Question about pre-boarding with SWA???

[dsnygirl2006]

Hey Guys,
I have been reading a lot about getting to pre-board on SWA if you have a child under 5, however, I bought all of our tickets, DH, DS, me and my mom's and dad's tickets together, now I know I can pre-board w/ my DS, but do my DH and mom and dad get to pre-board w/ us as well??? Just curious about that?

 

[rdsx28]

Hi, I hope they let you pre board with your 5 year old.They would not let me board with my 5 year old they stated it was under 5. If you are lucky enough to be able to they will allow you and your husband to board so he can save seats for your parents.That is what alot of folks did when we flew from Mco last year.Good Luck!

 

[goofy4tink]

Last summer we flew SW out of TFGReen in Warwick RI. There were a ton of families flying, as you can well imagine. The line of preboarders was huge...about 40 or so people. Now, I have no problem with those with very young children preboarding, or those who have some disability that would make boarding with the general masses too hard.
But...I do have an issue with those who try to board with their 4 kids, ages 1, 4, 6 and 10, as well as the extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents and nannies. Okay, a bit of an exageration, but not much. In Orlando, they sometimes will not allow any preboarding because there are so many people flying with young children.
If you get to the airport early, or checkin online in order to get that A section, you should be fine. I have to say...I had an A b/p for my dd and myself, we got to the airport 2 hrs. early (as we always do), we were 6 and 7 in the A line. However, there were so many people that preboarded, we ended up sitting 4 rows behind the wing, because there were no two seats together until then...just single middle seats or the emergency exit rows. Seems a lot of people figured that if they preboarded and split up they could try to have an extra seat, the middle one, if it was't a full flight. It was actually quite humerous to see them switching around when complete strangers started sitting in that middle seat!! That opened a lot of seats quickly.
When you get to the gate, ask about preboarding...those who are eligible are given blue thingies that show they have been approved for preboarding.

 

[Gary M]

The couple of times I flew SWA from IND to MCO the pre-boarding line was over 1/2 of the plane. Besides the kids and their families and friends, the white haired people were in the pre-board line. The white-haired people were for the most part carrying on all kinds of bags and trying to beat jr. and missy's entourage on the plane. I guess all airports are different on the pre-boarding of SWA, but I won't fly SWA to MCO anymore from IND. It was entertaining watching the pre-boarding cattle call. For the PC crowd, what hair I have is white and I was just about the only person, of what few people were left in the A,B and C lines with white hair.

I recently flew SWA from IND to LAS and the pre-boarding was minimal. I guess this was true because Vegas is more of an adult destination.

 

[LisaS]

Every time we've flown out of MCO on SWA, I've seen some grandparents in the preboarding line. Every time, the gate agent announced several times that preboarding was only for folks with disabilities and for parents with small children (I don't remember the age cutoff) and that grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. would NOT be allowed to preboard. Each time the announcement was made, there would be a little discussion among the family members but nobody left the line. During preboarding, when the "hangers on" got to the head of the line, they were not allowed to board and looked a little embarassed as they made their way to the very end of the "C" boarding line.

I assume the families weren't concerned about checking in early to get "A" passes or even "B" passes because they figured Grandma and Grandpa would be allowed to preboard with the rest of the family and instead, they ended up being the very last people to board the flight. The family members that did preboard probably saved seats for them, but they had to protect those seats while every other passenger boarded the flight ahead of those grandparents.

Bottom line, don't expect that your extra family members will be allowed to preboard with the parents and small children. Try to get "A" or "B" boarding passes for them and get to the airport early so your additional family members can get a good spot in the boarding queues.

 

[loveswdw]

We flew SW this past June (Louisville to MCO and vice versa), we were allowed to pre-board with my 2.5 YO DS both legs. SW did say several times that only children 4 or younger could pre-board and only with their parents. My DM was flying with us. She didn't pre-board but had an A boarding pass. So she didn't have any problem getting a seat beside us.

 

[DebbieB]

When I flew MCO/PIT about 3 weeks ago, they announced the pre-board was for children under 5 and their parents or 2 adults only (and I'm sure any siblings). They said no grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. So they all get on (probably 1/4 of the total in line) and my niece and I are in the A line. We get on and almost all the seats in front of the exit rows were either taken or had packages or bags sitting on them. So what good is not allowing more than 2 adults with small children if they are allowed to save seats for everyone else?

