southwest boarding etiquette

[britfish]

I did online check in for our Southwest fligt. I got A43, DH got B2 and DD5 got B38.
Can we all board with me at A43? We are going to take up 3 seats whether we board together or seperately.
Any insight, I'm not sure how it is done and I don't want a stampede!

 

[clanmcculloch]

If you want to board together, the correct way would be for all of you to line up with the last boarding position which in your case is B38 unfortunately. I'd suggest you board at A43 and have your DH board with your DD (or you and DH could swap). Choose seats farther back and nobody will object to you saving 3 seats together.

You can ask the Southwest gate attendant if you can all board together. He/she might just let you all board together at A43 because your child is so young. Officially the answer should be no, but if the gate attendant allows it then go for it. No harm in asking.

 

[kaytieeldr]

No, they cannot all board with you. You can all board with your daughter, though - or you can board at your turn, then your DH can wait with your daughter and board at her turn. Once onboard, you can TRY to hold seats for them. Go to the back of the plane and explain to people boarding after you that your family is boarding soon and you want to be able to sit with them. You may not get to hold two seats, but when you explain that one of the people in your party is five, you should be able to hold her a seat.

 

[carolina_yankee]

wouldn't they be able to take advantage of family boarding between A & B? Or is there an age cut-off for children on that? We don't have kids, so I've never paid attention to that.

Dirk

 

[Kanga1]

No, they cannot all board with you. You can all board with your daughter, though - or you can board at your turn, then your DH can wait with your daughter and board at her turn. Once onboard, you can TRY to hold seats for them. Go to the back of the plane and explain to people boarding after you that your family is boarding soon and you want to be able to sit with them. You may not get to hold two seats, but when you explain that one of the people in your party is five, you should be able to hold her a seat.

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. I'm probably going to have the same situation as the OP for our upcoming flight. My DH and I have two separate confirmation numbers.

 

[Disneychix]

Can I just ask how it's possible the you got assigned such random boarding numbers? I'd call SW or ask at the desk and complain about that.

 

[ccgirl]

This same exact thing happened to us last year. My DD5 got the A while my DH and I got the B's. Keep in mind that there were a lot of families lined up for family preboard between the A and B group. I tried to board with my daughter since she was so young. They looked at our boarding passes and said she would have to wait and board with us in the B group. For this reason, I always check in and adult first now in the hopes of saving seats. Having said that, they are trying to limit the "saving seat" thing I've noticed. I was on a flight and a woman was trying to save seats for 3 other people. The attendant made her move her bags so others could sit. She said others had just as much right to those seats as the others in her party. I could see her point, there were others trying to save seats and as people would try to sit, they would say they were taken. It made the boarding process longer than usual. I would say that if you really want to sit together, the proper etiquette is for you all to board with the person that has the highest boarding pass. To answer another posters question, the family board is usually for children under 2 and their immediate family. Although, I have also seen it for children under 4 and their immediate family. I think for MCO they try to do 2, at least from my airport, because 75% of the plane would be eligible for family board if there was an older age.

 

[Lewisc]

We are going to take up 3 seats whether we board together or seperately.

All 3 board with B38. You said you're going to take 3 seats. No reason to cut the line if it doesn't matter.

I don't think you mean what you posted.

You think a passenger with a B38 BP should board with A43? Kind of rude to cut the line. Even if I had A43 and A45 I wouldn't cut in front of A44. I wouldn't even ask the GA.

A43 and B2 should board in the B2 position, switch BPs so and adult and the child boards. Save a middle seat near the back of the plane for the remaining adult.

SW has open seating. Passengers won't care if you save a middle seat near the back of the plane but a single passenger might want to sit near the front of the plane and take the middle seat. A couple might want 2 seats but one middle seat near the back of the plane is as good as most other middle seats.

 

[pamjb]

First, Don't Panic.

Saving seats in the front will especially be a problem. Everyone wants to sit in the front, because it arrives in Orlando first Seriously, board yourself at A43, move towards the mid to rear of the plane and hold onto seats for your family. YOu are ineligible for family boarding, as your child is over 4, though I have sometimes heard the restriction lowered to under 3, especially to Orlando.

As far the big spread between numbers, it depends on how fast you were on typing in the confimation numbers. When I have multiple confirmation numbers, I open up as many windows to southwest.com as I have numbers for. I enter all the information and press enter when the time is right.

 

[Jestocost]

wouldn't they be able to take advantage of family boarding between A & B? Or is there an age cut-off for children on that? We don't have kids, so I've never paid attention to that.

Dirk

Family boarding is only for families with children under four, so the OP's family would not qualify.

 

[Lewisc]

First, Don't Panic.

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

I thought the back wheels touched ground before the front wheels. I always thought passengers in the back of the plane arrive in Orlando first.

The entire plane empties out in 10 minutes. May be an issue if a passenger has a tight connection.

 

[Jestocost]

As far the big spread between numbers, it depends on how fast you were on typing in the confimation numbers. When I have multiple confirmation numbers, I open up as many windows to southwest.com as I have numbers for. I enter all the information and press enter when the time is right.

I suspect either the OP had all three passengers booked on seperate reservations, which would require checking in each person individually and usually results in gaps in the boarding numbers. Sometimes the SWA check-in system gets a little squirrelly too, and no matter how fast you type it takes a while between check ins because the system is generating errors instead of boarding numbers.

That's the most likely scenario, IMO. It's possible that the OP had all passengers on one reservation, but didn't know that you could check everyone in at once or that she was unable to do so because of browser problems (I've had those with versions of Safari on the iPhone).

