Picking Seats on Southwest

[hAm53]

When boarding on Southwest, are there seats that we (party of 2) should keep an eye out for? Will sitting in the front of the plane get us off earlier, or is there really no "better seat" to get?
One last thing, if a flight leaves at 10:55AM, is getting to the airport at 8:15 too early? We don't want to get stuck sitting in two different parts of the plane.
Thanks.
~Chris

 

[Pinnie]

There are "backwards facing" seats up in the front of the plane that allow more legroom but you will be facing seatmates. As to sitting in the front of the plane, yes, you will get off faster than the back, but in terms of time, it would only be a matter of a few minutes. In most cases, you may have to wait for a tram at MCO to take you to the main terminal, so it's a matter of "hurry up and wait".

If I am not mistake, and someone correct me if I am wrong, SWA doesn't allow check in and issuing of boarding passes until 90 minutes prior to flight time. In the cases of the airports I have flown out of with SWA in the last few months, Detroit, Midway in Chicago, Indianapolis, and MCO, no one is allowed to go through security without a boarding pass. So plan accordingly. I usually time my arrival at the airport 2 hours prior to my flight time, This way it gives me enough time to park the car, shuttle to the terminal and pick up my boarding pass.

The longest line to get through security I have had to wait in was at Midway in Chicago...that was about a 20 minute wait. All the others I was able to just walk up and go through. I know this is just a matter of timing, but I guess I have been pretty lucky!

Have a great flight. I leave on Thursday for a 3 day weekend at WDW on NWA.

pin
remember the magic
DVC/BCVs 2002

just days away from my 12/12 trip and my 12/13 MVMCP!!!!!

 

[jackzero]

With southwest, since they've gone to the new seating system,its easier to get the seats you want(no more cattlehearding)...I suggest sitting near the emergency exit(always the best seats on the plane). sitting in the front is alright but it wont get off the plane any faster.

Also,since this is a post 9/11 world, arriving at the airport early is a MUST!! Since TSA screeners have taken over at all the major airports in the US, the wait time has gone down drastically...give yourself about an hour and a 1/2-two hours for check-in(tip: use the skycaps).

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by Pinnie
If I am not mistake, and someone correct me if I am wrong, SWA doesn't allow check in and issuing of boarding passes until 90 minutes prior to flight time.

We flew Southwest for the frist time Thanksgiving week. At BWI we arrived two hours before our flight departure & received boarding passes two hours before.

 

[Snoozan]

I read recently that SW is now issuing boarding passes up to 4 hours before the flight and they are not holding any set number of boarding passes per check-in area. It'll be first come, first serve for the boarding passes, regardless of where you check in. I'm planning on getting to BDL around 2 hours prior to my flight in February-my DH is a worry-wart traveler so we always get to the airport early.

 

[jlambrig]

On occasion, SWA may issue boarding passes up to 4 hours early. they are also implementing kiosks at airports for online checkin.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

On occasion, SWA may issue boarding passes up to 4 hours early. they are also implementing kiosks at airports for online checkin.

Yes, but it will have limitations and you cannot use it if you are checking luggage.

Q: Why can't I check luggage at RAPID CHECK-IN locations?
A: To comply with FAA regulations, a Southwest Agent must control the receiving and applying of luggage tags to the Customers luggage. To accommodate this, Customer Service Agents are located at the Ticket Counter where luggage tags can be printed and handled as usual. This is not possible at remote locations. We are currently working on a solution to allow Customers to print their own luggage tags at Ticket Counter kiosk locations. (Mandates would still require a Southwest Customer Service Agent to tag the Customer's bag.)


http://www.southwestair.com/travel_center/kiosks/kiosks_qna.html

 

[leslieh]

I just flew home from MCO saturday night to BWI, i used the rapid rewards check in, cannot check luggage, must be carryons, and they do check people in up to four hours, i dont know who would want to wait that long for one of the first 40 people just to grab a seat. Both flights, i sat in row 7 and was off the plane a little quicker, and new planes dont have the front/backs seats thank god.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Since we are on the seating topic- am flying Southwest in March with 48 others to Orlando - students mostly - will they seat us as a group? Never thought to ask or look up the info. Thanks. Caroline

 

[Rpsemont]

Chris, 8:15 should be fine. We have flown SWA out of BDL numerous times. OUr last trip in November we got there a little over an hour early. Our boarding pass was a "C" Since I was travelling with my daughter I went up and sat down at the rope for the C. If you get an A or a B you wouldnt' even need to stand in line after that. Keep in mind with just two of you, most singles will choose a window or aisle seat, so unless you were at the end of the C group or in the D group you should be able to sit together. When are you going? We're on that same flight on February 18th.

 

[hAm53]

Rpsemont,

We're actually headed down the week before (2/6-2/13) this way we can save some money. Being a year and a half out of college, money's kind of tight.

Everyone else,

Thanks for the tips. Being used to JFK or Newark from growing up in Newerk, I still can't get used to how small Bradley is. Every time I go there, I think it's Tom Never's Field.

