Airtran booked with SW, recent experience with seats?

[houseofduck]

What a waste of time, plus it should not work. When you buy AirTran tickets through Southwest, you don't get seat assignments until 24 hours before the flight:

http://www.airtran.com/faq/swa_airtran_connectivity.aspx

It's not a waste of time if you are already going to be near or at the airport. We will be flying prior to this trip and will be at the airport already. I know it should not work, but I have read where it has worked. Someone purchased tickets on airtran through southwest, went to the ticket counter at BWI, and was able to get seat assignments for a future flight.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention the other board, but it was flyertalk. The thread is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/sout...irtran-possible-booked-southwest-website.html

It's a lengthy thread, but someone mentions doing this. It's on page 6.

 

[pooh4evr]

That's how I remember it too! And since no one has seat assignments anyway, it's almost a guarantee that families will get together.

That is for a standard SW flight, not an AirTran booked through SW flight. There is another huge thread that has been going for months. Families are not necessarily seated together. You can be scattered throughout the plane, no matter the age of the child. It is really a partially random draw. We are flying in 2 weeks I am keeping my fingers crossed that 6 yr old DD is seated by one of us, the 10 and 12 yr old should be ok.

 

[KaLyn]

That is for a standard SW flight, not an AirTran booked through SW flight. There is another huge thread that has been going for months. Families are not necessarily seated together. You can be scattered throughout the plane, no matter the age of the child. It is really a partially random draw. We are flying in 2 weeks I am keeping my fingers crossed that 6 yr old DD is seated by one of us, the 10 and 12 yr old should be ok.

That is correct. The confusion comes when one books AT through SW. If someone books AT through AT or SW through SW, all should be fine as far as I've seen and experienced.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If I remember correctly, with kids you board between zone A and B unless you already have A boarding. Either way, before B, there should be enough empty seats to sit families together.

Not correct. Family boarding is for one adult and children age 4 or younger between the A & B boarding, not for the whole family.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It's not a waste of time if you are already going to be near or at the airport. We will be flying prior to this trip and will be at the airport already. I know it should not work, but I have read where it has worked. Someone purchased tickets on airtran through southwest, went to the ticket counter at BWI, and was able to get seat assignments for a future flight.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention the other board, but it was flyertalk. The thread is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/sout...irtran-possible-booked-southwest-website.html

It's a lengthy thread, but someone mentions doing this. It's on page 6.

Do I believe this has happened? Sure. Many airline employees have no idea what their own policies are. I am surprised their computer program allows it though, since it's clearly against policy.

 

[nhfd155]

Not correct. Family boarding is for one adult and children age 4 or younger between the A & B boarding, not for the whole family.

Last October, all four of boarded at that time. Gate personnel told us to board. Two adults and 7 and 4 year olds. My in-laws were with us. They had to wait for B boarding. Did this policy change in the last year?

 

[KaLyn]

Last October, all four of boarded at that time. Gate personnel told us to board. Two adults and 7 and 4 year olds. My in-laws were with us. They had to wait for B boarding. Did this policy change in the last year?

That is how I understood it to be as well. The family with the child 4 and under can board, but not everyone in their party if there happens to be more. So I am also curious to know if it's changed within the 6 months since I've flown.

 

[taitai]

Southwest allows Family Boarding between the A and B group. One child under 4 and one parent/guardian accompanying the child. On occasion, they will allow other family members to join. However, that is not the policy and it is the exception and not the rule. Also, there are times when the flight is all families that they do not have family boarding at all and you just board when with your number/group. Finally, there are times when the flight you are boarding originated someplace else and is already quite full when it arrives in your city for boarding. In this instance, even with family boarding, it can be difficult if not impossible to find seats together.

This is just background to explain that families sitting together is not assured irrespective the ages of the children. It just isn't. Be prepared with a Plan B or Plan C in case it happens to you and your family.

 

[KaLyn]

Not sure what this is worth or what to make of it cause the agents can say one thing while the flight crew does another but...

I called SW three different times, and spoke to three different people. I explained my family (Me, DH, DD3 and DD6) and asked how we would board since their seating process is so different. Each agent said we'd qualify to board at family boarding time. I then questioned family boarding being considered "one child and one adult" and then asked if just myself and DD3 would board during family boarding, while my husband stayed back with DD6. All said absolutely not, that my entire family would be allowed to board at family boarding time.

Now boarding together doesn't mean seating together. And I get that people could already be on the plane from the previous flight so far as getting 4 seats together its not "guaranteed" but I'd say it's likely. And do I care to have all 4 together? No, I'll be happy with 2 here and 2 there but that's just me.

And in theory, couldn't one line up in family boarding with their little kids (age 3 and 6 for example) while their significant other hangs back and boards later? Who would really know who's with who?

But of course this is related to flying SW and booking through SW, which is not the same situation as the OP.

 

[DebbieB]

I've never seen them enforce the 1 adult/1 child rule. I have seen them limit it to parents and siblings only, no grandparents, aunts, etc (unless they are the adult accompanying the child). On my last flight out of Orlando I saw them make the grandparents take their regular number.

A couple of things to think about - sometimes there are continuing flights where there are people already onboard when you get on. I was on one in March: PIT-BWI-MCO. They announced that there were 41 people continuing when the plane stopped at BWI, so when the first person got on at BWI, there were no empty rows in the front (they allow you to move after the headcount if you are saying on). Second thing is if you are connecting, you may not make it to the second gate before family boarding is called.

