boarding Southwest with kids

[beccalines]

We will be flying southwest (first time) with me, my husband, and 4 kids ages 7,5,4,and 1. Will we all get to board early? The lady of the phone said we shouldn't have a problem sitting together because we would board early, but I read that a few cities are starting to change this procedure. Anyone had any experience recently?

 

[JeanfromBNA]

Just got home from a SWA flight, and families were allowed to board early. I'd check in 24 hours prior to flight time to get Group A boarding passes, and arrive early, just in case.

I remember reading that they are cracking down on pre-boarding when the definition of family extends to many able-bodied adults.

 

[goofy4tink]

Always check in 24 hrs ahead of time in order to get group A boarding passes. There are some airports that don't do preboarding since there are so many preboarders.
Technically, a parent and child under 4 are allowed to preboard. I'm sure that your entire family would be allowed to preboard together. I have to say though, even if you aren't, you won't have an issue getting seats together if you are in group A. If you head further back in the plane, you will have no problem finding seats together....even if you are at the end of the A group.

 

[Rpsemont]

Be sure to arrive at the airport early, though. Last year, the lines at security went from 30 minutes to 1 hour in the time it took DH to park the car (he had dropped me off with the luggage) I was at the gate about 30 minutes before flight time. When departure time came, a supposedly fully booked plane was less than 1/2 full. They ended up holding the plane, but there were many families wo got split up towards the end. Preboarding works as long as you're sure to be at the gate to preboard.

 

[Patti O'Furniture]

We were almost split up when some business folks were spreading out everywhere. I said - no problem DS5 can sit next to you across the aisle from me. He likes to play with magic markers and he talks NONSTOP he also likes to meet new people. Enjoy your flight .... Gee they wanted to switch off right away .......

 

[WillCAD]

We were almost split up when some business folks were spreading out everywhere. I said - no problem DS5 can sit next to you across the aisle from me. He likes to play with magic markers and he talks NONSTOP he also likes to meet new people. Enjoy your flight .... Gee they wanted to switch off right away .......

Did you have B boarding passes or something?

 

[goofy4tink]

As long as you have A group boarding passes you don't need to worry about getting split up. It's only when you delay getting passes and you end up in group C or wait to get into line for the group B passes that you run the risk of not being seated together. Well, unless you're a group of 10...then you are going to have to split up no matter what group you board with.
Get your group A pass, get to the airport early...you'll be fine. Not like the woman and son that flew SW with me a year or so ago. She was at the airport for at least an hour before the flight. I watched her chasing her young son all over the place. I have no issue with that...let the child burn off some energy. He was probably around 5-6. But, as the plane boarded, she wasn't around. I was in group A, the B's had boarded, the C's then boarded. Well, lo and behold, this mom and son came running down the jetway. They were able to find two open seats, but they weren't anywhere near each other. Now, you have to understand, the time for departure had come and gone. We would have been able to leave right on time if this mom had been on the plane. So now...the FA is making an announcement that someone has to move so that this mother and child can sit together. Well, I'm not moving because I'm sitting with my child! No one made a move. The FA came back on and announced that the plane was not pulling away from the gate until them mother and child were seated together!!! The guy sitting next to the son, on one side of him, with his travel companion on the other side of him, said he would move to the mother's seat. Very nice of him, and we got underway, but we were about 10 mins late in leaving....all because this mom couldn't manage to board with everyone else.

 

[Ted and Holly]

We were almost split up when some business folks were spreading out everywhere. I said - no problem DS5 can sit next to you across the aisle from me. He likes to play with magic markers and he talks NONSTOP he also likes to meet new people. Enjoy your flight .... Gee they wanted to switch off right away .......

Sit him next to me. I tend to swear a lot and watch R-rated movies on my laptop.

Get an A boarding pass and you won't have to worry about the pre-boarding policies.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why do parents think it’s so darned amusing to falsely ‘warn’ the passenger who won’t change seats with them or their child that the child is rambunctious, or likes to draw on everything with permanent ink, or cries if she can't see mommy (how do you get through a normal day?) or throws up on planes? Geez, people – PLAN AHEAD!!!!! It’s not as if you don’t know you’ll be flying on an airline that doesn’t assign seats. You KNOW the procedure. Get online 24 hours before the flight, check in, and, if need be, move to the back of the plane. You know, ‘no-man’s land’? Where the passengers land a second later than those at the front of the plane (well, really, the rear tires land first, but that’s an issue for a different thread)?

And, Ted and Holly - what movies? Can I sit next to you, instead of some whiny kid?

 

[tjmw2727]

Why do parents think it’s so darned amusing to falsely ‘warn’ the passenger who won’t change seats with them or their child that the child is rambunctious, or likes to draw on everything with permanent ink, or cries if she can't see mommy (how do you get through a normal day?) or throws up on planes? Geez, people – PLAN AHEAD!!!!! It’s not as if you don’t know you’ll be flying on an airline that doesn’t assign seats. You KNOW the procedure. Get online 24 hours before the flight, check in, and, if need be, move to the back of the plane. You know, ‘no-man’s land’? Where the passengers land a second later than those at the front of the plane (well, really, the rear tires land first, but that’s an issue for a different thread)?

And, Ted and Holly - what movies? Can I sit next to you, instead of some whiny kid?

Amen - well said.

I had a situation exactly like Di's posted above (I have also posted about it a few times) and just can't understand why it becomes the responsibility of the FA's and everyone on the aircraft to move and make way for someone who didn't bother board the plane on time. In my case it was a dad and son who were in the terminal when I arrived early for the flight.

