Southwest adds charge to board sooner

[jodifla]

Also, if everyone just had some gumption and "Just Said NO" to the early check in fee, it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[kaytieeldr]

IIn my example, I'd like to clarify that I tried to pay the 'Fee" for assigned seats and there are virtually no seats together for the return flight. none, nadda, zippo. For those of you that would refuse to move because you paid your 10 dollars..do I offer you double? Shall the seat go to the highest bidder?

You're flying Southwest? Impossible - given that there are NO assigned seats, EVER, on Southwest.

Sorry guys but I think the no assigned seating trend with these airlines stinks!

There's no "trend". Southwest does not preassign seats. Never did (well, except for one short-lived, apparently unsuccessful, brief period at one airport). ALL other airlines preassign seats.

OMgoodness it is given to people who pay more. Yes you pay for a refundable gicket, but it is based on how much you paid. SO what I said is not false. It does say those who paid anytime fares (which are more) get priority. She asked "So you pay more you get priority" and I said YES. It is based off of what you pay. I'm not arguing over paying or 24hr check in I'm just stating that if you pay more for the anytime fare and the $10 check in you get priority over the person who paid less and paid the $10 fee. Just stating a fact.

Ouch! No need to shout ('yelling' turned off for the comfort of future readers )! You know something? If someone who paid $350 for the same ticket I got for $89 gets preference in the early-bird check-in, that makes absolute sense.

What would you say if you booked another airline and 3 weeks before you flew out they took away thier assigned seats and they said, alright, now pay me to get a better chance to have a seat you like? You woulnd't like that would you ?

I wouldn't especially like it, but since I like my seat, I'd pay the fee - and continue to fly the same airline.

The $10 is like taking a bribe, except wiht SW they will take that $10 from everyone on the plane and then we are all back at square one, trying to check in to get a better pass.

Trying to check in to get a 'better' boarding pass? Why? The early bird checkin fee includes Southwest assigning the passenger's boarding pass number before online checkin opens.

If you are a single person on a flight and there is an emergency are you gonna rush to put your oxygen mask on then hurry to help my child

Actually, yes - thank you for asking. I'm in the seat I'm in for personal reasons (it's close to the bathroom, I'm superstitious, whatever). I'm also a responsible person able and willing to follow instructions. Yes, I will attach my own face mask first (as required) and then I will turn to your child or any passenger next to me who needs assistance, and provide it. If you don't trust me or your fellow passengers to be that responsible, you would probably be better off on another airline.

and I work in the emergency management field and I can tell you for sure that if the oxygen masks fell no stranger would rush to take care of my child.

and if you didn't notice I work in Emergency Management so I see how people react Every Day in fact I plan for it.

Yes it was noticed; one way a parent separated from a child on a flight could 'plan for "it"' would be to politely request that your child's seatmate please fasten child's oxygen mask if that became necessary.

I'm sorry but it's true and a lot (most)of adults will panic in an emergency situation and MY child or anone elses child will not be the first thing on their mind.

Correct - because according to the safety instructions demonstrated, narrated, and on a card on every flight each passenger NEEDS to be the first thing on their own mind - attach one's own oxygen mask FIRST and all that.

I have four kids. I would GLADLY move my 13 or 15 year-olds to sit alone if it meant letting a parent and a little one sit together. Or an older or handicapped person with a caretaker.

I would be willing to move where I am sitting so a family with young children or someone with a disablility could sit next to their caretaker.

Just so y'all know - many/most of us disabled people can/do travel without a caretaker. I happen to need to be near the restroom, and no, I'm not moving for anyone.

I expect that on the flight, there will be someone who is nice and has the manners to realize that my 1-year-old (who I am paying for her own seat) will need her mother next to her. If not, I guess the flight won't be taking off as I am not letting her sit by herself.

Not sure how long you'd be 'allowed' to delay the flight. An alternative would be for you to take a later flight.

For two, the children would be subject to sitting next to GOD knows who, yes, freaks and druggies and molesters and such ride airplanes, too. And if you think that something "would never happen" on a plane, just ask all those people who have joined the mile high club on a packed plane.

