Another SWA preboarding question...

[2infinityandbeyond]

On crowded, young child filled flights to MCO, SWA will:

1. Strictly enforce the ages of children who qualify for preboarding, or

2. Not do any preboarding because there are too many preboarders, or

3. Sometimes 1 and sometimes 2

4. Something other than 1, 2, or 3

I plan on checking in online at 12:01 AM, so I'll have A boarding passes, but with three young kids, I'm wondering if it's worth getting to the gate earlier than SWA recommends to get in the preboard line (on a flight I know for sure will be completely filled with others like us).

 

[bicker]

3 or 4

 

[taximomfor4]

I flew SWA in April, and because the flight was to and from Orlando, it was, naturally, packed with kids. They actually got VERY strict (although they were nice about it, they were immovably firm) about the age restriction for preboarding young children. They had to be UNDER (not including) either 3 or 4. I don't remember which it was. There were quite a few families who could not furnish proof, and were sent to the back of their boarding line. I know that this varies, but unless you have kids under, say, 3, I would print an A boarding pass early, like you plan to, and get into your "corral" early.

Beth

 

[3AmigosMom]

I believe on our trip in May it was 4 and under (our kids are 4,5, and 6), so I remember thinking we need to go again before our youngest has her next birthday
What I found surprising was the number of "extended" family members trying to explain to the gate crew why all of them had to pre-board to take care of 1 small child. The attendants were very nice about it, but did strictly enforce the rules and would not let them pre-board. The problem, however was that the preboarders went on in and in one instance saved 3 ROWS of seats for the rest of the family, and the flight attendants did not say anything (on their behalf they might not have known what was going on). IMHO, just think that's kinda petty.

 

[inkkognito]

I have done a lot of SW flights and have never seen them suspend the kid pre-board, but I have seen them be very, very strict about the age. And if you try to slip by and they catch you, you are sent to the BACK of your lettered line.

If someone was being rude enough to save three rows and I really, really wanted one of those seats, I'd just sit there anyway. What can they really do? It's not like the flight attendant is going to back up a "seat hog." But even when I've seen seat saving going on (not too often), I've always been able to get a satisfactory seat so I haven't confronted a hog (it's a different story on Disney Cruise Line, where some idiot once tried to tell me he was saving the whole front row in the show theater...my husband and I just plopped down and I told him to go complain to someone who gives a you-know-what).

Barb

 

[wilderness01]

We arrived last summer 2 hours early and received a B. We were the first 2 in the B corral. Wouldn't you know it but there were hoards of people in the preboard, yes extended family for 1 small child, and only a few in A. Did the A's actually then preboard, I don't know. We did manage to sit together but the number of preboarders were amazing and the employees did NOTHING about it. Amazing!!

 

[Gary M]

When we flew SWA from IND to MCO last December, the pre-boards were well over 50% of the plane. We fly SWA as a last resort to WDW because of this. We fly SWA to Vegas and the pre-boarding is minimal. It must depend on the airport you fly out of, as to the pre-boarding enforcement. In IND extended family, friends old and new all boarded with junior or missy.

 

[SB in KY]

We flew SW home from MCO on Easter Sunday, 2004 and honestly by the time everyone preboarded there were literally less than 20 of us still waiting to get on the plane (and it was a full flight) A, B and C lines combined!!...we actually kind of enjoyed watching the circus....there was a group of 13 (yes, count them 13) people that preboarded with one child that was "4" (yeah, right....I've seen smaller 12 year olds!!)....nobody said anything to any of them....1/2 the kids some families were preboarding with had 5 o'clock shadow!!

I was with my DD's (both teens) and we had C passes so we knew we weren't going to be sitting together so we just sat there and watched the show!!

