Question about SWA seating

[always quiet]

My sister is flying down to MCO next weekend. This is her first flight with Southwest and had some questions about seating. I know they do not assign a seat when you purchase your ticket but do they assing the seat when you get your boarding pass? If not, when do they or do they at all?? Is it first come first serve??

Any tips on using this will be much appreciated!!

 

[lawgs]

first come first served .... open seating

best to book online at 12:01 am to get an A boarding pass to ensure you are some of the first to board after the pre boarders of course

 

[always quiet]

She does plan on 'checking in' at 12:01 am. What is a "preboarder"??

 

[CarolynNC]

From Southwest's website:

Boarding Procedure

* Each Customer will be issued a boarding pass grouped by A, B, or C (in that order) based on when the Customer checked in online at southwest.com, at the Skycap Podium, Ticket Counter, Departure Gate, or RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk (where available).
* Prior to general boarding, Customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children between the ages of five and 11, and adults traveling with a child under five years of age will preboard. Customers who choose to preboard cannot sit in an emergency exit seat.
* Because Southwest Airlines maintains an open-seating policy, general-boarding Customers may sit in any open or unclaimed seat. Customers holding boarding pass "A" will begin general boarding, followed by Customers with boarding pass "B," and then "C." General-boarding Customers who choose an emergency exit seat must meet all requirements set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and Southwest Airlines.

Last week they only allowed parents to board with children under five but I have witnessed times when they let grandparents and other travelers with the party to preboard. I've noticed peope queue up way early to make sure they get to board first. I usually remain seated until my line (A, B, or C) nears the boarding point.

 

[lawgs]

pre boarders on swa...

wheelchairs eg disabilities

under five with parent ( often an extended family )

and any other person who can sometimes "con" vince the gate agent they need a "blue sleeve" so they can get on before the "regular" boarding process begins

 

[mill4023]

We are a couple with 4 kids (2-11). Does this mean we'd get to pre-board and wouldn't have to worry about checking in at 12:01?
Or would it still be wise to make sure we get an A pass?

There's a good chance that SW will be the lowest fare for our trip from Oregon next March, but I was worried about the non-assigned seating.

 

[nybound]

The immediate family (parents and siblings) travelling with children 4 and under are allowed to preboard.

Any extended family (grandparents, cousins, etc.) may or may not be allowed based on the kindness of the SWA agent. My experiences to and from BWI to MCO are that only parents are allowed to preboard with their children.

 

[DVC-Don]

As soon as you sit in a seat, it is then assigned to you.

 

[Pinnie]

We are a couple with 4 kids (2-11). Does this mean we'd get to pre-board and wouldn't have to worry about checking in at 12:01?
Or would it still be wise to make sure we get an A pass?

There's a good chance that SW will be the lowest fare for our trip from Oregon next March, but I was worried about the non-assigned seating.

Get a boarding pass ASAP.

Do not ASSUME that you will be allowed to preboard. I have been on many a SWA flight that suspends preboarding families with young children because the plane is full of them. This is especially true on flights in and out of MCO. I find it happens more on Sundays than any other day.

pinnie

 

[vicb]

When you say "check in at 12:01am" you mean using their on line website for internet check in right? Does it then allow you to print out an "A" boarding pass at home? Then you just go to the airport your usual 90-120 min ahead of flight departure right??

 

[always quiet]

Yes. That's exactly how they did it. They had no problem whatsoever and are right now happily strolling through WDW!!

 

[mill4023]

Get a boarding pass ASAP.

Do not ASSUME that you will be allowed to preboard. I have been on many a SWA flight that suspends preboarding families with young children because the plane is full of them. This is especially true on flights in and out of MCO. I find it happens more on Sundays than any other day.

pinnie

Thanks.
Better safe than sorry.

 

[Reese]

I was reading on SWA website that if you have a lap child you cannot check in over the internet. I don't want to have to show up at the airport at 12:01 to make sure that my family gets to sit together. We are flying on a Sunday morning from Buffalo. Would it be helpful if Dh and the kids did the internet check in to get an A pass and than I could check in in person with the baby so atleast him and the kids can set together.

Also I've never flown before, if there a change table in the bathroom ?

 

[Lewisc]

I was reading on SWA website that if you have a lap child you cannot check in over the internet. I don't want to have to show up at the airport at 12:01 to make sure that my family gets to sit together. We are flying on a Sunday morning from Buffalo. Would it be helpful if Dh and the kids did the internet check in to get an A pass and than I could check in in person with the baby so atleast him and the kids can set together.

Also I've never flown before, if there a change table in the bathroom ?

Pretty sure you can check in online. The exception is if you pay the infant fare so you're guaranteed a seat for your car seat then you can't check in online. Bring a copy of your child's birth certificate to prove age.

