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

[bavaria]

By the same token, I don't feel that anyone should ever feel "obligated" to give up their seat. Particularly on flights from Orlando where the planes are full of families, sometimes that strategy doesn't work because you'd be breaking up other families to accomodate someone. I'm claustrophobic and suffer from anxiety attacks when I'm feeling "suffocated" and because of this I don't give up my aisle seat which makes me feel much less closed in.

You never know the reason behind someone's refusal to change seats. And frankly even if it's out of simple selfishness, that's their perogative.

Anne

I too suffer from raging claustrophobia, and therefore fly United as my status almost guarantees me extra space in Economy Plus, if not an upgrade. I won't fly SW or buy an Air Canada 'Tango' ticket because I need to be able to have some control over seating (I know that even my United seat can change)

But as Anne says, there are many reasons for not changning. Once at MCO the gate agent asked me to change; my automatic response was 'of course' but then I told her 'no'. I had a broken shoulder and a sling and had picked my seat based on how I would be most comfortable. In that instance, call me selfish, but my comfort came first.

I have also been asked by an FA to change many many times. Sometimes the request is something like 'these two women speak Swedish and want to sit together'. In that case, if it's as good of a seat or better, I'll change. Sometimes it's 'a family wants to sit together'. Occassionaly that 'family' is actually husband and wife, and no kids. It could be that one of them has some kind of issue that they need to sit together, but who decides what is more important - their comfort or mine?

Getting on a plane every other week takes great preparation and strength of nerves for me, and there have actually been times when I have chosen to deplane and NOT fly because my stress level was so high.

While I have every empathy for families who are seperated, please don't expect me to move just because you ahve kids. If they are small etc, go ahead and ask. Just please don't expect me to explain my reasons in detail if I say 'no, I'm sorry, I can't today'

 

[ducklite]

Hmmm... I wonder how guilty these ppl would feel if there was an emergency on the plane and the poor lil kiddles were seperated from their parent in the midst of all the chaos.

This is exactly why I will never fly SW again, if I can afford a Disney trip then I can afford to pay a little extra for a plane ticket for the peace of mind that knowing that my DD will be with me brings.

The guilt belongs on the PARENT who didn't bother to get their boarding pass in advance or didn't bother to get to the airport on time. I'd feel as guilty in that situation as I would if a lap baby got injured because someone was too ignorant or cheap to buy them a ticket and bring along the car seat. In other words, not at all.

Anne

 

[Marseeya]

The guilt belongs on the PARENT who didn't bother to get their boarding pass in advance or didn't bother to get to the airport on time. I'd feel as guilty in that situation as I would if a lap baby got injured because someone was too ignorant or cheap to buy them a ticket and bring along the car seat. In other words, not at all.

Anne

I don't think it's any other passengers' responsibility to make sure families are together, which is why when we fly in June, we're leaving home at five in the morning to be at the airport two hours early. Let's just hope every other family doesn't do that.

 

[Pinnie]

The guilt belongs on the PARENT who didn't bother to get their boarding pass in advance or didn't bother to get to the airport on time. I'd feel as guilty in that situation as I would if a lap baby got injured because someone was too ignorant or cheap to buy them a ticket and bring along the car seat. In other words, not at all.

Anne

EXACTLY! ITA!!!!!

I refuse to be an enabler!!!

pinnie

 

[Goobergal99]

Well, I must say that I agree that you should leave very early for a flight. However, Noone knows what the circumstances were concerning why the parent was late in the first place and I will say that had I been on the flight single or with another adult, I would have gladly moved to accomodate him. I really don't see what the big deal would have been. Perhaps this is why ppl lie to board early in the first place.

Also, I don't think it is fair that someone without access to a computer or better yet without a working printer could arrive at the airport hours before their flight and still end up with a C ticket because someone with a computer was able to print their ticket earlier in the day. But again, thats just my opinion

 

[lila]

Also, I don't think it is fair that someone without access to a computer or better yet without a working printer could arrive at the airport hours before their flight and still end up with a C ticket because someone with a computer was able to print their ticket earlier in the day.

