I love SWA but....

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I will happily strap DS3 in his car seat in the seat next to you and sit somewhere else if no one wants to move. I know he'll be perfectly safe and unable to get out. I hope you have the Bose noise canceling headphones because you're going to need them...and FYI, I couldn't care less if you are or aren't begging to switch seats because once I'm seated I'm not moving. I have lots of free drink coupons and will be quite content somewhere else.

Yes I do have great headphones.

This attitude pretty much means I won't move.

This act is just that and everyone knows it.

But I have free drink coupons too. What does your kid drink?

 

[JanaDee]

Incentives do work! On our last JetBlue flight we were called up and asked to give up our seats for a family and if we did they would upgrade us to the extra leg room seats. "Hell yes". Now that's incentive!

Sometimes you don't need an incentive though. A little different scenario, but five or six years ago, my mother and I were flying Delta, DTW to MCO. In the gate area, a gate agent announced over the loudspeaker, wondering if a party of 2 would be willing to split up to allow a mother and child to sit together.

We looked at each other, shrugged and said "sure, why not? It is a short flight and both of us are ok flying alone."

So we volunteered, not expecting anything other than a different seat on the plane. Well, we got a different seat ~ in First Class.

 

[aaarcher86]

You can go to SWA and click on "view reservation". When you pull it up, look for the name of the child and you will see an option to "add/edit disability" under the name. When you click on that, it will give a list of disabilities and you will find "cognitive" is one of them.

HTH

You do not need to purchase the EBCI you just need to let the person at the counter at your Gate know that you will need to pre board if that is what YOU think is needed! I travel with my nephew who has multiple disabilities and I have actually had them approach me in the boarding area and offer us pre boarding. Please PM me for further information which. I have been given by SWA which also assists us on flights....

Thank you both.

LSDolphin - I'll PM you.

 

[teambeaman]

Yes I do have great headphones. This attitude pretty much means I won't move. This act is just that and everyone knows it. But I have free drink coupons too. What does your kid drink?

I think it's funny that you think it's an act. How's is it an attitude? You don't want to move, you don't have to. He doesn't mind a middle seat, he's almost always in the middle seat. He's not an infant. If I hand him his snacks and his water bottle he is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I'm sure if he needs to use the bathroom someone would be kind enough to buzz the FA to let me know. I am not a helicopter parent and anyone that knows me knows I go with the flow. If I didn't check in early enough to get 2 seats together than shame on me. If you don't mind sitting next to him, I don't mind sitting somewhere else. Most of the time he's perfectly fine on the airplane, that being said, if he isn't at that point there's not much I could do but put on my headphones and enjoy my seat.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think it's funny that you think it's an act. How's is it an attitude? You don't want to move, you don't have to. He doesn't mind a middle seat, he's almost always in the middle seat. He's not an infant. If I hand him his snacks and his water bottle he is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I'm sure if he needs to use the bathroom someone would be kind enough to buzz the FA to let me know. I am not a helicopter parent and anyone that knows me knows I go with the flow. If I didn't check in early enough to get 2 seats together than shame on me. If you don't mind sitting next to him, I don't mind sitting somewhere else. Most of the time he's perfectly fine on the airplane, that being said, if he isn't at that point there's not much I could do but put on my headphones and enjoy my seat.

To the best of my knowledge a car seat can not go in a middle seat, unless(I think) a parent is in the window seat.

This is a ridiculous argument people. If parents take responsibility for their children, seating is seldom an issue. Comments staring that if people don't move to enable a parent to sit with their child is fine and they hope the stranger seated next to their child won't mind being 'bothered' or whatever, while they, the parent are seated elsewhere, serves no purse other than to stir the pot. I would appreciate it if this type of posting stops...otherwise, the post will be deleted.

 

[bumbershoot]

To the best of my knowledge a car seat can not go in a middle seat, unless(I think) a parent is in the window seat.

Car seats go in the window seat unless there are two car seats (then one can be in the middle). The car seat cannot block people from getting out, as far as I know.

It would be an odd moment for a kid with car seat to have an available window seat with a non-related adult already in the middle.

And I hope a parent traveling with a little guy wouldn't have noise canceling headphones with them. I barely even use normal headphones when traveling with my son!

 

[goofy4tink]

Car seats go in the window seat unless there are two car seats (then one can be in the middle). The car seat cannot block people from getting out, as far as I know.

It would be an odd moment for a kid with car seat to have an available window seat with a non-related adult already in the middle.

And I hope a parent traveling with a little guy wouldn't have noise canceling headphones with them. I barely even use normal headphones when traveling with my son!

