Southwestern Airlines Accommodates Children and Smokers

Southwestern Airlines has always been a leader in airline innovation. Their open seating plan is unique to all other airlines, and customers either love it or hate it. Now, they are tweaking that model to adjust to traveling families.

Earlier this week, SW Air announced a drastic change in policy regarding their airline boarding policy. Beginning immediately they will offer a family section on their airlines for families traveling with infants and toddlers. This family section will be equipped with more legroom so the legs of toddlers cannot reach the seat in front of them, as well as an assortment of coloring books and games for young children to enjoy on long flights.

The cost of these seats will be about the same as flying coach, but marginally cheaper in price than flying first class. Due to concerns about their ability to fill the family section, as an added incentive, Southwestern Air has announced that it will also allow smoking in this special section of the airplane.

"We see it as killing two birds with one stone, so to speak," said Southwestern Airlines CEO Grey Jenson. "When we question travelers about their ideal flight experience, they tell us they want a cabin full of fresh, quiet air, and a full length flight where not once are their seats kicked by a toddler sitting behind them. Obviously we cannot ban families with children from our flights, but we can place them in an environment where they're less offensive and destructive. The same holds true for smokers. This is our effort to make SW Air the airlines that accommodates everyone."

Currently, smoking is not prohibited on any other airlines, and health watchdog groups nationwide are outraged at the airline's move. But libertarian activists, most of them smokers, are applauding the action, saying that the rights of cigarette, cigar, and pipe enthusiasts have gone up in smoke in years past. "Frankly, if they let me smoke my pipe on a nine hour flight from Boston to Italy, I'd welcome a crappy diapered rugrat sitting next to me," Free Republic member Dan Carlyle commented to Associated Content.

Gone are the days when a flier must sneak a few drags in the lavatory and flush their butt down the toilet before setting off the fire alarm and receiving a thousand dollar fine. Now, thanks to Southwestern Airlines, anyone can reap the benefits of tobacco in the comforts of their own airline cabin, and then, if inclined, let the infant sitting next to them play with their matches.

Only time will tell if the SW Air family plan will fly with its customers or if the new seating arrangements will eventually be thrown out the window.