Frequent flyers critical of Southwest Airlines’s seating policies may be in for a bit of a pleasant surprise this week. Many who opt to fly with Southwest do so despite the company’s open seating policy but, according to the airline, open seating may soon be a thing of the past. On Thursday, Southwest Airlines announced it would be introducing assigned seating according to CBS News. The reason for the change? Apparently, the airline claims 80 percent of customers and 86 percent of potential customers prefer assigned seating to the airline’s previous open seating policy. Those willing to spend …