So true! I fly SWA a lot. I was pretty close to A-listing this year but won't make it -- maybe next year! In real life, in the airports, it works out just fine with very little stress. It wasn't until I came to DIS and found this forum that I learned about all the angst and drama it supposedly causes. I feel like people who don't fly that often are more stressed out about it than those who fly regularly (or at least once/twice a year). But it really is no different than going to the movies and finding seats. Once you get it, most people like it. Like a PP said, it's actually easier than everyone trying to scoot around people getting to their assigned seats (or getting to your seat and finding an unfavorable travel companion next to you). And if you don't like it, don't fly SWA.
But knowing that this may in fact happen (and is very likely to happen) you can decide not to buy EBCI. Or, if it's that important to get on first, pay BS fares and you won't have to worry. The benefit of the cheaper flight comes with the cost of open seating. I think it's a great trade but if others don't, they have other options.
And again, I have no issues with that. BUT...if SW policy says that one parent may board with one child, 4 and under, in the family boarding group (although I can see exceptions being made for one parent and two kids), but the gate agent then allows the entire group, consisting of mom, dad, that one 3 y/o, the other 3 kids, grandma, grandpa, and the aunt and uncle and their 3 kids, board together in family boarding?? Yeah, that's an issue.
SW needs to set policy and stick to it. Man, it looks like they are taking a page from Disney's policy manual....state the policy and then allow guests to do pretty much what they want in order to avoid an uproar.
We flew SW for the first time in April and I didn't really think it was any faster to board than any other airline.
On our trip TO Orlando, my husband and one son had A boarding passes and my other son and I had B boarding passes. I asked the SW employee at the gate if my other son and I could board during family boarding and she told us just to get on in the A group with my husband and younger son (kids were 4 and 2). That could be part of the problem too....seems like the employees make up their own rules part of the time.
And again, that's the issue. If your dh and ds has the last two A spots, and you and your other ds had the first two B spots, then fine. Otherwise, members really should go to the further back spots.
Nothing is perfect. SW boarding does work very well. It is faster. I do wish SW would adhere to their own policy about family boarding though. It's almost as bad as other airlines saying that those with infants or other children that need more time to board and get settled can board before the 'regular' ticket holders..and then you see all those families with kids, none of whom are under the age of 5, getting in line to board. One time when this happened (flying JB by the way), when my dd, then 12, saw this happen, she turned to me and saidk..'Hey, I'm a kid and I can be verrrrrrrrry slow if I have to be. Can we board early too????' Yes, she was dripping with sarcasm...she got it. That behaviour drives me nuts. And of course, overhead space is then hard to find. From now on?? I book the back of the plane to be sure I have available space.