~Chris

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Since we are on the seating topic- am flying Southwest in March with 48 others to Orlando - students mostly - will they seat us as a group? Never thought to ask or look up the info. Thanks. Caroline

Nope, you will have to check in and do the "grab a seat" just like everyone else.
To double check, why not call SWA and ask. 1-800-IFLYSWA.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

so unless you were at the end of the C group or in the D group you should be able to sit together.

If you get a "D" pass you are going to be in a heap of trouble since they only have "A", "B" and "C".

 

[lawgs]

and watch for the following....

1. a lot of pre boards....especially on flights to florida.....so even if you have a A or B .....the plane could be half full by the time you having a A or B tickets get on the plane...there does not seem to be a consistent policy on pre boards seems to be at the whims of the gate agents ( we have seen as many as 8 or 9 people get pre board by just having someone under 5 in their group )

just an aside, while waiting to come back to buffalo last saturday there was a father and son in the pre board area....well as the son got to the gate agent .....he kept saying ....i am 5 years old i am 5 years old ...we just sorta of chuckled since he seemed older but he sure was making his point with the gate agent ( sounded like it had been rehearserd )

2. people who sit on the aisle and window ...leaving the seat between them open.....most people would not ask to sit in the middle ( so if the flight is not full they will have the extra space )...have seen this happen on the last two flights we have taken with southwest ..once to florida....once to las vegas

3. people who are in a group and have different boarding passes

eg....some one who pre boards or has an A card and then holds seats for friends who have B or C boarding cards...this has happened on the last three flights we did...flight attendants seemed obvious to what was happening....although i did mention it to one person who had thrown her belongings on two rows of seats beside and behind her ...that it was not "kosher" to be doing that

4. people who have high boarding cards who "volunteer" to be security checked ....they get on just after the pre boards if they are the first ones being screened even if their card was a C

as with anything, people seem to have ways of getting around the boarding process regardless of what card they get (example, the lady in florida who complained to the gate attendant that she had gotten a C ticket while her friends had gotten A tickets in las vegas ...they had misjudged the time it takes to return a rental car to Alamo/National so did not get in the A group, well the attendant just took the ticket and marked it as an A, thus A B or C is not written in stone if you have a convincing way about you ...read can "charm" southwest personnel


all this being said, we still like to fly southwest since they offer us good service out of buffalo plus you can get boarding passes up to 4 hours prior to flight alhtough we find at 2 hours you now usually get A boarding passes since they changed their policy again...it is more first come first served now as it should be ( of course, different airports may be different depending on how many are travelling that day )

 

[DMRick]

We had a group from the deaf with us on one flight, and the Stewardess called back and told the other Stewardess to block out a group of 30 seats. May have been a special occasion..most of them were teens.

They also blocked a group of three seats for my daughter and her two kids. We didn't realize it, til we went to get on, the person checking us in said they noticed she had young children and to head straight for the back they were holding three seats. I was glad I called after booking on line, and asked to have ages put with our ressies. They didn't block for us to sit near, but since she was way in the back, we were able to sit with her.

 

[Rpsemont]

Gail, While it didn't occur on our two most recent trips, last December when we flew I think they did hand out "D's" Maybe they do that for bigger planes. They had the D people line up in the A line after all the A's had boarded. I noticed the website now does not talk about any D boarding passes.

Chris, I envy you going those dates. We have gone that time of year three times before and only went later this year so DD wouldn't miss school. And wouldn't you know it, I got a postcard for a $49 rate at AS and can't use it because it expires 2/13. LOL. have a great trip!

Oh, and by the way, unless they changed from the last time I was there (Nov 02), there's really no "Concessions" at the SWA gate. So if you check in outside with the Skycap and get your boarding pass (and hopefully it will be an A or a B, either take food along, or find a snack prior to going through security to the gate. There are also no restrooms at their gate area. If you go out to use the restroom you have to go through security again. If that happens, have one person stay in the gate area with all carryons and just take yourself and your boarding pass AND ID

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Gail, While it didn't occur on our two most recent trips, last December when we flew I think they did hand out "D's" Maybe they do that for bigger planes. They had the D people line up in the A line after all the A's had boarded. I noticed the website now does not talk about any D boarding passes.

They changed the boarding procedure early this year.
They only fly one size plane and that is a 737.
The facilities depend on what airport you are departing from.
There are a lot of concessions at Orlando that you can access without leaving the gate and going through security also, they have restrooms right after the gates at Orlando.
Hartford, well, Hartford is an "after thought" for airports. You can get coffee and magazines and little items, but, you are out of luck for real food or bathrooms.

 

[Rpsemont]

Yea, I was talking about Hartford when I said that. I wasn't clear on my post. Hartford's growing though. Maybe Southwest will get "real" gate soon with food and bathrooms!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Maybe Southwest will get "real" gate soon with food and bathrooms!

LOL, well, let's hope.