Self-entitled, mistrustful, cynical, judgemental parents and such ride airplanes all the time - much more frequently and blatantly than the "God knows who" crowd. And there are far fewer members of the mile high club than you apparently think - not that it matters because they're all consenting pairs of adults.

No, people with families and children should not get more than they deserve. (I don't even understand where this anymosity toward children is coming from,

Where are you seeing animosity toward children? As pointed out in an earlier post, there's no forum full of eight, ten, twelve, fifteen year old kids complaining about not being able to sit with their parents on a plane. No, any animosity is toward the parents - parents who think that traveling with children automatically entitles them to seats together; parents who threaten - blatantly or subtly - other passengers with the responsibility of those children...

I am completely and utterly blown away by the VENOM spewing on this thread.

Read it again. You're interpreting blunt reality as venom. The only venom I'm seeing is from parents who think that traveling with children supercedes everything else, including all other passengers' needs. By the way, mild claustrophobia would indicate a NEED to sit next to a window.

The other thing I want to point out... you do realize that 95-97% of sexual assaults (depending on the child's age) are by people the child knows. They would be much more likely to have an uncle do something to them than a stranger on an airplane... Kidnappings have similar statistics....

Wouldn't the stats for kidnapping be even lower? Is there even any record of any passenger being kidnapped from a plane (hijackings aside)?

I'm sorry, but we are being ripped off... they added to their coffers and instead of passing on some savings were just greedy.

Strongly disagree. MOST passengers fly for less than it costs the airline to transport them. Even Southwest is losing money. Nobody's 'adding to their coffers'. The airlines are just trying to survive - if they can't get us to pay a reasonable amount for airfare, they'll add fees to recoup some losses.

 

[kpgriswold]

Fair enough. You've made the informed choice that between A and B isn't good enough for you and you'd like to maximize your chances of getting an A. Makes sense.

I think the thing making folks so upset is that even if you DO pay the EBCI fee, you may not get a A pass. I read on another board of a woman who paid and got a B pass. So for her extra $10 she boarded behind pre-boards, business, frequent flyers, A-boards AND families, and found precious few good seats left.

I guess I'd be "hot" too...

 

[kevschickee]

Further, a child that sick with the flu should not have been flying - whether sitting next to a parent or not.

I agree 100%. To go on the plane knowing you have the flu is rude and just wrong.

 

[kevschickee]

My child got the flu the day we left and the other one got it in Florida I am a single mom who saves very hard to take my kids away and could not afford to lose the money. I do plan and do everything that I can to make sure my children and I will sit together especially since it's just me and them but what I am saying is if we all pay the EB fee then am I still not entitled to sit with my kids. And yes I have been on problematic flights and if I was not near my children I would have freaked because they are MY resposibility and I would want to make sure they are taken care of, no one else will take care of my kids the way I will and if you didn't notice I work in Emergency Management so I see how people react Every Day in fact I plan for it.
You do not know me I am actually a very nice person who will go out of my way to help anyone with anything and I would not walk on the plane and demand people move for me I would ask very politely and hopefully someone would be willing to move and no I would no berate someone for not moving.I though if I wasn't travelling with my kids and it was just adults or even my teen would move so a parent could sit with a child. I think SW needs to rethink this policy especially since we are talking about an Orlando flight which will be mostly families who will want to sit together. A lot of people complain way too much about kids when it comes to Disney discussions.

