Seating risk with Southwest

[Roxyfire]

I can't imagine not buying EBCI if I was traveling with someone who I wanted/needed to sit next to either child or adult.

I am missing the "bystander effect". That references victims who are not offered help in an actual emergency.

Sometimes those things bleed into areas that are not emergencies. But that's just a personal observation and off topic.

Back on topic... The OP even stated he/she never flew southwest before. Perhaps they did not know until later it was important.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I can't imagine people willingly wanting to sit next to a child they don't know. But, the bystander effect is real and I've never flown Southwest before, so I have no idea if people are accommodating or not.

Children don't take up (or overtake) nearly as much space as an adult you don't know. Or do know, for that matter.
Children generally don't reek of fragrance.
Children don't get drunk on board. Or before.
Children don't fall asleep on a seatmates shoulder and drool.
Children usually don't get belligerent toward strangers when something doesn't go their way.
Many children are amazing conversationalist.

Who wouldn't want to sit next to a child they don't know.

 

[keishashadow]

I've never flown Southwest. We usually fly JetBlue but for our upcoming trip the cost is just much higher than what I would like to pay. That said, with Southwest the price is significantly less than the equivalent flights with other airlines.

However, I am very concerned about seating. We are a family of 4 (2 adults, and two girls, 7 and 11). The 7 year old can be a bit just cannot seat by herself. The 11 year old has some anxieties.. and I'm not sure how it would go if she isn't next to one of us - or at least real close ( I'm pretty sure she'd be ok if one of us is behind her or on same row with 1 person in between).

The flight would be from Manchester NH (Boston area) to MCO. Flying there Tuesday April 18, 2017 (Tuesday after Easter, 9am flight), coming back Sunday April 23rd (10am flight).

So.. If I get early bird check in (probably purchased about 5 months or so prior to the flight), how much risk is there we won't be able to at least be able to get two sets of two seats?

Normally, I'd say check in @ T-24 and be prepared to head to the back of the plane to sit together. Different when you have small/anxious kids. I'd buy EBIC for all and have peace of mind.

However, it's not uncommon, and is accepted by the FAs via the open seating policy, for people to buy 1 EBIC and hold down a whole row of 3 seats. The 2nd adult may be pleasantly surprised to 'have' to sit solo lol.

Sounds as though the flights will not be the first of the day, be aware there will already be folks on it who will move foward before you board. Even though near Easter, would think leaving on a Tuesday is certainly doable as is your return flight since it's an early one out

 

[TchrLady]

I would pay for the EBCI since you are traveling during Easter week. 2 years ago we (me, DH and twin DD's) flew SW during the week before Easter and were lucky enough on our flight to MCO to be at the end of the A group (2 tickets) and the beginning of the B group (2 tickets). We always check in right at our 24 hour mark. My husband and daughter boarded with the A group and my husband saved one seat on one side of the plane and had my daughter save a seat across the aisle. When my other DD and I boarded shortly after she moved back over to sit with my DH. It worked out beautifully!

However, on our flight back we were in the middle of the B group even though we checked in right at the 24 hour mark. It was a full flight. SW let the people with small children and wheelchairs board and even though it is supposed to be immediate family only for some reason they allowed entire groups of people to board with these people. There was a family that had a 2-3 year old boy and they let the parents, siblings, grandparents, aunt and uncle plus what I assume were older teenage cousins board with the 1 small child. It was probably 15 people! The same thing happened with an older man in a wheelchair. He and his wife boarded and then there were probably another 10 people that boarded with them from teenagers to adults and they were all clearly traveling together. I even heard one of them joking that it was a good thing they had a small child to let them board early. By the time they boarded and all of the A group and the beginning of the B group boarded there were mostly single seats left. My husband and DD grabbed the first two seats together about 2/3 of the way back and my other daughter and I got 2 seats together in the last row which happened to be the last 2 together. There were multiple families that boarded after us that had to be split up and the flight attendants didn't even try to move people. They just told them the flight was full and they were going to have to split up. Now they did make room for a Mom and small child but everyone else was out of luck, including some kids that looked to be in the 8-10 year age range.

