quick little rant on SWA boarding

[safetymom]

Big Tigger, BTW, not everyone sitting in coach paid $79 for their ticket. I am preferred with several airlines and there are times that I don't get the upgrade and I paid a lot for the ticket.

 

[arkansasdisneyfan]

Oh, I hate that I ever read this thread now.... I am flying SWA out of Little Rock in February and this will be the first time ever for me and DD10 to fly. DH will be with us but he has flown before. I really hope we will not get separated on the flight. I am a bit nervous about the whole thing and would feel much better with DH & DD by my side.
I know to print my boarding pass from home before I leave but what do you do when you get ready to leave the resorts and head back home? How do you get your boarding passes printed?

 

[dudspizza]

I have been watching this thread with interest.

I don't fly SWA (they don't fly to MSP). I have a question. If you have an A boarding pass, is there still a chance you will be separated and not sitting together? It seems like A's would still have plenty of seats available.

I will be interested to see what SWA's new policy will be. Sounds to me like the currently policy is not enforced equally, causing issues. The only way to make sure things are fair is to insure all agents enforce the rules the same way, period.

Everyone here can agree to disagree. No need to get all upset. Many love SWA! Some do not. I like having my assigned seat, though I fly Sun Country that only allows me to log on 24hrs in advance to check in and get my seat. Makes me feel more comfortable knowing I will be sitting with DD's and DW. It really is the only way to vacation, together. SC also only has about half of the plane available to pick from, so no front or exit aisles to choose from, but we do get to sit together.

Smile everyone! It is the holiday season!

Duds

 

[Beca]

I was a flight attendant for SWA for 8 years. I NEVER had a problem getting people to move for families with small children. I would just get on the PA and say, "We have a late-boarding family with small children. Would someone be willing to move for this family? If so, I will buy you a drink." If I had no takers, then I would say, "If you have an empty seat next to you, would you please ring your flight attendant call button?" Then, after everyone had turned their lights on, I would ask "Those of you with your lights on, please raise your hand in the air, so the children of this family can choose their babysitters for the next couple of hours." It's AMAZING how many people volunteered to move after that!!!!

I was working for SWA when they did the "pre-boards sit row 14 or back" rule. It was an absolute failure. The reasons:

1) SWA required anyone not boarding in a wheelchair go beyond row 14. You have NO IDEA how many people complained that they could NOT go that far!! It was not the "families with children" that were the problem, it was the "over 55" set who felt pre-boarding and sitting in row 2 was their right.

2) Families often have to make multiple trips to get their kids, the carseats, and the bags and "toys" on the plane. When parents are in row 20, and fighting other boarding passengers to get up to the front of the plane to get their stuff...it becomes a nightmare.

3) SWA says that every minute a plane sits on the ground costs the company a million dollars. They are so inexpensive because of the turn time. Deplaning all of the preboarders who have to come from the back of the plane was taking SOOOO long that turn times were being delayed by 10+ minutes...that's a lot of money.

Here's what I think would solve the "pre-boarding" problems...although they are not that realistic.

1) Institute a "first-on, last-off" policy. This would not be great for the flight attendants, as they would have to police this, and they are usually so busy getting the plane cleaned that they don't have time to do it...but, it REALLY would cut down on the problems.

2) Say that families pre-boarding because of car seats can only bring ONE small carry-on with them...all other bags must be checked. I have a dd who is two, and getting her, the stroller, the carseat, our suitcases and our carry-on bags to the airplane proved to be a monumental task. In the end, we checked everything we possibly could!!! But, there are many who will not. This would not discourage families from preboarding, but it would make the boarding and deplaning times shorter.

Then, also remember...sometimes it is just plain "abuse". When we were coming home last week, a lady (around 60) had a pre-boarding sleeve...and, she "limped" as she walked on the plane. When we arrived home, I left dd and dh in baggage claim and literally RAN to the bus stop to catch the bus to remote parking. As I looked over my shoulder, this same woman was keeping pace with me, running to her bus (which was parked next to mine). She was carrying her suitcases in each hand, and when she got near the bus, she stopped running, and walked (minus her limp) onto the bus. I'm not saying she didn't have some true disability...but, certainly not one that required pre-boarding...I had to laugh when I remembered her exaggerated limp as she boarded.

