Open Seating, Is Now Closed...

Top of Mind

Now Boarding…

Southwest Airlines is ending its open seating policy. 

The airline announced yesterday it will begin assigning seats & providing premium seating options citing “extensive research” into customer preferences.

“The airline has been known for its unique open seating model for more than 50 years, but preferences have evolved with more Customers taking longer flights where a seat assignment is preferred.”

According to their research, 80% of current and 86% of potential customers favor assigned seating.

“When a Customer elects to stop flying with Southwest and chooses a competitor, open seating is cited as the number one reason for the change,” the release said.

“By moving to an assigned seating model, Southwest expects to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future Customers.” 

These changes will also feature a redesigned boarding process and the addition of redeye flights.

The airline’s first overnight flights will begin service on Feb. 14, 2025, on nonstop routes including Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando, Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville, and Phoenix to Baltimore.

Scarlet Letter Trivia

Question: Columbus “high school” Bishop Sycamore lost 58-0 on national TV, exposing the school as a football-focused fraud. The story is featured in a new documentary, BS High. Who’d they lose to in that infamous ESPN broadcast game?

A. Hilliard Davidson
B. Wright-Patt
C. Mo Alie-Cox
D. IMG Academy

In the News

The New Hollywood?
Fallback Studios Bets Big on Ohio Film Industry with $20M Dublin Facility

Dublin, Ohio, is home to a bridge, concrete corn, and now, a brand spanking new multi-million dollar Hollywood Caliber movie studio….

Fallback Studios announced plans to invest over $20 million to convert a 250,000-square-foot facility in Dublin into a state-of-the-art studio for film, television, and commercials.

Native Ohioan (and chairman of Fallback Studios) Kevin Kale, shared that the company saw an opportunity to grow the local film industry significantly and emphasized their belief in its potential.

"Myself and a couple of our partners have been in the industry for 12 years, 40 years, and over 15 years. Being from Ohio, especially Columbus, we saw an opportunity to grow the industry within our state," 

We may not be the headquarters of Letterbox, but we Ohioans are no strangers to films. With the likes of "The Shawshank Redemption" and John Travolta's 2016 classic "I Am Wrath," which is entirely set in Columbus. The film industry has grown since the Motion Picture Tax Credit of 2009 was created to encourage and develop a strong film industry in Ohio. With around $300 million coming into each year and a total of $1.38 billion since 2009, I'd say it's working.

"We've been very pleased and excited with how welcoming the City of Dublin has been. They kind of rolled out the red carpet for us, and the incentive package was significant. It factored heavily into our decision," Kale noted.

With substantial investment and a goal to grow Ohio's film industry to $3 billion in the next five years, Fallback Studios aims to transform Ohio's film industry and attract more productions to the region. The future looks bright for the Buckeye State as it steps into the spotlight as a major player in the film industry. Andy Dufresne would be proud…

Now Let’s Look At The Numbers…
In 2024, 23 projects have been awarded more than $44 million in tax credits.

Projects being awarded are:

TV Series

• An Interesting Life Season 2, Southwest Ohio, $432,300

• WWE 2024, Ohio, $1,675,986

• Nightmare Transmission Season 2, Ashland/Columbus, $265,247.40

• Heartland Horror Chronicles Season 1, Crestline, $129,444

• Christmas on Main, Ashland, $148,842

• Kings of Vegas, Cleveland, $105,878.25

Feature Films

• Genesis, Cleveland/Cincinnati, $11,091,686.70

• Superthief, Northeast Ohio, $5,296,260.30

• Alarum, Cincinnati, $5,863,392.30

• Epiphany, Cincinnati, $6,052,988.40

• Stained Glass, Southwest Ohio, $3,026,255

• The Marshal, Southwest Ohio, $2,380,988.40

• Nutcracker’s Mustache, Dayton/Cincinnati, $2,008,106.70

• The Last of the Big-time Promoters, Southwest Ohio, $985,500

• Never Quit, The Todd Crandell Story, Toledo, $1,256,153.40

• Harbor Master, Northeast Ohio, $1,113,364.80

• Down to the Felt, Columbus, $385,853.70

• Oscar’s Options, Cincinnati, $823,269.60

• Slay, Columbus, $519,603.60

• The Forgotten Chord, Columbus, $115,651.50

• Heavenly Wickedness, Ashtabula, $110,625

• Cannonballer, Summit, $148,371

• Aimless, Columbus, $93,313.50

Escape!

We tested out THE Escape Game at Easton…

onlyincbus

View more on Instagram

and it was so much fun! Grab a group of friends and give it a try!

Use the code “ColumbusEscape” for 20% off!

Trivia Answer

D. Bishop Sycamore’s football team lost 58-0 to IMG Academy on national TV in 2021. After the blowout loss, the school was exposed as entirely made up. The story is the subject of a new documentary called BS High.

Signing Off