Southwest and kids and sitting together

[gibby157]

Hi All,

We will flying Southwest later in the year and looking to get the best deal we are just planning to get the cheapest tickets - with no extras, etc.

We are 2 adults and 2 kids - 10 and 14. It would be great to have an adult site with a kids.

Seeing as we won't be paying to able select our seat - I'm a little concerned.

If we check in online 24 hours before flying - are we allocated seats then - or is it just take your chance as you are boarding the plane? Or do they allocate seats before you board?

I thought I read somewhere that if you have kids they allocate seats and board you in a different group??? but is that for a price, or do the kids have to be really young?

So many questions... thanks in advance.

Gibby

 

[Jessica527]

Typically if you have kids under 12, they will board you first before all other passengers. (Unless it is a first class offered plane). At that time you can pick seats with them.

I flew with Southwest in 2009 so I am not sure if it has changed. When you get to the airport, I recommend talking to a representative about seating arrangements.

I know they won't let you and your kids get split up if they are under 12.

 

[Lewisc]

Typically if you have kids under 12, they will board you first before all other passengers. (Unless it is a first class offered plane). At that time you can pick seats with them.

I flew with Southwest in 2009 so I am not sure if it has changed. When you get to the airport, I recommend talking to a representative about seating arrangements.

I know they won't let you and your kids get split up if they are under 12.

NO NO NO NEVER TRUE Family pre-boarding was changed to family mid-boarding before 2009. It always applied to a child 4 or younger with an adult. Some GAs were more liberal and some parents seem to "forget" the age of their kids. A number of rude parents seem to think the rules don't apply to them and used family boarding with kids older then 4. Takes a lot of nerve to think a 12 year old qualifies for family boarding when the announced rule is 4 or younger.

There isn't a single accurate statement in your post.
SW has open seating.

They will certainly let a 12 year old sit apart from their parents. Absolutely no reason to talk to a representative. SW has open seating. Passengers no eligible for pre-boarding and family mid-boarding board as per the sequence number on their BP.



From SWs site
http://www.southwest.com/html/generated/help/faqs/boarding_school_faq.html

 

[Big Willie]

Just flew SW yesterday. I have never had to sit apart from my children and we go to Disney EVERY YEAR. You just need to learn the system. Things have changed a bit since Jessica flew Southwest. "Family Boarding is for parents with children 4 and under and they board after the A Group.

Quick SW lesson

There are no assigned seats. You board in three groups. "A", "B" or "C." Groups are assigned when you check in. Groups A and B have 60 slots each. Group C makes up the rest. Checkin starts 24 hours prior to your departure. Additionally you are given a numerical order along with your group. Say you checkin at 23:59 prior to your flight. You would receive a boarding numbers of A24,A25, A27, A29 (example only). At the airport you line up under the signs at your assigned spot. Don't get alarmed you can all line up together. There is no hall monitor asking you to count off in numerical order. Once onboard sit anywhere you like.

There are 137 seats on the plane It is a three seat on both side configuration.

Chances of being split up.
A Group - (no chance)
B Group - (slim to none unless you have maybe B50-B60 and you have a group of ten)
C Group - (some chance, especially leaving Orlando)

Increasing your chances of an A Group Boarding
1. Purchase Business Select Fare. You are assigned boarding A1 - A15 if you purchase business select. (its your money)

2. Purchase Early Bird Checkin ($10 each person). SW will automatically check you in at the 36 hr prior point rather than to 24 hr prior point. While not guaranteed I have never gotten more than A40 when using Early Bird.

3. If you choose not to use Early Bird, then checkin at exactly the 24hr point.

I know lots of people are nervous over the "no seat assignment" In my 10+ years of using SW it is RARE to see families split up. The only one that are split are the one who for whatever reason end up in the C Group. If it really bothers you then pay the $40 for the Early Bird. If it somewhat bothers you checkin at exactly 24 hr. If you are really stressed purchase Business Select.

 

[funforfive]

OP...If you can be sure to get on-line at exactly the 24hr mark, you should get into at least the B boardong group. You may need to go towards the back of the plane but should each get to sit with a child...maybe not same row, but 2 seats together should be doable

 

[Big Willie]

YES! YES! You've got it. Sunday I checked in for my Monday flight at exactly the 24 hr point and got A33 for my flight to Providence, RI. Wednesday I used Early Bird because I was in a meeting at the 24 hr point. I got A40.

Hope this eases the stress.

 

[Lewisc]

Things have changed a bit since Jessica flew Southwest. "Family Boarding is for parents with children 4 and under and they board after the A Group.

Jessica said she last flew with Southwest in 2009. The current boarding procedure was implemented in 2007. A 12 year old child never entitled a SW passenger to family boarding. Frequently the GA would let the entire family board if the family included a child under 5. The OPs kids are 10 and 14. They wouldn't qualify for family boarding and the GA/FA would certainly let them sit apart from their parents.

The other pp are correct. Check in at T-24 and you'll almost certainly get at least B BPs which under almost any circumstances will let you get seats together near the back of the plane.

 

[gibby157]

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the information. I think I'll be going with the online check in 24 hour before - sort of adds to the adventure!

Thanks
Gibby

 

[Lewisc]

What airport and approximately what time of day will your flight depart?

Passengers connecting at your airport will be getting their BPs 24 hours before their first flight, a couple of hours before your 24 hour window opens.