As I planned our spring break trip this year for mid-March I flashed back to that awful flight and told DH I didn't care what it cost I was paying for EBCI! Luckily it turned out we had enough credit card SW miles to pay for our round trip tickets so DH didn't mind the extra money for the EBCI. I am so much less stressed about flying this time around and now that my DS will be coming with us (he was a baby last time and stayed with grandparents) I didn't want any of us to have to separate. It is worth the money for the peace of mind and as a previous poster said it is the same or less than some other airlines charge to check a bag.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Children don't take up (or overtake) nearly as much space as an adult you don't know. Or do know, for that matter.
Children generally don't reek of fragrance.
Children don't get drunk on board. Or before.
Children don't fall asleep on a seatmates shoulder and drool.
Children usually don't get belligerent toward strangers when something doesn't go their way.
Many children are amazing conversationalist.

Who wouldn't want to sit next to a child they don't know.

In the dozens and dozens of times I have flown SW, I have never sat next to or near an adult who...
reeked of fragrance
Got drunk onboard or before boarding
Feel asleep on me
Drooled on me
Was belingerant towards me.

I have sat near children who don't know when to shut up...
Who perpetually cried!!
Who were annoying because they could not sit still and behave.
Who kicked the seat in front of them.

I will take an adult next to me ANY DAY!!! Worst problem I have had was with an adult sitting near me (and it was not next to but a row ahead) was fowl language and he had a loud voice that carried....
Not thrilled with that, but I would still take that over a whining/crying kid. Have heard way too many of them!!!

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

1.Children don't take up (or overtake) nearly as much space as an adult you don't know. Or do know, for that matter.

2. Children generally don't reek of fragrance.

3.Children don't get drunk on board. Or before.

4.Children don't fall asleep on a seatmates shoulder and drool.

5.Children usually don't get belligerent toward strangers when something doesn't go their way.

6.Many children are amazing conversationalist.

Who wouldn't want to sit next to a child they don't know.

1. My 18month-old + his car seat take up quite a bit of room on airplanes

2. The ones that wear diapers do. And usually at the most in-opportune times.

3. Good point. But adults rarely do too.

4. A child along asleep on an airplane is a best case scenario. I would welcome it

5. Again, I should introduce you to my 18 month-old son. After spending some "quality time" with him, I bet he could change your mind.

6. Very true on this one.

 

[Rhody Red]

We're a family of 4 as well. We always get Early Bird because we don't want to risk being split up. We sit in pairs, and we always take seats in the last rows of the Plane (no one goes there first, of course). When we were coming home last Week, a Mother and her Son (the boy was probably about 8?) had to split up. The Son took the window seat of the Row that my Husband and Son were sitting. The Mother was scrambling to find another Seat. The Boy was visibly upset and was wiping his eyes trying not to cry. We just moved our Son over with me & my Daughter so that Mom & Son could sit together next to my Husband. But, you can't always count on other People to be so nice.
Always, Always, Always spring for Early Bird. It's worth it!

 

[kamik86]

The only time I get early bird is when checking in at 24 hours is problematic. However we are two adults. My husband doesn't like flying too much and wouldn't like being seperate but he could deal if he had to on a short flight and I have done it so many times it wouldn't bother me at all.

I have had the adult that got drunk and kept bugging the flight attendents for more booze and then tried to claim I kept hitting the button instead of him and trying to get me to buy booze and give it to him when they cut him off.

As for kids most of the kids I have seen haven't been too bad... actually saw a 7 year old that had to sit in front of her mother and she seemed fine with it even while her mother was talking to the flight attendents on how awful it would be. (I know her age because mom said it several times in her rant)

 

[kamik86]

1. My 18month-old + his car seat take up quite a bit of room on airplanes

2. The ones that wear diapers do. And usually at the most in-opportune times.

3. Good point. But adults rarely do too.

4. A child along asleep on an airplane is a best case scenario. I would welcome it

5. Again, I should introduce you to my 18 month-old son. After spending some "quality time" with him, I bet he could change your mind.

6. Very true on this one.

Legally a kid in a car seat has to be sat next to an adult responsible for the kid, so in these cases we aren't talking about a kid in a car seat but the older child that isn't in one. The worst experience I had with that is the mother that showed up late with a kid in a car seat and smacked me in the head trying to put it in. Definitely wasn't happy with that mother.

In my experience those in the 3-18 range are quite good on flights. They may cry but I have a pair of noise cancelling head phones.

