How bad is this boarding # for Southwest?

[ICan'tWait]

I messed up and didn't check-in exactly at the 24 hour mark. Our current boarding numbers start with B54. Is there anyway I will be able to get three seats together? Traveling with 11 and 8yo and 11yo has anxiety issues and may or may not do well sitting by himself... Just kicking myself. We've always had A #s before. Thought I'd ask the experts on here so I can try to prepare the kids if they may need to sit by themselves.

 

[ancestry]

Hopefully you won't all be split up but you should prepare your kids just in case. This is a hard question to answer because it is hard to predict how many families with little ones will be boarding between the A and B group.

 

[ladypage]

I messed up and didn't check-in exactly at the 24 hour mark. Our current boarding numbers start with B54. Is there anyway I will be able to get three seats together? Traveling with 11 and 8yo and 11yo has anxiety issues and may or may not do well sitting by himself... Just kicking myself. We've always had A #s before. Thought I'd ask the experts on here so I can try to prepare the kids if they may need to sit by themselves.

I would prepare them to be split up, but hope for the best. Personally, the two most recent times I've flown, the first flight I saw a family split up, so my BF and I let them have our seats so we could sit together. On the way home we didn't notice another family, but a stewardess pointed it out (very politely) that there was a family with two young boys that were going to be split up. Of course we moved!

So, even if it seems you'll be split up, someone might surprise you. I'm betting most people will switch if you ask really nicely.

 

[kabuki]

I messed up and didn't check-in exactly at the 24 hour mark. Our current boarding numbers start with B54. Is there anyway I will be able to get three seats together? Traveling with 11 and 8yo and 11yo has anxiety issues and may or may not do well sitting by himself... Just kicking myself. We've always had A #s before. Thought I'd ask the experts on here so I can try to prepare the kids if they may need to sit by themselves.

Family boarding - which it sounds like you qualify for ( you would have to look up what age this is limited to) is after A group so you should be able to get on before your B number comes up. My husband is in line at Southwest right now and just double checked! You will be near back but you will be together. Hope this helps a little!

 

[Goofygirl17]

If your son is diagnosed with anxiety you might be able to get a blue sleeve (I think that's what it's called) for disability boarding between A and B groups. When you get to the boarding area you could ask. It might help and get you on earlier so you can sit together.

 

[ICan'tWait]

If your son is diagnosed with anxiety you might be able to get a blue sleeve (I think that's what it's called) for disability boarding between A and B groups. When you get to the boarding area you could ask. It might help and get you on earlier so you can sit together.

I've not heard of blue sleeve before. I don't have time for a doctor's note but I do have the last psychiatrist bill with the diagnosis on it... Would I need to bring something like that? I'm going to go ahead and mention it and hopefully he'll be just fine. It's a fine line giving him time to prepare for something and not enough time to worry over it (which is what I'm doing - lol).

 

[DebbieB]

Family boarding - which it sounds like you qualify for ( you would have to look up what age this is limited to) is after A group so you should be able to get on before your B number comes up. My husband is in line at Southwest right now and just double checked! You will be near back but you will be together. Hope this helps a little!

Family boarding is age 4 and under on SW. Her children are 11 and 8.

I've not heard of blue sleeve before. I don't have time for a doctor's note but I do have the last psychiatrist bill with the diagnosis on it... Would I need to bring something like that? I'm going to go ahead and mention it and hopefully he'll be just fine. It's a fine line giving him time to prepare for something and not enough time to worry over it (which is what I'm doing - lol).

You don't need proof, just say he has a disability.

 

[ICan'tWait]

Family boarding is age 4 and under on SW. Her children are 11 and 8.



You don't need proof, just say he has a disability.

Thanks! Hopefully when I tell DS about possibly sitting by himself he'll take it in stride and I'll have been concerned for nothing. Sitting by himself sounds like a possiblity if a lot families preboard. It's good to know about mentioning the disability should he start to "get stressed."