The issue was a previous poster saying if there weren't two seats together, and no one offered to move to make two seats together, she had no issue putting her child, In a car seat, in a middle seat, and hope the passenger sitting next to her child had good headphones.

 

[concertkatie]

Once I was asked to save seats by the FA. There was a couple where one of them was disabled in a wheelchair and somehow when they checked in one made it on the flight and the other was bumped. They couldn't fly separately so they either needed to get 1 person to leave or them both on a new flight. I pre-board so when I went up to get my pass to board they were trying to find someone willing to take a different flight. No one was biting, but they wanted to save a spot up front for them just in case.

I took the 2nd row and the FA asked if I could save the other 2 for this couple. I agreed. The dirty looks and "you can't save seats" when I at first was just saying "these seats are saved" / "someone is sitting here" was out of control. After a couple of those reactions I started saying "The FA is saving these for a disabled passenger" which is a mouthful when people are just passing you by - but more people seemed to be ok with that. Although a couple did give attitude wondering why if they were disabled they weren't on board yet.

They ended up finding someone to leave the flight and the couple thanked me for saving the seats for them and the FA gave me some extra cookies for helping out. But SW passengers certainly believe you cannot save seats based on the reactions I was getting!

 

[crazymomof4]

Southwest FA's and GA's remind me of Disney CM's...... if enforcing the rules means confrontation of any sort with a guest then it's not gonna happen unless safety is involved.

Boy, isn't that the truth!
One example: Flash photography not premited on most rides/attractions.
Announcement made beforehand in at least 2 languages. Yet, I've never seen it enforced. Had a CM laugh (not a giggle, full out laughing) at me when I complained about being blinded (not an exaggeration) throughout POC by constant flash in boat in front of us. They were in last row pointing cameras backward, we were in front row of next boat.
Another: Just recently had a conversation with a woman who has been pool-hopping for years. Swears it's NOT against WDW policy bc she is always allowed and "the CM's are very pleasant about it. All you need to do is ask and they let you. No problem!"

Back to the Southwest thing.... haven't flown since I was a kid. Flying SW in just over 3 wks. Just how bad is this? I'm a bit nervous after reading OP.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Back to the Southwest thing.... haven't flown since I was a kid. Flying SW in just over 3 wks. Just how bad is this? I'm a bit nervous after reading OP.

How bad is what? I've flown SW plenty of times in the last 2 years, with and without kids. I've never personally witnessed any of the bad behavior that is often complained about in SW threads--either people saving rows and rows of seats, or people boarding late and copping an attitude with other passengers to try to get them to move. I've never seen people try to board with extended family members during family boarding, either (then again, I'm almost always in the A group, so that's a moot point for me) and I've never been separated from my children or other members of my family. I think every so often people have a bad experience and post about it here, or rant about something, and then people take that as the way it is all the time. For the most part, SW's boarding is fast, efficient, and drama free.

 

[maxiesmom]

You're the one that wanted to sit next to them, believe me, I won't feel bad at all. I'll have my headphones too!

The only seat I want is the one I pay extra to better the odds of getting. It wouldn't be a picnic for the person next to me if I was forced to sit in a middle seat. I get clausterphobic when I fly, so I pay either for a seat for for EBCI so I can sit where I need to.

I truly hope most parents care enough for their children that if they are too young to sit away from them that they pay for EBCI. If not, then it is on them if they are separated. Not on the strangers they tried to strong arm or guilt into moving.

 

[teambeaman]

The only seat I want is the one I pay extra to better the odds of getting. It wouldn't be a picnic for the person next to me if I was forced to sit in a middle seat. I get clausterphobic when I fly, so I pay either for a seat for for EBCI so I can sit where I need to. I truly hope most parents care enough for their children that if they are too young to sit away from them that they pay for EBCI. If not, then it is on them if they are separated. Not on the strangers they tried to strong arm or guilt into moving.

I usually don't fly SWA, but when I do and we're flying with DS we always pay for EBCI, but I can't help if he suddenly has to go to the bathroom (even though we just went) and doesn't understand that A group is boarding and we are A22. I have never asked anyone to move, never implied that they should, and never would ask. I move all the time for people when I fly, I give up my aisle seat or exit row for men that are taller than average, give up my aisle seat for pregnant women that need easy access to the restroom, give up my window seat for little kids that want to look out of it, because bottom line is I'm just happy to be on the plane going somewhere. I'm not saying that other people need to do that either.
I have never had a problem on SWA, nor have I ever seen a problem. Most people are very nice and accommodating if an issue comes up and someone needs to move. Please don't be nervous about flying them. It's really not bad at all.

