Southwest Boarding Passes And Preboarding

[kimatigger]

I am the OP and I have 2 children under 5. They are 2 and 3. We paid for 4 seats. The planes are 3 and 3 so we will have to sit 2 and 2 even if my parents did not go with us. Do you really think someone will want to sit next to us when there are other empty seats? Last year my boys were 1 and 2 so one was a lap child and we could all sit together. Leaving Orlando there was no preboard and we managed to sit together.

 

[mygyky]

If you go to their site there is a statement about how much time you need and the aproximate wait times based on the day and time of your flight. It is updated all the time, so should be pretty accurate. I love our not-so-little-anymore local airport

I love it too. So easy to get in and out of. So much better than Logan.

 

[texasthree]

I do hope this is a joke! Can't imagine parents being so rude as to think they can cordon off a section of seats? If they want to sit w/a large group, why not head for the back of the plane...usually last to fill up?

Exactly what I do when we are traveling with grandparents. I just preboard and go toward the middle or back. People wont give you too much hassle about "saving" a seat then. I just put a jacket or something on the seat and the rare times someone has asked if its taken, I just say yes.
I rarely travel with my husband though so I dont think its really a bid deal if I save one last seat in our row for grandma.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Couldn't the parents get in line with the 2 year old and the grandparents get in line with the 3 year old? That way the parents would be pre-boarding because of the 2 year old and the grandparents would be pre-boarding because of the 3 year old. Am I missing something, is this not allowed?

 

[disneyldwjr]

Couldn't the parents get in line with the 2 year old and the grandparents get in line with the 3 year old? That way the parents would be pre-boarding because of the 2 year old and the grandparents would be pre-boarding because of the 3 year old. Am I missing something, is this not allowed?

It is not allowed. The parents and sibs of the small child are the only ones that are allowed to preboard, except of course, if the small child is not with his parents and with say a grandparent, aunt uncle, etc.

 

[disneyldwjr]

I think I am totally missing something...because I am wondering what the big deal is I don't fly often, but all of the flights I have taken in the past few years or so were on SW..and I have been in every line..A B ad C..this time I will have DD4 with me,(and DH) and we will get in the preboard line. I thought it was so they could deal with strollers that are gate checked, instaling child saftey seats, and not hold up ppl who will be quicker to board, and so all the little kids..who may be prone to fussing or whatever were near each other and not disturbing other passengers who were sans kids To those of you who fly often are there really better seats? Are the snack boxes better if you sit up front???? I mean I know sitting over the wing near the engine is perhaps the least desireable spot..as seats don't recline and it is noisy..but all I care about is getting to where I want to go safely. Honestly..am I missing something?

If it is no big deal, after you stow your stroller, and board the plane, you sit over the wing. And no, not all the little kids are in one place, and the seats, btw, over the wing do recline, except for the seats before or after the exit row (I cannot remember which). No, the snacks are not better upfront,but some people like certain areas of the plane.
It is not so much the preboarding that people mind, it is the abuse of the courtesy that upsets people.
And many of us wish that the preboarders who needed the time to stow the stroller get the car seat in place etc. would wait and not hold up the exiting people while the block the aisle getting the car seat out of the seat then going and blocking the jet port while waiting for their stollers to come out of the hold.

 

[goofy4tink]

But is it fair then that DH and I cant both sit with our DD on her flight? Why would you want to seperate a family just cause they only had one child?
I dont care where I sit..I just want to get to WDW...and I want to have both me and DH sitting with our DD...It is her very first flight. Besides...I think her screaming for whichever parent was seated elsewhere for the whole 3 hr flight would annoy more ppl

