Southwest Boarding Question

[LorensMomma]

Hi All!

So I messed up and completely forgot to check-in for our flight tomorrow. Our flight is at 8:15 and I checked in at 8:45.

Our boarding position is B35-B40. oy. Now, I did see on Southwest's website that a family with a child under 4 can board between group A and B. We have a 2 yr old, a 5 yr old, my husband, myself and the in-laws. Can we all board in that in between group?

(Here is my disclaimer----I in no way think we should have special treatment because of my screw-up, lol! I just want to make sure that my children do not have to be taken care of by strangers! And I'm sure the strangers do not want to take care of them either I just want to make sure that we are moderately together, doen't have tp be all six together)

Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

Possibly the whole party may board with the group. They will normally allow that, although the point of family boarding is to make sure a parent is seated with the child, not that extended family is seated together. However, they will probably let the whole family board with the one eligible child you have.

If there are a lot of family boarders, they MIGHT make an announcement at the gate that only the eligible child plus one adult may use family boarding, but if they do make that announcement I'd say the adult should take both children and head for the back of the plane, where there is a greater chance that the rest of your family will be able to join you.

On my last SWA flight, a family used family boarding and their children didn't look like they were under 6 years old and nothing was said. However, they were the only family boarding at that time.

 

[LorensMomma]

TDC Nala-

Thanks so much for your quick reply! I guess as long as one of us can sit with each child, we should be ok. I am so mad at myself because at 8:00 this morning I told my son, this time tomorrow we will be boarding the plane. Duh

I looked into the automatic check-in on our return flight, but I just cannot justify the $60. I will just have to be more on the ball our last day there!

 

[Snoozan]

The boarding is for parents/children, not grandparents. This is to be courteous to all the others who did their check-in on time.

 

[LorensMomma]

The boarding is for parents/children, not grandparents. This is to be courteous to all the others who did their check-in on time.

Wow-sorry if all of my time is not devoted to vacation planning and my flight check-in was not first on my mind this time. I said in my original post that I did not expect special treatment, just curious about how it would work with my little one.

 

[kaytieeldr]

TDC Nala-

Thanks so much for your quick reply! I guess as long as one of us can sit with each child, we should be ok. I am so mad at myself because at 8:00 this morning I told my son, this time tomorrow we will be boarding the plane. Duh

I looked into the automatic check-in on our return flight, but I just cannot justify the $60. I will just have to be more on the ball our last day there!

So, pay for two - one parent and the five year old. They board together. The other parent and the two year old board between the A and B groups, again together. The in-laws board together.

 

[LorensMomma]

So, pay for two - one parent and the five year old. They board together. The other parent and the two year old board between the A and B groups, again together. The in-laws board together.

Now that is something to think about! Thanks! I guess I didn't realize you could pick and choose. I thought it was an all-or-nothing type deal.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Wow-sorry if all of my time is not devoted to vacation planning and my flight check-in was not first on my mind this time. I said in my original post that I did not expect special treatment, just curious about how it would work with my little one.

Well, snoozam is just reiterating the policy and the reason behind it. Before Southwest updated its boarding procedure (the numbered/lettered boarding passes and moving family boarding), extended families would "need" to assist a single small child in boarding the plane - not just mom and dad and and older sibling, but also four aunts, five uncles, seven teenage cousins, four grandparents, three step-grandparents... passengers who arrived early and got their appropriate/deserved "A" boarding passes would get on the plane to find half the seats taken already!

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm sure the OP is at the airport, but I will reiterate for anyone else having this issue.
The family boarding, in between the A and B groups, is for immediate family only. That means mom, dad, and the kids. In the OP's case, they would have been allowed to board together at this time. But, the inlaws would not. This is one of the reasons SW changed boarding policy. When family boarding (with those with kids under 4) was allowed before anyone else boarded, entire family groups would board...mom, dad, the 4 kids (only one of which was under 4), grammie, gramps, uncle bob, aunt jane, the 3 cousins and the nanny. People took advantage of the policy.

This is exactly why EBCI is a great thing. If it's important that you are all allowed to board together, and to get seats together, then pay the addlt $10 pp. BUT...do not pay that $10 for 2 people and then think you are going to board early and then save 4 or 5 seats for the rest of your group who ended up in a later boarding group. That is just not kosher. One or two seats maybe, but not more than that.

 

[seashoreCM]

You and the 2yo board between the A group and the B group, sitting window-aisle. The 5yo sits in that row when he gets there (actually you sit between the kids to keep them from fighting.

Hubby and the inlaws are on their own.

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm

 

[ratlenhum]

One of you preboard with the 2 year old and head to the rear of the plane. Most people tend to fill the front first. You may have better luck of keeping that many people together if you head straight back!

 

[LorensMomma]

Hi All-

Thanks for all of the responses! For the record, lol, my DH and 2 kids boarded in the family boarding between groups A and B, both to MCO and back. Our boarding position back was B5-8, but we still took advantage of the family boarding. And yes, it did not include the inlaws, but we did not technically save seats for them and no one voluntarilly sat with a 2 yr old or a 5 yr old!

All in all not a problem to board, but I will definetly remember to check in with in the 24 hr mark from now on! Or plan to pay for EBCI!

 

[loxie]

I have a question if you dont pay for the early bird what are your chances of sitting together?...I dont care if everyone in out group is together but I want to make sure are 5 year old is with both her parents.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you check in online exactly 24 hours before your flight, your chances of getting low enough boarding passes to find three seats together are very good.