I would defintitely take sitting next to someone's kid over having to sit in a middle seat. Most of the time though I have gotten good at spotting someone who is traveling alone and we take the two seats with them so we can choose our row mate instead.

 

[jsrj21]

We flew Southwest for the first time this last August to MCO as well. I didn't buy early-bird check in for our departure because I knew I'd be able to check in from home the day before. I got a B20, B21, and B22 line positions. For our return trip, I bought early-bird check in and got A29, A30, and A31. I was a nervous wreck myself because I wanted my family to all sit together [3 of us]. It worked out...a little stressful, but it worked out AND I save a lot of money!

Would I do it again? Yes, but I do miss Jetblue.......too bad that their fares were astronomical from NYC for our Aug 8-21 trip.

 

[goofy4tink]

My dd, almost 23, will be flying home from Orlando next month. She flies SW to PVD and then JB out of Bradley. I got EBCI for her. Sure, she can sit anywhere. But, she'll have a largish carry on bag with her, so I wanted to be sure she had someplace to put it. And, since she'll most likely be at work, at DHS, at the 24 hr window, and I'll be out as well, I figured 24 hr checkin window wasn't going to work. And it was only $15! Sometimes you just have to weigh your options.

But, it's about time for SW to come up with a seat saving policy. I'm tired of one person trying to save several rows of seats! I have no issue with saving the seats in your row, but not multiple rows.

 

[piccolopat]

My dd, almost 23, will be flying home from Orlando next month. She flies SW to PVD and then JB out of Bradley. I got EBCI for her. Sure, she can sit anywhere. But, she'll have a largish carry on bag with her, so I wanted to be sure she had someplace to put it. And, since she'll most likely be at work, at DHS, at the 24 hr window, and I'll be out as well, I figured 24 hr checkin window wasn't going to work. And it was only $15! Sometimes you just have to weigh your options.

But, it's about time for SW to come up with a seat saving policy. I'm tired of one person trying to save several rows of seats! I have no issue with saving the seats in your row, but not multiple rows.

They can only save multiple rows if you let them. I won't fly SW because of their seating policy but I will tell you that if I did, I would take a seat in one of those rows rather than take a seat further back. Saving the seats in your row on your side of the aisle is one thing. Trying to saving more than that is another.

 

[danc18]

So many people are afraid of the seating situation on SW. I always buy EBCI and prefer SW because of comfortable seating, no regional jets or prop jets and they are on time much of the time. JetBlue would be the only thing that beats it but I haven't found them reasonable in years. My .02, Pay the $15, lose the worry.

 

[TikiMan0228]

We booked our flight from Philly to
Orlando about 3 months in advance with early bird for our 5. We ended up with A40's on trip down and had 2 empty rows around row 9 or 10. On trip back we got low A30's and had 2 empty rows around 6 or 7. Early bird was worth the extra $. I don't think I would go without it again.

 

[keishashadow]

They can only save multiple rows if you let them. I won't fly SW because of their seating policy but I will tell you that if I did, I would take a seat in one of those rows rather than take a seat further back. Saving the seats in your row on your side of the aisle is one thing. Trying to saving more than that is another.

Ha, good luck with that! The FA's I've observed have always quoted the open seating policy SWA prides themselves upon, basically turning it around on the one who is trying to 'poach' a seat.

There was a white-haired gentleman who Had used pre-board. He was standing with outstretched arms, staking claim to the rows both in front & behind him, effectively saving 9 seats. The whole time stating the seats were saved. A woman that appeared to be with him was on opposite side of plane holding down a row.

If you're keeping count that's a total of 12 seats, sigh. Add in the other preboards, some holding down their rows and even with a great A#, were lucky to snagthe emergency row.

There were more than a few choice comments that we could hear early on in the process. Their defense was they had a large family and wanted to sit together. It got ugly to point where one FA planted herself next to the guy. From the grumblers going past us, ascertained she was telling people to keep moving, plenty of seats down the aisle.

Granted an extreme situation, and have only seen that level of what I'll call a Chog (chair hog) once but, be aware, the FAs will not tolerate any controversy whatsoever during the boarding process. Their way or the highway, no pun intended.

