Anyone have SW make you give up EBCI seat?

[mmbl]

Probably because we are reading a WDW centric board and not an Orlando convention board, LOL. From reading here you can get the idea that half of any flight is children! Thanks for all the answers!

We fly to Orlando at least 2-4 times/year and every flight has had a ton of kids- regardless of the time of day or year.

 

[scard192]

I would expect a refund of the EBCI fee back to my credit card if I was forced to move because I would not have gotten what I paid for.

 

[scard192]

We bought EBCI.

On a flight coming home from Orlando I was asked by a flight attendant if I could move back one seat because an elderly passenger in a wheelchair and her son needed to sit together. I was in an aisle seat while my husband and two children were in the three seats across from me.

Moving back one seat shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but I'm not going to lie. It really bugged me!

shouldn't the passenger in the wheelchair and her son been able to preboard? or is it only the wheelchair that preboards?

 

[DebbieB]

shouldn't the passenger in the wheelchair and her son been able to preboard? or is it only the wheelchair that preboards?

They may have been late to the gate and missed it. Could have been connecting.

I'm not sure where they were sitting, but it's kind of like sitting at the front of the bus, there's signs saying handicapped get priority for those seats and you are expected to move for them.

I would just be thankful I'm not handicapped and moving back one row isn't a big deal.

 

[Disneylover99]

They may have been late to the gate and missed it. Could have been connecting.

I'm not sure where they were sitting, but it's kind of like sitting at the front of the bus, there's signs saying handicapped get priority for those seats and you are expected to move for them.

I would just be thankful I'm not handicapped and moving back one row isn't a big deal.

Well there was a middle seat beside me (where the elderly woman actually sat) and her middle age son sat on the aisle in my seat. Understandable if he needed to assist her with something. What bugged me the most is that once he sat down, he plugged in his head phones and he did not speak to her once during the entire flight. He could have just as easily sat in the aisle seat behind her (where I ended up sitting). Instead, I was asked to move away from my family (who I like to speak to).

 

[bumbershoot]

This is why I don't fly SW unless I'm flying alone or only with DH. That head of the line cattle call price gets steep when you have to pay for 5 people, both ways and I won't take the chance of not being able to sit with my children. We are going United to MCO and have booked close to the back of the plane to make the " I have to pee " at the last minute statements easier to handle and so we can have them gather themselves to get off the plane without getting in the way of others who may be in a hurry (we won't be).

I strongly urge you to check on your flight every couple days. Because ALL airlines CAN and DO change planes ("equipment") and can and do move seats around. Just because you chose those seats online doesn't mean those seats will still be your seats tomorrow.

People who avoid SW for this reason when ALL of the airlines do it are playing a form of roulette, hoping they won't get unlucky. That's if they even know that it can happen with the traditional airlines. At least on SW once you've chosen your seat a person has to actually look at you and ASK for your seat, unlike it just randomly being changed out from under you hours, days, weeks before your flight and often without any notice...

 

[charmed59]

We fly to Orlando at least 2-4 times/year and every flight has had a ton of kids- regardless of the time of day or year.

When looking for areas to retire Orlando was high on our list as it has a lovely International airport. After flying in several times to look at areas to move to, I came to the conclusion that although it does have a nice airport, you will be guaranteed lots of kids on your flight, and you have a much better chance of flying with families that are not flight veterans.

 

[MillauFr]

I strongly urge you to check on your flight every couple days. Because ALL airlines CAN and DO change planes ("equipment") and can and do move seats around. Just because you chose those seats online doesn't mean those seats will still be your seats tomorrow.

Have you ever had this problem on Alaska? Seems like they only have a couple of variations on 737 so it is probably less of problem than other airlines like United which has many different types of airplanes.

I would just feel uncomfortable making other people move so our family could sit together. Even if we paid for early boarding it doesn't seem like this will help if you have a tight connection.

 

[maxiesmom]

I strongly urge you to check on your flight every couple days. Because ALL airlines CAN and DO change planes ("equipment") and can and do move seats around. Just because you chose those seats online doesn't mean those seats will still be your seats tomorrow.

People who avoid SW for this reason when ALL of the airlines do it are playing a form of roulette, hoping they won't get unlucky. That's if they even know that it can happen with the traditional airlines. At least on SW once you've chosen your seat a person has to actually look at you and ASK for your seat, unlike it just randomly being changed out from under you hours, days, weeks before your flight and often without any notice...

Yep. Delta especially loves to change my seat assignments. I have multiple flights with them where they have moved the flight time back and forth by as little as 5 minutes, and yet changed my seat assignments.

Gotta watch every airline for this!

 

[leebee]

Nobody cares what time that plane departs, only about what time it touches down. How many times has your flight been delayed only to land pretty close to on-time because of a "favorable tailwind" or something. The captain can sit it out a good 10-20 minutes and make it up in flight.

Actually, the captain cares very much about what time that plane departs. Airlines are charged a fee for every minute that their equipment sits in the gate after a scheduled departure time, because usually there is another plane waiting to pull into the gate. According to my ex-BIL, who flies for United, every delayed departure costs the airline money and goes against a captain's record. This is GREAT motivation for getting that plane out of the blocks and into the air… or at least into a "parking space" out on the tarmac!

 

[alaska8]

Have you ever had this problem on Alaska? Seems like they only have a couple of variations on 737 so it is probably less of problem than other airlines like United which has many different types of airplanes.

I would just feel uncomfortable making other people move so our family could sit together. Even if we paid for early boarding it doesn't seem like this will help if you have a tight connection.

I don't see this very often, its usually when a passenger has booked thru a third party (ie orbitz etc) or booked at the last minute. We have great Customer Service agents who try their hardest to get families together. We also have a few "tools"onboard that we can use to entice a seat change. One tip I have is if when its time to choose seats when you are booking your flight if there are none available together then select "good"seats (try getting them close together) rather than none. (ie aisles windows etc)

 

[jayhawk74]

Actually, the captain cares very much about what time that plane departs. Airlines are charged a fee for every minute that their equipment sits in the gate after a scheduled departure time, because usually there is another plane waiting to pull into the gate. According to my ex-BIL, who flies for United, every delayed departure costs the airline money and goes against a captain's record. This is GREAT motivation for getting that plane out of the blocks and into the air… or at least into a "parking space" out on the tarmac!

Maybe that is how it works at United but not SWA. I've been a SWA Capt for 14 years and have never had a delay put into my record, though I've had numerous delays charged to me. As for the gates SWA pays a yearly fee to lease the gates which remains the same whether an aircraft is on them or not.

 

[DebbieB]

Maybe that is how it works at United but not SWA. I've been a SWA Capt for 14 years and have never had a delay put into my record, though I've had numerous delays charged to me. As for the gates SWA pays a yearly fee to lease the gates which remains the same whether an aircraft is on them or not.

It's irritating when you land at an airport and are then sitting there on the tarmac because another plane is sitting in your gate, departing late. Especially if you have a connection to make. Sometimes they can find another gate, sometimes not. Doesn't the airline try to get you out of that gate ASAP?

 

[jayhawk74]

They do try to vacate the gates on time but there isn't much that they can do if we arrived late. Also I've been delayed for maintenance issues and for connecting passengers. Whatever the reason SWA doesn't put it against my record.