 

[Goofygirl17]

I don't think you need a note either. I hear ya about the "fine line" between long enough to process and too long allowing extreme stress to build up! We walk that line a lot around here I would just talk to them when you get to the boarding area and find out what your options are.

 

[goofy4tink]

You will most likely be able to get seats together. I have seen people in the mid-C group getting seats together. No, you won't be in the front of the plane, but you'll be together.
This is why EBCI is a good deal...no worrying about being online at that 24 hr mark.

 

[Tink415]

I also think you'll probably be able to get seats together. We had c boarding passes before line numbers were assigned coming home from Christmas vacation at WDW one year. We were the first people in c boarding and we got the last row on each side of the plane. Don't just look for 3 seats together, look for 3 seats that might be separated by the aisle.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

If your son is diagnosed with anxiety you might be able to get a blue sleeve (I think that's what it's called) for disability boarding between A and B groups. When you get to the boarding area you could ask. It might help and get you on earlier so you can sit together.

Actually blue sleeves for people who need assistance or with disabilities actually board before the A's.

 

[Pinnie]

Is your flight originating in another city and will there be passengers already on it? that could make a big difference, too. Our flight next week from MSP to DTW stops in MDW and we don't get off.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

but a stewardess pointed it out

The correct term is flight attendant.

 

[alaska8]

The correct term is flight attendant.

You know, most of us dont care if you call us Stewardess just dont call us mean and dont scream at us!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You know, most of us dont care if you call us Stewardess just dont call us mean and dont scream at us!

I am always super polite to flight attendants. They have a rough job. I do think that if I were a male flight attendant, I would be offended if someone called me "stewardess."

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I messed up and didn't check-in exactly at the 24 hour mark. Our current boarding numbers start with B54. Is there anyway I will be able to get three seats together? Traveling with 11 and 8yo and 11yo has anxiety issues and may or may not do well sitting by himself... Just kicking myself. We've always had A #s before. Thought I'd ask the experts on here so I can try to prepare the kids if they may need to sit by themselves.

I would highly recommend you buy Early Bird Check In for the way home, just in case the blue sleeve doesn't work as expected. It's worth being able to enjoy your vacation and not have to worry about the 24 hr mark.

I also wouldn't expect a lot of volunteers to give up their seats. Yes, in the days before EBCI, there were plenty, but now that many are paying $10 pp so they can sit with their kids, they won't be too keen on giving up their seats for someone who chose not to.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I would say it is best to prepare your kids. Also, figure out if you can get 2 seats togehter (that is pretty likely) which 2 to put together.

In our case we have always done the 2 kids together, but maybe you need to sit teh 8 year old alone and stay with the anxious one I have a child with a lot of anxiety type issues, luckily flying has never been one of them though

I agree, that while it is nice if people are willing to change, if you "need" to be together for your son's sake you really should buy the early check in and I think it would be rude to ask passengers who did buy it to move (OP, I realize you never said you would do this, jsut responding to other converastion on the thread) --I will say honestly that I would not move if I bought early bird and then someone who did not wanted to be together. Back when you did not always have the options, and also when we had cancelled flights and were on any plane with space available my kids sat alone as young as 3--so I tend to think it can be done and when it really cannot then the parents need to shell out the $$ to be together.

 

[ICan'tWait]

Thanks for all the words of advice. Fortunately our flight didn't have a lot of family preboards between A and B and all three of us were able to get seats together. We were the second to last row but together so it was great!! It's good to know about the blue sleeve option for future reference. My son does not like to draw attention to his issues and he requested that I not say anything and said he would be fine flying alone if he needed to. I think it helped that the neighbor's grandson arrived the day before we left and he flies alone all the time and had already told my son it was no big deal. When we took off DS was hugging on me though so I'm glad we were together. Next time I will for sure buy the $10 check in option. I thought I'd be home to check in at the 24-hour mark but things do come up and it's just not worth it to have to worry about sitting together.

 

[bookgirl]

I am always super polite to flight attendants. They have a rough job. I do think that if I were a male flight attendant, I would be offended if someone called me "stewardess."

That would be why they are called Stewards.