Southwest Airlines Question

[Puffy2]

mid B sounds pretty decent . Does that mean C groups rarely can sit together?

 

[supersnoop]

There's a whole transportation forum here with lots of great information about Southwest.

You need to determine which plane configuration is flying your route. Southwest's planes have between 21 and 30 rows of seats. There could be 80 people in front of you, plus anyone in family boarding. The size of the plane will make a big difference in you chances.

 

[NOLAteacher]

Here's another option for next time: pay the extra fee for an A boarding position for just one adult. That adult goes on and "holds" a row of seats for the family. I've don't that a few times.

 

[davkata]

We are a family of 5 and when we all travel together on Southwest, we are usually in the mid B boarding range. I always check in at exactly the 24 hour mark. We have never had a problem finding 2 rows together (3 and 2) although they are always in the back of the plane.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Here's another option for next time: pay the extra fee for an A boarding position for just one adult. That adult goes on and "holds" a row of seats for the family. I've don't that a few times.

Here's a better option: pay the extra fee for all passengers.

Soutgwest doesn't enforce a policy one way or the other regarding saving seats. They don't prohibit it, but if someone else wants to sit in a "saved" seat, the Flight Attendants won't suport the seat saver, either.

It's been my experience that sometimes other passengers will offer to move so that families can sit together. There shouldn't be a problem for you. Have a great trip!

It's best when asking someone to do a favor like this, to offer some incentive.

 

[CMNJ]

You probably will be ok to get all 3 in a row (though you may be all the way back on the plane)
Biggest factors are how many families board between A and B and if the plane does not originate in your city. I know you said you think it originates in your city so that's a good start. I will say that flying to Orlando there tend to be ALOT of families traveling and often with a 4 or under child-we prob had 10 families on our last trip using family boarding. We actually had paid for early bird checkin and got A on the way down but got B on the way back so we utilized family boarding-I noticed most other families using family boarding had high B or C #'s so depending on how many young ones are on your flight you could have a lot more people boarding before you than you realize. That being said A1-15 is held for business class so often times there really are only 50 people or so that board during A group.

 

[LBIJim]

.
Anyway, it sounds like things will be okay. I just never thought that if I was online right at the 24 hour mark, I wouldn't end up in an "A" position.
!

Your weren't the only person online right at the 24 hour mark. Probably several dozen other people on your flight were as well, and beat you by milliseconds.

Here's another option for next time: pay the extra fee for an A boarding position for just one adult. That adult goes on and "holds" a row of seats for the family. I've don't that a few times.

Despite popular belief, paying for Early Bird Check In doesn't guarantee an A seating position. Plenty of people who paid ended up with Bs.

 

[butsy113]

FWIW the flight attendants won't have your daughter sitting by herself. You will at least get one adult with her. We always plan ahead which kid goes with which adult. This takes away the stress at boarding. If we are lucky enough to find a row +1 that's great. If not oh well, we'll see the other two when we get to FL. If our pairs our separated, we are always close enough to communicate and pass snacks. Plan for the worst and be happy if you get a row together.

 

[disneygrandma]

If I understand the Early Bird Check in correctly, those people will be in line ahead of the people checking in at the 24 hr mark. Is that correct? I also believe that when you pay for the EB has a bearing. In other words, if you pay for EB 3 months out, you should have a better boarding position than someone who purchased EB just 1 wk before the departure date.

Does anyone know for sure if this is correct? I'm really hoping it is.

In the past, I've checked in from home at the 24 hr mark for our trip out, but then purchased EB for our trip home so that I wouldn't have to worry about doing that while on vacation. This trip though, we'll have 7 people, so I thought it would be less stressful to just go ahead & get EB for both ways.

 

[butsy113]

If I understand the Early Bird Check in correctly, those people will be in line ahead of the people checking in at the 24 hr mark. Is that correct? I also believe that when you pay for the EB has a bearing. In other words, if you pay for EB 3 months out, you should have a better boarding position than someone who purchased EB just 1 wk before the departure date.

Does anyone know for sure if this is correct? I'm really hoping it is.

In the past, I've checked in from home at the 24 hr mark for our trip out, but then purchased EB for our trip home so that I wouldn't have to worry about doing that while on vacation. This trip though, we'll have 7 people, so I thought it would be less stressful to just go ahead & get EB for both ways.

We always fly Southwest and yes you are correct. If you buy on release day and buy early bird you will have an earlier boarding than if you wait 1 month to add it.

We always buy EB check in for our return flight also. It saves with the stress. Plus we usually have a couple tickets on points and a couple on cash so it helps us board closer together.

