Pros and cons for Southwest

[BadDad]

We have used SW many times and PREFER open boarding. I have never been separated from my children on SW, nor have I purchased ECBI. I have, however, been separated from my children on both JB and AirTran with seat selection. On AirTran, I had to pay $6 or $8 per person for the privilege of having no seats together to choose from. I couldn't even get 1c/1a together either time. My kids like to fly SW, because they know we always get to sit together, so long as checking is done in advance. My most recent flight was the only time I've ever seen people try to save seats. I don't agree with that.

I've flown SW and saved seats depends: If the gate attendent says the flight is full or nearly full: I do not. If they says you can spread out. I do.

Most people will switch seats to allow you to sit with your kid. because, honestly, most people don't want to sit with your kid (or mine)

 

[lions1995]

It's not $50 for early boarding! it's only $12.50 each way per person. Don't forget is you are buying more than 8 tickets its best to call SWA to buy the tickets you will get a 10% discount. With other airlines they charge you a fee to call and buy tickets. SWA does not charge extra to call. Saving seats is not a big deal.

I was referring to getting A boarding pass at check in. If there are any left, you can buy one for around $50.

So, maybe I should buy one and take a load of coats on the plane and throw them down on 8 seats.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Right now they have a credit card offer if you spend $2000 in 90 days you will be awards 50,000 points with in some cases be enough for more than 2 r/t . I just used mine to book 2 r/t and used 20,000 for each r/t to MCO!

I did the 50,000 deal and booked 3 r/t tickets from Providence to Orlando for our March 2013 trip. The flights went down several times and I got enough points credited back that we used them for 3 one way tickets from Hartford to Orlando in May- and I still have a few points left! In the end, I got 9 one-way flights!

We pay for the Early Bird boarding on the way down to MCO, since we fly home on a Monday morning we take our chances on getting Group A logging in 24 hours before and have been fine. With 2 free bags, it is worth it to me!

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

Why do you have to buy EBCI for everyone? Those that get EBCI can save seats. You can get if for a few people and then do the 24 hr check in for the others. Oh I bought a ticket for a flight that was leaving in 6 hours and I checked in and fully expected to get stuck with a C board position. NOPE got an A for both me and DH.

Why should you be able to save your seats for your family to avoid paying the $12+ per person when I was honest and paid the $12+ dollars per person?

 

[TravelMommy]

We LOVE Southwest and have been flying them exclusively since baggage fees were put in place. Cannot say enough good things about the service and we have always paid the extra $12.50 and have ALWAYS sat together. We typically have always been A16-A21 or somewhere around there. We have saved 1000s of dollars thanks to Southwest!!! PS they gave us free drinks when we flew on Valentines Day!!!!!

 

[caravarela]

So what would happen if I boarded with my 2 year old and there weren't 2 seats together? Would I just put her in her carseat next to a stranger and go find a seat? "See you when we get to Disney, Kid!" (I would never do that, but is that what happens?)

There are A, B, and C boarding groups. Usually by checking in exactly 24 hours before my flight, I get end of A or very start of B. And families with small kids get to board right after A group if you somehow got stuck with a B or C ticket anyway, so you wouldn't have trouble finding just 2 seats.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[wiigirl]

We LOVE Southwest and have been flying them exclusively since baggage fees were put in place. Cannot say enough good things about the service and we have always paid the extra $12.50 and have ALWAYS sat together. We typically have always been A16-A21 or somewhere around there. We have saved 1000s of dollars thanks to Southwest!!! PS they gave us free drinks when we flew on Valentines Day!!!!!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes you can do EBCI with a connecting flight. I really would not worry about being able to sit together as a family. People for the most part are nice enough to switch seats. At least I am and have done it before. Give them a try you will like it.

I wouldn't count on that. I'm nice but if I pay $12.50 x 4 for my family to sit together, we wouldn't move for someone who didn't care that much to pay the extra when they first booked.

So what would happen if I boarded with my 2 year old and there weren't 2 seats together? Would I just put her in her carseat next to a stranger and go find a seat? "See you when we get to Disney, Kid!"

(I would never do that, but is that what happens?)

Family boarding is for children age 4 and under. After the A group boards, then there is family boarding before the B group. If you think about it, depending on how many wheelchair passengers there are, family boarding starts while the plane is about 1/3 full. That is plenty of choices of seats together.
We once got B seats when we were in Niagara Falls and completely forgot to check in. There was still PLENTY to choose from.


