Anyone have SW make you give up EBCI seat?

[Sheilby]

Big animals are put in the cargo hold, and honestly it's a nightmare. Even back in the late 60s it was awful; my mom had to bring our malamute out to FL when she was pregnant with me and her dad died, because my male parent REFUSED to watch the dog. And the airline misplaced our dog for half a day.

Bet you've been on a plane with a cat before and didn't know it. Since you didn't know could be on planes, but they are taken on planes.... Ever have a random reaction to "nothing"?

I've only flown a handful of times, and only once in the last 10 years, so who knows. I often have a random reaction to "nothing" I can't even go near my gorgeous nieces until my MIL washed them and changes them because of all the pets in their house. She was tired of my eyes swelling up so she came up with a system.

 

[luv2sleep]

Well then I guess you always have the option to wait for the next flight. My point was that I don't think it is the responsibility of total strangers on a flight to accommodate me or anyone else. Also, please don't make assumptions about how "easy" my kids are.

Oh my gosh yes. There's no way my son could fly alone. We'd have to get off.

I guess my mind and heart are different. I'd move in a heartbeat to help a child. Obviously some people don't feel the same way. After reading this thread I can say for sure I wouldn't fly Southwest again or any open seating type airline again until my son was able to sit alone. That's one less child you have to worry about moving for.

 

[gmeh1]

1. The whole spiting people for not planning ahead thing is really annoying me. I know several of the posters on here are much nicer than they are coming across in this discussion...

Scenario: I flew Southwest, with my then 2 year old, to my father's funeral. Literally. Purchased ticket at 11 PM for 7 AM flight the next morning. How was I suppose to plan ahead for that? (Southwest was quickest way of getting there to be with my family)

My point is, you often have have no idea why a family is traveling nor why/what/when/how they purchased their tickets and received their boarding number.

2. Novice flyers who don't do the research to understand the boarding process, board late, and expect the world to move to their whim are donkeys. Does that mean you turn into a heartless misanthrope and not make the reasonable accommodation you might have made had the true story behind the person's lateness been point 1?

3. Open seating works both ways. Its not your seat, its SWA's seat. You didn't buy a a guaranteed seat assignment. You want a guaranteed seat assignment: charter a flight.

Your case is one of the rare situtations I mentioned. Obviously you could not plan for that.
It is my seat the minute I put my bottom on it. I paid for a seat, the one I select is mine for that flight.

 

[gmeh1]

Can you point me to these rules? I actually went to SWA's website and they explain the boarding process, but didn't see a policy specific to 'seat occupancy', but I could have missed that.

In any case, if a parent was unable to sit next to a young child (who would be be incapable of attaching his/her own oxygen mask) then said parent would have to involve the flight crew. I'm sure there's circumstances where SWA will remove the parent and child from the flight, but I suspect there's just as many circumstances where the flight crew requests seat movement for the sake of safety. And if people are disobedient of a flight crew, even in this circumstance, they are likely to be removed from the flight.

They pretty much cover the seating thing when you board. They say (not quoting) it is open seating and you are welcome to take any available seat. I think that pretty much covers issue.
There is also nothing on the web site that say pax. have to accomodate other pax. or the plane won't leave, obviously that does not prevent that from happening.

 

[gmeh1]

I would hope so!

Seriously, maybe some of you don't have children. If you did you could understand the concern when you are faced in this situation no matter how hard you tried to not be in it.

My children are now adults and I can promise you, I planned ahead and remained thoughtful of others and never expected anyone to accomodate my kids or me.
My advice, with all due respect, is if you plan to fly with children, don't fly SWA.

 

[gmeh1]

I also went to Southwest's website, to look for any official seating policy. All I could find were a lot of statements about how there is no guaranteed seating, even if you have A status or EBCI. I'm taking that to mean that ultimately the airline and flight crew has the final say on seating, based on what they feel is safest for the individuals onboard the aircraft.

The oxygen mask issue is a really good point that I hadn't even thought about. Unlikely that you'd need it, but can you even imagine if a kid was sitting without their parents and couldn't get it on without help? Yikes!

I strongly suspect that if a child were sitting with "strangers" in the unlikely even that oxygen were needed they would help the child. Let's get real here. http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/airport-experience/boarding-school/ It pretty much tells you to board and select your favorite seat.

 

[gmeh1]

OK, cats on planes are a whole new thing to me. I thought animals rode in cages in the cargo hold? If you travel with a cat is it on your lap? If it's in a cage, where do you put the cage? Sorry curiosity is getting the best of me. That and the fact that I am beyond allergic to cats. My eyes swell shut, I get hives and my breathing gets heavy. I have to swallow lots of Benedryl at that point which puts me to sleep for a LONG time. Never thought about having to deal with sitting next to a cat. I'm allergic to dogs too, but not as severely.

