Question about booking SWA flight for a family of four

[Castlebound]

I want to be able to print boarding passes the morning before we leave, and I read on this board that you have to book each ticket online separately. Does this mean I have to go through the whole booking process four times? Is there an easier way of doing it? I don't want to be booking the third ticket and get a message that the sale rate is sold out or worse the flight is sold out.

 

[bugbugmom]

Castlebound, I also booked 4 tickets with SW online. However, I called SWA directly asked if they could separate tickets so I could then print out boarding passes. It was very easy. When I was finally able to print boarding passes without any problems. Also, don't forget to have your rapid rewards # for each family member. Good Luck!

 

[mareed]

The way I've done it is to first check to be sure that there are at least 4 seats at the price I'm wanting. Then, I do go back and book each ticket individually so that I can print my boarding pass. This really doesn't take me too long, but then again, I've made lots of SW reservations so I've had plenty of practice!

At one time if you called to have the tickets split into separate reservations, the tickets got reclassified so that they didn't show they were booked on the internet anymore and you wouldn't get the bonus credit on SW's Rapid Rewards frequent flier program. I'm not sure of the current status of this, and if you're not trying to maximize the Rapid Reward points it wouldn't matter, but this is why I book 4 individual tickets on the internet myself.

 

[MichDISer]

I am not understanding this thread. I purchased 4 tickets together with SWA just yesterday. Why are you saying you have to book separately?

 

[NotUrsula]

SWA's current policy is that only single-ticket itineraries are eligible for online checkin. If you have more than one person on the reservation, you cannot print boarding passes at home, you have to wait until you can use the kiosks at the airport.

If you are travelling with children who are over age 4, there is a chance that if you wait until you reach the airport to get boarding passes, you may all get "C" passes, and on popular Florida routes, that may mean that the family will not be able to find seats together, on even, sometimes, 2 pairs of 2. If you are travelling with a child who is 4 or younger, you can normally preboard, though SWA can suspend that right if there are a lot of kids on a flight. Carrying a carseat on board for a child under 40 lbs. will guarantee that at least one adult and one child will get to preboard at all times.

My personal belief is that SWA is sticking to the one-person-per-itinerary rule because most itineraries of that type are business travellers, who usually pay walk-up fare. They want to entice them by giving them first choice of seats.

I do the separate tickets by opening that many simultaneous browser windows, and cutting and pasting the payment info between them.

 

[Castlebound]

Thank you for all the replies. I booked our flights this morning. I got $79 each way out of STL so I'm a happy girl right now. If they go down great!If they don't I at least got the tickets for a price I can live with. I booked them all together because this is our first time with SWA and truthfully I didn't want to screw something up! I will be ok with lossing a few reward point to call and get the reservation split. Now I just have to deside on a towncar service!

 

[MichDISer]

NotUrsula:
Thank you for the response.
Wish I had known that before I bought our 4 tickets.
I wonder if I can call and change it somehow?

 

[mareed]

MichDISer - If the same fare is available, you can cancel your existing reservation yourself online and re-book the tickets individually. Don't do this if the fare is now higher, however, as you'd have to book at the higher fare.

 

[MichDISer]

I just checked and it looks like our return flight is sold out of "promotional" fares. I will just call SWA to have the tickets separated.
Thanks for all the info.

 

[bopeep9207]

Just call Southwest and have them separate the reservations.
Much easier than going through the hassle of rebooking.

 

[goofyforlife]

When we flew last month....My 11 yo daughter was under my code.. Both boarding passes printed out fine.....

We did have to add the infant when we checked our bags in though.