Anyone here actually been DENIED pre-boarding on Southwest with children under 5?

[fuji]

My family and I are considering flying on SWA, we usually drive and never flown. What is an "A" ticket? And do you need a special ticket to get into the preboardimg line, I'll be traveling with 11, 6,year old, 8 month old and my wife and I. Will they let us all on, together in preboarding? thanks

 

[ducklite]

Oh, I strongly advise NOT trying to get away with preboarding an overage child (youngest or only, that is, not the older sibling of a preschooler). SWA staff are chatty for a reason, and they will almost always ask a child's age. When a small-for-her-age child pipes up with "7", back to the end of the B or C line you will go, unless you are claiming that one of the party is disabled.

Of course then it would be SW who was so mean to her family. Cheating will only ruin it for everyone, including those who follow the rules. Remember my story a couple months ago about the crazy lady at MCO who got kicked out of the preboard line and sent to the back of "C" for complaining very vocally because two people in wheelchairs were preboarded before her family who "had been there longer."

I don't understand "I am sorry but 7 is different now then it used to be, she is still so innocent."

Kids grow up faster rather than slower these days. Of course the example being set in regard to lying about age now will carry over to when she's older and wanting to buy booze...

Anne

 

[Corinne]

One of the reason's I don't like flying SW is that the employees at the gate often do not enforce the pre-boarding rules. They tend to turn a "blind-eye" from the cheaters. Our last flight with them was a few years ago, and there was a "family" that had no less than 14 members. They were in the preboarding line because they had 1 child who MAY have been five, but I would not doubt it if he was older. They had an extended family of Aunts and Uncles, etc.

By the time the preboard line had boarded, we were in the mid to last section of the aircraft, and being my anal self, I had printed off my "A" passes and we were 2nd in line behind an (almost) Senior couple. They had joked about lying about their age to get in the preboard line. We are flying SW again in August, and I hope there are chatty employees finding out whether or not people are lying about their kids ages! LOL!

 

[bavaria]

There is an interesting thread over on flyertalk.com in the United Mileage Plus forum regarding preboarding with children. (Just a warning that the flyertalk threads are not as filled with pixie dust as most of the threads over here.... )

I cannot recall the last time I heard a United GA call for preboarding which included small children - they usually use the phrase 'if you require extra time' if they call for preboarding at all. In most cases, they will preboard anyone in a wheelchair or who is mobility impaired, not by a PA announcement but by approaching them directly and asking if they need assistance.

 

[mdhkitten]

Duplicate post!

 

[mdhkitten]

My family and I are considering flying on SWA, we usually drive and never flown. What is an "A" ticket? And do you need a special ticket to get into the preboardimg line, I'll be traveling with 11, 6,year old, 8 month old and my wife and I. Will they let us all on, together in preboarding? thanks

Southwest has unassigned seats, so all of their tickets have either an A, B, or C on them. The A group boards first, C last. Basically, you want to be in the A group unless you're able to pre-board. You get your choice of seats pretty much. They allow you to print your boarding passes up to 24 hours ahead of time if you meet the following criteria:


These are the rules for online check in:

Search


Online Checkin @ southwest.com
Step-by-Step Instructions

Beginning 24 hours prior to scheduled departure, Customers with eligible reservations may check in online and print a boarding pass at southwest.com. Boarding passes are also available at a Southwest Airlines Skycap Podium, Ticket Counter, or RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk.

For details on Wireless Checkin via your web-enabled mobile device, please see Wireless Access.

1. Determine if you are eligible. To use Online Checkin @ southwest.com and print your Boarding Pass, you must:

* Check in beginning 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure
* Checkin at least one hour prior to your scheduled departure
* Have a Ticketless reservation
* Be checking in for flights that have not already departed
* Have purchased an Adult fare type (Customers holding reservations for group, infant, child, youth, or military fares, and those requiring an additional seat must proceed to the airport for checkin)
* Customers traveling on a Senior fare must be age verified before using online checkin. View more information.

These requirements, fare rules, heightened security, and other issues may prevent some reservations from qualifying for Online Checkin.


Basically, the above means that you cannot print your boarding passes ahead of time unless you meet all of the above and would have to check in at the airport. I have flown with my daughter as a lap child, and that also requires my checking in at the airport (from what Southwest has told me). I've always been able to pre-board with my daughter and mom and they've never had a problem, but preboarding is for those with any type of disability or adults flying with a child under 5. It's always possible that they won't let all of you board together if the flight is really busy. If they don't let you all board together, your wife may be able to take the two youngest and you could take the oldest (or you may have to take the 6 year old, too). There are only 3 seats together on each row, so you'll be split up regardless. If you purchased all of your tickets online (including your baby), you should just be able to print your passes ahead of time with no problem. Good luck! Oh, and I love flying Southwest!

