Southwest airlines priority boarding.

[dchronister]

Has anyone ever booked priority boarding with Southwest and not gotten to sit with your companions. We didn't book priority boarding on a flight to Las Vegas and it was a crap shoot, on the way out we got to check in on line and were up front in the B boarding group, on the way home we didn't have a way to check in early and we were way in the back of boarding group B and barely got two seats together. With priority boarding it says that they check you in automatically before anyone else even has a chance to check in online so that should put us way up in the boarding process, right? My sister in law is freaking out since there are no seat selections that she won't be able to sit next to my neice who is 6. I know everyone on here was talking about being split up with their party, was priority boarding purchased? Does anyone have any experience with Southwest priority boarding? I'm thinking we will be some of the first on the plane, other than business class purchases, but we will be purchasing the cheap fare, the wanna get away or what ever it is called, but are also gonna purchase the priority boarding. Any info will be helpful. Thanks

 

[kaytieeldr]

Are you talking about the $12.50 per person/direction Early Bird Check In? Southwest checks you in 36 hours before your initial flight and assigns your boarding location. You find it out at 24 hours prior to flight time. Many passengers use it, so you don't necessarily board right after the business fares; you do generally board before passengers who checked themselves in 24 hours or less before departies.

Or are you talking about tge fairly new option to pay $40 per person at the airport to board in the A1-A15 group if not all those positions are taken?

 

[goofy4tink]

I love flying with SW. Sometimes I pay for Early Bird Checkin (EBCI), sometimes I don't. Depends on where I'm going, and with whom.
I usually pay for EBCI when I am leaving Orlando. That way, I don't have to worry about checking in at the 24 hr window. Now, understand...if you pay the addtl fee ($12.50 now I think), it gets you checked in at the 36 hr mark...basically before those checking in at the 24 hr window. This puts you closer to the front of the boarding lines. It does not mean you will all get an A group slot!!!
I have flown on full SW planes. I have seen those boarding in the B group finding seats together. No, those seats are not in the front of the plane. You may have to go further back. But, even those in the early C group find pairs of seats together. So, your sister in law should have no issue finding a pair of seats together. If you don't pay the addtl fee, you may very well find yourself in the end of the B group.

If you are going to be in a place that does not give you the opportunity to checkin for your SW flight, at the 24 hr window? You are much better off paying for EBCI!! Otherwise, you are going to have to take your chances with checking in right at the airport, which is going to give you a less than wonderful boarding position.

 

[dchronister]

Yes, I am talking about the $12 or $12.50 which ever it is, and she is just terrified that her child may have to sit with strangers, which i don't blame her, I would be too. I know it won't get me in the A group, but I was just curious if anyone ever did the priority boarding only to find the plane full and had to sit away from your traveling companion.

 

[rwdavis2]

Yes, I am talking about the $12 or $12.50 which ever it is, and she is just terrified that her child may have to sit with strangers, which i don't blame her, I would be too. I know it won't get me in the A group, but I was just curious if anyone ever did the priority boarding only to find the plane full and had to sit away from your traveling companion.

Never. You have to get a late very B to not be able to sit at least 2 together. I would pay the $12.

 

[goofy4tink]

Yes, I am talking about the $12 or $12.50 which ever it is, and she is just terrified that her child may have to sit with strangers, which i don't blame her, I would be too. I know it won't get me in the A group, but I was just curious if anyone ever did the priority boarding only to find the plane full and had to sit away from your traveling companion.

SW flies most of their planes completely full nowadays. Planes with empty seats, especially on SW, are not that common.
As I said, EBCI will not get you into the A group for certain, but it may! No way of knowing. But it certainly gives you a leg up over those that don't buy it!!
It's really not priority boarding. It's just an earlier checkin that gets you a better spot in the boarding lineup. True priority boarding goes to those paying either fully refundable or business select fares!! They don't need to pay extra for EBCI...they automatically get A1-15 spots!! Regular boarding starts with A16!!

So, it would be wise, in your case, to have everyone pay the EBCI fee. That way, there should be no issue finding pairs of seats together.

 

[goofy!]

Has anyone ever booked priority boarding with Southwest and not gotten to sit with your companions. We didn't book priority boarding on a flight to Las Vegas and it was a crap shoot, on the way out we got to check in on line and were up front in the B boarding group, on the way home we didn't have a way to check in early and we were way in the back of boarding group B and barely got two seats together. With priority boarding it says that they check you in automatically before anyone else even has a chance to check in online so that should put us way up in the boarding process, right? My sister in law is freaking out since there are no seat selections that she won't be able to sit next to my neice who is 6. I know everyone on here was talking about being split up with their party, was priority boarding purchased? Does anyone have any experience with Southwest priority boarding? I'm thinking we will be some of the first on the plane, other than business class purchases, but we will be purchasing the cheap fare, the wanna get away or what ever it is called, but are also gonna purchase the priority boarding. Any info will be helpful. Thanks

DH flew out to Vegas last Thursday. I checked him in at exactly the 24 hour mark, basically had the info in the computer and hit the send button when the minute changed. He got late B and ended up in a middle seat, but next to one of his coworkers that had boarded previously.