You know what? My DH and I have scrimped and saved for our trip too. So because you are a single mom you think it is ok to bring a child with the flu on board and prob ruin more passengers vacations by passing the germs? That is just awful

 

[stitchlovestink]

They cannot allow young children to sit without a parent, so I wouldn't worry to much about it. This happened to me on a Southwest flight about 2 years ago when my dd was 5. We were traveling alone and there were not 2 seats together. No one was offering up a seat, so I found the first open one, sat my dd down and loudly annouced (in a lighthearted tone)..well Gianna you will be sitting here with these two strangers, let them know what movie you want, that you like apple juice and remember to let them know when you need to go to the bathroom. I will be way in the back of the plane where the next available seat is. Hope you ALL have a good flight ;-) You have never seen so many people offer up their seats NOT to have to sit with the 5 year old!

bolding is mine...
Yes they can allow young children to sit alone and if necessary, they will.
And if you did that to me, I would NOT move and I would call the FA every time YOUR dd needed something and they could come and get you. I would NEVER be mean to the child (and yes I have children) but chances are, with your attitude, your children will behave with that same attitude of entitlement which I will not condone. I would put in ear plugs and 'ignore' your little darling. What makes you so much better than anyone else on that plane, that others need to move for you? I don't get that mentality.

I would not be concerned at all.

I just flew Southwest to Orlando (& back) about 4 days ago. They have open seating, which means that you can pick your seats. They are very efficient about the way they do it.

FIRST: Group A (passengers 1 - 60) board (your boarding pass is numbered, and you must line up accordingly.)

SECOND: Any family with kids under 4, & those with disabilities board

THIRD: Group B (passengers 61-120) board
FOURTH: Group C boards

You'll be fine, don't sweat it, or even THINK about paying the extra fee.

bolding is mine...
Ummm, you need to get the order straight
Those with disabilities board FIRST before ANYONE else, not between A and B with the families w/ small children. And for the record, we have been on flights espically leaving MCO where they skipped the family boarding altogether as they may as well have boarded the whole plane in that group. We also had it happen ONE time from BWI. Pretty much the whole plane was full of families with small children.

See this is what gets me about the whole policy. They implemented the change effective immediately. So those of us who purchased tickets under the old policy, when we could have likely gotten seats with our children no problem, now have to deal with the new policy. We don't HAVE the choice to select another airline that lets us choose our seats, because we already bought tickets. I think that reeks.

Also, even paying the fee doesn't *guarantee* me the spot I might need in order to sit with my kids. That's what's really messed up about the policy--the fee guarantees nothing, especially if a lot of people on the flight choose to pay it.

Last time we went to WDW we flew AirTran, and yes, I paid the seat selection fee so that I could choose my seats and ensure my whole family got to sit next to each other. But, I bought SW this time, thinking I could check-in 24 hours in advance and get the passes I need to ensure that my DH and 7-year old can sit together (as I and my 3-year-old can board between A and B and will almost definitely be able to sit together). But now who knows what will happen with DH and my 7-year-old, since a 24-hour check in could very well put them in a C category with the new rules. Had this been the case, I would not have purchased SW tickets. I would have chosen AirTran, so I could choose my seats. Again, I am not keen on paying the $10 fee for older DD and DH because it guarantees nothing. I'd be upset if I paid the fee and still got placed in a low enough category that they ended up separated, as that would defeat the whole purpose. At least with AirTran, when you pay for your assignment, you are getting an actual, guaranteed *seat number*, not just a boarding group.

On the other hand, I am trying to take a deep breath and not be so over-protective of my 7-year-old. In all likelihood she will be just fine sitting alone for a 2 1/2 hour flight if it comes to that. But it's hard for us mommas to let go. I worry that she'll be nervous or scared by herself.

I guess I'm not really so sure what you are all worried about?
Pretty much all of the leftover seats are middle seats. So if you board w/ your 3yo. Put them in the window seat, you take the isle seat. I'd say, pretty much whenever your DH boards w/ your 7yo, that middle seat is still pretty likely to be open. I realize it puts you in charge of both kids, but if the other choice is having her by herself, then to me, it's a no brainer. And once DH gets her to you, you could actually sit in the middle seat if they wouldn't travel well next to one another. I don't know, but I think you have one of the easier situations to resolve when it comes to boarding. JMHO though.

 

[bavaria]

bolding is mine...
Ummm, you need to get the order straight
Those with disabilities board FIRST before ANYONE else, not between A and B with the families w/ small children. And for the record, we have been on flights espically leaving MCO where they skipped the family boarding altogether as they may as well have boarded the whole plane in that group. We also had it happen ONE time from BWI. Pretty much the whole plane was full of families with small children.

