Regretting booking with SWA

[traci]

I have flown SWA. Infact, it is usually the airline I book with. BUT...this is the first time we are flying them to Orlando and back. I have to admit I love cheap airfare, but now I am wondering at what cost...we have 2 little ones. We preboard. It's never been a problem, but I am reading at MCO it is. We've never done the 24 hour advance ticket - and now I am making mental & physical notes to BE SURE we do that while we are on vacation, or we may not get to sit with our kids on the way home. I wish now I would have just paid AA for an assigned seat. We don't fly enough to justify cancelling SWA and getting a credit.

Anyway, not a crack against SWA - actually we really like this company...my own fault for not researching this enough for our trip to Disney World though.

 

[boswellnakia]

What do you mean preboard problems at MCO? We have preboarded there without problems before?

 

[CarolA]

Preboard problems at MCO are a "DISboard" special. In all the times I have flown SW out of MCO the ONLY "problem" I have seen is the gate agent limiting preboard to Mom/Dad/kids. (In other words you 55 person family reunion does not ALL get to preboard with you) The only time that's a problem is when the parents decide to "attempt to block six rows with Mom/Dad/kids. And in that case, they get what they deserve.... I think you will be fine.

And if you follow posts on these boards you will learn that those AA "assigned" seats are ROUTINELY changed so that the family is no longer together (creating HOWLS of outrage on the DIS)

 

[traci]

Well you just put a little sparkle in my eye Are you saying you have never done the 24 hour advance check in for travel to/from Orlando?

There was a thread - I can go find it - that said there are so many preboarders at Orlando that even they sometimes can't sit together (I'm talking legit preboarding here) Travelers were saying you still need to do the 24 hour advance check in.

I am just one of those that doesn't want to mess with that while I'm on vacation...finding a computer, printing a boarding pass, hoping I don't lose one or any of them

 

[bonzarella]

You will be just fine . Look at it like I did, nobody else wants to sit with your kid Please don't fret over seats, SW is sooo good about families & children. Have a magical time

 

[dogsmom]

That's why I'm flying Airtran. I hope my faith will be rewarded

 

[traci]

You will be just fine . Look at it like I did, nobody else wants to sit with your kid Please don't fret over seats, SW is sooo good about families & children. Have a magical time

Excellent point! I wouldn't want to sit by someone elses cranky 2 year old

 

[mareed]

Well you just put a little sparkle in my eye Are you saying you have never done the 24 hour advance check in for travel to/from Orlando?

There was a thread - I can go find it - that said there are so many preboarders at Orlando that even they sometimes can't sit together (I'm talking legit preboarding here) Travelers were saying you still need to do the 24 hour advance check in.

I am just one of those that doesn't want to mess with that while I'm on vacation...finding a computer, printing a boarding pass, hoping I don't lose one or any of them

You don't have to print it. You check in online and then just reprint the boarding pass when you get to the airport. You can also check in online with a web-enabled phone. It's quick & easy. I've done it from the parks before.

 

[salmoneous]

Don't fret about it. You will get to sit with your kids on the way home. What makes you think you wouldn't?

And, hey, even if you had paid extra for "assigned seats" on AA, they aren't guaranteed or anything.

 

[CarolA]

Well you just put a little sparkle in my eye Are you saying you have never done the 24 hour advance check in for travel to/from Orlando?

There was a thread - I can go find it - that said there are so many preboarders at Orlando that even they sometimes can't sit together (I'm talking legit preboarding here) Travelers were saying you still need to do the 24 hour advance check in.

I am just one of those that doesn't want to mess with that while I'm on vacation...finding a computer, printing a boarding pass, hoping I don't lose one or any of them

I have to do 24 hour check in. I don't have any reason to preboard.

Now, I don't bother to print. I have interent on my phone. I go to SW and "check in" I then go to the airport and tell the agent/skycap "I lost it" LOL! (Nice thing about electronic tickets it's no biggie if you lose them. I have REALLY lost them in the gate area and had to get reprints!! )

Now, the problem with the preboards is when the family of four tries too spread out and hold five rows. Just take your seats and ignore them. Throwing "coats, purses etc" on a seat does not "save it" Generally SW's FAs do a pretty good job policing this RUDE behavior. Camp you and one child next to the idiot family and see what they do. Bet they start scrambling to get thier kids back next to them. (I have seen it done. On one flight the FA refused to make some people move when the family tired this. She pointed out to the family that "since you preboarded" you got to pick the seats you wanted... IDIOTS LOL! (This was at BNA, not MCO Mom was with the toddler. Dad and the two older boys were scattered all over the plane.......Aunts and uncles who were apparently out "touring" the airport were all in middle seats. Literally these folks were PAGED to get on the plane and then were carrying bags from the airport gift shops. They acted VERY put out that they had to take the middle seats.... LOL!)