For us, SWA and US Airways are often close in price. By the time I add $25 each way per bag or $12.50 pp for EBCI it's around the same price. If it's not a big difference, I'd still choose SWA simply because of their free change policy. Once you get used to the freedom to change anytime, as often as you like, it really stinks to go back to an airline that wants to charge us $600 ($150x4) to change to different flight.
I also love being able to book with points through their RR program. We earn approximately a RT to MCO every 3 months with their credit card. If the price of our flight should drop, I can go under "change reservation" to the new point price, and the difference gets redeposited into my points account. Also if I only have enough points for a one way seat, no problem. I'll pay for the other way. With US Airways, you have to book an award seat as a RT. That means if I'm a little short for the RT flights I want, I have to buy miles to reach the award. It's not very flexible.

 

[ccgirl]

Hi,
I usually only travel Jetblue but Southwest is offering a great deal for April and I am thinking of booking through them. I have never flown with them before so can you help me out with why or why not use them? What is the deal with assigned seats?

I used to fly exclusively with Southwest, now I only fly with Jet Blue. Do you mind if I ask what the fare difference is?

Depending on where you are flying from and what time of year, they do not always do boarding for small children or sometimes decrease the age to 2 and under. I was on one flight that seemed to have alot of passengers "in the bathroom" while boarding. The flight attendant, stopped boarding and made an announcement to remove belongings from seats that there was open seating meaning someone could sit anywhere there was not already a body. Apparently, boarding on this flight was taking a long time.

I have paid the EBCI and got in the B group. By the time the A group and all the preboards and families boarding my daughter and I got the last two seats together.

I will say that is the only time that has happened. My children have never sat alone. Sometimes I had to sit with one child and my DH the other. For people that absolutely have to sit with their children, pay for the EBCI. You will see posts of people stating that they "cannot be split up from their children". Imagine the boarding nightmare if everyone did that. It would take a long time for that plane to board to Orlando with all the seat swapping.

The convenience of not having to check in 24 hours in advance and having an actual sight is worth a lot to me. I realize others would rather save the money.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I fly Southwest whenever I can. I prefer the open seating and have never been separated from my child. I check in at the 24 hr mark for our flight down. I usually get the A boarding group but occasionally have gotten in the B group. With the B group, we might have to go a little further back in the plane but have always been able to sit together. For the return flight, I usually purchase the EBCI when flying with DD just because I don't want to have to stop whatever we are doing to check in at the 24 hr mark. I've purchased EBCI on flights with connections and never had an issue.

The only flight where I have had to deal with the possibility of being seated separate from my DD is when we flew Delta to Honolulu this past August. I had chosen our seats and then sometime after that, they were changed by Delta. When I checked in the day before our flight and saw we'd been separated (by several rows), I called Delta and the agent was wonderful about fixing the problem. But it took over a 1/2 hour on the phone to fix the problem. It involved 2 flights on the way out and 3 flights on the way back. Our seats on all 5 legs had been changed! I had much better things to do with that 1/2 hour of my time than trying to make sure I could sit next to my DD on our flights.

It is frowned upon to save seats. If you want to sit with your family, check in at the 24 hr mark or purchase EBCI for everyone in your party.

I have been on a flight where because a mom and daughter showed up late to board (I think they had a connecting flight that was late arriving) there weren't two seats together. A flight attendant asked if there was anyone who would move to allow the mother and daughter to sit together and someone volunteered.

I was once asked to move because a woman wanted to sit next to her friend. They were late boarding and made a big stink about not being able to sit together. I wasn't inclined to volunteer because it wasn't a child needing to sit next to a parent. But a flight attendant asked if I would mind moving so these two "ladies" could sit together. I agreed and the flight attendant gave me a couple free drinks for the flight. It was a 4 hr flight so that was kind of nice.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Because saving seats is frowned upon by most.

People may frown upon it but its not against the any SWA law. If it was a law, we would be in violation of a Federal law and we would be arrested. To this day I have not seen or heard of a SWA passenger being arrested for violating the saving a seat law

 

[brymolmom]

People may frown upon it but its not against the any SWA law. If it was a law, we would be in violation of a Federal law and we would be arrested. To this day I have not seen or heard of a SWA passenger being arrested for violating the saving a seat law

While I agree with this...Holding up the flight I believe IS against the law. And if your purse is in MY seat (ie: the policy is 'first come, first served' so unless there is a human butt in that seat it is mine if my butt is next in line) and you won't move it...Causing me to remain in the aisle and not sit - then YOU are holding up the flight from takeoff.