In no way am I saying that families should be split up!! I have flown with my dd many times in the past, so I have walked in your shoes, so to speak!!! My issue is that there are plenty of times when families of 8 or 9 people are all in the preboard line....mom, dad, the 3 kids, grammie, grampie, auntie, uncle!!! Then they hop on the plane, take up the first 3 rows on both sides of the aisle...leaving the middle seat free, hoping that no one is going to want to sit there, enabling them to have that extra room. How do I know this??? Saw it for myself last August when I flew SW from TFGreen to MCO!!
I still think that if those who had to preboard were told to head to the rear of the plane, since it is supposed to take them longer to settle in. If it takes them longer to settle in because they are flying with little ones, then common sense tells us that it is going to take them a bit longer to get off the plane. So, rather than hold up everyone else, such as those who aren't flying with all that 'kid paraphenalia', they can be in the back, getting their stuff together, while the rest of the plane empties. I can only imagine that there wouldn't be the huge rush to preboard if you had to head to the rear of the plane.
When we flew SW last Aug, my dd and I were in the A line, about 7th and 8th in line. By the time all the preboarders got on and settled, we had to go to about 3-4 rows behind the wing in order to find a window and a middle seat together! However, there were plenty of middle seats in the front of the plane...go figure. If I'm flying by myself, it's no big deal...I can sit anywhere. But, if I'm flying with someone else, then it starts to get a little hairy when flying to MCO....so many kids. And I do not begrudge those kids the ability to sit with their parents. I just hate when those families save a ton of seats. As you said...you just want to get to WDW, you don't care where you sit. Well, I wish that applied to those grandparents, aunts, uncles...whoever is having seats saved for them by the legitimate preboarders.

 

[kaytieeldr]

good to know for future flights It does seem silly to me tho...I mean everyone is going to get on the plane so why separate a family

OTOH, is there a particular reason why any extended family CAN'T not all sit together for a few hours? If they're leaving from the same airport and going to the same destination, aren't they going to be spending MANY waking hours together anyway?

How strict are they about that whole age thing? DS is 5 (well, he WILL be next week) and he looks three. Do they check?

No, it's based on honesty........

And ethics...

But is it fair then that DH and I cant both sit with our DD on her flight? Why would you want to seperate a family just cause they only had one child?
I dont care where I sit..I just want to get to WDW...and I want to have both me and DH sitting with our DD...It is her very first flight. Besides...I think her screaming for whichever parent was seated elsewhere for the whole 3 hr flight would annoy more ppl

Um, realistically - does your daughter spend ALL her waking hours in the company of both parents? If not, does she scream for whichever parent isn't with/next to her at those times? How do you handle that?

and the seats, btw, over the wing do recline, except for the seats before or after the exit row

Before. Ditto for any seats directly in front of walls.

BTW, when I check in for line designation, do I need to print a confirmation?

If you have a printer, yeah, you probably want to print out your boarding pass (not confirmation, the actual BP)when you check in online. If you don't have a printer, you can 're'print your boarding pass at the Southwest self-check kiosks at the airport.

 

[poppinspal]

Um, realistically - does your daughter spend ALL her waking hours in the company of both parents? If not, does she scream for whichever parent isn't with/next to her at those times? How do you handle that?
Before. Ditto for any seats directly in front of walls.

I don't have kids but just from watching my cousins I will say this. Kids are funny and you never know how they're going to react. Sometimes my cousin is fine running around by himself and sometimes he needs both parents around. He's young and can be affected strangely by different things. So I can see how it might be better for both parents to be with a kid.

 

[TinkNH]

If it is no big deal, after you stow your stroller, and board the plane, you sit over the wing. And no, not all the little kids are in one place, and the seats, btw, over the wing do recline, except for the seats before or after the exit row (I cannot remember which). No, the snacks are not better upfront,but some people like certain areas of the plane.
It is not so much the preboarding that people mind, it is the abuse of the courtesy that upsets people.
And many of us wish that the preboarders who needed the time to stow the stroller get the car seat in place etc. would wait and not hold up the exiting people while the block the aisle getting the car seat out of the seat then going and blocking the jet port while waiting for their stollers to come out of the hold.

