Just venting - SWA - Seat Savers

[curemyreed]

My DH is A-List preferred also. A-Listers do not have to pay for EBCI, they get assigned a boarding position automatically, before they start assigning boarding positions to those who bought EBCI. Your DH will have a low A number and you will most likely get a high A or maybe a low B. He can just get in line with you and the two of you will have no problem finding seats together. It will be much easier because you can board together and he won't have to keep explaining to people boarding ahead of you that he is trying to save a seat.

ETA: Just because your DH has A16 doesn't mean he has to board at that position. If you get A35, he can just get in line with you and board at that time. It's OK to board later than your assigned position but not the other way around.

Well....duh! I didn't even consider that! It's not like you have to go to the end of the line if you miss boarding when they call out your group. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[Poohlove]

When travelling to DW we always use SWA and I haven't had any problems with being able to sit with my children. (I am a single parent so we always travel 1 adult, 2 children) On our first few trips they were too young to sit alone but we only had one reservation number to contend with so checking we ended up in the same boarding group. On our last trip (they were old enough to sit alone) I booked our flights at different times so we had 3 reservation numbers. This time I bought the EBCI to be sure that we were able to sit together. We had a family front of us though who conducted business as though they were the only people on the plane. Oddly enough when our families were at the curbside bag check at the same time I commented that I hoped that they weren't on the same flight as us. We boarded before them and karma dropped them in the seats in front of us Kids will be kids and that doesn't bother me, my kids were there too. They also know how to conduct themselves in public, etc and when in a situation like the OP it takes all I have sometimes but I resist the urge to make a scene (including involving or trying to invole those around me which is just awkward for them). Ultimatly the kids will learn from the example that you set and there is enough selfishness out there, why keep it going?

 

[Pooh2]

Oh My! Never have flown southwest, after reading this thread, I will keep it that way!

 

[goofy4tink]

People....it just isn't that huge of a deal! I've flown SW many, many times. If I can't get the flights I need on JB, I go to SW next! I have never had an issue with seat savers! I have seen it happen though. I got on one flight, having managed to get A16!! Lucky me. There were a few medical preboards so I was about the 8th person to board. I took a seat in the exit rows. Well....on came about 7 people...they each took two seats in a row in the front of the plane. I figured they were each flying solo. They proceeded to put stuff on the seats all around them...thereby taking up about 4 rows! Well, the C group starts to board. People are having a hard time finding seats together. The FA announces that this is a completely full flight and there won't be any empty seats, so please don't try to keep nearby seats empty. Well...you should have seen that family scramble!!! They realized that instead of having a nice empty middle seat in their row, they were going to have a stranger sitting with them! They scrambled about, trying to all sit together. Now there were some wonderful seats available to the C group. Almost 2 completely empty rows opened up!!!

But in all reality? You may see a few people trying to save seats. And I have no issue with someone saving seats in the same row they are sitting in. But try to save seats in another row, or even in your own row as the plane is almost full? Nope. With more and more people buying EBCI, we are seeing much higher boarding slots being given. Yes, it's aggravating to get a B39 when you paid for EBCI...but if you stop to think about the slot you would have ended up with if you hadn't bought EBCI, it's not so bad. I now think of EBCI as the perk of not having to be on a computer at the 24 hr window...and that's all.

 

[Poohlove]

I love SW, their fares can't be beat and I think that the staff is great! You will see people at their finest all over the place, airplane cabins are not exempt

 

[CarolMN]

People....it just isn't that huge of a deal! .... I have never had an issue with seat savers! .....(snip)......think of EBCI as the perk of not having to be on a computer at the 24 hr window...and that's all.

I agree. We've flown SWA many times to and from MCO. Haven't noticed any seat saving going on.

The $12.50 per person for EBCI is worth it to us - I just don't want to have to think about checking in at 24 hours. Since I almost always** go with the best price, we fly SWA only if it comes out better than the others after I figure in the EBCI.


** We don't fly SPIRIT no matter how inexpensive it turns out to be. Their seats give us both back aches - not a good way to start out a vacation!

 

[goofy4tink]

I agree. We've flown SWA many times to and from MCO. Haven't noticed any seat saving going on.

The $12.50 per person for EBCI is worth it to us - I just don't want to have to think about checking in at 24 hours. Since I almost always** go with the best price, we fly SWA only if it comes out better than the others after I figure in the EBCI.


** We don't fly SPIRIT no matter how inexpensive it turns out to be. Their seats give us both back aches - not a good way to start out a vacation!