They travel in an approved carrier that fits under the seat. SWA does not put animals in the cargo hold, hence the animal has to be small enough to fit under the seat (and stay there the entire flight).
What do you do when someone has a service dog on a flight? That has to be miserable for you.

 

[gmeh1]

Big animals are put in the cargo hold, and honestly it's a nightmare. Even back in the late 60s it was awful; my mom had to bring our malamute out to FL when she was pregnant with me and her dad died, because my male parent REFUSED to watch the dog. And the airline misplaced our dog for half a day.

Bet you've been on a plane with a cat before and didn't know it. Since you didn't know could be on planes, but they are taken on planes.... Ever have a random reaction to "nothing"?

SWA does not put animals in the cargo hold. And, yes, it can be a horrible experience, mostly for the animal, but also for the human.

 

[gmeh1]

Well then I guess you always have the option to wait for the next flight. My point was that I don't think it is the responsibility of total strangers on a flight to accommodate me or anyone else. Also, please don't make assumptions about how "easy" my kids are.

 

[goofy4tink]

OK, cats on planes are a whole new thing to me. I thought animals rode in cages in the cargo hold? If you travel with a cat is it on your lap? If it's in a cage, where do you put the cage? Sorry curiosity is getting the best of me. That and the fact that I am beyond allergic to cats. My eyes swell shut, I get hives and my breathing gets heavy. I have to swallow lots of Benedryl at that point which puts me to sleep for a LONG time. Never thought about having to deal with sitting next to a cat. I'm allergic to dogs too, but not as severely.

My cat (well, son's cat), was in a soft-sided carrier, with all the flaps up except for one so that she got some fresh air. You wouldn't have known that cat was there. She meowed so quietly upon take-off and landing that no one heard her. Here's the thing....if you are that allergic to cats, you should really let someone at the gate know this. Or call SW and have a note made. That way, if someone wants to fly with their cat, the airline will know that there is a highly allergic person already booked on that flight.
I doubt that anyone more than a row or two away from me would have been bothered if they were allergic. Like I said, that carrier was pretty well closed up.

I am not a pet person and I would freak out if I had to sit next to an animal for an entire flight.

Again, as I just said...you wouldn't have even known my cat was on that flight! Even if you were seated next to me, you would have heard the cat meow a few times and then she would have been 100% silent, in her carrier beneath the seat in front of me, at my feet!

Yeah well some of us have special needs kids and that would have never worked. You are blessed and fortunate to have such easy kids.

I have always felt there is a special place in heaven for those parents with kids that have any kind of challenge or special need. But here's the thing....just because one passenger has a special needs kid doesn't mean that other passengers have to take responsibility for that child's needs. In the vast majority of the time, parents are not split up from their children on SW flights. It may seem that way after reading these threads, here on the DIS. But in all reality? If, and when, a parent finds themself away from their child, there is almost always another adult that will offer to switch seats. It just isn't an issue.


And that assistance animal issue? Legally, that animal gets to go absolutely anywhere if it's working...except a house of worship! If you get approval from the church, fine, otherwise no. But on a plane, in an office, or a restuarant? That dog (or other assistance animal) gets to go in with the owner. I was just talking about this to someone that fosters assistance puppies...we are trying to get on the list to do this as well. He said he went into a restuarant with him pup and was seated. The people at the next table asked that my friend and his dog be moved away from them. No, the waiter said. But he would be happy to move the complaining couple! It would have been against the law to ask the dog and it's owner to move!!

 

[jayhawk74]

And that assistance animal issue? Legally, that animal gets to go absolutely anywhere if it's working...

Also the assistance animal can be any type of animal and it doesn't have to be caged. I've had a monkey on one of my flights that was an assistance animal and Southwest had a Shetland pony, that was in the first row, that was an assistance animal. In neither case was the animal in a cage.

 

[FrugalFashionista]

Just happened to my BIL flight home from MCO yesterday, they continued to politely ask and no one would move. Pilot finally came on and announced the doors would not be closed and flight wouldn't leave until someone volunteered their seat so the child could sit with a parent. My BIL wanted to offer, but he had his daughter and wife with him so a party of 3 would not have helped the situation.

This doesn't surprise me at all. There's less chance of disruption and issues if parents are with their children.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The car was in a soft sided bag. The lady just asked if the middle seat was taken and slid the bag under the seat in front of her. DH started the wheezing cough so for some reason I asked the lady if she had a cat. I can't imagine if DH was sitting in the seat above the cat how we would have found out. And I get that she paid extra for the cat (more than DH paid for EB). SW did tell DH that he should carry his epi pen in the future. (He checked it)

I don't understand why, if you were sitting across the aisle, you didn't switch seats with your husband. And I cannot understand why he checked his epi pen! Never check medications, especially emergency rescue meds.

