Southwest, don't ask "Is this seat taken?"

[MaryKatesMom]

It isn't. There is NO SAVING SEATS. I know it is a polite habit but get over it.

The flight attendants repeated this over and over AND kept saying the flight is full take the first available seat.

I pay $12.50/per person so all my family can sit together towards the front in rows 5-10. However, the woman across the aisle kept saying to everyone "My husband is sitting there." No he wasn't. They only wanted to pay for one person on Early Bird while he had a C boarding pass. She brought the bags on and stuffed the overhead and then saved his seat.

The flight was full and I mean no empty seats at all, every middle seat was taken.

Easily 1-2 DOZEN people said "Is this seat taken?" (We were in row 7, so she got asked that much) Her reply "Yes, my husband is sitting there." After the first dozen my "It is all open seating." earned me an elbow from my husband and a let it go.

My advice. Throw your small bag on an empty seat, put your overhead if you need one (with SW we only travel with under the seat bags. Bags are free, so why worry about overhead space. You'll have more room towards the front since the overheads there fill up quickly. Any protests should be met with, "Talk to the flight attendant."

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I'm not sure why you started this thread. You had a seat; why do you care if this lady was saving a seat for her husband? Your husband was right; let the FAs deal with this.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Why do you care whether I posted the thread or not?

 

[AliceIn]

Since we don't know the circumstances about the woman and her husband, it's hard to make a judgement about them. Perhaps they both did pay for early boarding, but they realized he left something behind. Maybe he's in the bathroom. Maybe they really are cheapskates who wanted to save the $12.50. We don't know. Sometimes it's best to assume innocence, if only to avoid getting upset yourself at something you have no control over. When I find myself getting upset at something another person is doing, or what I perceive them to be doing, I say the serenity prayer to my self. "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Most of the time that makes me realize that me getting upset about rule infractions only causes negative consequences for me, and rarely for the person I'm getting upset about.

 

[Alesia]

While I realize that there is no seat saving, I would still prefer not to sit next to someone if it means that their companion has to sit elsewhere, especially if there are still plenty of open seats to choose from. Why would that be upsetting to you when you already have your seat anyway?

Your husband was right, you need to MYOB.

 

[bumbershoot]

It gets irritating to follow the rules, and watch others not follow the rules. It gets irritating to listen to people blatantly NOT listen to the flight attendant, or look around them and see what their actions are doing to others.

SW doesn't have a policy on seat saving. That means it's NOT the FA's job to police this. It's on the passengers. Not having a policy means save it or don't save it, we're not getting involved.

I lose my own mind when watching people board a flight that's obviously going to be full, and put tiny bags up top and NOTHING below, or put their coats in the bins, not on top of other things, but just in the bin. I always applaud when someone comes by, moves the coat (extra bonus points if you have the owner of the coat hold it during the procedure), puts their bag up there, then puts the coat back on top of things as it should be. And when someone puts their coat there and decides the bin is full and closes it (when 2 more bags could go up there), well the next time I see that I'm getting up and opening it. FAs tend to believe a closed bin, and people end up having to check their carryons because of moves like that, which I dislike. (I once had to check a carryon, got onboard, and there was plenty of space in the bins far back, which is where I was sitting)

 

[smitch425]

It gets irritating to follow the rules, and watch others not follow the rules. It gets irritating to listen to people blatantly NOT listen to the flight attendant, or look around them and see what their actions are doing to others.

SW doesn't have a policy on seat saving. That means it's NOT the FA's job to police this. It's on the passengers. Not having a policy means save it or don't save it, we're not getting involved.

I lose my own mind when watching people board a flight that's obviously going to be full, and put tiny bags up top and NOTHING below, or put their coats in the bins, not on top of other things, but just in the bin. I always applaud when someone comes by, moves the coat (extra bonus points if you have the owner of the coat hold it during the procedure), puts their bag up there, then puts the coat back on top of things as it should be. And when someone puts their coat there and decides the bin is full and closes it (when 2 more bags could go up there), well the next time I see that I'm getting up and opening it. FAs tend to believe a closed bin, and people end up having to check their carryons because of moves like that, which I dislike. (I once had to check a carryon, got onboard, and there was plenty of space in the bins far back, which is where I was sitting)

Perhaps you should just stop watching others so closely if it upsets you.
Seriously, though, once I'm seated, it no longer affects me if someone is attempting to save a seat. I wouldn't give it a second thought. An eye roll maybe, but it wouldn't get me worked up in the least bit.

 

[ibob52]

 

[Disneylover99]

OP, it bugs me when I see the seat saving too knowing my family paid for the EBCI. But I would never say anything about it. You don't want to tick off people you'll be in the air with for a few hours.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Why do you care whether I posted the thread or not?

