Attention Southwest Air Vets

[gfolchick]

What are your opinions when using Southwest Airlines and traveling with small children (2-1/2, 5)? We have never used them but they are offering great deals (109rt). If we get there early enough should we be able to get seats together, even if its 2/2 (one parent per child, per row). Hubby and I are flying them for the first time in December, but I need to make arrangements now for family trip while the rates are low! Any help appreciated.

 

[anne60]

It is no problem, people with small children (I think those under 4 or 5) get to board first. So, actually, it is easier to fly SWA with little ones than without!!!!

 

[azlaura]

It is easier with kids, 5 and under. You can board first, we always fly SW. No frills but the price makes up for it!
Laura

 

[gfolchick]

Yeah!!! We've had good luck flying with the kids before (Delta) so I was a little hesitant if saving a few dollars with SWA would make a difference if we couldn't sit together. My hubby usually pre-boards with car seats and carry-ons and I follow with kids, but I guess we'll all have to board together, no big deal (I think). More money for Disney stuff. Just doing my small part to help the economy!

 

[VickiVM]

Not sure how long your flight is or if you have any connections, but be sure to take snacks for the kiddos. For what it's worth, even though my DH is one trip away from a free flight voucher, he still would rather fly on an airline with more leg room and meals...go figure. Me? Free is better than what the airlines call food anyway!!

 

[C.Ann]

Myself, daughter, son-in-law, and 3 yr. old granddaughter flew SW to Orlando on September 9th of this year.. We were able to pre-board and choose our seats due to the 3 yr. old. We also brought a stroller (that was checked with our luggage) and a car seat to use on the plane. The car seat does not count as a carry on.. We were very pleased with their "no frills" flight and even happier with them when we decided not to fly back home after the horrific events of 9/11 and we were given a full refund - no questions asked..

Here's a funny little story for you though.. My granddaughter's other grandparents had driven ahead to Florida and met us at the airport.. When asked how she liked her very first airplane ride she relpied, "It was neat! Not bumpy like Daddy's boat.. And they even gave us a SNACK - animal crackers.. They were pretty yucky though.." Don't kids say the most adorable things????

 

[Pluto4President]

go for it!

 

[gfolchick]

What about the legroom? My hubby is on the tall side, and I usually stick him on the aisle, so how cramped is it? Is there more room on an emergency exit row? I don't care about the no food on the flight, anything else I should know about so there are no surprises when we get there? What kind of planes are they? How many people sit per aisle/row? Thanks.

 

[VickiVM]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause any alarm...the leg room is probably no less or more than most airlines with the exception of the newly renovated American Airline planes...DH flew AA this past summer to Chicago and loved all the extra room. He's not tall (5'9) but just felt spoiled. SW has 3 seats per row. They also have "lounge" seating at the front (two rows facing each other). If the flight is not full, you might be able to get this group of seats to yourselves. I don't think a lot of single passengers like to face total strangers for the duration of the flight. I would get to your gate at least 90 min prior to checkin and be among the first to get boarding passes. Then if you don't get seated prior to everyone else, then be at least the first to board. If your family gets this group of seats you may be able to stretch out more. If not, head for the aisle seats. Don't sit in emergency row as there is a partition wall directly in front of the row and even less legroom.

 

[dmfuru]

To gfolchick,

The following recommendations assume relatively normal numbers of passengers. In December, travel may still be below normal due to the aftereffects of 9/11.

Southwest preboards kids at most airports, but not always at Orlando, as many of the passengers have little kids. The last time I flew SW (leaving Orlando), they only preboarded families with kids under 2 years. You could always ask at the gate upon arrival in Orlando as to what they are doing in December. I don't think you'll have any problems preboarding on your initial flight TO Orlando.

Regarding seats, SW planes have regular seat--3 across on either side of a single aisle. In addition, as posted earlier, some of the planes have lounge seats which face each other--One row has been turned around to face backwards. It you can get two seats facing forward and two backward (facing each other), this might work well for your group. THe kids get to face the parents and the parents get a little extra room. It also feels less crowded as you don't have a seatback right in front of you. Also, if the plane is not full, there is a chance that the other seats in the rows may not get taken, which would give you even more space.

Regarding boarding, SW starts handing out boarding passes 1 hour before departure. Passenger often line up earlier, so as to be near the front of the line, The boarding passes are simple plastic cards with numbers (1 thru however many they need). In the past, one person could get all of the boarding passes for their group--I don't know what happens now, since 9/11--maybe some traveller can help us out.
Anyway, there will be groups called to board the plane at the appropriate time. IF you can preboard, it doesn't matter what card numbers you have--they'll preboard you. IF you can't preboard, then you are boarded in groups of 30, starting with boarding cards numbered 1-30, then 31-60, etc. There is a line formed with passengers with 1-30 and another with 31-60, etc. NOW, they don't board with cards 1,2,3,4,5.....Anyone with a card between 1-30 can be first in line (example, the 1st person in line may have card #15, the 2nd in line may have #27, the 3rd person may have #6, etc. ). If you have a card between 1-30, all it means is that you'll be one of the 1st 30 people onboard. If your card number is between 31-60, you will be one of the 1st 60 passengers boarded, etc.
I haven't had any trouble getting seats for my family (4 altogether) when we've held boarding cards less than 60 (I've never a higher number boarding card when travelling with the family).