What really saddens me is why SW changed family boarding to after the A group, and why most other US airlines cancelled family boarding altogether. Many carriers have had issues with families literally mowing down the 'special needs' passengers on the jetway. SW in particular gave that reason.

I see it all the time, even on airlines where families are expressly forbidden to preboard, but sometimes force their way on anyways. I certainly don't want a toddler to be running past an unstable adult, or children playing tag or pushing each other past people who are unsteady on their feet. But I see that all the time.

The reality is that a few parents on this thread and many in real life have given today's generation of parents a bad name when it comes to flying. Most of us realise that it isn't the majority, but it is the vocal minority who are so selfish and entitled (and yet turn around and call other names) who make flying so unpleasant some days.

I have always said that it tends to be adults who behave worse than children, and that is usually the case.

This may be a case of the first of the 'me first' generation becoming parents, and instilling that 'me only' into their children. Of course children are important, and of course they matter, but it sickens me that people think that they can take precedence over the elderly or the disabled. What ever happened to having respect for those people?

Maybe it is time for everyone to step back and stop looking at themselves and look at others for a moment.

 

[Lewisc]

Also, if everyone just had some gumption and "Just Said NO" to the early check in fee, it wouldn't be a problem.

Some passengers are unable, or unwilling, to be at a computer (or mobile web device) at T-24. I'm not sure why people who are able and willing to be at their computer at T-24 should be the passengers who get the low numbered BPs.

I agree with your point. Passengers (probably) won't have to pay $10 to sit next to family members.

Assume a flight without any continuing passengers. Assume almost no disability pre-boards and very few family mid-boards. Assuming every passenger takes a window or aisle seat passengers with a C BP will be the first group to be separated. The fact is almost all of the passengers with B BP and frequently many of the Cs can get seats together.

Passengers won't be happy paying for an B BP. Some of us think SW will wind up increasing the $10 fee to reduce the number of passengers paying for EB.

I think this is a big non-issue. Passengers with young kids (under 4) won't have to worry.

A couple of times I wound up sitting next to a child (8?) with a parent in the seat behind me. He did his homework during the flight.

A child who's old enough to go to school by himself is old enough to sit a few rows from a parent. I don't understand the bathroom point some posters are making. Don't most kids at school have to use the bathroom at least once during the school year. Don't the FAs show the locations of the bathrooms during the safety lecture? Can't the child walk down the aisle and find the parent if there is a question?

This really isn't SW BP issue. Family mid-boarding should take care of famlies with kids under 4. Checking in at T-24 should still give passengers a high A or B BP. Passengers who wait and check in at the airport still wind up with B BPs (sometimes). Sometimes you can't help getting to the gate very late. Flat tire. Security selects you for "special" screening. Your incoming flight is late and the airline holds your connecting flight. The GA tells you to just grab any empty seat. The flight crew is waiting for you to buckle your seat belt so they can push back. Parents should be prepared for the possibility of being split.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

You're flying Southwest? Impossible - given that there are NO assigned seats, EVER, on Southwest.
There's no "trend". Southwest does not preassign seats. Never did (well, except for one short-lived, apparently unsuccessful, brief period at one airport). ALL other airlines preassign seats.

Actuallly if you had read a previous post you would of seen I was speaking of Air Tran. They charge $6 to assign seats. My point being everyone has assumed paying a fee is the way to solve the problem. Unfortunately, I have paid the fee and I had to choose a window and aisle for both my children, my husband and myself. I will be boarding the plane expecting to ask the person in the middle seat to allow me to switch with them to sit next to my two year old. Assuming a person is coming up to you because they didn't pay their fee is a bad assumption.

Also for the bad rap parents with small children seem to have with business travelers a previous poster has mentioned...I'm afraid I've been on both sides before children..and I've seen the business traveller, scrambling for the front row...Stuffing his/her just barely the right size carryon in to the best overhead bin they can find (even if its 10 rows up from their seat and not allowing for people in those seats to have a place for their bags)...I've also seen that same business traveler push people aside to get off that plane, wacking people off the head getting their carry-on out of the overhead bin. The picture is not all that pretty either.