When we finally boarded (with only 3 or 4 people behind us) there were still people that had preboarded trying to save seats (obviously just hoping if they told everyone they were saving a seat they would get to have a vacant seat next to them). The flight attendents were telling everyone the flight was full and every seat would be filled, but they were still holding out. We all just took the first available seat we came to, making a couple of seat holders quite unhappy...but short of sitting in the lavatory for the flight home I don't think we had much choice!!

On subsequent flights they have been more diligent about who they allowed to preboard and how many adults per child... and once this spring we were on a SW flight to MCO where they announced that because of the large numbers of families with children preboarding was suspended for everyone that did not require wheelchair service....there were some pretty cranky parents on that flight!!

Bottom line is I think it just depends on the gate agent and what kind of mood they are in what the boarding policy is!! Just remember that no adult on your flight wants to sit next to your unattended kid anymore than you want your kid to sit next to a strange adult....so it will all work out.

 

[BUCKEYE MICKEY]

What I'm going to do if I can't get a seat next to my kid, I'll sit them down give them a bag and say if you get sick again use the bag THIS time. And I'll cue my kids to start crying. Yep, I'll get a seat next to my kids. HA HA

 

[Jimmac]

What I'm going to do if I can't gat a seat next to my kid, I'll sit them down give them a bag and say if you get sick again use the bag THIS time. And I'll cue my kids to start crying. Yep, I'll get a seat next to my kids. HA HA

Buckeye, Ya Gotta Love It!

 

[goofy4tink]

Had the same experience flying out of Providence to Orlando and back last week. Seemed to be an excessive amount of people preboarding. I was in section A and about 8 people back in the row and had to sit 3 rows behind the wing on both trips. There were groups of 10 and 11 preboarding with one small child. I think it would really make more sense to have one parent able to preboard with each child under 4..rather than all the aunts and uncles and grandparents! Then when we finally were able to board, there were several rows (at least 5) that had one child in it, in the middle seat...saving the other two for someone else. Nope, I'm going back to Song where I can decide where I'm sitting beforehand. It's worth the slight difference in fare.

 

[wilderness01]

1/2 the kids some families were preboarding with had 5 o'clock shadow!!

 

[chesirechik]

Coming home from MCO on SW yesterday they were very strict about it. Children 4 & under ONLY and mom and dad ONLY. All other parties had to wait in line. One mom tried to sneak her 5 year old daughter through and the guy taking the boarding passes asked her how old she was and she said 5 and he sent them back in line - after a huge argument. I guess it depends on who is letting people on the plane.

 

[maryliz]

When we went in Jan, the preboard age was for children "4 and under", so we qualified (me, DH, DD7 and DS4). My DSIS and DBIL were also on the flight, but none of us would have ever even had the thought that they should board with us. Extra adults in the party should never be allowed to preboard. If sitting all together is important, don't fly SWA, IMHO. I did have concerns that if DH and DD had to regular board, that the two of them wouldn't be together, but I also knew that SOMEONE on that flight would not want a 7 year old by herself beside them, on her very first plane ride. I was confident that someone would switch if necessary.

Coming home, they preboarded those who needed wheelchair assistance, and then boarded the "child preboards" at the same time as the "A's" since the preboard line was pretty full

MaryLiz

 

[goofy4tink]

Coming home from MCO on SW yesterday they were very strict about it. Children 4 & under ONLY and mom and dad ONLY. All other parties had to wait in line. One mom tried to sneak her 5 year old daughter through and the guy taking the boarding passes asked her how old she was and she said 5 and he sent them back in line - after a huge argument. I guess it depends on who is letting people on the plane.

That sure wasn't the case on Tuesday when I came home. Wish it had been. Maybe I might have felt better about flying SW. But some of those family groups were huge. I did see them turn away one lady and her two kids though...the kids seemed to be in the double digits....I can't believe she thought she would get through.

 

[nybound]

On flights from BWI to MCO and back, it was announced many times that only children 4 and under with immediate family could pre-board. All other relatives had to wait in the "letter" line.

On my flights, I didn't see anyone trying to sneak in.