I'd gladly sit over the wing...in fact I have..many times. I usually just take the first spot where DH and I can sit together, or in this case where the 3 of us can. My snack coment was tounge in cheek btw, I understand that ppl have preferences, I do... I
HONESTLY DID think that the preboarding was to group the little guys and hence the issues that MAY occur in one place...Last year was the first time I was aware of this preboarding thing, and that is what I thought..SERIOUSLY! So my inquiry was sincere..fwiw.
The exiting thing sounds to me like plain rudeness..not just abuse of preboarding privlige. If they asked ppl with kids under 5 to wait and exit last..also fine with me! (Even tho I wont have a safety seat..or much carryon luggage)
And just a little food for thouth about ppl abusing the privlige, I HONESTLY thought that when it said 'familys traveling with children under 5" that meant the whole 'family' flying together, not 'immediate' family, so it *could* just be a misenterpretaition of the rules Perhaps they should change the wording to be more concise? Just a thought!
Hey if you ever fly to or from Manchester NH..look for me..I'll be the one sitting over the wing grinning like a crazy woman cause I am going to Disney World

 

[TinkNH]

In no way am I saying that families should be split up!! I have flown with my dd many times in the past, so I have walked in your shoes, so to speak!!! My issue is that there are plenty of times when families of 8 or 9 people are all in the preboard line....mom, dad, the 3 kids, grammie, grampie, auntie, uncle!!! Then they hop on the plane, take up the first 3 rows on both sides of the aisle...leaving the middle seat free, hoping that no one is going to want to sit there, enabling them to have that extra room. How do I know this??? Saw it for myself last August when I flew SW from TFGreen to MCO!!
I still think that if those who had to preboard were told to head to the rear of the plane, since it is supposed to take them longer to settle in. If it takes them longer to settle in because they are flying with little ones, then common sense tells us that it is going to take them a bit longer to get off the plane. So, rather than hold up everyone else, such as those who aren't flying with all that 'kid paraphenalia', they can be in the back, getting their stuff together, while the rest of the plane empties. I can only imagine that there wouldn't be the huge rush to preboard if you had to head to the rear of the plane.
When we flew SW last Aug, my dd and I were in the A line, about 7th and 8th in line. By the time all the preboarders got on and settled, we had to go to about 3-4 rows behind the wing in order to find a window and a middle seat together! However, there were plenty of middle seats in the front of the plane...go figure. If I'm flying by myself, it's no big deal...I can sit anywhere. But, if I'm flying with someone else, then it starts to get a little hairy when flying to MCO....so many kids. And I do not begrudge those kids the ability to sit with their parents. I just hate when those families save a ton of seats. As you said...you just want to get to WDW, you don't care where you sit. Well, I wish that applied to those grandparents, aunts, uncles...whoever is having seats saved for them by the legitimate preboarders.

I understand..I do. It was the comment i adult per child that puzzled me. Like I said in anothe reply..I think some of the issue is that the wording 'families traveling with children under 5" is interpreted diffrently. I ASSUMED it meant the whole family..not immediate family so perhaps SW needs to clarify that. and ppl taking up all the additional room could be rudeness..could be ignorance I think I am puzzled cause I just don't get it? Last year DH and I took teh first seats we found..over the wing. A boy about 12 ended up next to DH and was upset he was in the aisle, not the window. Once we could undo the seatbelts..I let him have my seat cause like I said ..I dont care! And if they said for preboarders to head to the back of the plane..Id still probably be in that line cause 1. I dont care where I sit and 2. I also assumed thats where I was SUPPOSED to be. Perhaps I would care more if I flew more than once a year or less..but as it is strap me to the wng..I am going to WDW!

 

[TinkNH]

OTOH, is there a particular reason why any extended family CAN'T not all sit together for a few hours? If they're leaving from the same airport and going to the same destination, aren't they going to be spending MANY waking hours together anyway?

And ethics...
Um, realistically - does your daughter spend ALL her waking hours in the company of both parents? If not, does she scream for whichever parent isn't with/next to her at those times? How do you handle that?