We all have our priorities, but civility and common courtesy to all our fellow travelers regardless of their predicament would certainly go a long way to make it more pleasant experience.

 

[Lewisc]

Airtran has some planes that are 2-3 configuration. One bank of seats only has a window and an aisle seat. I'm not sure if that's the case with your seats but I'd be surprised to find a significant number of passengers voluntarily selected the middle seat.

Actuallly if you had read a previous post you would of seen I was speaking of Air Tran. They charge $6 to assign seats. My point being everyone has assumed paying a fee is the way to solve the problem. Unfortunately, I have paid the fee and I had to choose a window and aisle for both my children, my husband and myself. I will be boarding the plane expecting to ask the person in the middle seat to allow me to switch with them to sit next to my two year old. Assuming a person is coming up to you because they didn't pay their fee is a bad assumption.

Also for the bad rap parents with small children seem to have with business travelers a previous poster has mentioned...I'm afraid I've been on both sides before children..and I've seen the business traveller, scrambling for the front row...Stuffing his/her just barely the right size carryon in to the best overhead bin they can find (even if its 10 rows up from their seat and not allowing for people in those seats to have a place for their bags)...I've also seen that same business traveler push people aside to get off that plane, wacking people off the head getting their carry-on out of the overhead bin. The picture is not all that pretty either.

We all have our priorities, but civility and common courtesy to all our fellow travelers regardless of their predicament would certainly go a long way to make it more pleasant experience.

 

[PaddingtonBear]

So here's something I don't understand- a very young child- like 4 and under, probably truly cannot sit alone. I know if I plunked my 2 year old on to a seat surrounded by strangers, he'd scream inconsolably and probably try to wiggle out of his seat belt and make a run for it. So why is it that these passengers, very very young children, are not treated like any disabled person that requires seating next to a companion? I am all for parent responsibility- and that is one reason I choose to fly on an airline that assigns seats- but it seems to me that very young children do have special needs and they are paying customers. Why are they less entitled to seating with a companion than, say, someone with a broken leg? They are just as unable to sit alone.

Southwest used to have family boarding that pretty much guaranteed that children under 4 were seated with a companion. Now with the new boarding process, it may be impossible for parents of children under 4 to find seats together, no matter how careful and responsible the parent is. That's hardly fair to the customer with the special need- in this case a young child.

I think this is the airline's problem. I don't think they need to gaurantee that families can sit together. Most kids over 5 will be ok without mom for a couple of hours, and definately the whole family doesn't *need* to sit together in most cases. But a 2 year old definately needs his/her mom/dad/grandma/aunt/whatever to have a safe, comfortable flight. The airline needs to find some way to make sure that happens for the very little ones.

 

[crashbb]

So here's something I don't understand- a very young child- like 4 and under, probably truly cannot sit alone. I know if I plunked my 2 year old on to a seat surrounded by strangers, he'd scream inconsolably and probably try to wiggle out of his seat belt and make a run for it. So why is it that these passengers, very very young children, are not treated like any disabled person that requires seating next to a companion? I am all for parent responsibility- and that is one reason I choose to fly on an airline that assigns seats- but it seems to me that very young children do have special needs and they are paying customers. Why are they less entitled to seating with a companion than, say, someone with a broken leg? They are just as unable to sit alone.

Southwest used to have family boarding that pretty much guaranteed that children under 4 were seated with a companion. Now with the new boarding process, it may be impossible for parents of children under 4 to find seats together, no matter how careful and responsible the parent is. That's hardly fair to the customer with the special need- in this case a young child.

I think this is the airline's problem. I don't think they need to gaurantee that families can sit together. Most kids over 5 will be ok without mom for a couple of hours, and definately the whole family doesn't *need* to sit together in most cases. But a 2 year old definately needs his/her mom/dad/grandma/aunt/whatever to have a safe, comfortable flight. The airline needs to find some way to make sure that happens for the very little ones.

