United Airlines is taking aim at one of Southwest Airlines’ signature features by launching a website and advertising campaign that takes aims at unassigned seating.
United Airlines’ NotGroupC.com pokes fun at the fact that customers of Dallas-based Southwest Airlines have to check in 24 hours in advance to get the best possible boarding position on its Boeing 737 Max jets.
United is also targeting advertisements at customers in Chicago, Houston and Denver, three markets in which the Chicago-based carrier shares bases with Southwest.
“Once upon a time, a Southwest flyer forgot to check in exactly 24 hours ahead of their flight,” United’s NotGroupC.com website reads. “And ended up in the dreaded Boarding Group C.”
Group C is the last set of passengers called to board Southwest flights.
Frequent traveler website ThePointsGuy.com first reported the new ad campaign Thursday.
In typical fashion, Southwest clapped back with this statement:
“It’s fun seeing another airline reminding our customers to check in for their flights,” Southwest spokesman Chris Perry said in an emailed statement. “It’s a great courtesy they’re extending to Southwest’s loyal customer base, and we appreciate their hospitality.”
United is even giving passengers the opportunity to request a “Courte-C call” 24 hours in advance of their Southwest flight to remind them to check in to get better boarding position.
“Thanks to the airline that lets you choose your seat in advance. *cough cough* United,” the website reads.
The concept is to lampoon how Southwest doesn’t assign seating or have classes of passenger sections. United allows some passengers to choose their seat, but doesn’t allow basic economy passengers the same privilege unless they pay extra to get an assigned seat.
Southwest is the only major airline that doesn’t assign seating. But its passengers with rewards status get priority boarding to escape the “dreaded Boarding Group C,” as well as customers with certain credit cards and those who bought priority boarding, which costs about $30 per segment.
Unassigned seating may irk some customers, but it’s been a long policy at Southwest that creates a more egalitarian system, along with the fact that planes don’t have a first-class section.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said last year that he isn’t “too enthusiastic” about assigned seating, but said he would consider it if it made business sense.
Southwest Chairman Gary Kelly was adamant that assigned seating wasn’t coming any time soon when he was CEO until his retirement earlier this year.
“I don’t see us assigning seats anytime soon,” Kelly told The Dallas Morning News in 2018 . “But even something like that, we’ve always got to be willing to challenge and see if there’s a better way to serve our customers.”
Interestingly, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby lives in the Dallas area, not too far from Southwest’s headquarters. Kirby, a former top executive at American Airlines, regularly conducts media interviews from DFW International Airport.
