Seat Assignment and Southwest

[Lewisc]

There is no net effect in that everyone still has a seat, however that's not the point. An "A" BP passenger probably gave up a window seat and probably got stuck with an aisle seat that otherwise would have gone to a passenger with a "C" BP. The family should have gotten their early enough to pre-board.

There is no net inconvenience to others. If the family had been there earlier they would have gotten the window seat and whoever was in it would have sat elsewhere, exactly as if the flight attendant made a last minute request to move.

 

[ducklite]

Be fortunate that the airline does not adopt and enforce Disney's auditorium policy of "fill in every available seat". Starting from the rear and making an exception allowing families with car seats to skip so that car seats end up at the windows.

There is no net inconvenience to others. If the family had been there earlier they would have gotten the window seat and whoever was in it would have sat elsewhere, exactly as if the flight attendant made a last minute request to move.

It is not rude to fail to arrive early. If a flight attendant does not intervene the person already in the window seat had first choice, aisle, middle, window, or different row when the family arrived with the car seat, and the family takes what is left. If a flight attendant does intervene (more likely but once in awhile overlooked and then somebody gets an infraction), everybody has to obey.

Rows with aisle and window occupied and middle empty are more likely to be attacked by the F/A since only one person needs to be moved to make room for child, car seat, and caretaker.

Children may take window seats except on the WDW parking lot trams.

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

I disagree. Not getting the in time to board without having to have people move around is rude. All those other managed to make it through security. Everyone is aware of how long security lines are, it's been all over the news. Some people just seem to think it doesn't apply to them. We're not talking about people who arrived on a late connecting flight. We're talking about someone who couldn't be bothered to plan ahead and arrive on time. Their lack of planning is not my emergency.

Frankly, I wouldn't give up my aisle seat. I printed my BP early, and got there early to wait in line. Why should I waste two hours waiting in line to end up in a middle seat in the back of the plane because someone else didn't have the common sense to plan ahead?

And a free drink isn't going to do it for me, $5 for a drink is worth keeping the seat I took the time to get.

Anne

 

[goofy4tink]

Have to agree with Anne on this one. When we flew out of MCO in August, we were there, in line A, for about 1 hr. 45 mins. We were 8th in line. There were a ton of preboarders. So....we all get on the plane. Dd and I are, once again, way behind the wing in order to get a window and middle seat. No biggie. But, about 6 minutes before we are due to take-off, on gets this young mom, with her 4 (or so) y/o ds. There are no seats together...none!! Now, you have to understand that I saw this mom and her ds at the airport. He was a bit of a handfull...which is why I noticed them. They were there for quite awhile so I don't understand why they waited so long to board. Well, the FA came over the PA and told us that this mom has to sit with her child..someone needs to give up their seat. Everyone just sat there...not one person moved. So, 5 minutes later, FA again comes on and says..."This mom really has to sit with her son....this plane is not moving from this gate until they are seated together...well people???" Someone did finally move, the mom asked if there was any chance they could be closer to the front!!!! Hello!!!!! In this case, I have an issue. You have to be in line, at the appropriate time if you want to sit with your child. How must someone, who has been standing in a line for over an hour, feel about giving up the seat they chose, to a mom who couldn't get there on time??!!! Incredibly rude of that mom in my opinion.

 

[Pinnie]

I am going to agree with Anne here too! It's common sense to just get your tail to the airport EARLY. I am NOT going to be an enabler any more to anyone that thinks just because they have a child under the age of 4, *I* am going to move for them. I did MY time flying with little kids and I knew enough to get there early.

Frankly, a free drink coupon would do nothing for me, since I don't drink.

My other pet peeve is that if you need extra time to get ON the plane, it stands to reason you are going to need more time to get OFF the plane. Therefore, sit in your seat until the last passengers are off so you can unfasten your carseat and gather your kids and all there stuff and not impede the rest of the pax trying to deplane!!

pinnie

 

[MaryKatesMom]

And a free drink isn't going to do it for me, $5 for a drink is worth keeping the seat I took the time to get.

Anne

A free drink and the oppotunity to move away from a child on an airplane. Count me in!!!

I won't fly SW for this hassle. Frankly, my feeling is that pre-boarders should be forced into the BACK of the airplane because it can sometimes take awhile for the carseat to hook up and then take off the plane. Why are they allowed to take up so much time by being in the front of the plane? The FA should know that the plane is full or not, why don't they announce to "Fill all available seats to the preboarders".