As it stands now, families with very young children (4 or under) can board between the A group and the B group. Since the A group is limited to 60 people (assuming that all 15 slots reserved for Business Select and RR A+ are used), unless there is a very, very large number of blue sleeve pre-boarders, there should be no problem with every young child sitting beside an adult. It would be an extraordinary situation (e.g. lots of blue sleeve pre-boarders and/or many, many young children) for this not to happen (assuming no saving of seats be early boarders and no huge family groups coming on board with one young child).

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't think it is fair to accuse parents who wish to sit with their very small children of being entitled. They are no more entitled than a disabled individual who wouldn't be required to pay extra to board a plane if early boarding is necessary for their condition.

A child who is in diapers and unable to communicate their needs--clearly is someone who needs a caregiver.

This would be my 2yo son. My husband flies Southwest frequently and as far as he knows, preboarding with a child this young is still okay. We will still get our boarding passes at 24 hours out for our December trip cross country. I do not expect that our entire family will get to sit together, but I would expect an airline to realize that it is inappropriate for a child of that age and ability to sit with a complete stranger.

I won't raise a stink on the plane--but it is ridiculous as someone said for a passenger with special needs to pay extra so that those special needs can be met on an airline that does not assign seats. This isn't entitlement--but simply common sense.

I am concerned about our brief layover on our connection, but we'll just deal with it. We have no control over that unfortunately and can understand the airline won't delay boarding to wait for us. In that case--an extra $1000 wouldn't help that predicament.

I guess the sure fire way around this is to fly with a lap child before they turn 2. Then only one seat is needed and the passenger(s) can be in the last boarding group, last ones on the flight and it wouldn't matter.

 

[tjmw2727]

Southwest currently has measures in place to help make sure that young children - 4 and under are seated with at least one parent or adult. Southwest has responded that this isn't changing with the EBCI.

So families with children 4 and under still board after the A group. That means 60 A bps and some pre-boarders. There are @ 137 seats on the aircraft - if you are at the gate on time there is no reason why a child 4 and under wouldn't be seated with at least one adult in the party. You would have a choice of roughly 70 empty seats.

IMHO this is a better situation than some of the legacy airlines. Most of us are no longer booking "child fares" since the adult online discount fares are cheaper. This means the computer has no idea if a passenger is indeed an adult or a child flying on an adult fare. When a legacy airline has a an equipment change or a time change (even 5 minutes) sometimes the computer scrambles the seats. Most times you can go online and fix it other times you can't. To the best of my knowledge no airline guarantees seats.

Having been separated from my kids several times on airlines with "assigned seats" but never on SWA I think SWA does a better job trying to make sure that young children can sit with at least one adult in the party.

As for the rest of us flying SWA we can take our chances at T 24, purchase business select and guarantee an A bp or pay the $10 fee for EBCI. If I had a child in the 5-7 age range I would definately pay the EBCI fee to give me the best chance to sit at least 1-1 with the kids. I would also prepare them and make sure they had what they need to sit alone if necessary.

TJ

 

[Lewisc]

I don't think the PP read this thread. The issue isn't with kis under 5. SW offers family mid-boarding. Passengers would volunteer to move for a young child.

Posters in this thread, and the thread in the transporation board, have an issue being seperated from kids as old as 12. Sorry but I won't move away from my wife so a parent who didn't want to pay $10 can sit next to her 12 hear old child.

A child who's old enough to ride a school bus without a parent is old enough to fly and sit a few rows from a parent.

 

[tjmw2727]

I don't think the PP read this thread. The issue isn't with kis under 5. SW offers family mid-boarding. Passengers would volunteer to move for a young child.

Posters in this thread, and the thread in the transporation board, have an issue being seperated from kids as old as 12. Sorry but I won't move away from my wife so a parent who didn't want to pay $10 can sit next to her 12 hear old child.

A child who's old enough to ride a school bus without a parent is old enough to fly and sit a few rows from a parent.

