seating on southwest

[madmar]

someone recently told me that when you book flight with southwest,it is not guaranteed that you will be seated together youd have to ask someone to move so you can sit with your three year old is this true has anyone dealt with this before thanks

 

[bookgirl2632]

No, this is absolutely not true. Since you are traveling with a 3 year old, you would be allowed to pre-board. If I recall correctly, families with small children are often permitted to board the plane first. Even if I'm wrong about that, the sooner you check-in, the sooner you board. Southwest divides their passengers into 3 groups: A, B, and C. Usually, if you check-in at the 24 hour mark, you are placed in group A. At the very least, you'd be in group B. I have been in group C and I still was able to sit with my family.

Honestly, Southwest is not going to want a parent sitting separately from their three year old. It just won't happen.

 

[ZuZugal]

If you do not have an "A" boarding pass then you would board between "A" and "B". You would be sitting together.

Best to check-in online 24hours prior to your flight if you want to get an "A" boarding pass.

 

[dudspizza]

The friend may have been trying to tell you that Southwest does not have assigned seating. It is first come first served with people boarding in order of when they got their boarding pass. The sooner you get the pass (ie, pay for Early Bird Check In or be at your computer at exactly the 24 hour mark), the earlier you board.

As stated above, since you have a child below 3, you will get to board after the A passes (if you don't have an A pass) and you will find seats together. You may not get the front or exactly where you want, but you will most likely be seated together.

I suggest you google Southwest's boarding process to familiarize yourself about the process.

Duds

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

From what I read families board after the Early Bird check in people since they paid to board before everyone else at least thats how its described on the website.
Have you contemplated adding Early bird check in to ensure boarding early to clinch seats? 10 bucks a person is alot of peace of mind

 

[disneyfaninaz]

No, family boarding is now between A and B boarding passes. All A's, regardless if the passenger purchased EBCI or not will board after people with needing physical assistance and minors traveling alone. After all the A's board, familes with children under 3 will board, and then B's and C's.

If you have an A boarding pass you should have no problem finding at least 2 seats together so you can sit with your 3 year old.

 

[brianm27]

If you have an "A" boarding pass it is statistically impossible to have enough seats filled to deny you of the option to sit together as a group of two. If every person in the "A" group was traveling alone (which is not the case on Orlando flights) and only picked window or aisle seats, you would still have 32 combinations/choices for seating together.

I have run the numbers for our family of three and we are never concerned about getting three seats together as long as we are under B30.

Print a copy of the seat map off seatguru.com and "load the plane" by coloring in seats. Also, A 1-15 is usually reserved for Business fares and rarely has more than a few people there.

 

[gigi1313]

jftr, EBCI does *not* guarantee an A boarding pass... if 3/4 of the people on the flight purchased EBCI, then some of those will get Bs and it's even possible to get a C w/EBCI...

 

[tjmw2727]

Ok - I love southwest and despite the lack of assigned seating its the ONLY airline I have not been seated separately from my kids. Yes, unfortunately its is true that NO airline guarantees seat assignments. AA, Delta, Jet Blue and USAir have all done something with the computer that resulted in our seats being "reassigned" and my kids sitting alone at ages 2&4 3&5 4&6 etc.

Southwest allows you to board based on the order you check in - you can check in exactly 24 hours prior to your flight time. The earlier you check in the lower your boarding pass. The lower your boarding pass the earlier you board the aircraft.

The SWA website has an excellent tutorial on the boarding process here:http://www.southwest.com/help/boardingschool/

In short they board the blue sleeves (people needing extra assistance) wheel chair passengers, A boarding passes A1-A60, Families with children 4 and under (immediate family only) B1-60 and then C.

So with a 3yo worst case senario is you board with family boarding. The aircraft seats 137 and they will have seated 60 +/- (less than half the aircraft) so at least one adult will be seated with the 3yo.

To increase your chances of a low A boarding pass you can purchae the early bird check in for an additional $10.00 per person. This doesn't guarantee you an A boarding pass but automaticly checks you in at T 36 instead of the T 24 window.

In my experience, flying SWA almost monthly the only families that are separated are those that don't board on time despite family boarding.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Southwest assigns seats based on the order you check in -

Close. Southwest assigns boarding pass numbers* - not seats - based on the order you check in.

you can check in exactly 24 hours prior to your flight time. The earlier you check in the lower your boarding pass. The lower your boarding pass the earlier you board the aircraft.

Or you can, for $10 per person per direction, purchase Early Bird Check In up to 25 hours before the flight; Southwest will assign your boarding pass number* before the passengers checking in on their own start doing that, and so you get lower combinations.