 

[fuji]

Thank you mdhkitten, I have been reading the regulations on the SWA web site and am learning alot. I guess this experience will let me know if I will ever fly again.

 

[Rai's Mommy]

Like mdhkitten I am a single mom who brings my mom on most of our trips and outings in place of dd's dad. We live as a family unit, dm, myself, and dd, and I strongly believe that we should be treated as such. While dd is now too old for preboarding and I have decided to be adventurous and leave dm at home for our next trip, the three of us have preboarded together a number of times in the past. This is not something that I would do if the airline was restricting preboarding to one parent only per child under 5, however, I refuse to be discriminated against for choosing to rely on an adult for support who is not my spouse or of the opposite sex. That said, we were previously told that both parents or one parent w/ a helper, no extended family were allowed to preboard. They considered my dm as a helper. We are from Massachusetts where gay marriage is legal so who is to say that we were not both dd's mother anyway!

BTW - Curious - Does SouthWest have the small child seatbelts that you link into your own seatbelt when traveling with a lap baby? I frequently flew to Ireland with my dd when she was under 2 and needed to buy her a seat in case of turbulance but was allowed to keep her on my lap using a seatbelt that the airline provided which was just like a smaller version of the regular belt and was looped through my belt to securely hold her on my lap. This was on Aerlingus which I think is fantastic with kids.

 

[NotUrsula]

BTW - Curious - Does SouthWest have the small child seatbelts that you link into your own seatbelt when traveling with a lap baby? I frequently flew to Ireland with my dd when she was under 2 and needed to buy her a seat in case of turbulance but was allowed to keep her on my lap using a seatbelt that the airline provided which was just like a smaller version of the regular belt and was looped through my belt to securely hold her on my lap.

That is a belly-belt, and no US carrier has them, as they are forbidden in the United States under FAA regulations. They have been shown to sometimes cause internal injuries to babies in cases of sudden deceleration.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Everyone on this thread sounds so knowledgeable, so if the OP doesn't mind, please let me ask...

I'll be traveling on SWA with DD10, DD14, and DD15. (no other adult.) I will be gate checking my mobility scooter, and DD15 will help me down the aisle to my seat. Will DD10 and DD14 have to wait outside on their own to board? I think the answer might be "it depends," but what do you think is most likely?

-Sue

 

[ducklite]

Everyone on this thread sounds so knowledgeable, so if the OP doesn't mind, please let me ask...

I'll be traveling on SWA with DD10, DD14, and DD15. (no other adult.) I will be gate checking my mobility scooter, and DD15 will help me down the aisle to my seat. Will DD10 and DD14 have to wait outside on their own to board? I think the answer might be "it depends," but what do you think is most likely?

-Sue

It does depend. I'll tell you what I'd do--and your milage may vary--let them take you down the jetway and onto the plane in a wheelchair with your ten year old with you. The older two can board later and sit together (get "A" passes). They are certainly able to sit together without an adult at that age--your ten year old as well, but you'd probably rather have that child with you is my guess.

Anne

 

[Rai's Mommy]

That is a belly-belt, and no US carrier has them, as they are forbidden in the United States under FAA regulations. They have been shown to sometimes cause internal injuries to babies in cases of sudden deceleration.

Wow! Thanks for the info. Very scary stuff.

 

[DMRick]

In this case I have never not seen SW allow the entire family board together. I only fly 5-6 times a year, but most of that is on SW. Even when I broke my foot, they allowed my DH, my daughter and grandson to board with me. Of course one had my backpack, and another my computer, and hubby had the crutches (I was in a wheelchair)..so I needed the help.

Everyone on this thread sounds so knowledgeable, so if the OP doesn't mind, please let me ask...

I'll be traveling on SWA with DD10, DD14, and DD15. (no other adult.) I will be gate checking my mobility scooter, and DD15 will help me down the aisle to my seat. Will DD10 and DD14 have to wait outside on their own to board? I think the answer might be "it depends," but what do you think is most likely?

-Sue

 

[yogibigdog]

About 2 years ago we were coming home from Orlando when the Southwest agent announced pre-boarding for disabled guest only. He then stated that they would not pre-board children under 4 because this was Orlando and he would end up pre-boarding the whole plane. My kids were 5 and 3 at the time. That was the only time I ever experienced them not pre-boarding children under 4.
Last month on Jet Blue I was surprised how many people pre-boarded. The group next to me had a 12 & 14 year. They got in line to pre-board. I realized later that they had so many carry on bags the wanted the space to put there stuff in the overhead bins and not keep it by their feet. (That is another whole problem) I heard them tell another passenger that they never check their bags. Since the seats are assigned on Jet Blue I wait to the last group to board.