That's how I fly as well. I always figure in EBCI as part of the fare.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I agree. We've flown SWA many times to and from MCO. Haven't noticed any seat saving going on.

The $12.50 per person for EBCI is worth it to us - I just don't want to have to think about checking in at 24 hours. Since I almost always** go with the best price, we fly SWA only if it comes out better than the others after I figure in the EBCI.


** We don't fly SPIRIT no matter how inexpensive it turns out to be. Their seats give us both back aches - not a good way to start out a vacation!

That's how I fly as well. I always figure in EBCI as part of the fare.

I agree! I love Southwest and I love the non assigned seats. Southwest has one of the best turnaround times in the biz. Never had a grumpy FA and never seen a seat saver.

 

[LisaS]

Oh My! Never have flown southwest, after reading this thread, I will keep it that way!

I had to convince DH to try Southwest the first time. That was before the new boarding procedure and he had read about the "cattle call" and just wasn't interested. I convinced him to give it a try and he was pleasantly surprised how smooth and easy it was and discovered he really liked being able to choose our own seats. Then they introduced the new boarding process with assigned boarding numbers and he was so pleased with Southwest he now books his business trips with them so he can earn points to use for our WDW flights. He has earned A-List Preferred status (meaning he could be among the first to board) but he happily gives that up to board with me further back in the line and we just grab the first seats we find when we board. Very easy, no drama, no stress.

Yes we've encountered seat savers. We just move on to another row. Someone who is rude enough to try to save lots of seats is someone I don't want to sit next to anyway. It's no different than line cutters at WDW. You can either let it get to you or you can just shrug it off and enjoy your vacation. Encountering line cutters (or other rude behavior) hasn't stopped us from going back to WDW and seat savers on Southwest won't keep us from flying with them. The good far outweighs the bad when it comes to flying on Southwest.

 

[nkereina]

I was always anti-seat savers as well, until I found myself in the situation of needing to save a seat last week. I checked my fiance and I in at exactly the 24 hour mark (to the minute). Our flights were on separate reservations because he used a prior credit to pay for his. I checked myself in first and received A50 and immediately scrambled to log back in on the site under his confirmation number to check him in. Didn't take me longer than 30-45 seconds and he ended up with B28. I got on first, took the window seat next to a woman on the aisle, and saved the middle seat for him until he got on at B28. Gave me a new perspective. I agree that if people are too lazy or not diligent enough to check themselves in on time then they should be SOL, but in a situation like mine where we did everything we could do, I can't say I feel guilty about saving that seat!

 

[Disneylover99]

Separate reservations are not all that uncommon because some tickets are purchased using points and some are not.

I think the proper etiquette (if there is such a thing when flying SW ) would have been to board with your fiancé in order to avoid the seat saving.

 

[goofy4tink]

I was always anti-seat savers as well, until I found myself in the situation of needing to save a seat last week. I checked my fiance and I in at exactly the 24 hour mark (to the minute). Our flights were on separate reservations because he used a prior credit to pay for his. I checked myself in first and received A50 and immediately scrambled to log back in on the site under his confirmation number to check him in. Didn't take me longer than 30-45 seconds and he ended up with B28. I got on first, took the window seat next to a woman on the aisle, and saved the middle seat for him until he got on at B28. Gave me a new perspective. I agree that if people are too lazy or not diligent enough to check themselves in on time then they should be SOL, but in a situation like mine where we did everything we could do, I can't say I feel guilty about saving that seat!

I doubt many people have an issue with that kind of seat saving. I have done the same thing. My dd and I were traveling together. Dh said he wasn't going with us. But, of course, he changed his mind a month later. So, like you, we were now on two different reservations. Dd and I got A26 and 27, dh got B35 or so. I took the aisle, dd took the window. When dh finally boarded, I just moved over to middle seat.

 

[Granny square]

If I were in charge I'd make saving seats on SWA a felony punishable by life in prison with no chance for parole. Thankfully for my family the seat savers we saw didn't affect us but it's still irks me because people like myself and many others do everything we have to so we are in one of those early boarding groups. Then, only to get on the plane and find one person holding a cluster of seats for people who weren't diligent enough to check themselves in earlier.

Last time I flew swa the flight attendant told a lady being growled at by a snarly guy that there aren't any rules against seat saving. I was really surprised. I was. Whims the guy and expected her to tell him that he was being rude but that the lady needed to move her stuff.

 

[mrsstats]

I don't think saving a middle seat is a big deal. No on really wants the middle seat anyway.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I doubt many people have an issue with that kind of seat saving. I have done the same thing. My dd and I were traveling together. Dh said he wasn't going with us. But, of course, he changed his mind a month later. So, like you, we were now on two different reservations. Dd and I got A26 and 27, dh got B35 or so. I took the aisle, dd took the window. When dh finally boarded, I just moved over to middle seat.