I was wondering if I might have missed your point, but apparently I didn't.

People should spend more time worrying about themselves and less about what others do, especially if it isn't affecting them. I suggest that you fly an airline with assigned seating in the future to avoid what appears to be such an immense aggravation to you.

By the way, you're wrong; Southwest doesn't have a policy against saving seats.

 

[mikehn]

once you get onboard, you can sit in any available seat. Since there is no 'policy', you can interpret 'available seat' however you want.

 

[goofy4tink]

So, are you just telling us about the fact that is lady seemed to be ignoring the 'rules'? It would seem that you had your seats as you wanted.
Here's the thing....you could very well pay for EBCI and not get seats towards the front. You could very well get split up in the boarding slots, you could very well end up with high A, low B slots...happens all the time. The only thing buying EBCI guarantees you is that you will be checked in early, at the 36 hr window vs the 24 hr window...hence the name...early bird checkin. It does not say that you will get a seat(s) closer to the front.
I have to ask...which seat was this woman sitting in and which seat was she saving for her DH?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I was wondering if I might have missed your point, but apparently I didn't.

People should spend more time worrying about themselves and less about what others do, especially if it isn't affecting them. I suggest that you fly an airline with assigned seating in the future to avoid what appears to be such an immense aggravation to you.

By the way, you're wrong; Southwest doesn't have a policy against saving seats.

Or worrying what others post. Immense aggravation are your words, not mine.

A GA actually DID say exactly that on a previous flight, no seat saving. However, I believe it was directed at families boarding early saving seats for extended family. Another time a FA did announce don't try saving the middle seat as the plane was full and every seat taken. First come, first serve.

I have heard of people doing this before, although I'm not sure where which was why I noticed it.

Why pay the EBCI if you don't have to? Although I wonder what the tipping point will be for SW.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I would make sense for our family to pay only for 2 EBCI. Two aisle seats and two middle seats would work.

To the PP who asked we were in the 5, 6 or 7th row and the woman was on the aisle saving the middle. It was a holiday week and the flight was full.

 

[katallo]

Here's the thing....you could very well pay for EBCI and not get seats towards the front. You could very well get split up in the boarding slots, you could very well end up with high A, low B slots...happens all the time. The only thing buying EBCI guarantees you is that you will be checked in early, at the 36 hr window vs the 24 hr window...hence the name...early bird checkin. It does not say that you will get a seat(s) closer to the front.
I have to ask...which seat was this woman sitting in and which seat was she saving for her DH?[/QUOTE]

So true, it is just early checkin. Honestly, we purchased ebci got our seats and DH went to help friends in the back area. Sometimes you aren't saving a seat. SW offers decent fares and we have had to learn to go with their system. The last two trips we didn't purchase the early checkin and never had a problem sitting together. It might not be in the front but we're together. As my DH says "we're all going to the same place"

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Since when is there a "policy" stating you can not save seats? Where is this printed.

 

[maxiesmom]

Since when is there a "policy" stating you can not save seats? Where is this printed.

I don't think it is printed out anywhere. But the policy is you are to chose from any open seat. And the FAs won't side with a seat saver if someone else wants to take the seat they are saving. Not to mention, it is totally tacky to pay for one EBCI and then try to save seats for others.

 

[ArmchairDetective]

Since when is there a "policy" stating you can not save seats? Where is this printed.

There is no policy, per se, regarding the "saving" of seats, but SW does have open seating. https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-experience/boarding-your-flight/

We don’t assign seats on our flights, so feel free to sit in any available seat once you board the plane.

My wife refuses to pay for EBCI, but I always do for myself and my daughter. So, because she won't, I always board very early, head back to the last 3/4 of the plane and hope nobody nabs the middle seat I have "saved" for her. If someone were to ask me if the seat was taken and there were clearly other seats, I would say that I wanted my wife to sit there. If they threw a fit, I'd likely move to the middle seat, move my kid to the window, and keep my elbow just a little bit on their side out of spite.

 

[Halle]

I like your thinking!

 

[maxiesmom]

There is no policy, per se, regarding the "saving" of seats, but SW does have open seating. https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-experience/boarding-your-flight/



My wife refuses to pay for EBCI, but I always do for myself and my daughter. So, because she won't, I always board very early, head back to the last 3/4 of the plane and hope nobody nabs the middle seat I have "saved" for her. If someone were to ask me if the seat was taken and there were clearly other seats, I would say that I wanted my wife to sit there. If they threw a fit, I'd likely move to the middle seat, move my kid to the window, and keep my elbow just a little bit on their side out of spite.

And you would be very much in the wrong. Any empty seat is fair game. If your wife refuses to pay for EBCI, then it is her fault if she can't sit by you. If you want her to sit by her, then you need to pay for EBCI for her too. Otherwise you are being very rude.