 

[goofy4tink]

Here's the issue. SW had no official policy regarding the saving of seats. If you want a seat that is being 'saved' by another passenger, the FA will tell you that the two people involved will have to settle it. But then, you get a FA who stands beside a passenger, as noted above, and it's now 'official'.
If I have paid for EBCI, to get a 'better' boarding position, but some dude who was a medical preboard is saving more than the two seats in his row, for people that decided not to pay for EBCI? Yeah, you have to know that SW will be getting a communication from me! It's just not right.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Somebody should request the presence of the Complaint Resolution Officer next time that happens...

 

[goofy4tink]

My latest example.....about two weeks ago. There was a largish group flying. They were actually on the DME bus with us. One woman had to have a wheelchair when she got to MCO....she did have one at the resort she was picked up at. So, she sat in her wheelchair in the medical preboard group, with a younger woman (probably a daughter) with her. They boarded, while the rest of their group, about 9 of them, waited in a later boarding group. Dh and I boarded with the A group..mid A's. As I walked down the aisle, I see that woman (the daughter who had pushed the wheelchair) standing up, in a middle seat, with her arms over the rows in front of and behind her....obviously trying to save all three rows. Mom (I assume) was seated in the front row. The three to be saved rows were maybe 4-6. We kept walking. Sat down in front of where a FA was standing. Someone wanted to sit in row 6, but that woman said the seats were saved. The person wanting that seat asked the FA to please do something. Her response? "I'm sorry sir but SW has no official seat saving policy. The involved parties will have to sort it out themselves.'. Meanwhile, someone else came along and plopped down in the aisle seat of row 6!! That woman was not happy!!! The rest of her group boarded with the C group!! And most of them found seats in the rows saved by the daughter!!!

So basically, SW needs to put a disclaimer in the EBCI booking area. Stating that 'your $15 payment gets you checked in at the 36 hr mark, but does not guarantee you any seat you want when boarding, that others who have boarded prior to you may be saving seats and because SW has no seat saving policy, those seats will not be open to anyone who wants them'. Yeah, I can see that happening.

 

[hsmamato2]

even if you have to sit somewhere near the back of the plane, buy EBCI and do that I can't imagine an EBCI scenario where you get no seats at all together, even if it's 2 and 2.... and then don't worry

 

[keishashadow]

My latest example.....about two weeks ago. There was a largish group flying. They were actually on the DME bus with us. One woman had to have a wheelchair when she got to MCO....she did have one at the resort she was picked up at. So, she sat in her wheelchair in the medical preboard group, with a younger woman (probably a daughter) with her. They boarded, while the rest of their group, about 9 of them, waited in a later boarding group. Dh and I boarded with the A group..mid A's. As I walked down the aisle, I see that woman (the daughter who had pushed the wheelchair) standing up, in a middle seat, with her arms over the rows in front of and behind her....obviously trying to save all three rows. Mom (I assume) was seated in the front row. The three to be saved rows were maybe 4-6. We kept walking. Sat down in front of where a FA was standing. Someone wanted to sit in row 6, but that woman said the seats were saved. The person wanting that seat asked the FA to please do something. Her response? "I'm sorry sir but SW has no official seat saving policy. The involved parties will have to sort it out themselves.'. Meanwhile, someone else came along and plopped down in the aisle seat of row 6!! That woman was not happy!!! The rest of her group boarded with the C group!! And most of them found seats in the rows saved by the daughter!!!

So basically, SW needs to put a disclaimer in the EBCI booking area. Stating that 'your $15 payment gets you checked in at the 36 hr mark, but does not guarantee you any seat you want when boarding, that others who have boarded prior to you may be saving seats and because SW has no seat saving policy, those seats will not be open to anyone who wants them'. Yeah, I can see that happening.

And it's always in the front of the plane. I understand that the person who is accompanying the medical pre-board would by definition want/need to be near said person, but it's just rude behavior to then feel entitled to hold down multiple rows.

Yes, the party line is for guests to sort it out themselves. Many of us will turn the cheek and keep walking down the aisle, shaking our heads. I understand the inclusiveness and pride SWA takes as to open seating but once EBIC was introduced (that altered the open seating practice) they really needed to revisit the idea of monitoring/limiting saving seats to 1 row pp.

Unless a FA has joined the fray as I stated above to direct arrivals to the back of the flight, it's reasonable to infer when there is direct discussion among customers, the most forceful person will get their way.

It's just a matter of time before we see the news report there is a throw down on a plane re multiple row saving, especially on a connecting flight that is already half full. Maybe then they'll finally wake up and do the right thing.