First time flyer SW... what do I need to know?

[mla973]

There seem to be a lot of threads here about Southwest seating. Apparently, I'm in the dark on this one. They just started flying out of GRR (taking over for AirTran), so I've never flown them before.

I have always chosen my seats on AA or Delta (or paid the extra on AirTran) to choose, but did not this time for SW.

It will be DH, DS3 and myself. Should I go back and pay for the seats since it's important to me that we can sit together?

Thanks for any input!

 

[mla973]

Just read this on another board: They do offer family boarding after the A group, but before the B groups for any families traveling with children under 5 who have a boarding number outside of the A group.

Is this still accurate?

 

[Gracie09]

What did you book? The only configuration that allows you to choose seats is booking air tran from air trans site. If you booked southwest flight from southwests site you can opt to purchase early boarding. This will allow southwest to check you in 36 hours before your flight instead of you doing it 24 hours before. This will give you an boarding number. Southwest does not have assigned seating. So you grab whatever seats that are free that you want.
I would check out boarding school on south wests website.

 

[winterwhite]

If you are on southwest, you will not be able to pre-select seats. Seating is open seating. Your selection of seats is based basically on your boarding group, which is influenced by the fare paid and the time you check in. If you are concerned, you can pay $10 per passenger per leg of the trip to get a boarding position that is assigned ahead of the general masses. Personally, I don't think it helps much. With a group of 3, you will likely be able to get seats together or across the aisle from each other. You may also be able to get a single person to swap if you really must have 3 seats together. Do your level best to be online to check in at 24 hours out-- you can do this from the smartphone app as well.

Family boarding does take place between the A and B groups. You will NOT be able to go ahead until they call it unless you have an A boarding card, or one of you is disabled and gets a blue preboard card. I highly recommend not getting a preboard card as you will spend a lot of time sitting on the plane only to find out that you could have gotten the same seats anyway.

Basically what will happen is, they will open the doors and call for the A boarding group, which is the first 60 boarding positions, to line up 1-30 and then 31-60. They will load Business select fares in positions 1-15 (if not flying on a weekday, there may actually only be 2 or 3 people out of those 15 slots) and then 16-30, 31-60. Then if you do not have an A boarding pass, you can board.

Overhead space can be severely limited on southwest due to the boarding process and the fact they fly older planes with smaller overheads (though new ones are starting to replace these). They strictly enforce carryon guidelines and they WILL gate check, so make sure that you have everything critical in a small bag that can fit under your seat, and in your purse. Anything else may have to get checked as this is the only personal space you are guaranteed to have.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If you are on southwest, you will not be able to pre-select seats. Seating is open seating. Your selection of seats is based basically on your boarding group, which is influenced by the fare paid and the time you check in. If you are concerned, you can pay $10 per passenger per leg of the trip to get a boarding position that is assigned ahead of the general masses.

Overhead space can be severely limited on southwest due to the boarding process and the fact they fly older planes with smaller overheads (though new ones are starting to replace these). They strictly enforce carryon guidelines and they WILL gate check, so make sure that you have everything critical in a small bag that can fit under your seat, and in your purse. Anything else may have to get checked as this is the only personal space you are guaranteed to have.

EBCI is $12.50, not $10.00.

As Southwest allows two free checked bags, the overhead space is often not as full as on airlines which charge for checked baggage. Overhead space depends on aircraft type, not age. Southwest flies 737s; overhead bins are the normal size.

OP, go to Southwest's website; seating, baggage, check-in, etc. are clearly explained there.

 

[winterwhite]

EBCI is $12.50, not $10.00.

As Southwest allows two free checked bags, the overhead space is often not as full as on airlines which charge for checked baggage. Overhead space depends on aircraft type, not age. Southwest flies 737s; overhead bins are the normal size.

OP, go to Southwest's website; seating, baggage, check-in, etc. are clearly explained there.