 

[luv2sleep]

My children are now adults and I can promise you, I planned ahead and remained thoughtful of others and never expected anyone to accomodate my kids or me.
My advice, with all due respect, is if you plan to fly with children, don't fly SWA.

I wouldn't plan for it but things happen. No matter what you do your day can crap out and you are the last one on the plane. Ever dealt with an extreme melt down in the airport? I have. I have already decided based on the unkind responses towards families and children in this thread that we won't fly SWA unless he's old enough to manage himself in a seat alone. So I totally agree with you

 

[Sheilby]

They travel in an approved carrier that fits under the seat. SWA does not put animals in the cargo hold, hence the animal has to be small enough to fit under the seat (and stay there the entire flight).
What do you do when someone has a service dog on a flight? That has to be miserable for you.

So far I have never been on a flight with a service animal (I don't fly much), but from what I know service dogs are usually breeds that people tend to be less allergic to. As long as dogs don't like me and I resist the urge to pet them I am usually OK as long as I'm not in a house where the dog has been everywhere. Cats are my real kryptonite, I'm down for the count.

 

[Sheilby]

My cat (well, son's cat), was in a soft-sided carrier, with all the flaps up except for one so that she got some fresh air. You wouldn't have known that cat was there. She meowed so quietly upon take-off and landing that no one heard her. Here's the thing....if you are that allergic to cats, you should really let someone at the gate know this. Or call SW and have a note made. That way, if someone wants to fly with their cat, the airline will know that there is a highly allergic person already booked on that flight.
I doubt that anyone more than a row or two away from me would have been bothered if they were allergic. Like I said, that carrier was pretty well closed up.


Again, as I just said...you wouldn't have even known my cat was on that flight! Even if you were seated next to me, you would have heard the cat meow a few times and then she would have been 100% silent, in her carrier beneath the seat in front of me, at my feet!

Oh I agree, I doubt I would be bothered if I wasn't right next to you. Southwest is actually more expensive than JetBlue for flights from Newark to Orlando anyway, so I have already chosen my seats and will be right next to my family. But it is good to know this info for the future.

Don't get me wrong, I think animals are adorable, I just think they are a lot more adorable from across the room.

 

[Autumnslight]

This doesn't surprise me at all. There's less chance of disruption and issues if parents are with their children.

That's exactly my point. It's not just about accommodating a parent, or a child. It's about ensuring that the flight goes smoothly and safely for EVERYONE on board. If you have a kid who really needs to be with a parent (because they're scared, or get sick, have special needs, just plain are brats, or whatever), and you sit them with strangers, the flight is going to be unpleasant for more people than just the parent and kid.

Ultimately, it's up to the flight crew to decide what is safest for everyone. At this point, after reading everything, I'm pretty satisfied that Southwest will do what's necessary to seat a parent and a child, who actually NEEDS to be seated with a parent, together.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

That's exactly my point. It's not just about accommodating a parent, or a child. It's about ensuring that the flight goes smoothly and safely for EVERYONE on board. If you have a kid who really needs to be with a parent (because they're scared, or get sick, have special needs, just plain are brats, or whatever), and you sit them with strangers, the flight is going to be unpleasant for more people than just the parent and kid.

Ultimately, it's up to the flight crew to decide what is safest for everyone. At this point, after reading everything, I'm pretty satisfied that Southwest will do what's necessary to seat a parent and a child, who actually NEEDS to be seated with a parent, together.

Well said.

I feel like this thread got way too hypothetical and ignored what really happens aboard planes. Even airlines with assigned seating frequently shuffle people around to seat a parent next to a young child.

And it seems that point got missed here: young child. Children 3 and 4 years don't travel as unaccompanied minors (5 and older for that) because they need somebody they no to supervise them pretty much constantly. And its a bit ridiculous to ask a parent allow a stranger to be the person responsible for a preschooler in an in-flight emergency. Yeah, there might be people willing, but how is s a parent supposed to know whether or not that stranger has flight phobias and would be capable of taking care of *ANYONE* in an emergency. All for what greater principle?

I understand the instinct to take a stand against rudeness and entitlement, but I don't think this is the right place to do so. Otherwise you're just contributing to an increase of rudeness and entitlement in the world.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

So far I have never been on a flight with a service animal (I don't fly much), but from what I know service dogs are usually breeds that people tend to be less allergic to.

I don't believe this is true. Service dogs these days can be any breed. I don't see any common service dogs on the AKC's recommendation page for breeds which are good for allergy sufferers:

http://www.akc.org/about/faq_allergies.cfm

 

[NotUrsula]

Far and away the most common breeds used as service dogs in the US are German Shepherds and Golden/Labrador Retrievers -- those are not so-called hypoallergenic breeds.

Standard Poodles are sometimes trained as service dogs, but it isn't very common. I don't think I've ever seen one in harness, and I see quite a few dogs in training, because we have four organizations in my metro area that train them.