on Southwest about 30 times minimum and have never gotten a seat away from my flight companion, ever.

I did give it up once as noted to connect a Mom with her sick kid, and so went to a window seat on the other side. No one made me do this. You would sit with your husband.

LT, if you bought your ticket (for a presumably full-ish flight) 4 hours before departure, an assigned seat would have likely been the middle seat in the last row anyway.

Well, if LT bought a ticket on Continental 4 hours before departure, that most likely will be a full fare "Y" ticket. On CO, if he ends up in a middle seat, they'll give him 2,500 miles.

For what that's worth. ;)