*Boarding pass number actually = combination of letter (A B C) and number 1 through about 52, or lower depending on actual number of seats/passengers.

 

[DebbieB]

If you have an "A" boarding pass it is statistically impossible to have enough seats filled to deny you of the option to sit together as a group of two. If every person in the "A" group was traveling alone (which is not the case on Orlando flights) and only picked window or aisle seats, you would still have 32 combinations/choices for seating together.

I have run the numbers for our family of three and we are never concerned about getting three seats together as long as we are under B30.

Print a copy of the seat map off seatguru.com and "load the plane" by coloring in seats. Also, A 1-15 is usually reserved for Business fares and rarely has more than a few people there.

One thing that changes the stats is people who save seats. Many people are buying EBCI for one or two people and have them save seats for the rest of the people in their party. From what I've heard, SW does not have a policy against this.

 

[gigi1313]

another thing that changes the stats are if there are already passengers on the airplane...

 

[Michael623]

Through passengers can skew the numbers too because they are already sitting on the plane. Luckily I fly from PVD or MHT which are not hubs so there are never through passengers but there can be at MCO. Flights from Ft Meyers, Tampa and Ft Lauderdale all run through MCO. Even so, with a child you can board between the A & B group so you shouldn't have a problem. I would never pay the $10 personally and I have flown SW with a child 10 times in the last 3 years.

 

[goofy4tink]

When you checkin, online, at that 24 hr window, you will get a boarding group number. This is basically how that works.....you will see a letter, A,B, or C..most likely A or B. Within that group you will get a number. A group starts with A16. A1-15 goes to business select fares, and fully refundable fares. Medical preboards and minors flying alone will board before the A group.

So, those with EBCI will get checked in, by SW, 36 hrs before the flight. They are checked in according to when they bought EBCI. Then, those checkin in at the 24 hr window can get their spots. With a 3 y/o, you will be allowed to board, no matter what your boarding group assignment is, in between the A and B groups. Now...the only thing that I can't be absolutely sure of is this...if EBCI people take up the entire A group, and go into the low B group, I'm not sure if families are allowed to board before those with EBCI B group. But, that probably isn't a huge issue.


So.....when you get to the airport, you will see lines, with poles with A, B or C on them (they flip them around depending on which group is boarding), and withing those letter groups, poles with 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 and so on for each letter group. You stand in the slot you see on your boarding pass. Those with B groups will remain seated, at the gate, until the A group is boarded. And so on. Those with children under 4 will be allowed to board after the A group.

 

[pooch]

and I have no doubt the OP is still confused! SWA boarding takes a lot of grief from people. Actually the process is pretty quick and efficient. Bottom line here is - have no worries about sitting with your 3 yr old. - you will - honest!!!

 

[tjmw2727]

One thing that changes the stats is people who save seats. Many people are buying EBCI for one or two people and have them save seats for the rest of the people in their party. From what I've heard, SW does not have a policy against this.

However vauge the SWA seat saving policy is, if there are no more 2 empty seats together the OP could claim 2 seats that are "saved" but without a body for herself and the 3yo and the FA will back them up.

Even if a family is so late in boarding that they are separated the FA's will ask for volunteers to switch in orer that the 3yo is with at least one parent. FWIW I have never seen a family eligible for family boarding (who used it) separated. I have seen families who choose to wander the airport and wait to board until the last minute separated. Desite this if the child is under 6ish the FA's will work very hard to reslove the situation.

OP bottom line - SWA doesen't want toddlers/babies seated alone any more/less than any other airline. Go to the SWA webstie, follow the tutorial linked above and do your best for a low boarding spot. Get to the aiport on time, line up in your correct boarding group and you won't have a problem.

 

[seashoreCM]

Logistically (mechanically if you prefer) qualifying parents with children would board before those who purchased early boarding and ended up with B boarding passes.

You see, the small children will be lined up ready to go outside the numbered pylons while the B folks have waited for the pylon area to be emptied of A folks and still need time to get in the correct order.

 

[goofy4tink]

and I have no doubt the OP is still confused! SWA boarding takes a lot of grief from people. Actually the process is pretty quick and efficient. Bottom line here is - have no worries about sitting with your 3 yr old. - you will - honest!!!

Yep...what she said!!!

 

[henderkm]

One person was allowed to board the plane with my 18 month old granddaughter. The rest of us boarded the plane according to our "A", "B", or "C".

Not sure whether this is the way it's always handled.

 

[iteachlit]

Perhaps the OP should go to Boarding School!