 

[traci]

Thank you all for putting my mind at ease.

 

[traci]

I have to do 24 hour check in. I don't have any reason to preboard.

Now, I don't bother to print. I have interent on my phone. I go to SW and "check in" I then go to the airport and tell the agent/skycap "I lost it" LOL! (Nice thing about electronic tickets it's no biggie if you lose them. I have REALLY lost them in the gate area and had to get reprints!! )

Now, the problem with the preboards is when the family of four tries too spread out and hold five rows. Just take your seats and ignore them. Throwing "coats, purses etc" on a seat does not "save it" Generally SW's FAs do a pretty good job policing this RUDE behavior. Camp you and one child next to the idiot family and see what they do. Bet they start scrambling to get thier kids back next to them. (I have seen it done. On one flight the FA refused to make some people move when the family tired this. She pointed out to the family that "since you preboarded" you got to pick the seats you wanted... IDIOTS LOL! (This was at BNA, not MCO Mom was with the toddler. Dad and the two older boys were scattered all over the plane.......Aunts and uncles who were apparently out "touring" the airport were all in middle seats. Literally these folks were PAGED to get on the plane and then were carrying bags from the airport gift shops. They acted VERY put out that they had to take the middle seats.... LOL!)

We try to be very respectful when we preboard. Move to the middle or back of the plane, put one kid next to window then me in middle (we leave the aisle seat open for another flyer) and then Dh does the same with the other little one (since there are 3 seats to a row, and 4 of us). Although I'm sure DH would love for me and the kids take a row and he could sit alone

 

[ozziewags]

You will have no problem pre-boarding, but it looks like you are staying at the Poly.......I bet they will check you in and print it out for you. The CSR did that for us last summer while we were at Epcot enjoying Illuminations! Call the front desk and ask.

 

[Manda]

We haven't had any preboarding problems out of MCO either. We always check in on our phone and get A passes, but it doesn't matter since we end up preboarding any way. There's usually a lot of people in the preboard line, but it's never been a problem at all.

 

[jobie61]

That's why I'm flying Airtran. I hope my faith will be rewarded

Me too..... Airtran now has advance seat selection. No more worrying were you'll be so your family gets to sit together on the way home. SW knows ths and will be changing it in the future in order to keep up with Airtran. There is a thread here that goes into SW seating change rumor.

 

[bluejaygirl]

I stayed at ASMo and the concierge was able to print my boarding passes. I just put them in my laptop bag with my Magic express coupons and was all set.

Once at MCO we saw people preboard with no problem...ppl in chairs, unaccompanied minors, and families "travelling with kids under the age of 4".

I love SWA. Never had a problem with them.

 

[DebbieB]

I agree with Carol, don't worry. I've never seen a problem on a SW flight where a child had to sit alone. I have seen it on carriers with assigned seats.

 

[illiniowl]

As far as needing to make arrangements or reminders to yourself to check in at the 24-hour mark, if it will be a pain to get in front of a computer or you do not have a mobile phone with internet connectivity, there are web services that you can sign up for that will automatically check you in at the 24-hour mark. Check out checkinsooner.com, iboarda.com and/or boardfirst.com.

 

[pooch]

on our return flight last year, at FA announced she needed someone to move so that a Mom and her child could sit together. She was very pleasant but made it clear we weren't going anywhere until she had 2 seats together. Passengers were very accomodating and several immediately volunteered. Don't worry, you'll be fine!!!

 

[MISSYLEXI]

I saw it mentioned on another thread. I started a thread but nobody has answered it yet. So i thought I would ask here. They check in for you and email you the boarding passes. If I understand it correctly you can just reprint the boarding passes when you get to the airport if you don't have acess to a computer. Can anyone help me out on this? I don't want to use it until I know it works.