Also, can someone tell me about SWA? We are thinking of using them to fly this Oct. and have never used them before. Are they pretty reliable?
How about that "no assigned seats"? Have you ever had problems getting seats together? Is it one big pushing match when boarding?
Please share your experiences with me.
SWA is not just "reliable", they are one of the biggest and most successful airlines in the US.
SWAs general admission-style boarding works quite well; I have never witnessed a pushing match on a SWA plane! Not only that, but in my experience, SWA planes actually board and get ready to taxi
faster than other airlines with assigned seating.
Here's how it works:
When each passenger shecks in to get their boarding pass, they are assigned to boarding groups A, B, and C (first-come, first served). You can check in up to 24 hours in advance of your scheduled flight time, either online or via web-enabled cell phone.
Checking in is the important part, not printing the boarding pass. If you check in from a web-enabled cell phone, or from a laptop, you will obviously not have a printer to print your boarding pass. But no matter - there are automated kiosks at the airport that can re-print your boarding pass for you when you arrive. The important part is checking in early!
TIP: Checking in online from home is easy, but checking in while you're at WDW might be a challenge, especially if you don't have a computer or web-enabled cell phone. But don't panic - you can get checked in at the Lobby Concierge or Guest Relations desk at any WDW resort. Most off-site hotels will have some kind of Guest Relations desk that will check in for you, too. This is a very common thing and quite easy to do. On my next trip, I will try using my cell phone for the first time, since I recently bought my first web-enabled phone. And I have already set a callendar item in the phone to remind me that it's time to check in, so I won't forget.
IMPORTANT TIP! No matter where or how you check in for your flight, you will need your confirmation number! Be sure that you have it written down and carry it with you so that you can check in when the time comes!
When you get to the gate, you wil see 4 queue areas - Pre-Board, A, B, and C. Get in the line that corresponds with your boarding group; most people start lining up about 30-40 minutes before the scheduled flight time.
When boarding begins, the gate attendants will call for pre-boarders first, then A, B, and C in order. When you get on the plane, you can sit in any seat - it's completely open, like general admission at a theater or ballpark.
Obviously, the earlier you get on the plane, the better selection of seats you will have, so make sure you check in early enough to get in the A boarding group, particularly if you are travelling with your whole family and want to be able to sit mostly together or near each other.
FYI: Pre-boarders are folks with special mobility needs, such as those in wheelchairs, and those travelling with children under 5 years of age. These folks are allowed to board first to allow them extra time to get situated. MCO is something of a special airport in that 80% of all its passengers are families with kids travelling on vacation. Because of this, some gate attendants at MCO will restrict pre-boarders to peole travelling with kids 4 and under, and will often limit the number of adults who can pre-board with each underage child to 1 or 2. These measures are taken to prevent the pre-board line from filling up with half the passengers on the flight!
