Southwest Boarding pass question

[crzy4mickey]

I booked our flights (8 of us) online with Southwest last week and i was wondering if i could print our boarding passed online the am of our trip? I read here you could but how? Is it obvious on the Southwest web site how to do it?? I want to try to get A boarding passes so i won't have a problem sitting with my 6 and 10 year old children same with one other family going.

 

[4greatboys]

Its my understanding that you can only print out the boarding pass if you booked individually. If you booked all of you at the same time you will not be able to print them out.

 

[EmptyNester]

Originally posted by 4greatboys
Its my understanding that you can only print out the boarding pass if you booked individually. If you booked all of you at the same time you will not be able to print them out.

If you booked all them at the same time, just call SW. They'll separate the reservations for you (we done it - easy as pie

Is it obvious on the Southwest web site how to do it??

To check-in on line at SW go to "Travel Center" and click on: "Check In Online/Print Boarding Passes"

HTH
- Sharon

 

[Shoppingstaceysmom]

My husband just flew SW on saturday and he said that they preboarded families with children under 12 and that was at both stops.

 

[Tinkim]

I would call them if you get a chance. We flew Southwest to Orlando in January. There were 11 of us (6 kids). We flew out of Manchester and they gave us a boarding pass with an A and we all sat basically together. On the way home my DH sat alone, my two boys (10 & 9) sat alone in the back of the plane with a stranger (who turned out to be very interesting and did not seem to mind the boys talking to him the whole way), my DD7 sat with me, my mother sat alone, my friend sat with her DD5 while her other DD14 sat with her youngest DD4. Needless to say we, were scattered all about the plane and I had the bag with the snacks and drinks. We had this experience in both Orlando and the connecting flight in Baltimore. I love the prices on Southwest but I really did not like the kids being scattered about like that. On a side note when we left NH we rearranged our seats so a father and son could sit together. Not one person on either plane offered to change seats. I realize there were a lot of us but there were kids who sat nowhere near their parents. If I had thought to call ahead I would have definitely done that.

 

[Taja]

Definitely call them and see what they recommend.

Just remember, they don't assign seats, just boarding groups. You want to make sure you all are in Boarding Group A. You'll need to print your boarding passes just after midnight on your day of departure to be able to do that if you are on a full flight.

The interesting part is the return flight. I don't have a laptop and haven't figured out what to do yet. The business centers at WDW charge $10 minimum for use of a computer, and they don't open until 8 or 9 in the morning. Kinkos is another possibility, it you're likelyl to on a full flight.

And if you have connecting flights, be sure to check in on all of them!


__________________
Taja

 

[Pinnie]

*A* boarding passes are equally distributed online, at the counter, at the kiosks and at curbside check-in. Just because you are checking in ONLINE does not automatically guarantee an *A* boarding pass.


SWA preboards UNDER 5 yr olds. Last Sunday on my flight from MCO to BNA they did NOT preboard families because there were so many of them.

You can NOT print out boarding passes unless each person's ticket was purchased separately. Also, if RR are a concern of yours, you would lose the .5 portion of the RR if you call and have an agent touch your reservation.

On the UP side, you can now get your connecting flights boarding passes online and at check in. We were able to do that last week and plan on doing it again this week.

pinnie

 

[EmptyNester]

Originally posted by Pinnie
Also, if RR are a concern of yours, you would lose the .5 portion of the RR if you call and have an agent touch your reservation.

I called in January to separate our reservations and we still received the extra .5 RR credits for our flights

- Sharon

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Just "announce" in a voice so that all around you can hear.... that your child regularly gets airsick in flight so everyone around him/her had better check to see if they have airsick bags to help out!!!

 

[MCazer]

When we go away, we always print the passes right after midnight. Coming home, I ask a relative to print them out and fax them to my hotel so that we have them.

This works great for us!

 

[Jimmac]

Just "announce" in a voice so that all around you can hear.... that your child regularly gets airsick in flight so everyone around him/her had better check to see if they have airsick bags to help out!!!

That's hysterical! I'd certainly be volunteering my seat immediately

 

[renda460]

I recently called southwest about our reservation in Sept. We are all (6 of us) on the same reservation. I asked about on line boarding passes and the woman told me that they are working on enabling reservations with multiple people to be eligible for this. She said that hopefully by Sept this will be available.