 

[hsmamato2]

I usually don't fly SWA, but when I do and we're flying with DS we always pay for EBCI, but I can't help if he suddenly has to go to the bathroom (even though we just went) and doesn't understand that A group is boarding and we are A22. I have never asked anyone to move, never implied that they should, and never would ask. I move all the time for people when I fly, I give up my aisle seat or exit row for men that are taller than average, give up my aisle seat for pregnant women that need easy access to the restroom, give up my window seat for little kids that want to look out of it, because bottom line is I'm just happy to be on the plane going somewhere. I'm not saying that other people need to do that either.
I have never had a problem on SWA, nor have I ever seen a problem. Most people are very nice and accommodating if an issue comes up and someone needs to move. Please don't be nervous about flying them. It's really not bad at all.

...This is my original thought also..... most people who fly will be like this - Agreed, note my OP said I still love SWA overall, but for those few selfish folks who behave as if others needs and rights just don't matter....I wish that SWA would have a clear crackdown policy on bad behavior. As evidenced by a lot of bad feelings posted here, this stuff happens all too easily. but overall....still a decent airline (comparitively speaking) and no need to be nervous. I've flown on many different airlines....at least SWA seems to have the best assortment of FA's on every flight!(some of them are standup comedians)

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

I am surprised to hear that it seems to be the general consensus that SWA allows people to save seats. My younger son and I flew with them last September and on each leg of our flight, the FA's were very adamant that saving seats was not allowed and people were called on it pretty quickly.

We are using them again at the end of this month. This time it will be a group of 5. It will be myself, my Mom, my two sons (ages 16 & 5), and my older son's girlfriend. I booked our flights separately for my younger son and myself and then everyone else. I did this to book ECBI for the two of us because I wanted to make sure I could sit with the 5-year old. The rest of the group can fend for themselves . We would prefer to sit together but it is not necessary.

I will be interested on the flight to see what happens to people saving seats after reading this.

 

[DMRick]

Were they saying , no saving seats or were they saying, it's a full flight so no saving the middle seats? I ask because a lot of people start out with one family member in the aisle and one in the window seat, hoping if the plane isn't full, many won't bother with the middle seat and that gives that couple the whole row. I see that often when I get on a plane looking for a seat. Then when the FA starts saying it's a full plane don't bother saving that middle seat, people start rearranging lol.
It sounds like I'm saying most if the plane gets on and saves seats. I'm not saying that at all, but I do see it here and there and on my few flights a year, and the FA's have been fine with it. Maybe they wouldn't be once the plane starts to fill.

 

[goofy4tink]

Were they saying , no saving seats or were they saying, it's a full flight so no saving the middle seats? I ask because a lot of people start out with one family member in the aisle and one in the window seat, hoping if the plane isn't full, many won't bother with the middle seat and that gives that couple the whole row. I see that often when I get on a plane looking for a seat. Then when the FA starts saying it's a full plane don't bother saving that middle seat, people start rearranging lol.
It sounds like I'm saying most if the plane gets on and saves seats. I'm not saying that at all, but I do see it here and there and on my few flights a year, and the FA's have been fine with it. Maybe they wouldn't be once the plane starts to fill.

This is what I tend to see as well. It's not actually 'saving' seats..just hoping that no one is going to want that middle seat. And if it's a full flight, there is, indeed, a ton of scrambling to be seated together.

 

[anonymousegirl]

To add another wrinkle to this discussion, SW allows persons of size to obtain the seat next to them so as not to encroach on other passengers. So a person of size boards, takes the aisle or window and thus the middle seat is now "saved" for a non existent passengers. I think the GA gives the passenger a placard to put on the seat saying "reserved".
They may also require a pre board to make sure two seats are available together.

I haven't done this myself, but have bought tickets for someone who did. I should ask her how the boarding went.

 

[hsmamato2]

I've noticed almost every flight, the aisle and window seats fill first...then if the flight is full (it usually is) the FA's announce that EVERY seat will be filled,without question. I think more than seats is the baggage issue, WHY do people drag BIG heavy suitcases onto the plane and overfill the bins? 2 bags fly free, what is the deal? In many cases, it's a person who can't even lift their own bag, who then slows down the entire plane,and asks people around them to lift it for them! I just don't get it....and I also won't lift the bag of a person who drags a full suitcase along and then has problems, I just let them fuss with their stuff till the FA comes to move them along... (FWIW, I have flown at least 20 different SWA flights in the past couple of years, and never once had lost baggage)