Early check in $10 extra - SouthWest Airlines

[Keancanuk]

We are 2 seperate families but going to Orlando together. Meaning 1 of us is booking sll our tickets all at the same time. If we are all on the same confirmation number, does that mean we would all board the same time with kids under 4?? They have kids under 4, however we don't, but we will be on the same booking number.
I know they could board early, but can we as a whole group??

Hope this makes sense.

So would it be worth it to pay the extra $ for my family's tickets? Or can we board with our friends.

 

[NotUrsula]

You can't pre-board with your friends. The limit is two adults per family group, and they reserve the right to restrict it further to only one adult in certain situations.

You will be with your friends all week, so it realistically won't be a huge hardship not to sit right next to them on the flight. However, if you want to sit near them, ask your friends to seat themselves at the rear of the aircraft, and the odds are high that nearby seats will still be empty when you board, presuming that you make the effort to check in online at 24 hrs out. (The hard truth is that seats near small children are usually the last ones that childless travelers will choose if they have any say in the matter.)

Flight into and out of MCO have one of the highest use rates for paid EarlyBird checkin, because people are worried about being seated away from their children and don't want to be bothered checking in online whilst on vacation. Still, IME well less than half of the passengers on any flight spring the money, because it is still almost always possible to get A's at 24 hours out.

Correction: Yes, the next poster is right, it isn't really preboarding now. It's family boarding, but the restrictions are the same.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

We are 2 seperate families but going to Orlando together. Meaning 1 of us is booking sll our tickets all at the same time. If we are all on the same confirmation number, does that mean we would all board the same time with kids under 4?? They have kids under 4, however we don't, but we will be on the same booking number.
I know they could board early, but can we as a whole group??

Hope this makes sense.

So would it be worth it to pay the extra $ for my family's tickets? Or can we board with our friends.

SWA no longer preboards families with children 4 and under. If they are not in the A group, then they board after the A group and before the Bs.

 

[Keancanuk]

ok thanks. Its not a matter of sitting with them, I just wanted to board with them so we could get decent seats. I would rather not sit near them so the kids aren't too hyper on the plane!

 

[keishashadow]

another factor to consider is so many travelers to/from MCO have small children in tow, the family boarding can be quite a large group