Another problem I have with pre-boarding families is those with lap babies who try and snag an empty seat for the baby. Since they board first of course there are going to be empty seats...but they are unlikely to be available. One trip we had 4 lap babies in seats that were not ticketed and we were 4 seats short when the last of the C group boarded. It took 2 announcements by the FA's and threats of removal from the flight if they had to get out the manifest and identify the unticketed babies.

I like SW and I like the idea of the new boarding process, it will be interesting to see how it works out.

TJ

 

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)
When families preboard together, it is harder for them to save an extra seat for an unticketed infant since no one from the B and C groups will be joining them later.

 

[inkkognito]

Why do parents think it’s so darned amusing to falsely ‘warn’ the passenger who won’t change seats with them or their child that the child is rambunctious, or likes to draw on everything with permanent ink, or cries if she can't see mommy (how do you get through a normal day?) or throws up on planes? Geez, people – PLAN AHEAD!!!!! It’s not as if you don’t know you’ll be flying on an airline that doesn’t assign seats. You KNOW the procedure. Get online 24 hours before the flight, check in, and, if need be, move to the back of the plane. You know, ‘no-man’s land’? Where the passengers land a second later than those at the front of the plane (well, really, the rear tires land first, but that’s an issue for a different thread)?

Double Amen!

DH had a real corker on a SW flight recently. Comes prancing on at the last minute with her kid, and the only person who would move was sitting in the last row. So Ms. I'm Better Than Everyone says, "I am NOT sitting in the last seat! I will NOT sit down until someone else gives us their seat." The FA said, "Either sit or you're not going in ANY seat today," but she still refused.

The good news: She got her butt kicked off the plane.

The bad news: Everyone had to wait till her luggage was pulled. Still, I imagine that the cosmic justice made the wait that much sweeter.

 

[Hannathy]

Double Amen!

DH had a real corker on a SW flight recently. Comes prancing on at the last minute with her kid, and the only person who would move was sitting in the last row. So Ms. I'm Better Than Everyone says, "I am NOT sitting in the last seat! I will NOT sit down until someone else gives us their seat." The FA said, "Either sit or you're not going in ANY seat today," but she still refused.

The good news: She got her butt kicked off the plane.

The bad news: Everyone had to wait till her luggage was pulled. Still, I imagine that the cosmic justice made the wait that much sweeter.

I want that FA's name so I can send her a great big thank you and let SW know how great she is!

 

[goofy4tink]

I think we will see fewer preboarders when SW changes the policy. When preboarders have to wait until after the A group boards, they will most likely start getting that group A pass at the 24 hr mark. I think so many people push it because for whatever reason, they want to sit in the front of the plane. You never see preboarders go to the rear of a plane do you? Nope, they clump right up front, trying to save those precious middle seats in the hope that the flight won't be full and they will have more room.
I'm not trying to be nasty or mean...really I'm not. But that has been my experience almost every single time I have flown SW. The preboarders save seats, the FA comes over the PA and tells us the flight is full, so there will be no empty seats. The preboarders, hoping beyond hope that the FA is kidding, keep that middle seat open. Then, when the C group gets there, there is a mad rush to get the preboarder families all seated together. They jump up, yell for little Johnny to move over with Grannie, Dottie needs to move next to Uncle Joe..yikes. If it didn't hold up the departure time it would be funny!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I was just thinking - wouldn't you love to revisit those preboarders in five or ten years, when they have to board with the hoi polloi? Then, almost immediately I got another picture in my head:
"So, Betty Sue - how many children do you and Bob have now?"
"Oh, we have eight, ranging in age from three to 27."
"Really? I remember you being a strong advocate of Zero Population Growth."
"Well, we were. It's really important not to overpopulate the planet. But then we got to preboard on Southwest with the first baby - and that was SUCH a pleasure, no cattle calls, no lining up an hour in advance... well, we rethought our priorities. Every time a little one 'aged out' of Southwest's preboard age group, we knew it was time for another child..."

 

[pezheadmeg]

I was just thinking - wouldn't you love to revisit those preboarders in five or ten years, when they have to board with the hoi polloi? Then, almost immediately I got another picture in my head:
"So, Betty Sue - how many children do you and Bob have now?"
"Oh, we have eight, ranging in age from three to 27."
"Really? I remember you being a strong advocate of Zero Population Growth."
"Well, we were. It's really important not to overpopulate the planet. But then we got to preboard on Southwest with the first baby - and that was SUCH a pleasure, no cattle calls, no lining up an hour in advance... well, we rethought our priorities. Every time a little one 'aged out' of Southwest's preboard age group, we knew it was time for another child..."

Now in all seriousness, I've had the same thing with the pre-boarders, it's not like your luggage is going to come out any faster if you're first ones off the plane. My new attitude is that I follow protocol, I get my A, I go to the back of the plane, I have one carry-on. Go ahead, I have no problem with your whiney 2 year-old sitting next to me. I'm not giving up my aisle seat because you took your time airport shopping.

 

[disneyfan2]

i think they should have considered putting pre boarders at the back. If they are not happy with that, then let them board with there respectable A,B, C. I think alot of pre boarders take forgranted that most of us, had to make some type of arrangement to get our boarding passes at 24 hrs advance or so. I would love to be enjoying the parks 24hrs in advance as oppose to wondering where i can get my boarding passes. But i always include that in my plans..