Flying SWA

[bethsg]

I will only fly southwest since it's the best choice out of BWI to MCO, but my beef with Southwest is, while they have numbers... if you are 31 and someone else is say 59, and they call you to line up 30-60, the #59 person, can be in front of you, and in my opinion, that's just simply not fair if I show up to the gate earlier than that person. I mean why put numbers on the card if you are only going to line up by color. We are a family of 6, and it's just nice to be together during the flight. I know that means getting there to get those early numbers, but then I just jump from the check in at the gate to the correct line marker at the gate door, and sit on the floor for that next hour. So just because you are 30 and someone else is at the higher end of your boarding group, doesn't mean you get to get on first...

 

[Tense]

I've flown SWA countless #'s of times. YES... you need to get to the boarding area early. Only on this last flight did I ever have a problem. The problem is with PEOPLE having the I must be FIRST metality! Granted you odds of sitting together if you have a large group is not good if you come late to the boarding area... HOWEVER if you book with Delta IE. you might not sit together either. We needed to return a rental car by 12:00pm and our flight wasn't until 2:35pm We arrived at the gate at 12:30pm and there were a few people sitting around waiting. 5 min later this woman shows up and parks her butt right at the boarding desk to be #1 in line! SWA will not give out boarding passes until 1:35pm SOOO now everyone starts to trickle up to the lineand STAND /sit on the floor for 1 hour minimum, just because SHE has formed the line so early. I had the unfortunate problem that my 8year old DD was SICK (vomitting) for the last day of the vacation , and was still sick waiting for the plane, so I dragged myself up to the line when I saw it 20 deep, all I wanted was to be in the first boarding section so I could be by the bathroom for her sake......ok LONG story short(I'll try) .As we were in line..I could see people filter over to the boarding area NOW! So I told my DH to put our DD at the 1-30 with her backpack and just wait for us. I thought #1 in line was going to have a stroke! no lie! She couldn't run fast enough over to the boarding area, Darn near butted my DD out of the way, and parked herself on her little stool, and was giving my DH death looks. I could see her talking to my DD. I minute or so later I went up to her and asked what the problem was. She had told my DD SHE HOPED that security would check my husband AND BUMP him off the plane. She also informed me that I needed a boarding pass BEFORE I stood there, I told her I had my boarding pass and SWA has open boarding. I also explained WHY I wanted to get on the plane early... NOT FOR THE SAKE OF BEING 1st, but because my DD was SICK. AND I didn't want her throwing up on ANYONE! SHE then told me I should have pre boarded (which I didn't think to ask, but I knew it was for small children and handicapped, which we were neither). I told her she could go on before us, and that still didn't make her happy. SHE REALLY hoped we'd get bumped. WHAT a nasty woman. Well, she boarded before us, and sat in row 7 or so go figure plenty was opened before that! We did sit in the 1 seats, and a good thing BECAUSE on take off DD threw up, and the stewardess were very helpful, and she was SICK the whole flight. I was nervous flying with her to begin with, BUT the woman made me a nervous wreck. I love SWA... but after this experience with this woman, I don't think I want to do open boarding again. It's too stressful.

 

[barbnbrian]

What a terrible experience. I think I would have purposely sat DD Near Her so that if she vomited during the flight, it might have been on her!

 

[emmalgin]

Thanks, but I'm still not convinced. I have been to Buffalo Airport last year (yes pre 9/11) and they seldom do seating prior to 30 minutes prior to flight. Sunday morning I expect to be very quiet in a small airport. I even checked the SW website and there are still 'Friends Fly Free' seats available.

I will arrive at 6:30 - 6:45 but still think I'm going to be waiting around for nothing. Also the flight is only 2:30 minutes.

 

[emmalgin]

Also at Buffalo, SW has curbside checkin, where last time it took less then 2 minutes. Can't at all envisage needing more then 1:15 minutes to checkin.

6 days and counting......

 

[Tense]

Check in should only be a few minutes at best... WE're all talking about boarding passes. Once you check in you will be given a gate number. You walk to the appropriate gate and THERE is where you need to line up and WAIT for your boarding pass. Unlike other airlines that issue your boarding passes at check in, SWA DOES NOT. So once you get done with check in ,high tail it to the gate, because that's where your wait will be.