 

[goofy4tink]

The couple of times I flew SWA from IND to MCO the pre-boarding line was over 1/2 of the plane. Besides the kids and their families and friends, the white haired people were in the pre-board line. The white-haired people were for the most part carrying on all kinds of bags and trying to beat jr. and missy's entourage on the plane. I guess all airports are different on the pre-boarding of SWA, but I won't fly SWA to MCO anymore from IND. It was entertaining watching the pre-boarding cattle call. For the PC crowd, what hair I have is white and I was just about the only person, of what few people were left in the A,B and C lines with white hair.

I recently flew SWA from IND to LAS and the pre-boarding was minimal. I guess this was true because Vegas is more of an adult destination.

Yep, we've seen the same things...the funniest was when a couple were allowed to preboard. I believe the woman had an artificial leg, at least that's the 'disability' I saw. She didn't have too much traveling around the terminal though. But, into the preboarding line she got, with her dh. Now...I don't have an issue with that. However, when I boarded, about 3 minutes later, there they were, this couple, sitting in the exit row seats, all stretched out, happy as clams. Well....the FA came along and informed them that they couldn't sit there...Oh, but we can, said the dh. We arn't traveling with anyone under 15...just us. The FA informed them that they had to be physically fit enough to perform the duties as stated..the dh said they would be. The FA told them that if they preboarded, then someone had a disability and therefor would not be physically able to perform said duties. Man, were they miffed. Off they stomped, well as well as one can stomp down an airplane aisle, and ended up seated towards the back.

And to those of you who 'play by the rules' thank-you. Thanks for preboarding with your dh and the kid(s), and having the rest of the party board when they are supposed to.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

When I flew MCO/PIT about 3 weeks ago, they announced the pre-board was for children under 5 and their parents or 2 adults only (and I'm sure any siblings). They said no grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. So they all get on (probably 1/4 of the total in line) and my niece and I are in the A line. We get on and almost all the seats in front of the exit rows were either taken or had packages or bags sitting on them. So what good is not allowing more than 2 adults with small children if they are allowed to save seats for everyone else?

I've never flown on Southwest so all this is new to me. I will be printing out our boarding passes 24 hours before to, hopefully, get A boarding passes.

Why isn't there an attendant on the plane stopping people from saving seats for family members or friends? What's to stop others from moving the packages or bags and sitting in those seats?

One more question....does having 14 stitches in one's finger allow them to pre-board?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The FA told them that if they preboarded, then someone had a disability and therefor would not be physically able to perform said duties. Man, were they miffed. Off they stomped, well as well as one can stomp down an airplane aisle, and ended up seated towards the back.

I wish I had seen that!

 

[DebbieB]

I noticed when we boarded in PIT, one flight attendent stood by the exit rows to be sure no preboarders or underage sat there. The flight was full, the last seat left was in the exit row and the last person on was under 15. So the FA had to make an announcement that she needed someone 15 or older to move to that exit row seat. A woman volunteered and the young teen sat in her seat.

I'm sure if you raised a fuss, they could force people to move the bags off the saved seats. But in our case we had A passes and there were empty seats in the back, I think we ended up in 17.

 

[cjsmom5]

SWA has rules now that "anyone" who preboards can not sit in the exit/emergency rows. If you have a disability they hand you the printed statement and tell you when they hand you the blue boarding pass. Lately flight attendants have been standing by the seats and when the pre-boarders are done, the one flight attendent in the front announces that pre-boarding is gone. I've seen them get very strict about this.

My mom has a hip disability and even buys an extra seat when she flies on long flights so she can sit in a way that doesn't damage her hip. She has a card that is placed on the seat and everything. While she doesn't appear to have a disability ... hers is very painful and at times makes it hard for her to walk or sit. One one flight that was full, a gentleman said ... wish I had that disability ... or something snide like that. She looked right at him and said "I wish you had it, too, instead of me. I would trade my health for a seat any day." He sheepishly walked away and didn't say anything.

 

[Pinnie]

SWA has rules now that "anyone" who preboards can not sit in the exit/emergency rows. If you have a disability they had you the printed statement and tell you when they had you the blue boarding pass. Lately flight attendants have been standing by the seats and when the pre-boarders are done, the one flight attendent in the front announces that pre-boarding is gone. I've seen them get very strict about this.

My mom has a hip disability and even buys an extra seat when she flies on long flights so she can sit in a way that doesn't damage her hip. She has a card that is placed on the seat and everything. While she doesn't appear to have a disability ... hers is very painful and at times makes it hard for her to walk or sit. One one flight that was full, a gentleman said ... wish I had that disability ... or something snide like that. She looked right at him and said "I wish you had it, too, instead of me. I would trade my health for a seat any day." He sheepishly walked away and didn't say anything.

