Need Southwest Tips

[who's ur daddy?]

Okay, our inaugural trip on Southwest Airlines last August didn't go as smoothly as I planned. Mostly because I am not that good of a planner.

Being the know-it-all I am, I thought it was all under control. We had a 7:30ish flight and we stayed the night before at one of the local hotels under the parksleepfly.com program. We booked the shuttle to the airport too late and the shuttle itself was a little late, so we were rushing quite a bit. Our luggage almost didn't make it with us. Then, those boarding passes I oh-so-smartly printed up exactly 24 hours before didn't do diddly squat as we were late boarding the plane. Our family was going to be split up in seats and only the generousity of fellow passengers agreeing to give up a seat allowed the wife to sit with the two kids. Oh, the trouble I got into with the wife for saving a few bucks (it was a lot, but when the wife says it was only a few bucks, it turns into a fact) flying out of Buffalo instead of Pearson. It was not a smooth flight there - soooooo stressful.

So, I am determined to make this March's trip smooth as butter and need your help setting out my itinerary for the trip there! Our flight is 11:40am on Sunday and 8:55pm return on the following Sunday. I'm thinking maybe just driving straight back from Buffalo when we get back. Undecided, but not necessarily concerned with the last leg of the trip.

Here's my list for the going part:

1. Print up SWA boarding passes at 11:40am on the Saturday;
2. Leave Toronto (Markham really) by no later than 6:00;
3. Take Queenston/Lewiston bridge(?);
4. Arrive Buffalo International Airport by 8:30;
5. Depending on if we stay at a hotel on our return, we would also have to drop off the car at the hotel's lot and register (30 mins add);
6. Check in luggage by 9:40, giving us 2 hours breathing room.

For all you who do the Buffalo jaunt, does this timing sound okay? I'm pretty sure the wife will divorce me if it's as stressful as the last time around...

 

[dancin Disney style]

I'm not sure how long the drive is from Markham to the border but it sounds good to me.

I live 1.5 hours from BUF, that's with no traffic and no border delay. I always leave home 4 hours before my flight. Most often I end up in the airport with more than 2 hours to spare.

If you arrive at the airport WAY WAY to early you can always kill time by going shopping or going for breakfast.

 

[CJ]

I've done both, Queenston/Lewiston and the Peace Bridge and the latter is definitely faster! And it is very easy to get there as well.

 

[mkmommy]

Make sure to have return directions. I had printed out ones to the airport and thought it would be easy to follow them backwards, but it was not.

 

[cdnmickeylover]

One thing in your favour this year is that Southwest has slightly changed their boarding procedure. When you get your boarding passes this time they will also come with a number -- ie A24, A25 etc. This means that provided you are at the gate in time for boarding you will board in the number order of your boarding pass. The first people to board will be only those with blue cards (I think they are blue) and then the A's. Families with kids 4 and under no longer board ahead of the A's. They board between the A's and the B's.

Your timing for the drive actually sounds ok to me. Check which bridge has lineups before crossing -- you can do this online prior to leaving.

Hopefully it will go smoothly this time! It really is worth the drive to Buffalo.

Fiona

 

[Lavendar]

Yes, check the bridge times (there are websites ... which I'm sure are here somewhere).
If you go over the Peace Bridge kept to the booths on the right, it makes getting on to the I90? (the highway) easier.

Most people know this but just in case...
The weather can be completly different Toronto - Hamilton - St.Catharines & Fort Erie /Buffalo. So I'd check all of those places for possiable delays.

Enjoy your time with the Mouse!!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

You mentioned possibly leaving your car at the Hotel's parking lot. I assume you plan to take the Hotel's shuttle to the airport. You might want to double check how often the shuttle runs. Some run on demand. Some run every half hour etc... It can't hurt to call ahead.

As a family member of an airline employee, I have travelled space available with my kids many times. We have often been split apart for seating arrangements. I try to prepare my kid's for it ahead of time. And forgoing that.... when they start to cry and scream "I want my MAMA!!!" You should see how fast other passengers are willing to trade their seats. So I wouldn't worry. It happens all the time and the flight attendents are pretty adept in moving people around.

 

[who's ur daddy?]

Just got back from a week's stay at WDW. Wife and kids had a blast. Weather was pretty good. Now just dealing with post-Disney blues!

I think the bulk of the U.S. March breaks are this week, so we missed the BIG lineups I guess. Nonetheless, I thought there were some U.S. March breaks that fell during the second week of March? In any event, the lines were not as bad as I expected! Mind you, we travelled with the elderly father-in-law in a wheel chair, so we by-passed a few long lines via the disabled persons access line (WDW really treats persons with disabilities and their travelling companions first rate - kudos to you WDW!). Parks were definitely busier than when we went in the last week of August and mid-November last year, but overall it was manageable. I'd do Canadian March break again, no problem.

I am pleased to report that no part of our SWA plane fell off during the flight. At least none that we could see from the inside.

Even though I got "A" passes, I almost screwed up the line-up process for the trip to Orlando!!! So, if you have an A pass, it is golden. Do not line up with the families with children under 4 as those families board AFTER the A's. The benefit of going into the families with children under 4 group would be if you had a B or C boarding pass.

We started coming back to Toronto at 1:30 am, but there was a crazy line up at the Queenston/Lewiston bridge. I was going to do the Peace bridge, but thought that there wasn't going to be any problems with the QL bridge. WRONG. 20 minute wait - they only had one line open. Just as I got to the inspection booth, they opened a second line... Take the Peace bridge!

 

[MinnieMommy]

I am pleased to report that no part of our SWA plane fell off during the flight. At least none that we could see from the inside.

Glad you had a good time! You know... a trip report may help with the post Disney blues.

 

[trivial]

Two things:

1. As others have recommended, take the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, as it is faster.
2. Pack your own parachutes, just in case!

 

[laura001]

With the "A" boarding passes, did they give you a number to board or is it still the same where everyone with an A lines up under A???

 

[who's ur daddy?]

With the "A" boarding passes, did they give you a number to board or is it still the same where everyone with an A lines up under A???

You have a number within the "A's". Then the A's line up and board in that rough order. If you are an A, I'm pretty sure you'll get a seat next to your family group guaranteed.

I logged in within seconds of the 24-hour window opening, but still ended up with A30'ish!!!