Help! southwest, family got boarding high A, low B

[jenjie]

We did EBCI. Our family of 5 got A59, A60, B01 B02 and B03. Will they allow us to board together or make us split up? Full flight 12:30 tomorrow, MCO to PHL.

 

[jkpatrick]

You have to line up at A and then those with B will line up, but the way people are slow in putting their luggage in the overhead compartments, the line will be backed up into the entry ramp before the actual plane. So once your A travelers are pass the gate, a minute or 2 later, B travelers will start. Your party will be together before you get on the plane, so no worries there.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Yes, you can board together with the B group.

No big deal. You can always have the A boarders save seats if the plane looks crowded. However, probably not necessary, since your numbers are so close together.

 

[mek17]

We did EBCI. Our family of 5 got A59, A60, B01 B02 and B03. Will they allow us to board together or make us split up? Full flight 12:30 tomorrow, MCO to PHL.

Your numbers are sequential. They only go up to 60. So B01 is the next person to board after A60. You will all board together.

 

[jenjie]

Current boarding procedure is

A group
Families with small children
B group
Etc

 

[sam_gordon]

Current boarding procedure is

A group
Families with small children
B group
Etc

It's possible they may skip that step if too many families are on the plane.

OP, the numbering is 1-60 for each letter. So B1 would be right after A60 (barring the family boarding).

If you're that concerned, ask at the gate if they're doing family boarding. If so, A59 & A60 can wait until after family boarding and then board with B1-B3.

 

[granmanh603]

Well 5 people 1 parent in A one parent in B....or all in B...if you live in NJ and are flying back home you have traveled SW before... there in no where on plane where there are 5 seats...when I go with family of grandkids etc there are 7 of us..we can never sit together... the beginning of B at the most the plane will we 1/2 full, I do not understand you problems.

 

[TJA]

This exact same thing just happened to us. We just all boarded with B1's. Not a big deal -- we easily found seats together.

 

[jenjie]

Thanks

 

[DebbieB]

My friend & I got B1 & B2 on our flight in May and snagged the 2 seat exit row! There were plenty of empty seats. Family boarding was allowed, I'd say maybe 15 people.

 

[CathrynRose]

That EBCI kills me.

Last year, I purchased it for myself, in May (for a September flight) - when I bought myself and my son's ticket. I figured there's only two of us, I'll hold a seat.

Then a couple weeks before the trip, I decided that my flight was so early, that I didn't want to wake up 24 hours prior to said flight to check him in, so I purchased him the EBCI, as well.

The day before the trip, and I go see what positions we have, and print our tickets, HIS (the one purchased a couple weeks before versus mine, purchased MONTHS before) was like 10 seats ahead of mine. WTH?

 

[kaytieeldr]

WTH was probably that someone who paid for EBCI before you cancelled their plans not long before you added it for your son. Southwest will tell you that doesn't happen any more .

 

[Tara]

It's possible they may skip that step if too many families are on the plane.

You know (and I'm not picking on you, your post just reminded me of this), people say this all the time but I've never once seen Southwest suspend family boarding on flights to or from Orlando, and I've flown this route a lot in the last 10 years. I'm sure it happens, but I wonder how many people have actually seen it versus the number of people who have seen references to it and just repeat it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You know (and I'm not picking on you, your post just reminded me of this), people say this all the time but I've never once seen Southwest suspend family boarding on flights to or from Orlando, and I've flown this route a lot in the last 10 years. I'm sure it happens, but I wonder how many people have actually seen it versus the number of people who have seen references to it and just repeat it.

I think someone wrote that somewhere once and now it has been repeated so many times that it has become a "fact." Family boarding is now limited to one adult with a child 4 and under, so I would guess that most of the time there just aren't enough families meeting this criteria to suspend family boarding.

I have flown to Orlando many times, IAD-MCO, (usually not on WN, so that may explain it) and have never been on a flight with lots of kids. Even the one time 3 years ago when I flew WN, my grandson was the only kid on the plane.

 

[rgf207]

You know (and I'm not picking on you, your post just reminded me of this), people say this all the time but I've never once seen Southwest suspend family boarding on flights to or from Orlando, and I've flown this route a lot in the last 10 years. I'm sure it happens, but I wonder how many people have actually seen it versus the number of people who have seen references to it and just repeat it.

I've never seen it either. Not 1 time ever.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tara

You know (and I'm not picking on you, your post just reminded me of this), people say this all the time but I've never once seen Southwest suspend family boarding on flights to or from Orlando, and I've flown this route a lot in the last 10 years. I'm sure it happens, but I wonder how many people have actually seen it versus the number of people who have seen references to it and just repeat it.

I've never seen it either. Not 1 time ever.

We have seen it happen twice. One time, I KNOW the kids outnumbered the adults on the flight. They announced it at the gate...you'd have thought they were announcing the flight was cancelled! LOL I bet those flight attendants were glad when that flight was over.


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[jenjie]

Ok we are home! When they called the A group, we all went together. I asked the guy how we should handle it. He said, "just give me all the boarding passes and get on." I don't know that this was official or if he was just doing us a favor.

 

[Jestocost]

Ok we are home! When they called the A group, we all went together. I asked the guy how we should handle it. He said, "just give me all the boarding passes and get on." I don't know that this was official or if he was just doing us a favor.

It's official insofar as the gate agents have pretty broad discretion with regard to how they conduct the boarding process. It's the GA, for example, who typically makes the call on whether or not to have family boarding between the A & B groups.

 

[Rpsemont]

We are a family of three and on more than one occasion have ended with B's in the 30's and 40'sand 50's - on full flights. Maybe we're just lucky, but we have still been able to snag a row together - although in the back of the plane. You might not be able to get 5 across, but I would think you'll be able to get 3 together and 2 together.

If it's a full flight, you could always volunteer for bump

Safe Travels.
Anne

 

[stitchlovestink]

Ok we are home! When they called the A group, we all went together. I asked the guy how we should handle it. He said, "just give me all the boarding passes and get on." I don't know that this was official or if he was just doing us a favor.

Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out smoothly for you.
I believe the other poster is correct in the fact that it is up to the gate agent (and I believe the pilot) to choose to allow/disallow family boarding for each flight. Lately we have not been hearing requests for seat changes over the intercom and most of the time we are on full flight (but not every time). If I can, I like to come home on the last flight of the night and that one 'usually' isn't full. But on the way, YEP, pretty much always is!


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