As I said the whole family getting in the preboard line may be a misinterpretation of the wording When someone says 'family' to me that word includes a lot of ppl..as opposed to 'immediate family' Once it is clarified...ok I get it And *I* would have no issue if I was flying with my DD and my parents if you seperated us...but MY mom on the other hand might
No my DD does not scream for the other parent all day...but she does cry when daddy leaves for work about 50% of the time. And I can promise you if I preboarded with her..and then she saw daddy walk by to another seat further back(or vice versa)...she WOULD cry for him/me. And I am also speaking as a parent who is flying with her child for the VERY first time..I have NO IDEA how she will react..am hoping for the best! Seriously, I guess I didnt understand the issues cause I dont fly often, dont care where I sit, and wouldn't save a seat for someone. I just want to get on the plane and get where I am going. I don't want to annoy anyone, or be in anyones way. I just want to take my little girl to Disney WOrld and have a good time! I hope no matter what the seating issues on your plane you can have a good time too!

 

[CPer'sMom]

It is not so much the preboarding that people mind, it is the abuse of the courtesy that upsets people.

Exactly!! The *abuse* is the key problem here ~ I'm not talking about the new-to-SWA people here who just may not totally understand how the pre-boarding is 'supposed' to work. It's the ones who know that the entire extended family of 10 does not get to pre-board but try to do it anyway (and then hold up the entire boarding process while it gets explained to them again!). Or the ones who board, sit in the front and then proceed to 'hold' the middle seats.

In the case of 'holding' the seats I really think that the SW flight attendants really need to be more aggressive with people in letting them know this is not allowed & then enforcing it ~ It shouln't be up to a boarding passenger to convince someone to remove their personal belongings off the seat so they can sit down.

 

[disneyldwjr]

I'd gladly sit over the wing...in fact I have..many times. I usually just take the first spot where DH and I can sit together, or in this case where the 3 of us can. My snack coment was tounge in cheek btw, I understand that ppl have preferences, I do... I
HONESTLY DID think that the preboarding was to group the little guys and hence the issues that MAY occur in one place...Last year was the first time I was aware of this preboarding thing, and that is what I thought..SERIOUSLY! So my inquiry was sincere..fwiw.
The exiting thing sounds to me like plain rudeness..not just abuse of preboarding privlige. If they asked ppl with kids under 5 to wait and exit last..also fine with me! (Even tho I wont have a safety seat..or much carryon luggage)
And just a little food for thouth about ppl abusing the privlige, I HONESTLY thought that when it said 'familys traveling with children under 5" that meant the whole 'family' flying together, not 'immediate' family, so it *could* just be a misenterpretaition of the rules Perhaps they should change the wording to be more concise? Just a thought!
Hey if you ever fly to or from Manchester NH..look for me..I'll be the one sitting over the wing grinning like a crazy woman cause I am going to Disney World

Actually the wording is thus: I actually posted this a day or so ago, I think you may have missed it.

Boarding Procedure
Each Customer will be issued a boarding pass grouped by A, B, or C (in that order) based on when the Customer checked in online at southwest.com, at the Skycap Podium, Ticket Counter, Departure Gate, or RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk (where available).
Prior to general boarding, Customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children between the ages of five and 11, and adults traveling with a child under five years of age will preboard. Customers who choose to preboard cannot sit in an emergency exit seat.
Because Southwest Airlines maintains an open-seating policy, general-boarding Customers may sit in any open or unclaimed seat. Customers holding boarding pass "A" will begin general boarding, followed by Customers with boarding pass "B," and then "C." General-boarding Customers who choose an emergency exit seat must meet all requirements set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and Southwest Airlines.
If you are ever at BDL look me up, I will be the one grinning from ear to ear to be leaving CT for good come 9/15, but will be very happy next Friday when I will be in the air heading for my new home......ORLANDO to interview for a nice job.

 

[PeachesDoesHair]

I thank God for preboarding. I know there are some that abuse it, but I cannot imagine trying to get on a plane with both my children in hand, car seats, and two strollers if there were a lot of other people on board. I mean, I would almost certainly knock someone unconscious because they would accidentally be hit in the head with all of our stuff. I don't think there is anything wrong with two parents preboarding with their child. Frankly, wouldn't you want both parents sitting by their child to entertain him? That's double the chance you won't have to listen to a crying child the entire way to your destination. Still, I do understand that entire familes of 12 trying to preboard or take over the plane isn't fair.