 

[bubba's mom]

hi all! i've been reading what you all say about SW Airlines...i'd like to ask a question if i may.
this will be our first time on SW (it has just come to PHI what has me worried is this: we have a 7am flight to disney and since it's so early, we reserved a hotel room at the airport the night before. we want to get to the gate early to ensure we sit together and get good seats. (this is the one thing that freaks me out--no assigned seating) luckily, we are only a family of 3. we will not have access to internet to check-in online, therefore, must do it at airport. my question is: do they normally let families with smaller kids preboard? --i cannot imagine a "free-for-all" when they allow boarding.
we also will be flying home SW (8pm), but we will be able to check-in online for that flight!!

 

[Pinnie]

In "most" cases SWA allows families with children UNDER the age of 5 to preboard. Keep in mind that if the flight is full of families they sometime suspend this privledge. I have seen it happen on quite a few occasions and just last week at MCO!

Trust me it is NOT a "free for all" during boarding. I have been flying SWA for years and NEVER have I seen anything like that on any of the numerous flights I have been on.

pinnie

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by Pinnie
[B

SWA preboards UNDER 5 yr olds. Last Sunday on my flight from MCO to BNA they did NOT preboard families because there were so many of them.
[/B]

exactly why I would NEVER fly southwest. I called once to inquire about seating and they will NOT gaurentee me that I would be able to sit with my 4 year old.....EXCUSE ME?? I am ogin to let my 4 year old sit with strangers, I think NOT!! I would rather pay an extra 10.00 and have assigned seats on Jet Blue, which has nicer planes anyway!!

 

[Pinnie]

Originally posted by aprilgail2
exactly why I would NEVER fly southwest. I called once to inquire about seating and they will NOT gaurentee me that I would be able to sit with my 4 year old.....EXCUSE ME?? I am ogin to let my 4 year old sit with strangers, I think NOT!! I would rather pay an extra 10.00 and have assigned seats on Jet Blue, which has nicer planes anyway!!

THEY may not be able to guarentee that you can sit with your child but you are EMPOWERED to get to the airport early enough and get an "A" boarding pass or go online after midnight print one up.

Personally, I love SWA and have yet to find someone who has complained that SWA has changed thier itenerary, their flights or their seats.

pinnie

 

[bubba's mom]

going to fly SW in a couple weeks for the first of many times.... i've been reading what you all been talkin' about and i'd like to inquire what exactly an "A" boarding pass is? i'd like to be able to sit with my 5yo and husband--and yes, we plan to be at the airport very early to get checked in early!! thanks!

 

[MCazer]

going to fly SW in a couple weeks for the first of many times.... i've been reading what you all been talkin' about and i'd like to inquire what exactly an "A" boarding pass is? i'd like to be able to sit with my 5yo and husband--and yes, we plan to be at the airport very early to get checked in early!! thanks!

Don't worry, even if you get to the airport and get a C boarding pass, if you have a child 5 and under, you get to preboard before the A, B, and C groups. The only people that would board before you are handicap.

Believe me, I know. Also, one time, when arriving in Orlando for our flight home, we checked in, and the ticket agent said,
"oh, your flight is really booked, how old is your son?" I said, 6, and she said, "you mean 5", and I said, "no he is 6", and she winked and me and said "he really is 5, right?"

Then she proceeded to give me a pass so that we could preboard with the families with young children, as it was me, my husband, my daughter (8) and my son (6). We got to sit together. Not a problem!

 

[bubba's mom]

that's great to hear....but i still don't understand the whole A, B, C thing....is it in like an order you get there (or rather check-in) in??
but, our son actually IS 5 (& if u ask him--a 1/2!!) i did read on a post that if there were alot of families (which i'm sure there will be when we go), they sometimes don't do the preboard- but, i do know we bought our tickets in april, and if they try to bump us, my husband (and myself) will flip!! but, i'm sure all will go well.....after all, we're talking WDW here!! besides, it's ds first trip to WDW...gotta make it good

 

[Villainess]

I recently flew SW out of Philly... my first and last experience with SW. It was the first flight of the morning (7am), and we were there at 5:00am already checked in with C boarding passes. I think the preboard to a destination like Orlando is a bit ridiculous, as not only did they have the 5 and under boarding, but also passengers with children under 12, and passengers with any other children who need prior boarding... I watched families with 16 year olds preboard! I thought this was a bit out of hand. By the end of the preboarding there were only about 25-30 of us left (couples and a few groups of recent college graduates).