 

[carolina_yankee]

I'm in favor the no-saved seat etiquette on an open seating flight, but it would seem to me a polite way around this would be simply ask someone seeking to claim a seat next you, "I have two family members waiting to board. Do you mind if they claim these seats instead?"

All rows being equal, I would accommodate the request. If it were an exit row or front row that I coveted, I'd likely say, "Sorry" and claim the seat.

Dirk

 

[britfish]

we had three different confirmation numbers as the flights were all booked seperately. I had three screens up and did them one after another so I don't know why I got such a spread in the numbers.

I wasn't saying I was going to "cut in line". geesh...I was just asking the protocol. I will just board at my number and have DH board with DD.

 

[Manda]

I fly SWA with my son frequently and we're usually on different confirmation codes (we travel with rewards flights a lot), so we usually have different boarding pass numbers. I always ask at the gate if we should board with the first or last pass - as not to make any gate staff mad - and they always just tell us to line up with the first boarding pass. I wouldn't ask that about DH, of course - since adults are typically capable of boarding a plane without holding the other's hand. 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. Really, there's not many people in between your number and your husbands.

For future reference though, when you have different confirmation numbers in your group, consider that when checking in. I always check myself first, then DS, and then DH if he's flying, too. That way, worst case scenario, DH is left to fend for himself. Which he, of course, is capable of doing. LOL.

 

[Lewisc]

Can we all board with me at A43? We are going to take up 3 seats whether we board together or seperately.

I wasn't saying I was going to "cut in line". geesh...I was just asking the protocol. I will just board at my number and have DH board with DD.

You were asking if you could "cut in line". You'll get better seating if two of you board at B2 and the third passenger board at B38 then one passenger boarding at A43 with the other two boarding at B38. Two passengers can almost always hold a middle seat but one passenger may have a problem holding two seats.

Based on recent posts it sounds like a lot of passengers are doing online check in at T-24. Internet enabled phones makes it easy. I

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I thought the back wheels touched ground before the front wheels. I always thought passengers in the back of the plane arrive in Orlando first.

The entire plane empties out in 10 minutes. May be an issue if a passenger has a tight connection.

I fly southwest all the time....20F is my seat of choice. Why? If the flight is NOT sold out, few people will fight their way to the back to sit in a center seat. At 20F my luggage doesn't slide back in the overhead bin....and for entertainment before I fall asleep, the luggage is loaded just below my window....Oh yes, and with my stuffed Sulley pillow I can lean against the bulkhead perfectly.

In my experience, only one airport manages to get my bags to the luggage area before I arrive (and that includes the required stop at the ladies room). Somehow, if I run, still never beat Providence, RI, baggage handlers! Baltimore is...THE WORST....I can stop and grave a bite to eat before my luggage arrives.

I don't get it - we are happy people in the back...but hey, crowd up front so I can continue to have my center seat open.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I thought the back wheels touched ground before the front wheels. I always thought passengers in the back of the plane arrive in Orlando first.

The entire plane empties out in 10 minutes. May be an issue if a passenger has a tight connection.

I fly southwest all the time....20F is my seat of choice. Why? If the flight is NOT sold out, few people will fight their way to the back to sit in a center seat. At 20F my luggage doesn't slide back in the overhead bin....and for entertainment before I fall asleep, the luggage is loaded just below my window....Oh yes, and with my stuffed Sulley pillow I can lean against the bulkhead perfectly.

In my experience, only one airport manages to get my bags to the luggage area before I arrive (and that includes the required stop at the ladies room). Somehow, if I run, still never beat Providence, RI, baggage handlers! Baltimore is...THE WORST....I can stop and have a bite to eat before my luggage arrives.

I don't get it - we are happy people in the back...but hey, crowd up front so I can continue to have my center seat open.

 

[azdizzymom]

This is why I won't fly SW. I don't like the cattle-car boarding but if we do fly for economy reasons in the future if someone were in the front saving seats and I was an "A" or low number "B" I would probably say something...I think it would be kind to move towards the back if you want to save seats as most people like the front. The person who suggested boarding with the B2 number had a good idea...then 2 of you will at least be together. It is good to hear that airlines are cutting down on the 'preboard' age limits. It is so frustrating when you see people with 5+ year old kids preboard! We just make sure our carryon fits under seat in front...if overhead is available great..if not we don't worry. I had being nickled and dimed for seats but I will pay the small fee on Airtran to ensure we sit together even tho we have teenagers..and I will NOT give up my prepaid aisle, middle, window and aisle seats!

We might be trying Southwest next summer...will keep reading how to get those "A" passes if possible!

Have a fun trip....

 

[NotUrsula]

I fly SWA several times monthly, and IME, the reality is that the gate agents will be fine with allowing a younger child with a B (no older than 12) to board with a parent who has an A, so you and the child could board in your slot, but your DH would have to wait.

Seat-saving in the rear of the aircraft is tolerated as long as you don't attempt to save more than 2 seats, and are saving for real people, not a "phantom" created to keep the seat next to you empty for the flight. Obviously, saving one seat is always likely to be more successful than trying to save 2. Don't try saving at all in the first 10 rows -- head straight for the back. Also, never try to use "stuff" to save the seats, the FA's hate that. If you need to save, sit in an aisle seat near the tail and defend the seats verbally, apologetically explaining that your husband and son (or partner, or whatever the relationship is) are boarding with the B group. Most people will move on. I don't recommend saving in the very last row, however, because if someone has gone all the way to the back row looking for a seat, they will have trouble going back toward the front to look again. Your best bet is about 5-6 rows from the rear.

Understand that THERE IS NEVER A RIGHT TO SAVE, SO IF YOU ARE CHALLENGED, YOU MUST GIVE UP THE SEATS WITHOUT ARGUMENT, because the FA will not rule in your favor.