As a wheelchair user I'm extremely happy open seating on Southwest is gone.

Imagine having to be carried onto a plane (because it's 2024 and there still aren't designated wheelchair spaces like every other mode of transit). Then you're transferred into an aisle seat in one of the first rows. And since it's cramped and difficult, you can't move yourself or be easily moved to the window. It's not a full flight so the flight attendant says don't worry about it you will have that row to yourself.

But then every five people that board, someone looks at you like, "Can you stand up so I can sit there?" and you have to repeat yourself at least 20 times that "No, I can't stand up because I use a wheelchair."

I TOTALLY get it. You can't tell that I'm a wheelchair user if I'm sitting there. And therein lies the problem. With assigned seating, this goes away and I can be dragged onto the plane and sit there in peace and quiet without everyone thinking I'm an asshole because I sat in the aisle and won't get up.

I encourage everyone to read this article or better yet, view this documentary to understand what it's like to fly as a wheelchair user. (Need VPN set to UK, if outside the UK but it's worth it)

Oh and that time I described earlier when I was the asshole hogging the aisle -- that was right after I was dropped from the aisle chair on the wet jetway, sitting there with pain in my knees/shoulders/arms and wet pants. So imagine THEN having to say "Sorry I can't stand I use a wheelchair" over and over again when you just want to get home from your 5-week-long trip and crawl into bed and die.

And how can I forget, lastly, my electric wheelchair arrived DEAD. Like didn't turn on at all when they brought it to me on arrival. And here I sit a month later still waiting on repairs.

So please don't complain too much about seating issues on an airplane. You'll get over it. Even I do.