Southwest, in an effort to speed their boarding process, is testing a “family only” section of the plane. As you’re probably aware, Southwest does not issue seating assignments, and as a result have to spend time asking single people to move so xyz family can all sit together.

This takes approximately forever. From Upgrade Travel Better:

For those that haven’t flown Southwest: The airline uses an “open seating” model, which means that there are no seat assignments on boarding passes. You get assigned to boarding group A, B, or C, depending on how early your check in. The A’s get to board first and choose their seats from the pick of the litter.
There have been a few different family-boarding variants: For example, one version has the gate attendants calling up boarding group A to board first, as usual. Thereafter, families are asked to board.

In another model, one section of rows on board is “reserved” for families to sit together. (Perhaps they should call this “Mullet Seating” — business in the front, party in the rear.)

By all accounts the family section isn’t separated from the regular section by soundproof glass, so we know more than a few of our commenters will be disappointed.

For those of you who fly Southwest, if implemented, would this be this a welcome change?

Southwest tests “families-only” section on planes. [Upgrade Travel Better]
(Photo:iwantamonkey)

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