I stand corrected on the $10 vs. $12.50 issue. But the 737-300 series planes DO have smaller overheads than the 737-700 and the A320/A330 planes. The 737-300 is the older plane interior that has the shallower overhead bins and still makes up more than half of southwest's fleet. Additionally, the new planes that have been retrofitted with new interiors have larger overheads, but you have little way of knowing whether you will get one of these or not.

I flew southwest at least 2x a week for 41 weeks of 52 last year on business, and on every single one bags were gate checked before the plane was half full. Wait, there was one flight where they were not, and the plane was only half full.

 

[jayhawk74]

I stand corrected on the $10 vs. $12.50 issue. But the 737-300 series planes DO have smaller overheads than the 737-700 and the A320/A330 planes. The 737-300 is the older plane interior that has the shallower overhead bins and still makes up more than half of southwest's fleet. Additionally, the new planes that have been retrofitted with new interiors have larger overheads, but you have little way of knowing whether you will get one of these or not.

I flew southwest at least 2x a week for 41 weeks of 52 last year on business, and on every single one bags were gate checked before the plane was half full. Wait, there was one flight where they were not, and the plane was only half full.

While the -700s, and some of the -300s, are getting the new interior neither are getting new overhead bins. The bins that they have is what SWA bought from Boeing when the aircraft were built. The -300s and -500s do not make up more than 1/2 the SWA fleet. As of July SWA had 19 -500s, 123 -300s, 384 -700s, and 42 -800s. I have flown as a pilot for SWA for 18 years and have never seen the bins fill up until the end of the "C" boarding, even on a -300, so I'm not sure what happened on you flights. Basically the bins are big enough on all aircraft to hold the bags of 3/4 of the aircraft, . That is if every passenger brought a carry on bag.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I flew southwest at least 2x a week for 41 weeks of 52 last year on business....

I'm sorry,

 

[coozieman]

If you don't wish to purchase the "early bird" check in at $12.50 per person, just make sure you set yourself a reminder exactly 24 hours and 10 minutes before your departure. Have yourself logged in, with your 1 confirmation number entered ( 1 conf. number is good for the entire family) and start hitting enter 1 minute before the 24 hour check in.

I have used this method dozens of times and ALWAYS get the end of the A boarding group or the very beginning of the B.

If you are late by 5-10 minutes checking in, brace yourself for the dreaded C boarding group and there will be a very good chance your family might get split up!

 

[pooch]

you are eligible for family boarding between the A group and the B group. you won't get the front row but there will be plenty of rows available for you to sit all together.

We took our grandson last year and used a car seat on the plane (kept him confined and he's used to riding in it.) I paid for Early Boarding (EBCI) for my husband. He got on and installed the car seat. My grandson (2 1/2) and I boarded between the A & B groups. He was able to hop right into his seat when we got on. Fell asleep 10 min into the flight & woke up as we pulled up to the gate!!

Try not to worry. It'll be fine.

 

[puffkin]

People make mountains out of molehills about Southwest boarding on the DIS. It's super easy and surprisingly efficient. Check in exactly at 24 hours. You will probably get high A or low B. if you get A, board with the A group. If you get B, board with the family pre board between A & B. On the very slight chance they dont do family preboard (i have never personally experienced this in 40+ southwest flights) you will still be absolutely fine with B passes. I also have never understood the fascination with the front of the plane. If you check bags, it doesn't matter where you sit, you will still end up waiting at the baggage carousel anyway. We always sit towards the back. The engine noise muffles some of my kids noise, more overhead space and close to the bathrooms.

I've flown 2-3 times a year with young kids on Southwest. Never paid for early checkin. We've always got seats together no problem. wouldn't stress out about it at all!!!

 

[winterwhite]

I'm sorry,

Me too. But they had the most reliable flights from where I was from to where I needed to be weekly, and the points have paid for several trips since then, so no real complaints here. They actually are a great airline if you're in biz select and you have status...and you're not on the orlando flight with 100 of 147 seats occupied by 3 year olds.