FYI, you don't need a working printer to get an A pass - just check in online and get a duplicate boarding pass at the airport. Similarly, if you don't have a computer or access to one because you are on vacation, you can have a friend with computer access check you in and secure your A pass and then get the duplicate BP at the airport.

 

[Donna]

FYI, you don't need a working printer to get an A pass - just check in online and get a duplicate boarding pass at the airport. Similarly, if you don't have a computer or access to one because you are on vacation, you can have a friend with computer access check you in and secure your A pass and then get the duplicate BP at the airport.

Plus, if you're at a disney hotel, the front desk will check you in online and even print your boarding pass. i imagine most hotel/resorts would provide this service for you.

 

[ducklite]

Also, I don't think it is fair that someone without access to a computer or better yet without a working printer could arrive at the airport hours before their flight and still end up with a C ticket because someone with a computer was able to print their ticket earlier in the day. But again, thats just my opinion

Most public libraries and all places like Kinko's and the UPS store have public use computers. You don't need to actually print the boarding pass, I've checked in from a hotel room without a printer and jsut gotten my boarding pass at the airport when I arrived.

"No computer" is a cop-out. Just another excuse in the entitlement mentality.

Anne

 

[evaready51]

I am in complete agreement w/LIWSC. When we fly SW we get to the airport EARLY! and never have an issue. I am just amazed when families arrive at the last minute and then complain they cannot be seated together.

If our family can do it so can others.

evaready51

barrington il

 

[tjmw2727]

I was on a flight from Phi to Mco in early April and ended up moving so a dad and his 5ish yo son could sit together.

I don't know the exact circumstances as to why they boarded so late but I can say that the boarding process was crazy! Many families with kids who appeard to me to be much older than 4 were preboarding. This in addition to the fact that at least 4 families with lap children placed the lap baby on a seat in hopes of gaining an extra seat made for a real probelm for boarding.

I was second in the A line and managed an asile 2/3 back. By the time the little boy and his dad boarded as well as another couple there were no seats left! The gate agent had to board the aircraft, call the families with lap childen by name and have them lap sit the child to free the 4 remaining seats.

This of course left the boy and his dad separated to which the FA stated the aircraft isn't moving until I can seat the boy and his dad together. I volunteered and they ended up with two asile seats across the aisle from each other.

I OTOH ended up in airline he double hockey sticks, in a window seat next to an "in flight business meeting on trash removal" uggh.

I will also say that in years of flying AA and Song despite booking early our seats always ended up separate and we had to re-arragne several times, often at the gate. With SWA by planning ahead and arriving early I have not yet been separated from my dd's.

TJ

 

[loveysbydesign]

I was on a flight from Phi to Mco in early April

We'll be flying that same route on SW on Tuesday for our 1st trip to Disney! Any tips for us in regards to Philly's airport and finding where we need to go? It's our 1st time flying and with having 2 kiddos along I'm feeling a bit scared and nervous!

 

[seashoreCM]

I I OTOH ended up in airline he double hockey sticks, in a window seat next to an "in flight business meeting on trash removal" uggh.

If you are nice enough to answer the F/A's call for help and switch seats the least the F/A could do is cool down the devils in airplane H-E-double hockey sticks.

 

[jenny-d]

OK--this is throwing me into a panic! We are flying SW for our June trip from Columbus, OH and neither my DD6 or DS4 have ever flown before. They are not going to be ok if we can't sit together! NO WAY! I had planned all along to check in on-line ahead of time but I didn't realize when I purchased the package that our tickets are not electronic so I think that means we cannot check in on line? Then I thought well, we can pre-board since I DS is 4. But now it appears that this is not a guarantee when flying to MCO d/t the high volumes of families with small children. I plan to arrive at the airport 2 hours ahead but will that be enough? Also, my DD6 has a severe peanut allergy and I would absolutely not be comfortable with her sitting by herself. (I called and notified the airline of the peanut allergy and they said they won't serve peanuts but you never know what can happen) I'm thinking maybe I should have shelled out the extra $400 and flown a carrier that assigns seats. I'm a worrier by nature but this is really consuming me! I'd appreciate any advice and anyone who can calm my nerves!!!

