ARGH!! SW checkin

[ATAfamily]

I just went to checkin on-line with SW for our flight tomorrow and I was able to print out all boarding passes except for my 8 yr. old sons. When I called to find out why, I was told that they pick people randomly to checkin at the counter. What's up with that!! They also said that they can't guarantee that he will have "A" boarding with us. So because of this we all can't board at the same time now. I hate when things don't go as planned.

Anyone have any advice on what to do?

Deanne

 

[PlutosFriend]

I just went to checkin on-line with SW for our flight tomorrow and I was able to print out all boarding passes except for my 8 yr. old sons. When I called to find out why, I was told that they pick people randomly to checkin at the counter. What's up with that!! They also said that they can't guarantee that he will have "A" boarding with us. So because of this we all can't board at the same time now. I hate when things don't go as planned.

Anyone have any advice on what to do?

Deanne

Oh that sucks! What happens if you try to check him in again, on line? Same thing? How many of you are going? Maybe once you get to the airport they can print him an A pass. I mean, geesh he is 8 years old for petes sake! I have an 8 year old and a 6 year old. We are leaving this Saturday on SW and I plan to check in on line, Friday. I hope this doesn't happen to us. If it did, I would have 2 of us get on with A, and save seats for the other 2 in my family. Good luck!

 

[Dis31]

If your family all have A's except your son they could board and if it isnt a full flight Im sure they could save one seat for him- i guess it isnt really allowed but i dont think anyone will say anything.Also if you guys just sit in the aisle seat and the middle i doubt anyone will opt to sit in the window seat before trying to get a seat further back. Maybe they will let him board with you since he is only 8 and you obviously arent going to leave him alone. We just flew SW yesterday for the first time and we all had A, but by the time Pre-Boarding was done 1/2 the plane was already full, and I noticed one lady who had preboarded was holding a row for the rest of her family who were not on board yet, I really dont think this is suppose to happen but no one said anything to her. I think youll be ok especially if you tell them that you son is 8 and he has to board with you especially since you made it a point to get all your baording passes at the 24 hour mark!

 

[ATAfamily]

Oh that sucks! What happens if you try to check him in again, on line? Same thing? How many of you are going? Maybe once you get to the airport they can print him an A pass. I mean, geesh he is 8 years old for petes sake! I have an 8 year old and a 6 year old. We are leaving this Saturday on SW and I plan to check in on line, Friday. I hope this doesn't happen to us. If it did, I would have 2 of us get on with A, and save seats for the other 2 in my family. Good luck!

I can't even try again because there are red letters next to his name saying that this person cannot checkin on-line and needs to checkin at the airport. That's it, no explanation or anything. It's making me so stressed out now.

Deanne

 

[NotUrsula]

Calm down; you almost certainly *can* all board together.

The random selection is usually for extra security, so get him ready for that; he may have to have a brief pat-down and be wanded. (And if that happens, do not fight it; arguing will just make the situation worse.) Also, make sure to double-check his bag and his pockets and make sure that he has nothing in them that would slow him down at security. When you get the boarding pass, you will almost certainly find that it will have the letters SSSS printed somewhere on it. On the unusual chance that his name matches one of those on the TSA watch list, it also would not hurt to bring along a copy of his birth certificate to verify his DOB and US citizenship -- you don't HAVE to, but it couldn't hurt, and might help speed things along.

One of his parents will have to take him to the ticket counter to get checked in. Everyone else in the party can go ahead to the gate and stake out your places in line. When you get to the gate with him, go to the gate agent and explain that he was selected for extra security, and that everyone else in the party has an A boarding pass, then ask if it would be all right for him to board with the rest of you. As he is a child, they will almost certainly allow him to do that. (If he was an adult they would have him board with his group and advise you to save him a seat, but since he's a kid it is very doubtful that they will insist on that.)

 

[goofyforlife]

Don't sweat this matter....

The same thing happened to us last time for my DH.

(Hmm ...it's funny how random only picks males on individual confirmations)

They just check them in at counter...(they just glanced at DH's driver's license and no extra screening or anything)

He got C card but they told us to just have him stand with us girls in the A line and have him board with us. The gate attendent didn't even ask when he came with us.

(since your ds's are young. Gate attendents probably won't even bother asking)

 

[PlutosFriend]

I can't even try again because there are red letters next to his name saying that this person cannot checkin on-line and needs to checkin at the airport. That's it, no explanation or anything. It's making me so stressed out now.

Deanne

Oh heck Well I bet it is going to be OK. Talk to the a SWA attendant when you get there, and they will hopefully get it all straightened out!

 

[ATAfamily]

Thank you all for helping to ease my mind. I'm sure once they see that he is only a child I don't think that we will have any problem having him board with us when the A's board.

Deanne

 

[Marseeya]

Calm down; you almost certainly *can* all board together.

The random selection is usually for extra security, so get him ready for that; he may have to have a brief pat-down and be wanded. (And if that happens, do not fight it; arguing will just make the situation worse.) Also, make sure to double-check his bag and his pockets and make sure that he has nothing in them that would slow him down at security. When you get the boarding pass, you will almost certainly find that it will have the letters SSSS printed somewhere on it. On the unusual chance that his name matches one of those on the TSA watch list, it also would not hurt to bring along a copy of his birth certificate to verify his DOB and US citizenship -- you don't HAVE to, but it couldn't hurt, and might help speed things along.

