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Next Tuesday marks a major shift in for Southwest Airlines flyers as the carrier officially ends its long-standing open seating policy (a hallmark of the airline since its founding). For the first time, Southwest passengers will board with assigned seats, meaning millions of travelers will soon land in the most notoriously avoided spot on any aircraft: the middle seat.
Subway has decided to soften the blow with gift cards. The sandwich chain announced a one-day promotion aimed at passengers who find themselves in what it calls the “Sandwich Seat.” On Tuesday, January 27th, any traveler who occupies a middle seat on any flight (including those seated on Southwest’s unmistakable blue, red, and yellow Boeing 737s) can snag a free meal. All passengers need to do is snap a selfie in their middle seat and upload it to SubwayMiddleSeat.com. Qualifying travelers will receive a $20 Subway gift card, which is enough to cover a footlong sandwich or other menu items.
The offer is only valid for flights departing January 27th, and proof of the middle seat assignment must be submitted through the promotional website. Terms and restrictions apply, and full details are available online soon. It appears that there is a limit to the number accepted as it does say “while supplies last.”
For decades, Southwest’s free-for-all boarding process has been both beloved and criticized. Fans appreciated the simplicity and speed, while some travelers learned to game the system for optimal seats. Assigned seating removes that strategy dynamic and the element of not knowing where you’ll sit in flight. Subway’s promotion capitalizes on that collective dread with a playful gesture.
Anthony’s Take: Whether it eases the sting of losing the open-seating era is another matter entirely, but at least some sandwich-seat travelers will disembark with lunch on the house.
(Image Credits: Southwest Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