 

[Goobergal99]

Of course then it would be SW who was so mean to her family. Cheating will only ruin it for everyone, including those who follow the rules. Remember my story a couple months ago about the crazy lady at MCO who got kicked out of the preboard line and sent to the back of "C" for complaining very vocally because two people in wheelchairs were preboarded before her family who "had been there longer."

I don't understand "I am sorry but 7 is different now then it used to be, she is still so innocent."

Kids grow up faster rather than slower these days. Of course the example being set in regard to lying about age now will carry over to when she's older and wanting to buy booze...

Anne

Geez kind of a harsh assumption to say my DD will buy booze underage just because she pre boarded on SW airlines to avoid being terrified and alone once on board, i don't remember coming here and asking for a morality lesson on raising my child, all I did was try and calm the OP's fears

And for the record, Never once did I tell my DD to lie about her age, SW never asked. My DD is a very young seven and we are not getting on a plane and taking the chance of her not being seated with me or DH. Oh and we couldn't pre print out boarding passes either, because DH was randomly picked for added security everytime we flew and therefore the website refused to allow me to print the passes.

 

[Hi Ho To Disney We Go]

As A former airline employee I just wanted to say that

1. Being elderly is not a disability
2. Pregnancy is a temporary disability
3. All Disabilities are not obvious, Don't assume.
4. Families, ie. siblings and parents are allowed to preboard with children under 5, and it is a privilege not a right. Also I have seen gate agents change rules for preboarding to children under 3 because so many people are in the preboard line. And yes from anywhere to MCo and back is where it happens.
5. Save seats, don't save seats but don't get mad at any airline because your 136 family members can't preboard with you. Capacity of SWA planes 137.

That's it just wanted to share my 2 cents. Not intending to make anyone mad so don't. Lighten up your going to DISNEY and back to the happiest place on earth so be happy.

Liz

 

[NotUrsula]

Oh and we couldn't pre print out boarding passes either, because DH was randomly picked for added security everytime we flew and therefore the website refused to allow me to print the passes.

Anytime the website refuses to allow you to print boarding passes for tickets purchased via the website, call the airline. They can separate out multiple passengers onto separate itineraries, and then only the person who is actually matching on the list will be left to get a boarding pass at the airport. Those who are not matching for SSSS will then be able to check in online.

 

[Donna]

In this case I have never not seen SW allow the entire family board together. I only fly 5-6 times a year, but most of that is on SW. Even when I broke my foot, they allowed my DH, my daughter and grandson to board with me. Of course one had my backpack, and another my computer, and hubby had the crutches (I was in a wheelchair)..so I needed the help.

Just flew back from MCO on SW yesterday. The pre-boarding line was unreal. We had about 10 children ages infant to 3 but every single parent and every single person with them were allowed to pre-board. I was the first person in the A group line and literally, by the time i boarded the plane, it was half full! Of course, most of them had strollers that still had to be gate-checked so that held everyone up quite a bit. Then when we got off the plane, it was quite a long wait while they all left the plane and got their strollers, which blocked anyone else from leaving. I really think pre-boarders should be told to start boarding from the back of the plane. It would cut down on those that wanted to pre-board in the first place and also not delay others when arriving at their destination. Another thing i noticed at the SW gate at MCO, the gate agent constantly was walking away from his podium. We were right next to a bar/restaurant and the door to board the plane was wide open right next to the restaurant. A few kids even ran down the ramp and got pretty far before their parents even noticed. Seemed to me like security was pretty lax and no one would have noticed anyone slipping in there.

 

[mdhkitten]

Donna,

As a parent who flies SW fairly often, I think that all parents should wait for others to get off of the plane before trying to leave. That's what we always do anyway. Another thing is that I feel that people that fly should invest in strollers that are good for traveling with in general. That's exactly why I purchased a Maclaren. It may be more expensive, but is lightweight, and I can fold it up in a second, literally.

 

[Donna]

Donna,

As a parent who flies SW fairly often, I think that all parents should wait for others to get off of the plane before trying to leave and getting your children and stuff together. That's what we always do anyway. Another thing is that I feel that people that fly should invest in strollers that are good for traveling with in general. That's exactly why I purchase a Maclaren. It may be more expensive, but is lightweight, and I can fold it up in a second, literally.

I think so too. In fact, usually when i fly SW, that is what happens. Even on the flight down to MCO last week, the parents waited. On this particular flight home, there were even double strollers and two sets of parents had twins.
I've been there/done that with kids as we took both to disney; luckily, we only had one little one at a time since my kids are 10 years apart! I know it's harder and i did sympathize with the parents, especially the one that their baby cried the entire 2 hr. flight home! It would be so nice if SW changed their rules and then parents and children could take their time de-boarding at their leisure and not mine!