 

[pesto78749]

one idea is to pay for early bird check in for one person in your group and that person saves seats. That said we have found 3 together in the back with that boarding number.

 

[awalker1015]

I'm sorry, honest mistake. I knew my brother and SIL were still able to use this when my older nephew was 8..didn't realize it was because of younger nephew being 4. Wasn't trying to advocate any lying or anything

Last two times I flew solo with my 7 and 9 year old we were waved into family boarding by the gate agent. I didn't ask for it and no one in B group seemed to have an issue. This was also on busy overbooked flights. So it may just depend on the gate agent. Definitely can't rely on it but you never know.
And FWIW I didn't read your post as anything but trying to be helpful.

 

[kaytieeldr]

one idea is to pay for early bird check in for one person in your group and that person saves seats. That said we have found 3 together in the back with that boarding number.

Here's a better idea: pay the extra fee for all passengers.

Southwest doesn't enforce a policy one way or the other regarding saving seats. They don't prohibit it, but if someone else wants to sit in a "saved" seat, the Flight Attendants won't suport the seat saver, either.

 

[Angel Ariel]

one idea is to pay for early bird check in for one person in your group and that person saves seats. That said we have found 3 together in the back with that boarding number.

My dad has A list status on Southwest, so he always gets an A boarding position. When he has flown with our family, he has given DH his boarding pass so that DH can board and install DD's car seat while the rest of us board with our boarding positions (whether we're further into the A group, or boarding with family boarding. The car seat usually deters other passengers from trying to sit with DH. (We have always bought a ticket for DD, even under 2, so she would be in her car seat).

That doesn't really apply to the OP so much, since her child is older. In that case, I'd probably just do EBCI for everyone.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

We always fly Southwest and yes you are correct. If you buy on release day and buy early bird you will have an earlier boarding than if you wait 1 month to add it.

We always buy EB check in for our return flight also. It saves with the stress. Plus we usually have a couple tickets on points and a couple on cash so it helps us board closer together.

Actually, there are more parameters than date of purchase. My DH and I planned to attend the DVC Member cruise in September of 2013. A couple of months later we added my DD. EBCI was bought when airfare was booked (2 months apart). Our DD got A21 and we had A54-A55. We had paid cash for our DD's ticket and had used points for ours.

So it doesn't always depend on the date your purchase the ECBI.

 

[Groomer Gal]

one idea is to pay for early bird check in for one person in your group and that person saves seats. That said we have found 3 together in the back with that boarding number.

My SIL is famous for doing this. (Which to be clear...I don't agree with at all)

Last year, SW attendants DID stop her from saving seats. It was a sold out flight and her daughters ages 11&13 ended up scattered throughout the plane. (Maybe if they were younger the flight attendants wouldn't have stopped it...I don't know)

I would just pay for the EBCI.

 

[maxiesmom]

My SIL is famous for doing this. (Which to be clear...I don't agree with at all)

Last year, SW attendants DID stop her from saving seats. It was a sold out flight and her daughters ages 11&13 ended up scattered throughout the plane. (Maybe if they were younger the flight attendants wouldn't have stopped it...I don't know)

I would just pay for the EBCI.

I'm glad to hear the FAs are stopping people from seat saving. Even if they didn't all it would take would be for a person to sit in those seats and your SIL would be up a creek. Any unoccupied seat is fair game.

 

[kenly777]

FWIW the flight attendants won't have your daughter sitting by herself. You will at least get one adult with her. We always plan ahead which kid goes with which adult. This takes away the stress at boarding. If we are lucky enough to find a row +1 that's great. If not oh well, we'll see the other two when we get to FL. If our pairs our separated, we are always close enough to communicate and pass snacks. Plan for the worst and be happy if you get a row together.

This is not always true. We were the last people getting on a plane due to our 1st leg running late. The flight attendants wanted to seat us all over the plane including my TWO year old son by himself. As one attendent actually tried to take my son out of my hands, a lovely older woman and her husband offered to sit separately. (Thank God!) So I guess there is no guarantee...

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I'm glad to hear the FAs are stopping people from seat saving. Even if they didn't all it would take would be for a person to sit in those seats and your SIL would be up a creek. Any unoccupied seat is fair game.

Southwest has no policy on seat saving. Usually FAs will not intervene in seat saving arguments.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

FWIW the flight attendants won't have your daughter sitting by herself. You will at least get one adult with her......

Not true. No US airline has a policy requiring that an adult family member be seated next to a minor child. You might be lucky and find a FA who persuades another passenger to move, but don't count on this happening.