Usair often does not preboard children on its route to MCO. There would be no one left in the regular boarding lane.

 

[jpeppers]

I was told by Southwest that I could preboard with my 4 year old who has never flown in February. I could care less where we sit as long as we are together. I can't imagine how traumatic a 1st flight would be for a 4 year old since my 1st flight was at the age of 34 and I needed a drink to get me through it. My daughters 1st trip...........

 

[goofy4tink]

You know...I like the idea of preboarders having to go to the back also. I hadn't thought about that, but you're absolutely right...if they need the extra time to get settled, then they'll need it getting off also. I can't tell you how long I have stood in one place, waiting for that family of 5, trying to get all their stuff together (and heaven knows, kids travel with a lot of stuff!!) and then get off. If they were to the back of the plane, then it would work much better.
My personnal favorite preboarding situation? The lady and her husband who preboarded due to some kind of disability, who then headed right for the exit row seats!!! You should have seen the FA trying to explain that anyone preboarding couldn't use an exit row. All this while I boarded with the rest of the A people.

 

[shellybaxter]

Good advice. I wouldn't give up my first three row aisle seat for love or money. Ask me to switch to a middle or any seat in the back of the plane and you'll be greeted with resounding laughter, regardles of the reason for your request.

Anne

I can certainly understand your not wanting to move, but I think laughing in someones face would be totally rude. I'm surprised you would be so rude since, from your posts I can tell you don't like it when others are rude

 

[Goofy22]

OK! We just flew southwest the end of october and begining of November! You definitely can check in online 24 hours prior if you're at you're resort just goto the concierge desk and have them do it for you! I did mine 24hours prior to both flights and recieved A BOARDING PASSES each time! We flew from PHL to MCO on the way to MCO from PHL there were probably a good 25 to 30 preborders if not more! We were in row 14! Which I guess doesn't sound bad and they aren't really bad seats they were good if you don't mind being over the wing! We were #3,4,5,6,7 which means there were only 2 people before us in A Boarding! and thats where we wound up do to all the pre boarders! And yes they did spread out and leave middle seats open! I personally thought thaw was very rude since they were more than likely saving a seat for someone who had a B or C pass since they knew in advance the plane would be full to capacity! Although the Flight attendants were very nice! I guess my main gripe is the way they handle preboarding! Other than that I had no Gripes!

 

[DMRick]

but when I have to wait until 40 people are preboarded, about 20 minutes, and then dd and I have to sit several rows behind the wing in order to get a window and a middle seat, after being about 7th in the A line... well....I just won't be flying SW for a long time.

It took 40 (so I assume half a dozen seniors and about 10 3 people families?..that's about what we always have at Albany) people 20 minutes to preboard? Good grief, were they all crawling on? That must have slowed up your flight take off a bit. We often can board from front and back, so that's really nice too..we go in the back, and dont have to wait for the car seats to be put in and kids settled. Getting off is nice too, we don't have to wait for parents to gather all the kids stuff.

As far as getting a seat several rows behind the wing..did your plane originate from another airport and already have people on it?

When we get on board, we often leave the middle seat open unless we hear the magic words..it's a pretty full flight folks, Scoot over and don't leave the middle seat empty please. And then the FA on board makes sure you don't. Of course we would always scoot over and fill in the row, if someone even glances our way and wants one of the empty seats. Now going down the day before Wilma hit, we could all have our own rows!!

 

[MadHatter]

Relax. Heres how it works last in line and your seperated. if you have a 2 year old child you will be able to preboard so i would NOT worry

 

[ducklite]

I can certainly understand your not wanting to move, but I think laughing in someones face would be totally rude. I'm surprised you would be so rude since, from your posts I can tell you don't like it when others are rude

My post was a bit sarcastic in nature. Of course I wouldn't laugh in someone's face, although I'd be amused to think I"d give up a preferred seat. I have been asked to move for whatever reason, and politely decline with an "Im sorry, I need to stay in an aisle seat."

The ONLY time I did laugh in someones face was when these two young 20's chicki-poo's (think Paris and Nicole) got on as "C" passes on SW and had the nerve to tell myself and the guy across the aisle from me that we should move so they could sit in aisle seats together. Both he and I laughed at them and then said, "Uh, NO!" in our best valley girl imitations.

Anne

 

[inkkognito]

I agree with all of those who say: GET TO THE AIRPORT EARLY!!
I refuse to make someone else's problem MY problem. While I understand that unexpected things can happen (i.e. car breakdowns and the like), they are not the norm. My husband and I print our A passes at the earliest possible minute and get to the airport very early because choice of seats is important to us. We travel with only carry-on luggage, and we each have our seat preferences, so we take the trouble and extra time to insure that we will have a good choice. It's not my responsibility to enable others who cannot be bothered to act responsibly themselves.

