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I have flown and loved Southwest Airlines since 1992 – yes, that long. While other travelers raved about their favorite airlines where frequent flyer programs could unlock lie-flat seats and fancy upgrades, I favored Southwest. When I started in 2019 I was probably the only TPG staffer to put Southwest first on their airline preference list.

One main reason I was sometimes a dissenting voice defending my favorite airline: the carrier’s strange open seat policy.

RELATED: Southwest Airlines to end open seating: What you need to know

In truth, it was sometimes difficult to explain why Southwest is my airline of choice compared to the three US legacy carriers that offer perks like assigned and premium seating.

Related: AA, Delta, United and Southwest: TPG frequent flyers duke it out on who’s the best

But, like many Southwest enthusiasts, I was a big fan of open seating.

Having Southwest A-list status for the past 10 years allowed me to receive automatic early boarding. This meant I was guaranteed an aisle seat of my choice in the first five rows of the aircraft, assuming I was at the boarding gate on time. Even though I had to change flights and lose my preferred boarding benefit, I knew I could still get my preferred aisle seat because my position allowed me to hop on my flight right after the A group boarding.

Related: How to Get the Best Seats on Southwest Airlines

As a huge fan of Southwest Airlines, I woke up this morning to texts, direct messages and callouts on social media asking me how I felt about this big change.

My first thought was sadness. Open seating is part of Southwest culture and a more comfortable approach to air travel. Many have long mocked the airline for its “cattle call” lineup boarding process. However, I thought it made for a unique experience that had some real advantages over the more common assigned seat approach used by other US airlines (where very few seats on the aircraft are actually available for assignment without paying an extra fee).

But, while I was sad, the announcement wasn’t a huge surprise.

In the past year, there have been hints about an eventual move to airline-assigned seats. Activist investor Elliott Investment Management’s $1.9 billion stake in Southwest hasn’t helped the status quo; This was in part because the group accused Southwest of failing to develop its management team and of poor execution and leadership. The carrier has likely struggled to capture some of the lucrative business travelers who are turned off by its open-seating concept. Additionally, open seating is at odds with extracting additional revenue from travelers who are willing to pay extra to lock in the best seats.

Looking at Airline Economics 101, it was only a matter of time before Southwest buckled under pressure to offer assigned seating to better compete with legacy and ultra-low-cost carriers.

As someone who has covered the airline industry for 32 years, I understand the need to attract customers willing to pay more for economics and a premium experience. But as a longtime fan of open seating, I’m sad that a staple of the Southwest experience is disappearing.

As I think about this seismic shift in airline culture and approach to flying, I wonder what other changes are coming down the pike. A change in A-list status? A bare bones basic economy product? Or – heaven forbid – changes to its ever-popular free bag policies?

Southwest has said no changes to the baggage policy are coming, but at this point it seems anything is possible. Each update takes Southwest further away from the unique culture and onboard product that I have championed for over 30 years. Change is inevitable in the airline industry, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I look forward to hearing more details about the new premium seats in September and how assigned seating will work. I’m especially curious to hear how A-list status might play into all of this.

Only time will tell what the carrier’s evolution will look like and what it will become. I may not be happy with this announcement, but I plan on flying Southwest as long as it continues to get me from point A to point B at a good price and shows that it still appreciates my business.

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