Wow, if I am the PP you refered to I indeed read the entire thread - including the two posts I responded to.

Two of the three posters just prior to my post were posting about the need for young children to sit with an adult on SWA. Both mentioned, "very yong children" and "children 4 and under" I was responding to their concerns.

Paddington Bear - post 271
"Southwest used to have family boarding that pretty much guaranteed that children under 4 were seated with a companion. Now with the new boarding process, it may be impossible for parents of children under 4 to find seats together, no matter how careful and responsible the parent is. That's hardly fair to the customer with the special need- in this case a young child."
(sorry I don't know how to double quote!)

As for older children I agree - as I said in my post that folks with older children should be prepared and prepare their children to sit apart if necessary.

TJ

 

[Lewisc]

Wow, if I am the PP you refered to I indeed read the entire thread - including the two posts I responded to.

Two of the three posters just prior to my post were posting about the need for young children to sit with an adult on SWA. Both mentioned, "very yong children" and "children 4 and under" I was responding to their concerns.

It was the 2 of the 3 posters prior to your post, obviously not your post. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[bavaria]

this isn't about 2 year olds - it is about older children. If SW keeps family boarding as is, there is really no way (unless the entire aircraft is families) that a family using that boarding will not find at least two seats together. Now, if that family chooses to arrive late at the airport, or doesn't take ME 3 hours before their flight as scheduled, and they miss family boarding, that is their choice, but they should take some personal responsibility for that choice. (And we see people all the time asking if they really need to be there that early)

Again, if this whole EB stays the way it is today, then there are some choices people can make. Those with children young enough should family board. Those with older children may want to buy at least two EB and/or check in at the 24 mark to ensure that they get better boarding positions.

EVERYONE has a choice to be responsible for themselves. And EVERYONE pays 'good money' for their trip - for those of you who like to bring that up, do you really think that the rest of us paid with chocolate coins?

 

[Mkrop]

I don't think the PP read this thread. The issue isn't with kis under 5. SW offers family mid-boarding. Passengers would volunteer to move for a young child.

Posters in this thread, and the thread in the transporation board, have an issue being seperated from kids as old as 12. Sorry but I won't move away from my wife so a parent who didn't want to pay $10 can sit next to her 12 hear old child.

A child who's old enough to ride a school bus without a parent is old enough to fly and sit a few rows from a parent.

Once again, WHAT school bus are you riding? Comparing a 10 minute school bus ride, to a 2+ more hours airplane ride is insane.

Like I said before I will take personal responsibility to have my 12 year old with ear problems and my scared to death 6 year old sit with me and pay the fee, but my kids riding a bus is not comparable to an airplane ride. So no I wont ask you to move your seat, but this stinks that SW changed this bc before I could control my seating arrangement by checking in at the 24 hr mark. If I could control that with the EB fee, then I would do that too but unfortnately the way SW structured this policy there is no guarantee of anything.

So I went from flying an airline that had decent times,direct flights, reasonable prices, nice customer service, wasnt USAir (out of PHL is a complete nightmare) to now struggling with how to book my airfare. SW was a nice alternative to USAir bc many of the other airlines out of PHL involve connections and I do no want to have to subject my child and his ears to multiple landings if I can help it.

I think what you are hearing out of parents is the frustration of having our choices of airfare limited. All we (or maybe I should say I) want is to sit with our kids. Under the old policy I was able to make this happen. Now I feel like my chocies are limited and I have less control. I think that scenario is frustrating for most people.

 

[LWatson]

From now on I think we will be flying w/ a Diff company. I did the math the other day. If it had not been for a $110 credit I had w/ SWA I would have flown $110 cheaper on AA and/or Continental. Yes I would have paid to check bags, but we could get away w/ 1 BIG suitcase (we have been looking into a really big one anyway) and a carry on and STILL come out cheaper than SWA w/o the EB.

When I had researched the flights a few months ago most of them were over $1000 for us that is why I booked the $700 SWA fare (again after $110 credit). Now I looked and they are only $690 for us after taxes and stuff on AA and Cont.