I've gotten a broad view of the various aircraft out there today, and have been involved in the design or manufacture of many too. All photos are mine or public domain.

In the past few months, Southwest Airlines has been taking on some major changes in how they fly people. Southwest had several unusual or unique ways of operating, including open (unassigned) seating and free checked bags. It also had an offbeat, loyal workforce that was maintained through a corporate history of never having a layoff. Now all of those are being removed and it makes me both a little sad (end of an era) and wonder whether it will actually work out for the company. It makes me wonder about...New Coke. Southwest's Decision Although Southwest has been profitable most years, has it been profitable enough ? Investment firm Elliott Management says no , and they now have the power to decide . Every other US airline (or almost every?) has embraced ancillary fees like seat-selection, premium seating options (e.g. extra legroom, seats near the front), and baggage fees. So why shouldn't Southwest get its cut? They did market research and it looked like they would ga...