And no, I'm not a meanie...I once gave up my exit row seat for a VERY tall man. He didn't ask; I volunteered. And it was on an assigned-seat airline, so he couldn't have gotten there early to get it himself (we were Elite flyers and were able to book them early).

Barb

 

[jpeppers]

I do get to the airport early because I feel that is part of my vacation. I said before that I don't care where I sit as long as I'm with my daughter and if that means going to the back row of the plane I'm all for it. Like someone said before the back of the plane arrives at the same time as the front.

 

[goofy4tink]

It took 40 (so I assume half a dozen seniors and about 10 3 people families?..that's about what we always have at Albany) people 20 minutes to preboard? Good grief, were they all crawling on? That must have slowed up your flight take off a bit. We often can board from front and back, so that's really nice too..we go in the back, and dont have to wait for the car seats to be put in and kids settled. Getting off is nice too, we don't have to wait for parents to gather all the kids stuff.

As far as getting a seat several rows behind the wing..did your plane originate from another airport and already have people on it?

When we get on board, we often leave the middle seat open unless we hear the magic words..it's a pretty full flight folks, Scoot over and don't leave the middle seat empty please. And then the FA on board makes sure you don't. Of course we would always scoot over and fill in the row, if someone even glances our way and wants one of the empty seats. Now going down the day before Wilma hit, we could all have our own rows!!

It was pretty incredible! There were about 8 seniors (with varying disabilities) but it was the families that slowed it way down. There had to be about 4 families with at least 5 people boarding with them...one family with more than that. They took forever getting seated. Much moving around, with no one in that middle seat.
The flight originated in Orlando, so no one was on it to begin with. I don't have an issue with keeping the middle seat open, but when the plane starts to fill up, which it did, people would literally look the other way when a passenger walked by their row of seats with the middle seat open. They forced people to ask if they could use that seat. When dd and I fly, we always take the window and middle seat. Since neither one of us usually needs to get up to use the lav on such a short flight it isn't an issue for us. I just wish people would use nicer manners when flying. It sure would make it more pleasant for everyone.

 

[bicker]

I just wish people would use nicer manners when flying.

That won't happen as long as people get punished for nicer manners. When the advantage for being cold is eliminated (or, perhaps, there even being some reward for being nice?), we can hope for nicer manners when flying.

 

[SomePixiedust]

How early will they allow you to start lining up before a flight? I am considering flying SW but if I have a youth ticket for my DD, then if I understand correctly, I won't be able to check in 24 hrs prior. Does that mean that I am now most likely to be in the C group, after all those who checked in 24hrs prior? I am nervous about not getting seats together and would get to the airport as early as possible, but still don't know if that will work.

 

[ducklite]

It was pretty incredible! There were about 8 seniors (with varying disabilities) but it was the families that slowed it way down. There had to be about 4 families with at least 5 people boarding with them...one family with more than that. They took forever getting seated. Much moving around, with no one in that middle seat.
The flight originated in Orlando, so no one was on it to begin with. I don't have an issue with keeping the middle seat open, but when the plane starts to fill up, which it did, people would literally look the other way when a passenger walked by their row of seats with the middle seat open. They forced people to ask if they could use that seat. When dd and I fly, we always take the window and middle seat. Since neither one of us usually needs to get up to use the lav on such a short flight it isn't an issue for us. I just wish people would use nicer manners when flying. It sure would make it more pleasant for everyone.

We often book a aisle and window on a legacy carrier, and sometimes end up with the middle empty. If someone ends up in the middle we offer them the window. We did the same on SW, and when a girl got on and asked if anyone was in the middle we told her that she could have the window. I wouldn't ask everyone who came down the aisle if they wanted the middle, that would seem a bit ridiculous... But we also didn't purposely look away or put anything in that seat.

Anne

 

[Merriwind]

All these stories are why we won't fly SW. The savings isn't worth the cattle-call boarding proces mayhem. We tried it once to MCO. DD was 5, so no pre-board for us, but practically half the plane did pre-board. Ugh! Never again. I'll happily pay for for a seat assignment.

To the OP, best of luck and happy travels!

 

[inkkognito]

You can start lining up as early as you want, as long as there aren't people waiting for the flight before yours at the same gate.
Barb