In today's big story, Southwest ditching its unassigned seat policy is a sign of the end times for budget airlines as we know it.
Southwest Airlines is ending its open seating policy , opting for assigned and premium seating options.
Between paid seat assignments and premium seating, Southwest could add as much as $3 billion in new revenue, according to one analyst.
AdvertisementKevin Carter/Getty ImagesThe real pain of the current travel landscape is being felt by budget airlines.
That's why Southwest's decision to end its open seating policy could be a sign of the end of budget airlines as we know it, writes BI's Taylor Rains and Pete Syme.
Persons:
—, Chelsea Jia Feng, Elliott Management's, wasn't, Insider's Benjamin Zhang, Kevin Carter, BI's Taylor Rains, Pete Syme, Bob Jordan, Goldman Sachs, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Prince Williams, Getty, Griffin, Tyler Le, NKSFB, Chris Brown, Rupert Murdoch, Murdoch, they're, They're, Claudia Sahm, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, Annie Smith, Amanda Yen
Organizations:
Service, Business, Southwest Airlines, Southwest, Southwest isn't, Bank of America, Getty, Bauer, Fox, News Corp, Mar
Locations:
Southwest, —, Taylor, Los Angeles, Lago, New York, London