Went ahead and purchased the early boarding for his return tomorrow since we would not be close to a computer at the 24 hour mark. Just checked and he is A37. So it helps.

We had a funny incident last month. We flew out to San Diego on a flight that was completely full. I have a daughter with a disability, so I was pretty sure we would pre-board. However, we purchased the early bird for all of us just in case there was a problem pre-boarding. We all got early A boarding with the early bird. I wanted all options to make sure I sat next to her.

So, no problems getting the blue sleeve and DD and I pre-boarded along with another family. Since we had purchased early bird, DH was right behind us in the early A group and since he was early A, nobody had claimed our middle seat yet and we all sat together.

However, the other family that pre-boarded with us had an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair and two women that accompanied him into the plane. They proceeded to put him in the first row, aisle seat and then took rows 2 and 3 aisle seats. They refused to let anybody sit in the rest of seats in all three rows, so saving 6 additional seats. People were complaining to the flight attendants but they just shrugged their shoulders. Pretty much the last people to board, here came the rest of the family and sat in their prime seats.

The family did start telling people in the 1st 5 rows on the other side that they needed the overhead bins on each side. That was not tolerated by the flight attendants. In fact they told the family they could not reserve even the bin above them. Needless to say, when the last 6 people showed up in late C, there was no bin space for them and the family was not happy.

I thought it was hysterical that people were complaining about the seat saving and the flight attendants just allowed it. But try to save a spot in an overhead bin, the flight attendants were all over it.

I love Southwest. As long as you plan and buy the early bird, you are almost guaranteed to sit together. For those that are cheap, well, you take your chances.

 

[sam_gordon]

I thought it was hysterical that people were complaining about the seat saving and the flight attendants just allowed it. But try to save a spot in an overhead bin, the flight attendants were all over it.

I wonder if someone just sat in a "saved" seat if a FA would make them get up.

 

[BenandMorgsMom]

I have to chime in. Goofy4Tink could not be more accurate in her advice. We go back and forth from PVD to MCO every 7 weeks or so. We just came back from 2 trips in the last couple of months. From PVD down we make sure we check in at the 24 hour mark and no problems. From MCO....completely different situation. We always check in to the minute and lately we are way at the end of the B's. Fine for us. Our children are older now if they are flying down with us. We experienced just 3 weeks ago families frantically trying to get seats together. I have not flown on a flight NOT sold out in a very long time.
Bottom line. I think it is worth it to spend the extra for your piece of mind. Who needs the stress? Good Luck.

 

[kristenrice]

A little OT, but can you use a SW gift card to pay for EBCI? Just curious.....

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[PlutoPony]

One thing to consider is whether you're boarding a continuing flight. If you are, there may well be quite a few people who stay on from the inbound and take up a chunk of adjacent seats. That would leave less seats available from the get go and make it potentially more difficult to find seats together.

 

[goofy!]

One thing to consider is whether you're boarding a continuing flight. If you are, there may well be quite a few people who stay on from the inbound and take up a chunk of adjacent seats. That would leave less seats available from the get go and make it potentially more difficult to find seats together.

I don't know if this is typical, but last month we were on a connecting flight. We had a 25 minute layover so the connecting flight was already boarding.

We asked how early bird works when they are already boarding. We (and another family) had paid for early bird and had A30's. We were just curious because we really only wanted the seats together for the 1st longer leg. And we did state that we didn't care where our seats were on the connecting flight.

But, without us asking, the flight attendant called ahead to the gate and had them reserve seats for us. Since we paid for the early bird, they made sure we had it. We were the last people to board (plane ended up being late and they were holding the plane) and there were 5 seats in rows 4 and 5 with little 'reserved' signs on them:debwalk:.

So, don't know if this was typical or because we were traveling with kids with disabilities, but she told us that since we paid for it, they would save us seats on the connecting flight.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

Is there's way to check how full your flight is online?

 

[emilymad]

A little OT, but can you use a SW gift card to pay for EBCI? Just curious.....

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I couldn't use a gift card when I tried two weeks ago. I was using points to book the actually flight so I am not sure if that matters.


We flew to FLL in February. We had purchased EB months in advance. We ended up in the mid B's. We did get seats together but in the last few rows of the plane. I don't think that the end of the B group got to sit together. We had early A numbers on the way home so you just never know. I believe the EB are someone assigned based on the price you paid for the flight.

If people are worried about sitting together I would buy the EB.

 

[rgf207]

I wonder if someone just sat in a "saved" seat if a FA would make them get up.