I'd probably pay for early bird check in if my flight was originating in a city that accommodates a lot of connecting passengers. Airports like LAS, BWI and MDW.

People on a continuing flight will already be on the plane. People connecting in your city will be getting their BP before you. A listers will be ahead of you. People paying for EBCI will be ahead of you.

 

[stacieps]

Flew SW last month with my 2 kids (13 and 11). Due to flight cancellations/delays (weather) and rebooking, we ended up with C BPs (2, 3, and 4). There were no seats available together when we boarded. We did find seats all within a row of each other. My kids fly 3-4 times a year, and have everything they need/want in their own bag (gum, snacks, videogame, ipod, etc), so they had no problems sitting "alone".

 

[ccgirl]

I used to exclusively fly SW (until AirTran was cheaper). Anyway, I have flown many times with children. I only fly non-stop/direct flights to/from MCO. If your flight is the 2nd half of a flight there will already be people on the plane lessening your chances of sitting together.

Even with "C" boarding passes, in our case, one adult has always been able to sit with one child. Albeit, it was the last row of the plane but we were together. Flight attendant's will do what they can to sit small children with their parents. (not sure 10 and 14 constitutes small). Anyway, it is open seating as a PP pointed out. Nobody is given a seat assignment ahead of time. Business class boards first, then A, then family boarding (sometimes they decrease the age to 2), then B, then C.

If you have a web enabled mobile phone you can check in using that and just print your boarding pass when you get to the airport. The boarding position is assigned upon checkin not upon printing he boarding pass.

Once you fly them once you really understand. I know it is confusing. There is, or at least their used to be, a little video regarding their boarding process on their website.

 

[brymolmom]

If it is very important that you sit together - I would recommend paying for the early check in.

But with kids those ages - I would think you would be all set with the SLIGHT chance of being separated.

 

[MHSweb79]

We fly Southwest all the time and really, you have nothing to worry about unless you are in the C group for boarding.

Once or twice we've even had flight attendants walk up & down the aisle to ask if anyone would switch seats so a parent can sit with their child. Somebody always did so it worked out.

It's really not a big deal - save your stress for something important!

 

[Lewisc]

We fly Southwest all the time and really, you have nothing to worry about unless you are in the C group for boarding.

Once or twice we've even had flight attendants walk up & down the aisle to ask if anyone would switch seats so a parent can sit with their child. Somebody always did so it worked out.

It's really not a big deal - save your stress for something important!

The OPs kids are 10 and 14. The FA is unlikely to ask for volunteers to switch when the kids are that old.

 

[Diegosmom]

I have seen where only one parent is allowed to board with a child 4 and under and the other parent has to board per there letter but I have also seen where both parents can board with the 1 child.

I really wish they would up the age. I am sorry but a 5 year old is not old enough to sit by himself/herself and most of the time when someone has someone under 10 they want to sit with them so the end up searching and searching for 2 seats only to have the flight attendant then ask people to move so the parent can sit with the child. Holding everyone up.

I always get online 24 hours in advance and have always at least got a B.

 

[tlenzendorf]

What is the latest you can add early bird check in? If I check in at 23:59 and don't like my boarding call(section, group? not sure what to call it?), can I add early bird on then?

 

[MommyJack]

I would recommend early bird check in if you are not able to get to a computer at the 24 hr mark. We flew in Oct and had two separate reservation #'s because we booked MIL on a senior ticket. At the exact 24 hr mark I was online to check in, but because of the two reservations we got B for us and C for MIL. Even with that disparity, we were still able to sit together.

Also, on the way we stopped in Baltimore a family of 5 (2A, 3K) got on and could not find seats together. One of the little girls, I'm guessing she was 6, sat across the isle from me and she was just fine. Her dad was 2 rows behind and her big sister was directly behind her. The dad could see both girls the whole time.

 

[MommyJack]

What is the latest you can add early bird check in? If I check in at 23:59 and don't like my boarding call(section, group? not sure what to call it?), can I add early bird on then?

Check the website, but once the 24 hr window has started I know for sure early bird is not available.

 

[goofy4tink]

What is the latest you can add early bird check in? If I check in at 23:59 and don't like my boarding call(section, group? not sure what to call it?), can I add early bird on then?

You would be about 12 hrs late. The whole purpose of EBCI is that SW will check those who purchased EBCI 36 hrs before flight vs regular 24 hr checkin.

That's the purpose of buying EBCI.....you get checked in 12 hrs before the 'regular' passengers and you don't have to worry about being near a computer. Especially nice when leaving WDW.

 

[NotUrsula]

I really wish they would up the age. I am sorry but a 5 year old is not old enough to sit by himself/herself and most of the time when someone has someone under 10 they want to sit with them so the end up searching and searching for 2 seats only to have the flight attendant then ask people to move so the parent can sit with the child. Holding everyone up.

Age 5 is the legal age that a child may fly unaccompanied on US carriers; that's the reason for that age cut-off. As long as you are in the same cabin on the same aircraft, you can go and check on them often, which is no less than a FA does for an actual UM.

I fly a LOT with kids, both domestic and internationally, and SWA's putting you in control of where you sit is actually better than assigned seating IME. I've been separated from my kids on a lot of airlines, but never on SWA.

PS: You don't have to use a computer to check in 24 hours out; you can also use an internet-enabled cell phone to do it if you have one. If it isn't a smart phone, however, it can take a bit long and possibly break up your boarding number sequence.