Newbie to SWA

[maps]

i usually fly harftord to orlando with delta but i now want to check out SWA since they fly direct from Manchester, NH to MCO.

i saw on their site they only have dates until sept--how far out do they usually post the dates (i'm looking for nov and feb)

also, can someone tell me about the boarding process? i know they don't assign seats but i'll be with my 3 and 4 yr olds and want my husband near by too.
thanks

 

[prncess674]

Boarding cards are assigned a letter of A, B, or C. They are distributed on a first come first serve basis. There are approximately 40-45 of each letter depending on the configuration of your exact plane. A are distributed first, and so on. A will board first, B will board second, and C will be the final group to board. You should have no problem trying to find 2 seats together. Have one parent sit with each child. Many times on MCO Flights they do not pre board families because the plane is literally the Disney Family Express. They will only preboard one parent and an infant if the child is in a car seat and has a seat purchased for the infant. Get to the airport with plenty of time to check luggage and clear security and you will be fine. SWA only flys planes that have a 3 by 3 configuration. So your best option is to fly 1 parent and 1 child configuration. As long as you receive A or B boarding cards you will have no problems finding this configuration. Please don't believe the horror stories people recite about getting to the airport 4 hours early. It really isn't necessary. Avoid flights at peak times for business travel (Early Monday morning and evening flights on Thursday and Friday nights) and you will be fine. SWA is very kid friendly and has a terrific ontime record.

I highly recommend SWA especially if any other option requires a layover or changing planes. The last thing you want is to entertain a child during a layover.

 

[dgaston]

I fly SWA out of either BDL or PVD to MCO and have always seen families with children under 4 preboarded. Last year, my daughter (then 18) and I were near the last passengers to board a flight from Nashville to Houston, and still found seats together, tho they were far in the back. I don't think you will have any trouble finding seats--just remember to bring snacks. Your kids might like more than the cheese crackers, cookies, and fruit snacks in the snackpack!

 

[prncess674]

I fly SWA out of either BDL or PVD to MCO and have always seen families with children under 4 preboarded

I am not saying that SWA never preboards under 4 to/from MCO. All I am saying is don't depend on it. I have seen families saunter up to the gate 20 minutes to departure with C boarding cards and older toddler children (3,4, 5 yr old) expecting to pre board and hearing the gate agent tell them that only infants will be preboarded. I am sure that the original poster is very responsible and would never be like this

 

[Ursula]

I'm flying out of Manchester to MCO this coming Sunday The Manchester airport is so convenient. I've flown SWA many times and have never had a problem getting seats together as long as I get there an hour before.

 

[CarolA]

I second the concern about pre-boarding out of MCO. I was at the gate one time and they announced that since it appeared EVERYONE had a child under 4 that they would only pre-board disabled passangers and infants. It still worked fine.

 

[JuJuJasmine]

Originally posted by maps
i saw on their site they only have dates until sept--how far out do they usually post the dates (i'm looking for nov and feb)

There's a whole bunch of us patiently (NOT!) waiting for SWA to release the next group of dates. They're running an Internet Special that ends May 1 - so hopefully the dates will be released shortly thereafter. We're going Sept. 14th and it's been brutal to see "Now accepting reservations through September 8, 2003" as many times as I have. AARRGGH!

Rumor has it that they traditionally add dates on Tuesday. If you are not signed up for the SWA newsletter, do it...or check the site often.

JuJu

 

[megnsamsgrace]

We flew BDL to MCO last June with a 13m old (no ticket), 3 y/o and 5 y/o and we were allowed to preboard both times. On the way down we sat in that first section, 5 seats all together (we were told ahead of time that there were open seats and our 13m could use her car seat in a seat... there were 40 open seats!) On the way back we preboarded again. But this time there were a LOT more seniors who got to preboard and we split up, I took the youngest 2 and DH sat in front of us with the oldest. We are looking for rates for October and this time we will have my dad (a senior) and a baby with us so we BETTER be able to preboard! BDL is usually pretty good about preboarding... Steph mom to Sam 6, Megan 4, Grace 2 and #4 24w6d

 

[prncess674]

Just because your dad is a senior citizen does not give him the right to preboard. It is generally true that seniors are seen pre boarding it is because they need assistance walking down the jetway. Being "old" doesn't get you Front of the Line access. If your father doesn't need assistance he doesn't need to preboard. My 67 yr old grandmother is very healthy and when we travel together she always uses general boarding. Please don't abuse the system. However when I travel with my 50 yr old father who walks with a cane and is blind one person in our party will pre board with him to assist him down the jetway. Our family of 5 doesn't just hop the line because of Dad.

On very kid heavy routes such as MCO they may only allow one parent and one child under 4 yrs old to pre board. Be prepared to have to wait it out with general boarding.