One of his parents will have to take him to the ticket counter to get checked in. Everyone else in the party can go ahead to the gate and stake out your places in line. When you get to the gate with him, go to the gate agent and explain that he was selected for extra security, and that everyone else in the party has an A boarding pass, then ask if it would be all right for him to board with the rest of you. As he is a child, they will almost certainly allow him to do that. (If he was an adult they would have him board with his group and advise you to save him a seat, but since he's a kid it is very doubtful that they will insist on that.)

Just curious about the "pat down," will they have a same-sex person do it?

 

[gw_lit]

Just curious about the "pat down," will they have a same-sex person do it?

Yes.

(My first answer was "Yes.", but I didn't realize that a post had to be at least 5 characters.)

 

[Alice Sr.]

I'm new to SW and when I was exchanging my flight for a different time (at a cheaper price) the SW agent told me the online check in wasn't an absolute. She said not to worry avout it because since we have 5 flying in our party who ever got the A boarding pass could just reserve seats for the rest of our party.

 

[seashoreCM]

I woujld just quietly do all of the following in order if needed:
(1) When the child is finally checked in, ask for a matching boarding card.
(2) Ask for a blue preboard card for that child.
(3) Have the whole family simply line up in the corral that matches the boarding card letter that all except one member has.

I'm . She said not to worry avout it because since we have 5 flying in our party who ever got the A boarding pass could just reserve seats for the rest of our party.

There have been reports on these boards that Southwest flight attendants told the family member with an A pass he may not save seats for the rest of the family.

Irrelevant quote copied from another thread and OT here:

Once the gate agent tells everyone to group together by boarding card letter, the moment you bring your kid with a C pass turned face down into the A corral you are lying about his boarding status

But with all family members except one child having A passes the airline doesn't really want an unaccompanied minor even for the short distance between the gate seating area and the airplane interior. Also it looks incredibly bad for the gate agent to cull an 8yo with a C pass away from his family all holding A passes so the GA probably won't do that.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[NotUrsula]

Just a comment: Having one A-pass holder save 6 seats for 6 C-pass holder isn't quite the same thing as having 6 A-pass holders save one seat for one C-pass holder, especially not when the one C-pass holder is a child who got caught in an SSSS web.

Saving up to two seats in an occupied row (as long as they are NOT premium-demand seats such as bulkheads, exit rows, or aisles in the first 6 or so rows) is usually considered acceptable on SWA, but saving more than that is frowned upon. If you are polite and save the less desirable seats at the back of the aircraft, people are usually willing to let you do it, but if you are piggy about it you will get slapped back (figuratively, of course). Also, it should go without saying that trying to save seats for imaginary passengers is just evil.

Gate agents and FA's have some leeway in how strictly they enforce boarding policies, especially with regard to keeping young families together. If you do not try to put them in an untenable position, they will usually do their best to help you.

 

[Kira G.]

Relax - we had this happen to us with our 7 year old daughter flying out of Tampa a few weeks ago.

It actually is not Southwest that "flags" the passenger, but the TSA - and it is completely random.

When we checked in at the counter, she got a "C" boarding pass, but the agent wrote on it that she should "board with parents." She was routed to a separate security line (I was able to go with her), probably for the "pat down", but because she was 7 they exempted her from that as well. She boarded with us and all was well.

Once I knew she could board with us, I actually found the whole thing quite funny.

Good luck.

 

[seashoreCM]

If at least two of you are saving one non-exit-row seat for one later boarding family member, take window and aisle. Nobody in his right mind will insist on taking the middle seat knowing neither of you will offer to shift over to the middle to make it easier on him hint, hint (although you shall offer to have the separated family member switch).

 

[chris1gill]

Hi ATAmom from NH, we have a black belt from NH as well.. we might know you LOL...

Anyhow, our daughter was chosen in January for extra security & because she was under 12 they allowed her through with no pat down or extra security.... The thing is, if you go through the extra security line with her, with your carry on's, they will go through all your things! I would suggest a parent with no bags go through that extra security line with her & let the others in the party go through the regular security line... I think you won't have a problem having your child board with you, or at least saving one seat for them...

 

[delilah]

Just curious about the "pat down," will they have a same-sex person do it?

Uh, no. When we were patted down, DH and I, there was only one attendant at our line. Since we are a hetersexual couple, one of us was patted down by the opposite gender.

 

[Marseeya]

Uh, no. When we were patted down, DH and I, there was only one attendant at our line. Since we are a hetersexual couple, one of us was patted down by the opposite gender.

I could suck it up personally to be patted down by the opposite sex, but they'd have to sedate me before I'd allow any man to do it to my DD. I'm glad to hear it hasn't been an issue for kids anyway.

(no flames please... I have issues and that's all there is to it)

 

[ATAfamily]

Hi ATAmom from NH, we have a black belt from NH as well.. we might know you LOL...

Anyhow, our daughter was chosen in January for extra security & because she was under 12 they allowed her through with no pat down or extra security.... The thing is, if you go through the extra security line with her, with your carry on's, they will go through all your things! I would suggest a parent with no bags go through that extra security line with her & let the others in the party go through the regular security line... I think you won't have a problem having your child board with you, or at least saving one seat for them...

Thanks chris1gill for the tip. I'll make sure that whomever is not going through security with DS will take the carry on to make things easier.

We take taekwondo from ATA/Karate for Kids in southern NH.

Deanne

 

[chris1gill]

Thanks chris1gill for the tip. I'll make sure that whomever is not going through security with DS will take the carry on to make things easier.

We take taekwondo from ATA/Karate for Kids in southern NH.

Deanne

Deanne, I sent you a Private Message!