Seating on Southwest with family of 4 - 2 kids 2 adults

[ninafeliz]

Side note, I hope you paid for EarlyBird or are an incredibly lucky person, because finding all those seats together on Southwest would be a miracle otherwise...

EDIT: that's what I get for not paying attention...just re-read your message...ignore me. Lol

We always get EBCI, one less thing to stress over! Luckily we've always gotten A, but I've heard some interesting stories.... If we got B we would waste it and board with families, but I figure it's still worth it because who's to say we wouldn't be at the end of then HUGE family line when going to MCO!

 

[ninafeliz]

Both my kids want the window so we do 2 per row, one group in front of the other. It's only 2.5 hours. I can go that long without talking to my husband.

I agree, so can I! It's more the stranger beside who has to be there if my son misbehaves, and no way for my husband to even try to help if he's in front or behind since we can't really even see him.

 

[ninafeliz]

I'd do 2 + 2, across one/same aisle

This would be perfect if we didn't want at least one window seat!, nothing can ever be perfect LOL. I guess we could just have 2 people we don't know on the aisles, we could wave at each other across the Most! They would LOVE that!

 

[ninafeliz]

Whatever you decide, realize that if your DS2.5 is in a car seat, he is the one that MUST sit at the window. Any car seat is only allowed in the window seat. So if DS 5 insists on a window and DS2.5 is in a car seat, your only option is going to be 2 plus 2.

Since we are using ME and won't have any other reason for a car seat we weren't planning on using one since it would be difficult to carry it and all of our other stuff in the airport, and unless we swapped the one we use in planes with the better one we have in our car, it would take a lot of extra space on the drive to the airport. Just tonight we discussed possibly taking it anyway, just so he knows he has to sit there, but we haven't decided yet.

 

[ninafeliz]

When we were rookies flying with two kids we did 3+1, but then that resulted in one parent carrying the burden of both kids while the other sat relaxing across the aisle. So then we did 2 + 2, in two different rows. We've always sat with the youngest behind the oldest, in case the youngest kicked the seat. Plus, it's just easier to talk to each other that way and hand stuff back and forth without bothering other people, so we still sit 2 +2 in two consecutive rows even though both kids are now old enough to understand not to kick the seat.

You are so correct, and I do realize I will be taking all of the work this way. We wouldn't switch, it would be all me! I'm just wondering if it would be worth it to. It have someone else in our row - both for him/ her and for me. I stress over any little cry, etc, and if someone else is right there I'll stress more. I don't want to be THAT person on the plane. Still, I think we'll probably do the 2+2 the way you described for the reasons you mentioned.

 

[ninafeliz]

depending on time of your flight, if not first flight of day there will be people already on the plane. plane could be 3/4 full when it arrives at your airport. those already on plane plus special boards will be on before you. hate to say it but with a late morning flight with plane coming from another airport you could be one of last people to board even with an A boarding group

Hmmm, I never thought of that. We have taken probably 10-15ish flights to MCO from both PIT and CAK (Akron) and equal flights back, at all times of day, and have always had an empty plane. I hope tomorrow isn't the first time to find it different. If so, we'll deal. My kids can't sit alone, so they would have to figure out a 2&2 or 3&1 somehow, unless someone else wants to let me sit back and relax while they watch them!!!

Oh - and just now as I finish all of my quoting I see the smilies! I swear they weren't there before when I somehow did a double post, I think there was just something wrong all around with that one.

 

[ninafeliz]

We sit 3 + 1 since my DH is 6'6" and needs the emergency row. It works out ok for us.

I missed one! We're both short, so we don't have to worry about that

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I would do 3+1.

I wouldn't do 2 and 2 in adjacent aisles because if you have a full flight you're setting yourselves up for an awkward flight for you and the other person, or you're potentially separating a group. At least with 3+1, you leave the option for a group of two to sit next to your husband in the other aisle.

 

[Mousemommy1]

As a family of 4, we always did 3 + 1 across the aisle with no issues. Now we are 5, so things have changed.

 

[Lynne G]

We always do 3 and 1 across the aisle, with DM in the middle to give dad a break. If DM needs a break, we switch. Makes taking the kids to the bathroom easier too, the single aisle parent gets that chore. Now that we have teens, we still do the 3 and 1 set up.

 

[MrPTato]

When we did it last fall with DW, DD, & MiL, we did 2 and 2 across the row. We had an empty flight both ways on SW so we were alone in our seat segment. I sat with DD (9m) and I moved across so DW could sit with her for a little bit. She was real good on the plane and was good again when we went this past May.

 

[azdisneymom]

How likely is it that one of your kids is going to kick the crap out of the seat in front of him? If there's a risk of that happening, please put either yourself or your husband in front of him.