 

[megnsamsgrace]

Have you flown out of BDL? Do you know what their preboarding rules are? I have flown with them 4 times in the past 2 years! They have plenty of room for preboarding and I have preboarded EACH and EVERY time. I would be more than glad to let all those seniors (or disabled) who need to preboard do so before me. BUT I do have 4 children that I put in their car seats for safety reasons. It gives me plenty of time to buckle EACH seat correctly when we fly. I am NOT taking advantage of the system by no means! But when I am flying with 4 children (6, 4, 2 and 2m when we go again in October) I will by all rights expect to preboard. If its just me and the baby or the 2 y/o then fine, but I will try and save seats for all of us to sit together. There is no reason for you to get nasty with me... I know that MCO is a CHILD route for the most part but with all the times I have flown with SWA I have ALWAYS been told over the phone about preboarding and telling me my family "qualifies". I am not expecting to preboard because of my dad being a senior but because of my children. Every time I have flown SWA (to MCO AND on return flights) I have always seen families kept together, not once (on 8 flights total) have I seen families separated. This OP is flying out of the SAME airport I do so I am giving my experience with THIS airport! Stephanie

 

[JuJuJasmine]

Stephanie - great info on departing from BDL...that's where we'll be leaving from, too. I'll take your direct experience sentiments any day! I wondered if my DS (5) would be considered too old to preboard but DS (4) should make it.

JuJu

 

[prncess674]

yeesh! I am just pointing out that in your post you mentioned that you stated "I better be able to preboard" since I am taveling with my senior father. I was pointing out that just being a senior does not permit someone to pre board. You are correct that because you are travelling with an infant that you should be able to preboard. No one is doubting that fact. The original poster was not travelling with an infant and I was explaining what I have seen several times in the MCO airport regarding older toddler children and preboarding.

I feel that it is important to inform parents that flying SWA into out of MCO they sometime change the pre board rules and be prepared to follow them.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by JuJuJasmine
Stephanie - great info on departing from BDL...that's where we'll be leaving from, too. I'll take your direct experience sentiments any day! I wondered if my DS (5) would be considered too old to preboard but DS (4) should make it.

This may be true at BDL but the rule ARE different at MCO. Heed the advice of those of us who have used SWA out of MCO. There are lots of children on these planes and you should assume that you will not be able to pre board with children 4 and 5 years old and if you are allowed then it is blessing not a requirement.

 

[JuJuJasmine]

prncess674 - funny thing...i'm not worried about coming home! It's the thrill of the whole "first time" thing - first flight for my boys, first trip to Disney...Coming home will be a drag - no matter where we sit on the plane! And what's a middle seat to someone who weighs 40 pounds - just a seat on an airplane.

Have you noticed a difference when the kids are generally in school? We're going Sept. 14. I wonder how that will change the boarding situation....

JuJu

 

[megnsamsgrace]

"this time we will have my dad (a senior) and a baby with us so we BETTER be able to preboard"

I said AND A BABY... my father has no trouble getting in line with everyone else... but out of BDL they have kept us together each and every time we have flown. AND the 2 flights I flew out of MCO(the last 2 year) on our way home they did NOT break up families, they kept everyone together and dads and older siblings were preboarding with the family. Everyone will have a different experience as some flight times are busier than others and different airports might have less kids flying than others.

JuJu... When you call and book your tickets, if they dont tell you on their own (they did it to us all 4 times) about preboarding ask them. Your 4 y/o might qualify... I have always flown with a little one too, not just my 4 or 6 y/o and we were always allowed to preboard as a family. But BDL is great about preboarding... we have never once had a problem, when we get to the desk they point out exactly where preboarding is (there was just a little hallway next to the boarding lines)... When we have flown I guess BDL isn't too popular an airport (or we just pick good times) because there have been at MOST 4 families in line. Leaving from MCO both times we were just one of 5 each time... and most was just 2 kids....Good luck, Steph

 

[prncess674]

JuJuJasmine ,

I noticed that your flight is almost 6 months away. Will your 4 yr old still be 4? If not both of your children will be over the age limit for preboarding.

I do agree that they probably allow a family with 4 children and 3 of them under the pre board age limit would all get to board together because one parent could not preboard 3 small children on their own.

Happy travels to you both. Remember it is just a 2 hour flight. No one is going to want to sit next to an unaccompanied 5 year old. Your family will be accomodated on SWA. There will be a parent seated with all small children even if you don't get to preboard.

 

[CarolA]

Just a thought. Preboarding is NOT guaranteed under any circumstances, babies, seniors etc. It is done at the decision of the gate agent. They are not required to preboard anyone and I have seen them be very willing to let everyone pre-board and have also seen them just refuse to let people unless they think they really need it.

 

[megnsamsgrace]

I agree completely! I know its not guaranteed. But I was just stating my experience...although I know it could have been completely different. It is different at every airport and with travel times. I would figure it would completely depend on when you are traveling and destination. Steph

 

[maps]

after reading all these posts i'm starting to think i'm better off going with delta since my seats will be assigned.

i'm getting visions of mass herds of people stomping on each other to "preboard".. i'm assuming that SWA allows every person with a ticket to have a seat. so the only reason preboarding would be an issue is if you all want to sit together.
if it ends up with me and a child and then hubby with a child i don't have any problems with it.

is it a really big deal at the terminal when it comes time to board?

 

[prncess674]

SWA is a wonderful airline. Don't let all the "sky is falling" talk around here disuade you from flying SWA. if you read through prior posts on Delta you will find people who are fuming because they couldn't get assigned seats together even at 6 months out. No one airline is going to make everyone happy.

Since you can fly non stop to MCO on SWA I highly recommend this over flying Delta with a connection.

Get to the airport approximately 2 hours early and you will have no problem finding two sets of two seats. The boarding area for SWA may look a bit disorganized but they are incredibly efficient in moving people around. SWA planes are consistently on time and sit at the gate much less time than the other majors. I find SWA to be more kid friendly in the sky than any of the major airlines.