This summer, we have flown SWA a number of times and have had the first spot in the A line. The gate agent marked the boarding pass and give it back to either DH or myself and told us to give it to the FAs when we got on. That was a signal that ALL the preboards were on and the EXIT rows were open for business and we snagged em.

pinnie

 

[seashoreCM]

You're near enough to the front of the A group so that when you board you see people who preboarded, or th ings, in the wing exit row seats. You may pre-empt any of those seats if you want and the F/A should help you if needed.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[mrsstats]

On a flight we took on SWA, my brother was first on the A line. When he got on the plane the emergency row was taken by a pre-boarding elderly gentlemen. When he questionned the FA, my brother was told as long as the person in the seat states he is capable of helping in an emergency they cant ask them to move. Now that was a few years ago and perhaps they changed their rules.

 

[DonnaL]

I would definitely checkin online and get boarding passes at the 24 hour mark
just to be sure you'll have A boarding in the event preboards are not allowed on your flight. I have been on flights where there SO MANY families with young children they suspend preboarding for everyone except people with disabilities and then again I've been on flights where only the parents of the young child are allowed to board........not extended familly members. We have an almost five year old grandson and on the last trip he flew with us (1/05 he was three at the time) SW gate agents announced several times only parents of young children would be allowed preboard. We had no thoughts of trying to preboard, but, saw several other families who had every intention of doing just that and when they got to the gate agent were not allowed to. Only my daughter and grandson were in the preboard line and the rest of us were in the A line where we should be. It really is not a big deal to get your A boarding passes online at the 24 hour mark to alleviate any problems at the gate. If you've got A passes there really shouldn't be a problem getting seats nearby the preboarders in your group. When we travel with our grown children and our grandson there are six of us and we've NEVER had a problem getting seats nearby each other unless we choose not to sit together (our 17 year old just loves to sit by himself on flights......he says it gives him the opportunity to choose some really interesting seatmates)

 

[seashoreCM]

was first on the A line. ... the emergency row was taken by a pre-boarding elderly gentlemen. When he questionned the FA, my brother was told as long as the person in the seat states he is capable of helping in an emergency they cant ask them to move. .

Even before the rule was changed, it was unfair for the FA to side with someone who preboarded and took the exit row after an A passenger called the FA on the topic. Unless the preboarder was specifically given some extra pixie dust following a bad turn done him by the airline in an earlier lifetime in which case the FA should have said so to the A "challenger". In the situation as described the A passenger would still have the right to file a complaint and it would be fitting for Southwest to give him extra pixie dust perhaps a preboard for the express purpose of selecting an exit row seat on his next flight.

Why isn't there an attendant on the plane stopping people from saving seats for family members or friends? What's to stop others from moving the packages or bags and sitting in those seats? :

There is no compelling need to stop either. However if you are going to move someone else's packages to take the seat in question, you had better not try to fight over the armrests.

 

[cjsmom5]

Now with SWA if you pre-board for any reason you are not permitted to sit in the exit row seats. In some instances, if people are on the flight from the previous leg and your flight is a continuation for them, then they can move to the exit row, unless they are handicapped, disabled or under age 16. But on the flights that I have pre-boarded recently with my mom -- they are not permitting anyone who pre-boards to sit in those seats, which I think is only fair since there is typically a reason one pre-boards.l

 

[Corinne]

Last summer we flew SW out of TFGReen in Warwick RI. There were a ton of families flying, as you can well imagine. The line of preboarders was huge...about 40 or so people. Now, I have no problem with those with very young children preboarding, or those who have some disability that would make boarding with the general masses too hard.
But...I do have an issue with those who try to board with their 4 kids, ages 1, 4, 6 and 10, as well as the extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents and nannies. Okay, a bit of an exageration, but not much. In Orlando, they sometimes will not allow any preboarding because there are so many people flying with young children.

Diane:

I could have written your post~the last time we flew SW from Manchester, NH it was the same thing, and on the flight home from MCO it was even WORSE! One extended "family" had so many members and honestly, if the ONE child in their group was UNDER five I am really Tinker Bell. Anyway, I am happy to hear that at MCO they are trying to keep the abusers at bay. I will know for sure in a few weeks.

 

[cjsmom5]

It would be great to know how they are handling it at MCO -- a recent report as our experience was in Feb 06