Oh well...SWA has the BEST safety record in the industry, and spends more money per plane than any other airline in the industry. The pilots LOVE their jobs, and wouldn't jeopardize them for ANYTHING!! That is the reason I fly SWA..they are a good, safe airline that will most likely get my family from point A to point B on time. I like those odds!!! All the rest is just fluff!!!



Beca

 

[swilphil]

Oh, I hate that I ever read this thread now.... I am flying SWA out of Little Rock in February and this will be the first time ever for me and DD10 to fly. DH will be with us but he has flown before. I really hope we will not get separated on the flight. I am a bit nervous about the whole thing and would feel much better with DH & DD by my side.
I know to print my boarding pass from home before I leave but what do you do when you get ready to leave the resorts and head back home? How do you get your boarding passes printed?

If you get there extra early, I think you will be fine. If your airport offers curbside check in, do that! It saves lots of time and the hassle of hauling your luggage through the airport. If you still can't get seats together, tell your flight attendant the situation. I'm sure the nice people in Arkansas will switch seats with you, so your family can sit together.

 

[Beca]

I know to print my boarding pass from home before I leave but what do you do when you get ready to leave the resorts and head back home? How do you get your boarding passes printed?

Ask at the counter when you check out of your hotel. Most hotels have a way of printing out the boarding passes for you.



Beca

 

[SB in KY]

I actually love to flry SW...they keep their sense of humor, so it makes it easier to do the same....people just take themselves WAY too seriously. SW gets me where I want to go, when I am supposed to get there, with my luggage on the same flight (call me crazy....I am one of 6 living Americans that still actually check their luggage and do not try to wheel all of my worldly goods onto the plane with me claiming it is "carry on")

And they do it for quite a bit less $$ than everyone else....so if my 12yo has to sit 3 rows away or I get stuck in the middle seat....so what. Life as I know it has not ended because we did not sit together in our favorite seats...besides....if I am flying to WDW I have to figure any way I get there has to be better than not going to WDW. If that is all it takes to ruin your vacation just stay home!!

I was flying alone with my DD when she was 3, we were late making our connection to a full flight and jumped on as they closed the jetway....no seats together...no one wanted to move...so I just plopped her in the seat next to a man in a really nice suit and start getting out the scented markers, the gummy worms and I pulled the lid off the sippy cup and told her to ask for grape juice when the "drink lady" came around it took Mr Suit about 25 seconds to decide he really didn't mind moving...and after I asked him to keep the airsick bags handy because she was quite motion sensitive I think he would have offered to sit in the lavatory for the entire flight if necessary!!
In fact the man in the window seat was offering to move too!! If I had thought to bring along a 1/2 melted popsicle or something I probably could have had 2 rows to ourselves (there would have been business men hurling themselves out the emergency exit onto the tarmac!!!) Just keep smiling and offer people choices that's my motto!!

 

[chasbos]

Well said, SB in KY! People we are going on vacation - it is time to relax and let things happen as they may! When you fly SWA you know you are getting a good deal for a no frills flight. If you want the frill, bells, listles etc. fly an airline that will cater to you!

We will be flying SWA for the first time in January and I am going in with no expectations at all - just get me up out of the freezing cold and down in the warmer south.

 

[mrf777]

This is why I fly Continental, I get a seat assignment and most of the time a meal and a movie...I dont want to ruin my vacation by flying the Greyhound airline of the sky.


p.s....Southwest is NOT always the cheapest!!!

 

[chasbos]

Well, for us Southwest is the cheapest the week we are going. We are only paying $451 for 6 of us. To fly out of a Canadian airport was going to cost us $3000. I can do without a movie and snack on a 2 hour flight.

Now, when we fly to Europe it is KLM and not a charter airline - 8 hours in the air is a different story!

 

[DMRick]

I believe that it is not up to SW to decide who is needing preboarding (elderly, handicapped). The agent told us that he can't ask to see a doctors certificate or ask the problem. If someone tells him they need to medically preboard, he said the FAA tells him he must just accept it.

