Southwest boarding question

[steelfish535]

This is the first time we are flying Southwest. I checked in this morning and ended up with B19-25 boarding numbers. With two kids, will we still be able to sit at least 2 and 2 together?

I know, I'm obsessing. But I'm not a good flyer to begin with, and now dealing with an unknown. Thanks for any help!

 

[Apopper74]

Without a doubt.

 

[LiveToTravelNicely]

After flying United and American for years because of a fear of SW boarding process, I finally had to fly SW due to needing a cheaper fare. The process is AMAZING! I've now flown SW five times in a row and have encountered no issues to date. (crossing fingers). There are three boarding units: A B C, and 1-60 for each. So, you are about in the middle of the boarding process most likely. Usually the plane fills from front to back and then there are a handful of middle seats dispersed for the last few people in the C boarding group. So, like the previous post said, no doubt you should all be able to sit together. Probably even on the same row or on the same side in two rows. HAVE A GREAT TRIP!

 

[6elginfans]

Southwest lets all families board after the A group. Just line up by the door and wait for all the A's to board. That is only 60 people. You should have no problem finding seat together.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Southwest lets all families board after the A group. Just line up by the door and wait for all the A's to board. That is only 60 people. You should have no problem finding seat together.

OP's youngest is 6 according to her signature. Her family does not qualify for family boarding because the cutoff for that is 4.

OP, you'll have no problems finding at least 2 sets of 2 seats together. with mid-B boarding positions. You won't be in the front half of the plane, but you'll have an adult with each child no problem.

 

[steelfish535]

Thanks everyone!

 

[melser13]

Thank you for posting this! We fly SW for the 1st time as a family on 2/7 and I was worried about the same thing!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[vacationclub]

You should be fine, although we had similar numbers earlier this year, and found only two pairs of seats left at the back of the plane. It depends a bit on how many through-passengers were on the plane before the local passengers get on, as well as the makeup of the passengers. If there are more single travelers, people will tend to spread out and leave any pairs of seats together more scarce. If there are a lot of groups, they will tend to sit next to each other more densely, and leave more open groups available.

 

[PlutosFriend]

I just checked in at the exact 24 hour mark, and got B 11-14. This is my first time flying since SWA put the current system in process. I chose not to pay extra for A. My kids are 11 and 13. Maybe a seat by myself away from them and my husband will be just what I need especially on the trip back.
I used to always get A by checking in at the 24 hour mark..those days are gone..

 

[vacationclub]

I just checked in at the exact 24 hour mark, and got B 11-14. This is my first time flying since SWA put the current system in process. I chose not to pay extra for A. My kids are 11 and 13. Maybe a seat by myself away from them and my husband will be just what I need especially on the trip back.
I used to always get A by checking in at the 24 hour mark..those days are gone..

Those days are gone for the same reason that you actually can't pay extra for an A. You simply pay extra to be checked in before 24 hours based on when you bought the ticket. But as more and more people do this, the 24 hour people may not have any chance of an A, and even the EBCI people get a less likely chance of an A. It's a distant cousin to a ponzi scheme. In a few years, SW will yet again have to re-engineer their experiment in aviation.

 

[KGK]

Those days are gone for the same reason that you actually can't pay extra for an A. You simply pay extra to be checked in before 24 hours based on when you bought the ticket. But as more and more people do this, the 24 hour people may not have any chance of an A, and even the EBCI people get a less likely chance of an A. It's a distant cousin to a ponzi scheme. In a few years, SW will yet again have to re-engineer their experiment in aviation.

Ponzi scheme??? What the heck are you talking about? SW never promises you'll get your money back. A ponzi scheme is a promise of a high rate of return on your (mythical) investment. An investor's money is used to pay off previous investors. It falls apart when new investors stop.

SW seating will probably never have a problem as many people either don't care where they sit or won't pay the extra $10 per person.

So, what airline do you work for? Or how did SW make your life miserable? "experiment in aviation"?? It's the only airline that makes money and has raving fans.