My younger kiddo always kicks the seat in front of him. Not on purpose, but because that's where his legs hit when in his car seat on the plane. So, we've made a deal with my older son that if he sits in front of him and deals with the kicking he gets a treat when we land. We've always done 2 and 2 because we used to have 2 car/booser seats and then must go in a window seat. (and I don't take the spot in front of younger son now because I hate to fly and CANNOT sit at the window seat - it freaks me out!)

 

[Mrsktbrown]

We're doing 3-1, and have before as well. We've also tried 2-2, and found it to be much more difficult; rows next to each other are a must, because we feel it's rude to talk over seats when there are other passengers. We'll probably sit me, child, child, with hubby across the aisle. We also have an 11 month old lap infant, so having a full row will give her more room to spread out.

 

[Jewel3k]

We do 3 behind 2. I find it more relaxing not to have to worry about the kids kicking at all because they are kicking us. Its hard for kids when every time they move their little legs touch the seat in front of them. The first time we did across a row and I spent the whole flight paranoid the two little ones would touch the seat in front of us.

 

[aidansmom]

Not trying to hijack your thread, but now I'm really nervous about not buying earlybird. We'll be flying Southwest for the first time in December and I was under the impression that, because we have a four year old, we would have family boarding (at least for myself or DH with her - to be honest, my older kids, 12, 10, and 7 would probably think it was neat to sit on their own). Everything I've read up on has said this was the case, but now this thread has me nervous. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[scrapquitler]

Not trying to hijack your thread, but now I'm really nervous about not buying earlybird. We'll be flying Southwest for the first time in December and I was under the impression that, because we have a four year old, we would have family boarding (at least for myself or DH with her - to be honest, my older kids, 12, 10, and 7 would probably think it was neat to sit on their own). Everything I've read up on has said this was the case, but now this thread has me nervous. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

In my experience, they don't always do family boarding. We fly from Bradley (Hartford) to MCO, and on the flights we've taken, it has been very rare that they do family boarding because the vast majority of passengers are families with small children, and they say that during the announcements.

 

[tabrizia]

Not trying to hijack your thread, but now I'm really nervous about not buying earlybird. We'll be flying Southwest for the first time in December and I was under the impression that, because we have a four year old, we would have family boarding (at least for myself or DH with her - to be honest, my older kids, 12, 10, and 7 would probably think it was neat to sit on their own). Everything I've read up on has said this was the case, but now this thread has me nervous. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

I got family boarding with my 4 year old last week though we were going to Atlanta, not Orlando. There was no issue at all. It happens after A and before B.

Honestly most people don't want to sit next to someone else's 4 year old. On our flight in July they asked for s volunteer to move so a parent could sit by a young child too.


Answering the actual post question too late we do 2 in front and 2 behind when I travel solo with my 3 minions. It makes my life easier because we can easily pass things back and forth and it is easier for them to get my attention rather then being across the aisle. I find 2 and 2 right behind the easier option all around, especially when I'm the only adult. If I have a second adult it doesn't really matter, one gets the older two and one gets the 4 year old most of the time.

 

[4littleones]

Totally 3 + 1 .... You win IMO

 

[ElenaRN]

Our upcoming trip in Sept will be our first experience with 4 seats as well. We are doing 3+1. We will see how it works out. I will prob be with the kids on the flight going. I plan on switching on the way home. If it doesn't work out next year we try 2+2.

 

[ninafeliz]

Hi, OP here. We're back from our trip, and we ended up doing 3+1. I sat in the middle seat with the youngest by the window and the older in the aisle, and my DH sat across the aisle in the seat that was just slightly further forward than our row. We did this down and back. It ended up working great, but both kids did great for both flights (way better than I had expected!). The younger slept a good portion both ways, and the older played with his Ipad. I do realize this would have made my life harder if the kids had acted up, since there was no way my DH was going to switch on the way home, but I think it was better anyway since no one else had to sit with either kid and I didn't have to worry about someone else sitting in our row and us bothering him/her or the other way around!

Also, FWIW, we flew from Pittsburgh to MCO and back, and they had family boarding both ways. I've never flown when they didn't have family boarding. I did notice there were a lot of people taking advantage of the family boarding. Even with our EBCI we were in the upper A's, so technically we didn't get too much ahead by purchasing it. I'm still happy we purchased it and I will continue to do so just because if we had ended up at the end of the family boarding that would have been a lot more people in front of us and I just don't want to have to worry about it. Once my youngest is older than 4 I will be a little more worried, since if we get B boarding even with EBCI we would be behind A's and families, but whatever. You can only do so much. We would love to fly a carrier where we could just purchase seats the traditional way, but the only airline with a direct flight from anywhere around us other than SW (and Spirit, which we have yet to lower ourselves to, although that day may come if the times work out or SW keeps dropping flights) is United from Cleveland, and the times on their directs just don't work well for our travels. So SW it is!