And while I say that seat savers don't USUALLY bother me too much on SW. The only time it was almost an issue was when I was a few minutes late at check-in and ended up with C boarding passes. I determined that the FIRST two groups of 2 seats together we would be taking...regardless of anyone's stuff in the way. I had prepared my 5 and 6 year olds for the possibility of sitting apart...But no way was I going to unless there literally were no seats available (on a first come, first served basis - saving does not constitute taken). Luckily for the woman who was about to put up a stink about moving her purse off my seat...The flight attendant flagged me down to say there was still a row of 3 available in the very back...So crisis was avoided.

 

[niclodn]

I used to love Southwest and was very excited to hear that they were buying out AirTran and coming to CLT. Unfortunately, they have not lived up to my expectations. Rates are horribly expensive and their flights are VERY limited here as compared to what AirTran offered. I have yet to find a SW flight that is more convenient or even less expensive than what US Air offers. AirTran was almost always at least $100 less than US Air prior to the buyout. But I do think their service is excellent -- at least it was when I flew with them in the past.

 

[Katy Belle]

I flew Southwest for the first time two weeks ago. I was nervous about it, but I ended up liking it. I was by myself, so no issues with getting a group of us together. I checked in online for my departing flight at exactly 24 hours ahead. I ended up with Group B, 5. So I was 5th in line of the second boarding group. Basically everyone just kept walking to the back, where there were all seats empty. The A group took the seats in the front...not all the seats...many middle seats were available. I got a seat in row 16, on the aisle, since I'm claustrophobic! There was already a lady at the window. A gentleman ended up sitting between us. There was a family with a boy, about 10 yrs old, that were not going to be able to sit together. People moved so that the mother and son could sit together, the dad sat a couple rows ahead of them. There were some people saving seats, but not a lot.

For my return flight I checked in about 22 hours ahead. I had set the alarm on my phone, but then left my phone in my purse in the other room! This flight I had a layover , and it let me check in for both flights at the earlier time, and print both boarding passes. I ended up in Group A on both flights, #58 and #60. I sat in row 14 and 15 on these flights. The second flight wasn't full, so I ended up with an empty seat next to me, which was nice.

I would do it again. Free bags are nice. Its easy to figure out the boarding thing. There was more overhead room, since more people checked bags. They took orders for soft drinks, then delivered them on a tray, rather than filling the aisle with the drink cart , I thought that was a good idea. They gave little bags of peanuts and pretzels.

I checked in on my phone, it was easy.

Have a great flight!

 

[ICF]

People may frown upon it but its not against the any SWA law. If it was a law, we would be in violation of a Federal law and we would be arrested. To this day I have not seen or heard of a SWA passenger being arrested for violating the saving a seat law

That's probably due to the fact that if it's an issue SWA makes the "seat saver" move their stuff for the person that's actually there and ready to sit down.

If I paid for EBCI and you are "saving" the last seats together -- not that it would be the case - you can bet that I'd be moving your stuff to sit in the seats I paid extra to be able to get on early and choose.

 

[jodiey]

I also love being able to book with points through their RR program. We earn approximately a RT to MCO every 3 months with their credit card.

I just got the credit card and I'm wondering about how much are you putting on the card that you are getting a rt every 3 months? You can send me a PM if you don't want to post it to everyone.

 

[msmama]

I just got the credit card and I'm wondering about how much are you putting on the card that you are getting a rt every 3 months? You can send me a PM if you don't want to post it to everyone.

I'm not the person you asked, but I can say that I am not yet used to using my SW card so I don't pull it out all that often. I did use it a bit over Xmas time. But I was shocked to learn that I earned an additional 10,000 points already!! That was in about 3 months of not all that much use (it did include SW flights that got me double points, though).

 

[ICF]

You earn 1 pt per $ spent on non- SWA purchases.....I think when we flew to Orlando last summer it cost us about 15k pts RT per person.

So, to do what the other poster says they get....we would have to spend about $5k a month on the card.

That's well more than we generally spend a month in all our CCs combined. We got it for the 50k sign up, but generally use other cards for most of our spending.

 

[DisDance]

I love southwest I just can't figure out how people get A boarding group I log on 24 hours before the flight and I end up mid B- early C! It's not a big deal for me, but do people really just sit there refreshing waiting to get A?

 

[brymolmom]

I love southwest I just can't figure out how people get A boarding group I log on 24 hours before the flight and I end up mid B- early C! It's not a big deal for me, but do people really just sit there refreshing waiting to get A?

Yes. If you want a shot at A you should be hitting 'enter' at 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 and 1/2 seconds. Even then you MIGHT not get it - depends how many people have paid for EBCI. They get automatically checked-in at 36 hours before the flight.