 

[JimboCh]

We had Airtran flight today from PHL to MCO......... fastest and smoothest flight we have ever been on 1 hour and 50 min flight.

We had 3 seats in Row 11......A, D and E.........We asked the person that had seat F which is a window seat for Our A window seat and it was no problem so we all got to sit together in seat D, e and F.

So it all worked out well for us.

Airtran for us.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That is how I understood it to be as well. The family with the child 4 and under can board, but not everyone in their party if there happens to be more. So I am also curious to know if it's changed within the 6 months since I've flown.

No, there has been no policy change. The policy is easily found on Southwest's website if anyone wants to take a look.

As I already stated, many airline employees don't understand their own policies and gate agents can pretty much do what they want during boarding. So yes, you may be able to all board during family boarding, but that is not Southwest's policy, so don't count on it.

 

[twinone]

Wow this is alot of information, it seems like it will be a luck of the draw if we can sit together, my biggest concern is not all 4 of us sitting together as long as each child has an adult with them for the flight. I will say I'm regretting booking now since I'm going to stress about this till we get our boarding pass and know for sure. I'm not as worried about the SW flight since my DD is 4 so I know will be in the A boarding group

 

[pooh4evr]

I'm not as worried about the SW flight since my DD is 4 so I know will be in the A boarding group

unless you have purchased EBCI- you still need to check in at the 24 hour mark for a regular SW flight- having a 4 yr old will put your boarding group between A and B. *check in because sometimes especially with flights to and from MCO family boarding can be suspended, or limited to just the young child and 1 adult, because over half the passengers might qualify.

 

[KaLyn]

unless you have purchased EBCI- you still need to check in at the 24 hour mark for a regular SW flight- having a 4 yr old will put your boarding group between A and B. *check in because sometimes especially with flights to and from MCO family boarding can be suspended, or limited to just the young child and 1 adult, because over half the passengers might qualify.

Thanks for mentioning that! Of course flights to MCO are full of kids but I never thought of them suspending the family boarding. EBCI will likely be for us then! Especially since with it I won't need to worry about what we are doing in the parks at the 24-hour mark check in mark for our return flight!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Thanks for mentioning that! Of course flights to MCO are full of kids but I never thought of them suspending the family boarding. EBCI will likely be for us then! Especially since with it I won't need to worry about what we are doing in the parks at the 24-hour mark check in mark for our return flight!

While these ARE possibilities, I have flown BWI to MCO dozenS of times and NEITHER has Ever been the case. Yes, there are LOTS of families on board but to say that Half of the plane has a child aged 4 or under??? Really??? I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. I say they have kids maybe aged 8/9 and under but not 4! LOL!!
And I have never witnessed them suspending family boarding at a VERY busy airport that has probably 10 SW flights to MCO daily. So I'd say your chances of either of these happening are super slim to none!!
I guess better to be prepared but don't be surprised when you don't see that many young children on your flight! ROFLOL!!

 

[KaLyn]

While these ARE possibilities, I have flown BWI to MCO dozenS of times and NEITHER has Ever been the case. Yes, there are LOTS of families on board but to say that Half of the plane has a child aged 4 or under??? Really??? I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. I say they have kids maybe aged 8/9 and under but not 4! LOL!!
And I have never witnessed them suspending family boarding at a VERY busy airport that has probably 10 SW flights to MCO daily. So I'd say your chances of either of these happening are super slim to none!!
I guess better to be prepared but don't be surprised when you don't see that many young children on your flight! ROFLOL!!

Good point! I like hearing your personal experience with it. Thanks! I learn so much on here.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

While these ARE possibilities, I have flown BWI to MCO dozenS of times and NEITHER has Ever been the case. Yes, there are LOTS of families on board but to say that Half of the plane has a child aged 4 or under??? Really??? I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. I say they have kids maybe aged 8/9 and under but not 4! LOL!!
And I have never witnessed them suspending family boarding at a VERY busy airport that has probably 10 SW flights to MCO daily. So I'd say your chances of either of these happening are super slim to none!!
I guess better to be prepared but don't be surprised when you don't see that many young children on your flight! ROFLOL!!

I agree. I have flown from the DC area to Orlando many times (not to go to WDW) and I have never been on a flight with many kids. Orlando is a very big convention town; WDW is not the only attraction.

I do have to add that I don't fly Southwest; perhaps that is where all the kids are,

 

[frisbeego]

I checked in for tomorrow's flight on AT booked through SW. I have 2 reservation numbers. I waited 5 minutes after T-24 so it'd be less likely that someone would check in between my reservation #1 and #2 and therefore more likely to get seats together. (I have no idea if that's how the computer system actually assigns seats, but it was harmless to try it this way.)

I ended up with 20C and 20D. The seats don't recline and we're in the last boarding group, but those things won't matter on this trip. I'm very relieved that I'll be sitting next to (across the aisle from) DS4. Let's hope I have similar luck on the return trip.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

......

I ended up with 20C and 20D. The seats don't recline and we're in the last boarding group, but those things won't matter on this trip. I'm very relieved that I'll be sitting next to (across the aisle from) DS4. Let's hope I have similar luck on the return trip.

Row 20 is the worst row on the plane, excepting the last 2 rows, but at least you're across the aisle from your son. You may be able to trade seats with the person in 20A; unless someone has to have a window seat, they would probably prefer not to sit next to a young child. You wouldn't even have to ask me if I were in 20A, I would volunteer.