 

[emmalgin]

Fortunately the flight is only 2.5 hours. We'll survive.

 

[Tense]

Have you ever flown SWA out of Buffulo? If you have then you know your airport. If you haven't SWA needs some getting used to because IT IS different from all other airlines. Good luck!

 

[emmalgin]

Just did United. However it is a Sunday AM flight and there are still tickets available on their site (including Friends Fly Free program). I will prepare for the cattle call, but fairly confident that it should be okay. Kids are pretty good and I can try pre-boarding with the 6 year old.

When do they board? I thought boarding is usually 30 minutes prior......

My only worry is overbooking.....

 

[Tense]

SWA starts actually boarding the plane startint with the pre boards roughly 30 minutes before flight time... Preboard is for children under 5, and they will have your childs name and birth date in the computer, so you can't prebaord because to do so they give you a special blue ticket along with you boarding pass. So even if you tell them you want to pre board, they won't let you because you child is too old. I've found that unfortunatley the line for boarding passes generally forms around 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours prior to the flight. SWA will BEGIN handing out boarding passes at exactly 1hour prior to the flight. People know this and that's why the line forms so early. I think it was better before 9-11. Now since people get to the airport so early for security checks, they tend to get to the boarding gates earlier and this is why I believe the lines are forming sooo much earlier.

 

[Tense]

SWA starts actually boarding the plane startint with the pre boards roughly 30 minutes before flight time... Preboard is for children under 5, and they will have your childs name and birth date in the computer, so you can't prebaord because to do so they give you a special blue ticket along with you boarding pass. So even if you tell them you want to pre board, they won't let you because you child is too old. I've found that unfortunatley the line for boarding passes generally forms around 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours prior to the flight. SWA will BEGIN handing out boarding passes at exactly 1hour prior to the flight. People know this and that's why the line forms so early. I think it was better before 9-11. Now since people get to the airport so early for security checks, they tend to get to the boarding gates earlier and this is why I believe the lines are forming sooo much earlier.

 

[emmalgin]

but outside the numbers this is no different then any charter I've ever taken. Never are seats preassigned and there are always crowds and the worst is you have to do the checkin, baggage and sear assignment at the same time.

Check any charter in Toronto on a Saturday morning at 6:00 am and it is a zoo.....

Can't expect much different?????

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

If you use curb side check in, tip the sky cap, there are only two lines to wait in, one is the scanner line and the other line is to get your number.
The order of preboarding in Hartford and Orlando is: elderly, people with special needs and then children under 4 or 5 (seems to depend on the day of the week and where the departure is from).
I don't see them changing this way of boarding, it has worked for them for better than 28 years. Personally, they are my number one choice for flying.

 

[Charleneluvsdisney]

Emmalgin,

My family has used SW out of Buffalo for the past 2 years. 1 1/2 hours should be plenty of time to get through security and get your boarding passes. My family of 3 ended up in the second boarding group this year, but we had an afternoon flight. We were still all able to sit together. Last year we were in the first boarding group and left on the 8:00 a.m. flight.
Coming home this year was a different story - 1 1/2 is not enough time to get through everything in the Orlando airport. We were in the last boarding group and I was lucky enough to get a seat diagonal from my 5 year old son and my husband. By the way - our trip was in mid march during spring break.

 

[emmalgin]

Was waiting for someone from Buffalo to answer. I think we'll arrive at 6:45 for the 8:00 flight. Just some people scared me with comments about 2 hours +.

5 days and counting......

 

[dgaston]

Have used SWA extensively in the past week due to a death in the family. Flew out of PVD, BNA, HOU, and Midway. Even when my 18 year old DD and I had seats 95 and 96 on a full flight we were able to find two seats together in the rear of the plane. I saw preboarding of families with children under 4 "and anyone needing extra time to board" on each flight.

 

[bootc3]

Has anyone flown SWA out of Indy? We are flying in August. Have a group of 5 adults and 1 (5yo) child. Does everyone have to wait in line for boarding passes or can one person in our group? Also, does anyone know if SWA has curbside check-in at Indy airport? Thanks

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Everyone, except for children, have to wait in line for the boarding passes as they check you id, again.
As to curbside, you can find that out by accessing http://www.southwestair.com/travel_center/travelAdvisory.html#curbside