 

[STLmomof3]

Hello,
I have 3 kids, 6-16 and we are leaving SWA tomorrow morning around 7:45am... we are staying in hotel next to airport for tonight so I cant preboard. Are u saying then we prob. wont get to sit together? My kids and I have never flown and Iknow they are nervous they have to sit together . I dont think that early the flight will be so crowded that we couldnt but any ideas.. I have luggage to check in too I thought u shouldnt use internet to get pass if u still have to go thru luggage????????

 

[always quiet]

Not sure if this is any indication, but when my sister flew out on Sunday at 11 am, her flight still had 30 empty seats. No problem with finding seats. Also when she used the internet check in, all she had to do was leave her luggage at the SWA kiosk. They handled checking in the luggage. Check out their website, I think it's listed there how to handle internet check ins/luggage.

 

[owtrbnks]

WOW!!!! I've never seen such a group of nervous nellies!
Here's MHO:
I fly SWA 20 - 25 times each year. ONCE, in the last 5 years I witnessed a family rush onto a full plane at the LAST POSSIBLE SECOND (everyone else was seated and they were about to close the door and push back) and then act surprised that they did not see 4 seats all together saved especially for them. The nice flight attendant found a gentleman willing to switch his seat so that the LM and CS could sit together. Dad and older daughter had to sit separately several rows apart. ( Keep in mind that although this was probably their fault, there was a slight chance that their connecting flight, on another airline of course , arrived late.)
SO, if you cannot print your boarding pass just after midnite, arriving at the airport 2 hours before your flight will most likely get you in the "A" or "B" group. In my experience, you don't have to worry AT ALL if you get an A or B. Even with a "C" chances are that you can find 2 seats together. If you're travelling with a child under 5 they will let you preboard and at least one parent will sit next to their child - even on a packed full flight.
Keep in mind that current SWA load factors are about 76% so their are many flights leaving with some empty seats. Instead of staying up until midnite, rushing to the airport at 3am and worrying - relax and think about the wonderful time you'll have at WDW.
SWA is #1 and remember what I overheard the pilot telling the little nervous boy who said he was going to Orlando and asked the pilot where he was going. The pilot replied, "I'm going to Orlando and so is everyone else on this plane." The little boy (now smiling and happy) turned to his parents and said, "Everybody on this plane is going to the same place!"
*LM=Late Mother, CS=Crying Son.

 

[cats mom]

Pretty sure you can check in online. The exception is if you pay the infant fare so you're guaranteed a seat for your car seat then you can't check in online. Bring a copy of your child's birth certificate to prove age.

We fly SW all the time too and just found out yesterday that if you purchase an under 21 youth fare (saved us all of $6 off the normal adult fare) you cannot view your ressies, make any changes, or print a bording pass online.

I did finally get a supervisor to manually change my DD's youth fare to regular adult fare and charge me the extra $8 (fare went up $2 since we booked) so I could print out the boarding pass online since we're flying Vegas - CA on a Sunday evening and our flight is full.
Sorry owtrbnks... Just gotta have that A boarding pass!

Honestly, we have never had a problem getting seats together on a SW flight even when we just check in at the airport 1.5 hours before the flight and end up with a B boarding pass.
We do sometimes have to trek way to the back of the plane since there are always lots of rows where the window and aisle seats are filled w/just the middle seat open (especially if folks think the flight won't be full)

We really don't mind the open seating, but I do remember being a bit nervous about that the first time we flew SW. The savings are usually well worth it for us!

Good Luck to you SW newbies... I hope you find great seats and all together!

 

[taximomfor4]

Hello,
I have 3 kids, 6-16 and we are leaving SWA tomorrow morning around 7:45am... we are staying in hotel next to airport for tonight so I cant preboard. Are u saying then we prob. wont get to sit together? My kids and I have never flown and Iknow they are nervous they have to sit together . I dont think that early the flight will be so crowded that we couldnt but any ideas.. I have luggage to check in too I thought u shouldnt use internet to get pass if u still have to go thru luggage????????

Ask the hotel front desk to print your boarding passes for you, right at midnight go down to their desk...that way, you get A boarding passes and will get to sit together, almost positively-- especially if you get into the A line as soon as you get to the gate. The SW flights I took to Orlando were really soooo full of kids under 5 that ONLY kids UNDER 2 WITH carseats to buckle in were allowed to preboard with the wheelchair and cane users. Even with that restriction, there were many trying to get in the preboard line. The gate employees did pretty well of sending the non-eligible people to the back of their A,B,or C lines.

On my most recent trip, my family of 6 (me, dh, 4 kids 2-11 yrs old) ended up all split up. We had 3 in a row, 2 in a row, and 1 behind the 2 in a row. DH sat with one dd, 11yo dd sat in the single seat behind him, and I sat diagonal across the aisle with littlest dd2 and ds. It was a direct flight, just under 3 hrs I think. The kids, especially dd11 alone, were quite nervous, but excited enough that they dealt.

Good luck, and I bet the front desk of the hotel will help!