I don't know about that. When I have suggested that on other threads (about saving the middle seat) I have gotten my head bitten off by some posters! LoL
For the record though....I agree with you!

 

[Karlzmom]

I was always anti-seat savers as well, until I found myself in the situation of needing to save a seat last week. I checked my fiance and I in at exactly the 24 hour mark (to the minute). Our flights were on separate reservations because he used a prior credit to pay for his. I checked myself in first and received A50 and immediately scrambled to log back in on the site under his confirmation number to check him in. Didn't take me longer than 30-45 seconds and he ended up with B28. I got on first, took the window seat next to a woman on the aisle, and saved the middle seat for him until he got on at B28. Gave me a new perspective. I agree that if people are too lazy or not diligent enough to check themselves in on time then they should be SOL, but in a situation like mine where we did everything we could do, I can't say I feel guilty about saving that seat!

Glad it worked out for you. Here's a thought, can you think of a person that won't have a rationale that explains why it is the right thing to do in their particular situation? Not bagging on you, only using your post to forward my long-standing point that human beings are masters of rationalization. Once a person decides the outcome they desire they can nearly always find a reason to support the outcome.

I'm sure you'll no doubt be kinder to another in need based on your own experience and you are an great example to us all!

 

[sam_gordon]

I was always anti-seat savers as well, until I found myself in the situation of needing to save a seat last week. I checked my fiance and I in at exactly the 24 hour mark (to the minute). Our flights were on separate reservations because he used a prior credit to pay for his. I checked myself in first and received A50 and immediately scrambled to log back in on the site under his confirmation number to check him in. Didn't take me longer than 30-45 seconds and he ended up with B28. I got on first, took the window seat next to a woman on the aisle, and saved the middle seat for him until he got on at B28. Gave me a new perspective. I agree that if people are too lazy or not diligent enough to check themselves in on time then they should be SOL, but in a situation like mine where we did everything we could do, I can't say I feel guilty about saving that seat!

I doubt many people have an issue with that kind of seat saving. I have done the same thing. My dd and I were traveling together. Dh said he wasn't going with us. But, of course, he changed his mind a month later. So, like you, we were now on two different reservations. Dd and I got A26 and 27, dh got B35 or so. I took the aisle, dd took the window. When dh finally boarded, I just moved over to middle seat.

Did anyone ask either of you for the middle seat and you told them "it was saved"? Or did no one simply want to sit in the middle seat and passed by your row?

As mentioned before, you both DID have an option... those with the A boarding pass (or higher number) simply wait and board with those with the lower number.

As Karlzmom points out, ALL the seat savers rationalize their choice to save a seat.

 

[goofy4tink]

Did anyone ask either of you for the middle seat and you told them "it was saved"? Or did no one simply want to sit in the middle seat and passed by your row?

As mentioned before, you both DID have an option... those with the A boarding pass (or higher number) simply wait and board with those with the lower number.

As Karlzmom points out, ALL the seat savers rationalize their choice to save a seat.

Nope, no one asked to sit in that middle seat. We chose a row behing the wing, so we weren't up front. I truly believe that if you choose to save seats up front, you may run into issues. Those passengers needing to get off the plane quickly want those front of plane seats, so will take any available seat! Even the dread middle seat. So, if I need one addtl seat, I move to behind the wing. I have even had a FA say 'Mam, there are available seats closer to the front.' to which I responded that I was going to save a seat for my dh, so was going towards the rear of the plane. Her response? 'Wow, that's really considerate..thank-you!'
So, yes, I will continue to 'rationalize'. I refuse to save a seat outside of my row. I refuse to try to save a window or an aisle seat..it's always a middle seat. And it's always going to be towards the rear of the plane.

I have moved, or at least offered to move, when flying solo and someone needed two or more seats together for their family. Do I feel badly about saving seat 23B? Nope, not at all. That is most certainly not 'prime seating'.

 

[keishashadow]

I don't think saving a middle seat is a big deal. No on really wants the middle seat anyway.

except when the FAs have announced the flight is full

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Last time I flew swa the flight attendant told a lady being growled at by a snarly guy that there aren't any rules against seat saving. I was really surprised. I was. Whims the guy and expected her to tell him that he was being rude but that the lady needed to move her stuff.

The FA was correct. Southwest has no official policy regarding saving seats. They don't want to get involved in the issue.