 

[goofy!]

We will be a family of 8 (three adults and 5 children, ages 9-17), standing in the preboarding line. All you will see is one grandmother with severe spinal stenosis and scoliosis. I am sure that I will be given the evil eye at least once, as it will appear to others that the entire family is trying to preboard with Grandma.

What you won't see is that two of the children are special needs and absolutely have to have an adult next to them. The younger one preferably two adults. So, my DS16 will help his grandmother on board, DH and I will each take one of the special needs kids on board. That leaves the two 9 year olds, who, under no circumstances would I allow to stay unsupervised alone in an airport while we were sitting in the plane. I would have visions of McCauley Culkin in Home Alone missing his flight while the rest of his family was in Florida. So, they are coming with us too

This has all been cleared as proper with Southwest.

So, if you see a large family standing in line around Thanksgiving, please know that we are legit, even if it is not readily apparent.

 

[disneyldwjr]

We will be a family of 8 (three adults and 5 children, ages 9-17), standing in the preboarding line. All you will see is one grandmother with severe spinal stenosis and scoliosis. I am sure that I will be given the evil eye at least once, as it will appear to others that the entire family is trying to preboard with Grandma.

What you won't see is that two of the children are special needs and absolutely have to have an adult next to them. The younger one preferably two adults. So, my DS16 will help his grandmother on board, DH and I will each take one of the special needs kids on board. That leaves the two 9 year olds, who, under no circumstances would I allow to stay unsupervised alone in an airport while we were sitting in the plane. I would have visions of McCauley Culkin in Home Alone missing his flight while the rest of his family was in Florida. So, they are coming with us too

This has all been cleared as proper with Southwest.

So, if you see a large family standing in line around Thanksgiving, please know that we are legit, even if it is not readily apparent.

I cannot imagine ANYONE having an issue with your situation.
As I keep saying, I don't mind preboarding, I mind the abuse, you are not abusing it, you are using it for the reasons it was intended.

 

[goofy!]

Thanks, I appreciate the support. However, since it is not apparent to the visual eye that the kids have some challenges, I am sure somebody will assume we are one of those families who think aunts, uncles, etc can all preboard

Although we will head for seats behind the wing, as we don't like to feel rushed getting off the plane. We usually stay seated till just about everybody is off anyway, so why take the front of the plane?

 

[disneyldwjr]

Thanks, I appreciate the support. However, since it is not apparent to the visual eye that the kids have some challenges, I am sure somebody will assume we are one of those families who think aunts, uncles, etc can all preboard

Although we will head for seats behind the wing, as we don't like to feel rushed getting off the plane. We usually stay seated till just about everybody is off anyway, so why take the front of the plane?

However, we have never flown SW before, so I do have a dumb question about snacks. The last few times, we have flown TED to MCO. By the time the FA's get to the back seats, all the for-purchase kids snack packs are usually gone. (Uhh, United - this is a flight to ORLANDO - can we say LOTS of kids) My kids aren't exactly wild about brie and crackers snack boxes.

I have read the website and it does say that we will get a snack since it is over 3 hours. Do they have different snacks that you choose from, or is it all one and the same? I am assuming that since it is not for purchase like United, it is all one and the same. But if there is a difference between kids and adult snacks - how good is SW about gauging how many kids are in the back of the plane?

This is really just a curiosity question, as it really doesn't matter too much to us, because we eat right before we board and then bring just a few snacks ourselves (now sans liquid or gel). Our kids can go 4 hours without junk food

The snacks are all the same. I usually only get peanuts and some sort of granola bar (last one was quite tasty). There is nothing for purchase except alchol (4.00 mixed drinks - 3.00 beer and wine).
Hope this helps.

 

[CPer'sMom]

Although we will head for seats behind the wing, as we don't like to feel rushed getting off the plane. We usually stay seated till just about everybody is off anyway, so why take the front of the plane?

If only everyone was as thoughtful!