For families with Southwest Experience-OT

[jennilouwho]

Hi!

I have a question about flying Southwest. I haven't flown them since their boarding policy changed. I'm thinking about flying alone with my 3 year old and 1 year old next Spring to visit my parents while DH stays back to work. I'm curious what your experience has been with the new policy though. Will there be enough seats together left after group A for us to all sit together? My sister in law just had a horrible experience with a different airline where she was separated from her two 3 year olds and her 2 year old. No one was willing to switch seats and the flight attendants were not willing to help either. I don't want that to happen to me, my boys would be terrified. Anyway, please let me know what your experience has been. If it's not good I'll have to hope an airline with assigned seatings prices go down...

Thanks!

 

[goofy4tink]

There will be 60 spots taken by the time you get to board in between the A's and the B's..plus a few medical preboards. That's less than half the plane.
You shouldn't have any issue at all. But, I would still get online, at the 24 hr. mark, and get your bp's issued. You may get lucky and get A's, rather than having to wait until the family boarding time.
I can't imagine any airline that would put a mother in an area away from her three young children..not that young anyway. Would you care to elaborate on which airline it was??? That's quite distressing to hear.

 

[jennilouwho]

Thanks for the info. My sister in law was on Air Tran. She bought them through some travel website and it said there was no assigned seating, so she just thought it was like Southwest. So partly her fault, but they didn't offer the chance to pay for assigned seating on the website so she had no idea that option existed. The flight attendants kept telling her that she should have paid more and did nothing to try to help her. She was upset and crying because her three kids were scared and crying that they wanted their Mommy.. After they were in the air a guy sitting behind her took some initiative and was able to talk people into moving around to help her, but no one was willing to do it originally. I'm sure it's not a real common episode on any airline, but it definitely had me paranoid about getting stuck with my 3 year old having to sit by someone he doesn't know who could very well be a creep-o...

 

[bookwormde]

You should not have a problem, the SW FAs are very good at keeping families together and there are generally other passengers who will move if they have to allow a young family to sit together (we are a happier bunch on SW)

boowormde

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks for the info. My sister in law was on Air Tran. She bought them through some travel website and it said there was no assigned seating, so she just thought it was like Southwest. So partly her fault, but they didn't offer the chance to pay for assigned seating on the website so she had no idea that option existed. The flight attendants kept telling her that she should have paid more and did nothing to try to help her. She was upset and crying because her three kids were scared and crying that they wanted their Mommy.. After they were in the air a guy sitting behind her took some initiative and was able to talk people into moving around to help her, but no one was willing to do it originally. I'm sure it's not a real common episode on any airline, but it definitely had me paranoid about getting stuck with my 3 year old having to sit by someone he doesn't know who could very well be a creep-o...

Wow...I knew there was a reason I didn't fly AirTran. I just keep hearing stories that aren't so wonderful. Glad there was someone that took pity on the poor mom and her kids.

 

[jennilouwho]

Thanks again for all the input. I think I'll go ahead and give it a try!

 

[TDC Nala]

My sister in law just had a horrible experience with a different airline where she was separated from her two 3 year olds and her 2 year old. No one was willing to switch seats and the flight attendants were not willing to help either. I don't want that to happen to me, my boys would be terrified. Anyway, please let me know what your experience has been. If it's not good I'll have to hope an airline with assigned seatings prices go down...

Assigned seating does not guarantee that you will sit with your children. Just had an experience with US Airways where a family was split up around the plane and would not sit down until they were placed together. (Flight attendants solved that by moving an elderly couple into first class and giving the family their seats - not sure how often that happens. In other situations this impasse might have been solved by removing the family from the flight.)

With children that young you are eligible for family boarding and will find seats together. The seats might be in the back of the plane, but they will board only 60 passengers plus disabled preboards prior to family boarding.

 

[SnowWhite2]

The problem comes about when you have to pay for your seat assignment, i.e. AirTran. If I'm paying for my seat, I'm certainly not giving it up. A trade, possibly. But not to sit in the center seat.

 

[jennilouwho]

I actually prefer the back of the plane. If it were me and DH, I don't mind if we are split up as long as someone has the kids. Flying is such a pain. I understand too the point about if people paid for their seats, they won't want to move. At the same time, it's hard for families. I don't want my little guys sitting next to someone who could be a pedophile or something. I wish they'd just throw all the families in the back together and call it good...

 

[4greatboys]

If you check in right at the 24 hour mark it is very likely you will get an A boarding pass. You should have no trouble getting seats for all of you together. In the event you get a B or C they still preboard families with small children before the B's and C's so again I doubt you will have a hard time finding seats.

 

[jennilouwho]

Okay, one more question. We'd have layover, so we're going from Salt Lake, to Vegas, to Milwaukee. When I check in for the first flight, can I get my boarding pass for Vegas to Milwaukee? Or do I need to check in again 24 hours before that flight would leave? Thanks all you Southwest Experts!

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay, one more question. We'd have layover, so we're going from Salt Lake, to Vegas, to Milwaukee. When I check in for the first flight, can I get my boarding pass for Vegas to Milwaukee? Or do I need to check in again 24 hours before that flight would leave? Thanks all you Southwest Experts!

When we flew back to RI from Ft Lauderdale, had to change planes in Tampa. I was given BP numbers for both flights when I checked in at the 24 hr mark. You should be okay.

 

[jennilouwho]

Thanks so much for all the info! Now the question is...can I save enough for this trip??