southwest boarding etiquette

[clutter]

Is there a way to see how full a flight is?

 

[TDC Nala]

Seat saving in preferred seats (i.e. the front of the plane) is going to be difficult, because if someone boarding before the people you're saving for wants that seat, they're going to get it if they insist on getting it. The flight attendants are likely not going to ask for people to move so a family of 3 can sit together, as long as a parent is already seated with the child. Your best bet is to do what some of the previous posters said - board the child with her father in the B section, you board with the A section (or board the child with you if the gate agents say that's OK), move to the back of the plane and explain to people coming back there to sit that your husband and daughter are boarding. Other boarders will have more options regarding where they can sit, and they will be more likely to politely move on.

 

[pooch]

DD and I always head immediately for the back of the plane (yes, we do land first ) and I have been lucky enough to have very low A passes each time. We take a window & an aisle seat 2 or 3 rows from the very back and almost always have the middle seat empty for the flight. People tend to fill from the front back & usually all find seats before they get to us. We get extra room and a chance to chat with the flight staff! I have never had a problem with SWA boarding and the staff is very good about making sure kids are seated with at least 1 adult & will ask people to move if necessary. Don't worry, you'll be fine.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

If your entire party has a B seat or smaller, you should have no problem sitting together at the back of the plane. Like a PP said, there's no need to hurry off the plane if you've checked your bags as you will have to wait at baggage claim anyway.

We love Southwest and I wouldn't call it a cattle call for seating. They are effiicient which helps them stay on time more often. You have an assigned place in line and everyone boards orderly. They have several direct flights to Orlando, are priced much lower than their local competitors (Frontier and United) and don't charge extra fees for bags, changing your flights, extra legroom, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, etc.

 

[Jestocost]

there's no need to hurry off the plane if you've checked your bags as you will have to wait at baggage claim anyway.

Not if you're using the DME luggage transfer service, FWIW.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Not if you're using the DME luggage transfer service, FWIW.

True....but only if you check one bag per person. DME only gave us one bag sticker per person. We had 7 bags for the 5 of us, so we still had to wait at baggage claim.

 

[LoveToDisney]

We were lined up near the front of "A" boarding once in a location we were connecting thru. My husband had a different number so he was several numbers ahead of me in line which didn't matter since I would see him later inside the plane. There were a few ladies in front of me and two men sorta hanging to the right of us but not showing their boarding cards to get in line with the rest of us so I figured they were "B" boarders, waiting for all the A's to get on. Well, when the line started to move, those men rushed over and tried to join their two wives. A woman in front of me started screaming at them, making a fuss because they were trying to jump the line. The two men said they had a right to since their spouses had "A" boarding passes. Wow! That was more excitement than I've ever experienced at the airport! I can't even remember what was the final outcome but I think the woman in front of me blocked the men from getting in line (or scared them back with all her screaming )

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm a SWA rookie here (only flown one time with them) but is it really that difficult to save seats for the rest of your family...especially the front? I know that if I got on the plane and saw one person saving a row of seats for the rest of their family, I wouldn't think twice about and go on back

Passengers who want to hold seats for later-boarding members of their party SHOULD head to the back of the plane. Many, many passengers want to sit near the front, and technically Southwest doesn't allow seat-saving. Leave the front seats for the passengers boarding between you and the rest of your party, and head toward the back of the plane. Since seats can't be saved, anyone boarding in order is entitled to sit in any seat being 'held'.

Or, you can just all board with the highest-numbered boarding pass in your party.

Saving seats in the front will especially be a problem. Everyone wants to sit in the front, because it arrives in Orlando first

Pay close attention next time - the front of the plane may arrive over the runway first... but the back of the plane LANDS first

So, if I were you... I'd just double-check with the gate staff (ask nicely what you should do) and board at A43 and bring the little one along with me. Go all the way to the back and have a seat. Then wait for DH.

Respectfully, expecting even a child to cut in front of forty-plus passengers is poor boarding etiquette, especially since there are two adults. The solutions are (a) the OP boards at her turn, heads to the back of the plane, and does her best to hold two more seats which her DH and DD will occupy when they board with the B36-B40 group; or all three of them can board with that group.

 

[kaytieeldr]

True....but only if you check one bag per person. DME only gave us one bag sticker per person. We had 7 bags for the 5 of us, so we still had to wait at baggage claim.

Arghh! If only you'd asked here when you got your luggage tags! Disney is only sending one per registered Guest because most airlines charge for all checked luggage, and even JetBlue charges for the second one. Guests arriving on the more generous Southwest merely need to call Magical Express and request more luggage tags.

 

[pooch]

True....but only if you check one bag per person. DME only gave us one bag sticker per person. We had 7 bags for the 5 of us, so we still had to wait at baggage claim.

Why didn't you just request more tags? Or give your baggage claim tickets to the DME counter person? I don't think they limit your bags to 1 per person. They're just saving on yellow tags.