No, as saved seats are not allowed. Anyone can sit in any open seat.

Is there's way to check how full your flight is online?

Unfortunately not.

 

[kristenrice]

I couldn't use a gift card when I tried two weeks ago. I was using points to book the actually flight so I am not sure if that matters.


We flew to FLL in February. We had purchased EB months in advance. We ended up in the mid B's. We did get seats together but in the last few rows of the plane. I don't think that the end of the B group got to sit together. We had early A numbers on the way home so you just never know. I believe the EB are someone assigned based on the price you paid for the flight.

If people are worried about sitting together I would buy the EB.

Thanks. I just booked DH and I using RR points. I'm not worried about our flight to MCO since I will be able to check in at 24 hours from home. I was thinking more about our return home. Since it is $12.50/person, I thought maybe I'd buy a $25 GC from Target to save my 5% but if I can't use it, there's not really a need.

 

[goofy!]

No, as saved seats are not allowed. Anyone can sit in any open seat.

Well, it was very much allowed on our flight. The women would not let anybody into the row, they would stand up and block anybody, saying the seats were saved. This is 3 rows worth of seats. Since it was row 1-3, the flight attendant was standing right there.

The plane was at 100% capacity, which was announced every couple of minutes. People were told to take any seat available as every seat in the plane was booked.

People did try to take the nice window seats available, especially when they were boarding the C group and everything else that was left were middle seats. The women would not let them in and numerous people turned to the flight attendant for help. The flight attendant confirmed that the seats were saved for family. And told them to move on down the plane. The flight attendant was helping the family save the seats. So, she was obviously very much allowing 3 people to save 6 additional seats.

Now, when they did board, it looked like grandma with two around 5 year olds and then some other adults. I can see not knowing and saving two seats for the two little ones, but the 3 rows for grandma, grandpa, aunts seemed a bit over the top.

 

[Danibelle]

Well, it was very much allowed on our flight. The women would not let anybody into the row, they would stand up and block anybody, saying the seats were saved. This is 3 rows worth of seats. Since it was row 1-3, the flight attendant was standing right there.

The plane was at 100% capacity, which was announced every couple of minutes. People were told to take any seat available as every seat in the plane was booked.

People did try to take the nice window seats available, especially when they were boarding the C group and everything else that was left were middle seats. The women would not let them in and numerous people turned to the flight attendant for help. The flight attendant confirmed that the seats were saved for family. And told them to move on down the plane. The flight attendant was helping the family save the seats. So, she was obviously very much allowing 3 people to save 6 additional seats.

Now, when they did board, it looked like grandma with two around 5 year olds and then some other adults. I can see not knowing and saving two seats for the two little ones, but the 3 rows for grandma, grandpa, aunts seemed a bit over the top.

If the FA was "helping" save 3 rows of seats, I would be writing to Southwest. This saving of seats is really getting out of hand.

 

[Best Aunt]

If the FA was "helping" save 3 rows of seats, I would be writing to Southwest.

If I had an issue with an airline, I would have to decide between writing and tweeting. Writing might help if you had an issue you wanted them to address personally. But from what I've heard, businesses don't like it if you tweet, because then the whole world sees that their customer service was poor. Some businesses have people assigned to monitor this type of tweet. I don't know if Southwest does.

Just a thought.

 

[Horselady2]

Recently flew Phx to DEN with spouse on SW. Short flight, but decided to pay Early Bird Check-in fees. Booked in January for late May/June flights. Get to AP for outbound flight & we have two consecutive A boarding passes. Gate agent announces that families traveling together should board together. All goes smoothly.

Return 10 days later from DEN, both tickets were booked simultaneously but we have two Confirmation numbers so SW can assign both parties a boarding position. I get A22 but spouse gets B1. Gate agent refuses to allow spouse to board with me. I get bumped from an aisle seat twice before he gets on & get told I cannot hold a seat for him. We end up in two different rows. Spouse is insulin dependent diabetic & goes into insulin reaction during the flight. I see his head dip & try to go forward to check on him but I'm chastised & told to get back in my seat due to mild turbulence. (rudely). Flight lands & I now have a problem getting spouse out of plane with two small carry on bags. I get him off the plane but he's walking like a drunk & I'm trying to hold up a 6'4 200+ lb man from falling. It was a stressful time bringing him back to normal sugar levels in the lounge area. If my spouse had died from insulin shock, I wonder how SW would defend this flawed boarding policy. I totally support early boarding for families with small children & handicapped individuals. But I resent when I see families with teenagers & people in wheelchairs who are later seen running in the baggage claim area who were permitted to board ahead of everyone. Surely, there's a better system than the one SW currently uses. I disagree with SW claim on their website that they don't nickel & dime customers to death. How greedy (and unfair) is it to pax when an airline reserves the first 15 A boarding positions in order to sell them at the airport @ $40 a person! Shameful.