My SWA experience

[zurgswife]

SWA just started flying from philly....so for my practically spur of the moment trip...only decided Memorial day weekend to go for it....we decided to fly SWA

First off....I was hoping for this trip all along so when a $49 fare from phlly to MCO came out for June...I jumped on it...knowing that if we couldn't go I would just bank the credit until I needed it later in the year.....Well, when we finally decided to go it was for July not June...so I called SW and changed my original flight to july instead no problem...then I added a segement because I wanted to stop in NC on the way home and see my dad....for a whopping $29 per person we could fly from RDU to Philly...SOLD!!!!

Flight #1 Philly to MCO... I printed boarding passes on line at 12:01 night before A grouping...got to the airport waited about 1 hr to board. We had a number of wheelchair and families with small children pre boarding so by the time we got taken in the A line only about 5 people back...we were at the middle of the plane...no problem getting seats together...Actually most of the rest of the airplane was empty on the way down....

Flight #2 MCO to RDU... Wasn't able to print boarding passes as we were at a Disney hotel...no printer...arrived at MCO 2hrs early got A boarding passes....waited about 1.5 hrs to board. I thought I had read that in MCO they didn't take family preboards only handicap...must have misread as there were a number of families that got to preboard....we ended up with 2 rows togther in about the middle of the plane....no problems again...

Flight #3 RDU to PHL...printed boarding passes...made the 2.5 hr drive from my dad's to RDU...arrived about 1.5 hrs before scheduled take off...once through security...waited about 45mins to board....they took the wheel chairs, families with children...then they guy looks at us...we have a stroller for my dd to use at WDW filled with luggage and says follow him....who us???OK...no problem dude.....DH says it looked like he was trying to get the stroller loaded I don't care why.....I got to preboard....YIPPEEE!!! ended up about 5 rows back this time....and get this we pushed back on time and arrived 45mins early.....which would have been fantastic except our ride hadn't even left home yet when we landed...

Any how SWA big thumbs up.....and I've just booked my flight down for Dec...!!!!!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Flight #2 MCO to RDU... Wasn't able to print boarding passes as we were at a Disney hotel...no printer...arrived at MCO 2hrs early got A boarding passes....waited about 1.5 hrs to board. I thought I had read that in MCO they didn't take family preboards only handicap...must have misread as there were a number of families that got to preboard....we ended up with 2 rows togther in about the middle of the plane....no problems again...

they most definitely do preboards (small children) at MCO, which you now know. What they are not supposed to do is load the entire family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends you made 10 mins.earlier). If the flights are really full they will suspend that preboard for families with small children.

 

[bjakmom]

Just received the best customer service (and attitude) I have EVER experienced (from an airline co) from SW today !!

Also just booked my 1st SW flight out of Philly for Dec. - was sorting through my papers today, printed out and read my SW confirmation and *gasp* - I had mistakenly booked my son instead of my nephew - this is an Aunties/nephew trip !! Don't know where my head was, except to say that my son has travelled everywhere with me for the last 15 years, so I must have been on auto-pilot!!

Anyway, called SW - delightful young woman takes care of everything - switches the names -- no fees, no having to cancel and rebook - she doesn't even TRY to make me feel stupid ! - then I ask her about printing boarding passes and she says, no problem, she'll give me separate reservations (I had booked all 3 of us together on one reservation) while she has me on the phone so that I can do just that !

I'm so glad you had and reported such a great travel experience with SW, zurgswife - so far, I like the way these people do business,too !!