 

[Goobergal99]

Most public libraries and all places like Kinko's and the UPS store have public use computers. You don't need to actually print the boarding pass, I've checked in from a hotel room without a printer and jsut gotten my boarding pass at the airport when I arrived.

"No computer" is a cop-out. Just another excuse in the entitlement mentality.

Anne

Well call me entitled then.... Lucky for me I can afford to not ever fly SW airlines again. So you don't have to worry about moving from your aisle seat to accomodate me or my family

 

[NotUrsula]

Jenny-D, PLEASE CALM DOWN. You really do not have anything to worry about.

Most important issue first: the allergy. First off, make sure that you notify SWA with plenty of time, and also notify them again 24 hours out. If you are not on the first flight of the day both ways, you should probably change your flights. SWA goes the extra mile for folks with peanut allergies and will keep a plane as peanut-free as possible for you if you are on one of the flight segments. However, they cannot control what the other passengers might bring onboard with them, so being on the first flight of the day is the best defense against that.

If you have called to ask that the plane be kept free of peanuts for an allergy, you will not have any issue preboarding if you tell them who you are. The FA's will NOT want a child with a serious food allergy to be sitting away from a parent, so even in those instances where the preboarding of young families is suspended, your immediate family would qualify for a disability preboard. You would just need to go up to the gate agent and ask for a preboard sleeve.

 

[jenny-d]

NotUrsula--thanks for the advice--I feel better

 

[ducklite]

Well call me entitled then....

Based on your statement that you preboard with an overaged child who isn't special needs, I'd guess your statement is correct.

And BTW--flying a legacy with assigned seats isn't as foolproof for being guaranteed those getting assigned seats as you might think. And on a legacy finding someone willing to switch is probably going to be a lot more difficult. SO you might have just spent extra for nothing.

Anne

 

[Pinnie]

Based on your statement that you preboard with an overaged child who isn't special needs, I'd guess your statement is correct.

And BTW--flying a legacy with assigned seats isn't as foolproof for being guaranteed those getting assigned seats as you might think. And on a legacy finding someone willing to switch is probably going to be a lot more difficult. SO you might have just spent extra for nothing.

Anne

With NWA now charging extra for certain aisle seats, you can bet your bottom dollar that after paying extra for it, I am not going to give it up.

Anne, you hit the nail on the head. It amazes me how people think the rules apply to eveyone but themselves.

pinnie

 

[Goobergal99]

Based on your statement that you preboard with an overaged child who isn't special needs, I'd guess your statement is correct.

And BTW--flying a legacy with assigned seats isn't as foolproof for being guaranteed those getting assigned seats as you might think. And on a legacy finding someone willing to switch is probably going to be a lot more difficult. SO you might have just spent extra for nothing.

Anne

And that is funny because? Well all the times I have flown on an airline other then SW, I have always had an assigned seat and have always been seated with my group, so I am not sure how accurate that statement is.

It's so funny how all I did was try and ease the original posters fears and somehow became the target of your moral advice, not that it has changed my opinion one bit .However, I won't take it personally because I have noticed that you seem to think you are ENTITLED to give unwanted advice alot

Go ahead flame away and claim perosnal attack, I could say that your post earlier about my child one day becoming a booze buying teenager was much more personal

 

[bwdvc]

Just wanted to add my 2 Cents. I do not normally post but I just wanted to say that I love SWA. They are almost ALWAYS on time leaving and many times early arriving. I have never had a baggage problem. The FAs are almost alway very friendly and accommodating and usually humorous. I have never had a problem getting an A pass...either by using my own computer, Disney's business center or a relative checking me in via their computer. I do not mind the pre-boarding process for the elderly and those with young children. I like to sit in the back anyway. I generally fly with my family of 4 and we always sit together. My kids are now 16 & 19, but we have been flying since they were 4 & 7.

We used to fly NWA or Delta or US Air...they were always late and very slow on the boarding process...I have had baggage distroyed and late.

Just to recap...I think SWA is great!!