Also, SW is pretty good about moving people to accomodate families--especially coming out of Orlando. During busy seasons they fly hundreds of kids a day.

As I said earlier, you probably won't have any trouble preboarding on your flight TO Orlando, but you might want to check at the gate when you get there so you know what to expect when you're leaving.

Sorry to be so long.....

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by gfolchick
What about the legroom? My hubby is on the tall side, and I usually stick him on the aisle, so how cramped is it? Is there more room on an emergency exit row? I don't care about the no food on the flight, anything else I should know about so there are no surprises when we get there? What kind of planes are they? How many people sit per aisle/row? Thanks.

You can't sit in the emergency row with the kids. Not allowed under any circumstances, no matter what, under FAA rules. If it meant your kids all sat alone in different rows from you rather than putting you and kids in the exit row together, that's the way it would be. FAA rules, period--no one under 16 in an exit row. The good news is that a lot of us would give our eye teeth for those exit row seats for the extra legroom, therefor freeing up seats for others

Anne

 

[gfolchick]

Thanks for the info, it really clears things up for me. Those "lounge" seats sound interesting and would leave me less stressed about my kids kicking the seat backs of the people in front of us.

Ducklite, I was aware of the regulation that kids can't sit on an emergency row. It will be just my husband and I in December, I guess I wasn't clear about that, but thanks for replying. Kids (in car seats) must also sit by the window so they don't block the aisle.

 

[Disnydad]

The "lounge" seat are only on the older planes. I've only seen those seats once.

 

[ebhurleys]

I don't want to scare you off. Be aware though we flew out of Providence with 3 children the youngest at the time was only 1. The plane arrived into Providence very late and I believe all they wanted to do was get us off the ground on time. They were very rush rushed. There was no preboarding. There excuse was that there were to many people with small children. We has a fairly low boarding number so I was not very concerned but there were other people who did not wait in line with thier infants because they were told they could preboard.

 

[aprincessmom]

We fly SWA almost exclusively now because they treat you like humans!

We've never been able to fly in the facing seats, however, because we had the car seat and I believe it was an emergency exit aisle. Otherwise, we've always been together even traveling with my mom and dad. The attendants are great with kids and it's been a good ride. And DD even has gone into the cockpit twice at the invitation of the pilot when we were leaving the plane...although I'm sure that will change now!

They call it no frills but I can't really find too much of a difference for this 3 hour flight vs. the others I've taken for 3 hour flights. And my DD's dad is over 6'3" and he says the seats are the same for legroom as on any other flights he's taken. When he flies, he takes the aisle seat.

 

[gfolchick]

I don't want to start a debate about this, but I just read on Southwest's website that peanuts/raisins are served on flights. Is this true? First time flying with peanut allergic child, just want to be prepared. Thanks. BTW, I got a great fare, $109 pp from Hartford to Orlando Non-Stop!!!!

 

[MikeBW]

SW does have peanuts, but they do not come in the food package that they give you. The food package comes with this turkey stick meat thing - it is horrible, but my son loves it. He always gets mine. Does anyone else have an opinion on this turkey stick thing?

 

[disneyagain]

We're going on SW again end of November. There are 4 of us 2 adults and 2 children (ages 6 and 8). We didn't have any problem sitting together on the flight down or back. We took 3 seats together and one across the aisle. We made sure we got there to get the 1st 30 boarding passes.

The flight back from Orlando was full, a family of 7 got on at the last minute and there was only 6 seats left. They had to make an anouncement that if anyone had their child in a seat and didn't pay for it they would have to hold the child on their lap. The couple didn't look happy at all....but they ended up putting their little one on their lap (3 hr non-stop flight and she looked about 1 1/2 yrs old). Probably the longest flight they ever encountered. The flight attendents asked if anyone was willing to move to make sure that the children weren't left sitting alone. All worked out, it appeared.

When they started the pre-boarding for families with children, in Orlando, the SW attendent said this is for parents and children only, not parents, children, granparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc...I thought that was kind of funny....But you could tell that some of the "families" didn't think so. They got there late expecting to just hop on. One group that looked disturbed was 6 adults and 1 child (looked like parents and 2 sets of grandparents).

The flight was good, on time, the flight staff was friendly and helpful. We drive 2 hours to the airport, but we're going round trip non-stop for $89.50. We think it's worth the drive the other airports in the area are charging anywhere from $200 - $400....Most not non-stop...

 

[Barb D]

Aprincessmom, we flew SW after Sep 11, and the crew did invite my 10yo into the cockpit. He had a pretty long visit up there. We were on the ground at the time, waiting to take off. (Our flight was delayed once we boarded.)

We had a great experience on SW. When we flew it was animal crackers, not peanuts. We did preboard.

 

[villainwdw]