As far as not getting kids to sit together, we were worried about my daughter being able to sit with her kids on one of our flights. The stewardess saved her three seats together in the back..they wouldn't let anyone else sit in them. Because she had saved them in the back, there were two seats close for us, too.

 

[Laurabearz]

I used to be a plane snob.... Love AA with their extra 3 inches of seating space (which is glorious) but with 4-6 family trips a year, cheap is the only way to make it happen.

Now that SWA allows internet boarding passes check in for groups, I am not concerned at all about flying them.

 

[Beachangel]

I started flying SWA from Islip this year and I never get a cheapo flight. I love the ease from flying from Islip instead Laguardia or JFK. I've flown with two other people and have been at the front of the C group and we have always sat together - in the back of course.

I've only been on one flight from Islip to MCO where the gate agent made the announcement regarding pre-board with kids and extended family. I'm glad to hear about more stringent rules with pre-boarding but why wait til end of 2005 to implement????

 

[Doctor P]

The last time we flew out of Chicago, and one time before that, they didn't allow preboarding since "everyone seems to travel with kids to Orlando" other than for special handicapped situations.

 

[Heyyall]

I started flying SWA from Islip this year and I never get a cheapo flight. I love the ease from flying from Islip instead Laguardia or JFK. I've flown with two other people and have been at the front of the C group and we have always sat together - in the back of course.

I've only been on one flight from Islip to MCO where the gate agent made the announcement regarding pre-board with kids and extended family. I'm glad to hear about more stringent rules with pre-boarding but why wait til end of 2005 to implement????

we're flying out of islip soon also & were wondering if you had any tips/comments on the flight? thanks!

I've heard that SWA has the best safety record of any airline, is that true?
this is our first trip not flying delta, since we got tired of making a stop.

 

[Beca]

we're flying out of islip soon also & were wondering if you had any tips/comments on the flight? thanks!

I've heard that SWA has the best safety record of any airline, is that true?
this is our first trip not flying delta, since we got tired of making a stop.

Yes, SWA does have the BEST safety record of any airline!! With the exception of an incident in Burbank, a few years ago...where the pilot failed to stop the plane at the VERY short runway in Burbank...so, the plane stopped at a convenience store right off the airport (thankfully, NO injuries)...SWA has never had a crash since it's birth in 1971. They also spend more money maintaining each plane than any other airline, and they have the newest fleet of ANY American-owned airline. Even though I was a flight attendant for 8 years...I am not a big fan of flying. SWA makes me feel safer than any other airline!!

Enjoy your trip!!



Beca

 

[dasilva]

:cool1: :moped: :moped: [SIZE=6][COLOR=Cyan]OK ESTOU MUITO SATISFEITO​

 

[Cbarr]

we're flying out of islip soon also & were wondering if you had any tips/comments on the flight? thanks!

We (family of 4) just flew SWA out of Islip Nov 27th. Great experience, no problems at all. Both flights, there and returning, had plenty of empty seats. Check-in and security checks were very fast. Have fun!!

 

[mrf777]

Yes, SWA does have the BEST safety record of any airline!! With the exception of an incident in Burbank, a few years ago...where the pilot failed to stop the plane at the VERY short runway in Burbank...so, the plane stopped at a convenience store right off the airport (thankfully, NO injuries)...SWA has never had a crash since it's birth in 1971. They also spend more money maintaining each plane than any other airline, and they have the newest fleet of ANY American-owned airline. Even though I was a flight attendant for 8 years...I am not a big fan of flying. SWA makes me feel safer than any other airline!!

Enjoy your trip!!



Beca

Actually Continental has the newest jet fleet.

 

[lindaso]

we're flying out of islip soon also & were wondering if you had any tips/comments on the flight? thanks!

We've flown out of Islip on SWA a few times. SWA has their own brand new terminal. The security line moves very fast and since it's such a small airport, you're not waiting your turn for takeoff like at JFK. It's really as low hassle as you're gonna get. DH and I had "B" and we had no problem finding seats together.