Northwest changes boarding procedure

The AP

reports

that Northwest has done away with its row-by-row boarding policy for coach class and instead now allows passengers to "simply get on when they [are] ready." The move, says Northwest, saves an average of five to 10 minutes.

Unlike Southwest, which uses the "cattle call" approach (that is, no assigned seats, every man/woman/child for himself/herself), Northwest still has assigned seats. Then again,

of course

it does—otherwise how could the airline

charge extra

for the right to sit in previously free assigned seats?