seating on southwest

[pepperw23]

Perhaps the OP should go to Boarding School!

Ba Do Chhhh (that was that drum sound)

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Iteachlit does 3 shows a night so come on back again"

 

[BlueIrish]

you shouldn't have a problem at all with seating. Even the times when I've been in group C, ive managed to always get a seat next to whoever I am traveling with that trip.

 

[iteachlit]

Ba Do Chhhh (that was that drum sound)

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Iteachlit does 3 shows a night so come on back again"

Try the veal. Don't forget to tip your waitresses.

 

[lds0191]

I have flown SW probably 10-12 times and only once have I seen a problem with a parent having issues being seated with their child. Flight attendants solved the problem by offering a free alcoholic beverage (on SW cokes, etc. are free) and it took all of about 2 seconds for someone to offer to move to solve the problem. The family were some of the last people to board.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have flown SW probably 10-12 times and only once have I seen a problem with a parent having issues being seated with their child. Flight attendants solved the problem by offering a free alcoholic beverage (on SW cokes, etc. are free) and it took all of about 2 seconds for someone to offer to move to solve the problem. The family were some of the last people to board.

That has been my experience as well. The 'old' way of thinking, with assigned seating, was to keep your kids off the plane for as long as possible. Let them run off that energy (so to speak) before being confined in an airline seat for mulitple hours.
That mentality seems to have gone away now...big rush to get on that plane first...even with assigned seating.

But, back to my point. A few years ago, when flying SW out of TF Green, I watched a woman, with her young son, walking about the airport, in the gate area. The son was about 3-4ish. We started boarding.....on go the A's, which I was a part of. Then, the B's and finally the C's. It looked as though everyone was boarded, when along came that mom and her son. Now, of course she wanted to sit with her child. But, there were not two seats together, anywhere, on that plane. There were a few single open seats and they were far removed from each other.
The FA asked for volunteers to give up their seats so as to allow the mother to be seated with her child. No one moved. After a few minutes, the FA announced that 'the plane was not pushing back from the gate until that mother was seated next to her child..now, who wants to volunteer??' Finally, a couple got up and changed seats...they were seated about 9 rows apart from each other and that mother got to sit with her child.

While I understand that a parent wants to be seated with their child, why in God's name didn't she board when she should have? Why did she wait until the FA's were almost ready to close the doors? One might think that she had had an emergency, but...she had been walking around the gate area for at least 90 mins before boarding. Her child looked to be young enough to be boarded with the group boarding with young children. But no...she just waited until the last minute and then got her way..and those poor people who had boarded with the A group.....about 8 or 9 behind me.....were forced to sit by themselves, and not with their spouse.

But, that just doesn't happen very often.

 

[katemarcail]

I LOVE SW and have never had any troubles. Of all the times I've flown I've only once seen a parent not immediately find a seat with their child. If you board with A or family boarding you WILL get a seat together, no worries.

The ONE time that a two seats weren't available together (parent and child were boarding with the end of the C group for whatever reason) the flight attendant got on the intercom and immediately someone willingly switched. Because there's one solid truth: As much as you don't want to be separated from your child, the stranger who would be stuck next to your unattended child wants it even less!

So quick answer: check in early, board with family boarding if you don't get A section, and don't worry! Even if you're the very last people on that plane (which you shouldn't be unless something goes very wrong with your planning) you'll still be together.