 

[vacationclub]

Ponzi scheme??? What the heck are you talking about? SW never promises you'll get your money back. A ponzi scheme is a promise of a high rate of return on your (mythical) investment. An investor's money is used to pay off previous investors. It falls apart when new investors stop.

Yes, thank you for explaining the definition of an actual ponzi scheme. It was almost as nice as when you lectured about the difference between an election and a revolution in the other thread.

I said it's a distant cousin of a ponzi scheme. Like a ponzi scheme it has, as you mention, an implied promise (you get a good boarding number) but you don't get any particular seat or boarding position, you get whatever they assign you based on what ever order you bought the ticket...according to them. And, it can fall apart, in this case, if every single person decides to get EBCI, then it's actually worthless to those who bought tickets later. That's what the heck I'm talking about. Why do you insist on taking hyperbole and attacking it as if it was represented as fact?

SW seating will probably never have a problem as many people either don't care where they sit or won't pay the extra $10 per person.

Everyone cares where they sit, some just care more than others. As people have reported, since the $10 option came into play, it actually continues to make it harder to get an A without paying $10, and it's certainly conceivable that eventually penetration gets so high that without EBCI payment you are destined to always get high B or even C, and even the EBCI's get B's or high B's. It's not impossible.

So, what airline do you work for? Or how did SW make your life miserable? "experiment in aviation"?? It's the only airline that makes money and has raving fans.

SW "makes my life miserable" when I have to play their silly boarding game, or become of victim of their system if, even after paying extra, my connection is late and my position in line is worthless. They have fans because they have cheap prices (though not the cheapest until they absorb their main competitor Airtran) and free change fees. They are not the only airline making money. Jetblue and Airtran did quite well.

The "experiment in aviation" refers to their seating methods(the entire subject of my post, and not how much money they make) that they've already changed once already, and may have to look at again depending on the how EBCI continues to grow and potentially reach a point that becomes not all that's promised.

So, based on your implication, and your follow up defense of SW, I guess I should ask you...how long have you worked for SW? Now, see how silly that question sounds?

 

[KGK]

hyperbole represented as fact

You answered your own question. Time to hit the ignore list. Bye Bye. Argue with others.

 

[Gregawsk8]

SouthWest is a great air line to flywith. The boarding process is great. And as mentioned earlier, we were always able to sit together durring the family seating.

 

[dburg30]

One thing I dont hear much about, is people having to wait for people to show up at the gates to be able to leave since you really want to be there to board in order. As opposed to other airlines where people have an assigned seat and figure no reason to really hurry in getting to the gate, I have a seat. Or everyone just trying to board at once. I just really dont get all the hating on SW boarding. If you want an assigned seat, fly somewhere else. Also with the number of 'changes' that happens to flights, I've read many stories where all the sudden those assigned seats poof and you have to repick and may not get the seats you wanted after all..

 

[goofy4tink]

Flying SW is not the headache it used to be. It's all very easy. And in all the times I've flown with SW, it's those in the mid to high C group that can't find seating together. To intimate that it could possibly happen, easily, within the early to mid B group is just silly. Yes, if you are getting on a plane that is making a connection at your airport, you aren't going to be getting a great choice of seats. But, that's the price you pay for lesser fares.

With EBCI, SW isn't telliing you that you are going to get an A spot, they are telling you that you will be checked in at the 36 hr mark vs doing it yourself at the 24 hr mark. I seldom pay for EBCI for my flights out of my home airport. But, I do pay for it for my return flight...especially at WDW. I like not having to worry about where I am at that 24 hr mark. And yes, as more and more people do this, those checking in at the 24 hr window are going to find themselves further up in the B group. It's all about choices.

Personally? I think SW is clever to figure this out. They don't charge for checked bags but are making addtl money by offering EBCI. You don't want to pay an addtl $10 to get checked in early? Fine. You can make your own choices. There is nothing nefarious going on here. Just a business trying to turn a profit.

 

[Bullseye]

With EBCI, SW isn't telliing you that you are going to get an A spot, they are telling you that you will be checked in at the 36 hr mark vs doing it yourself at the 24 hr mark. I seldom pay for EBCI for my flights out of my home airport. But, I do pay for it for my return flight...especially at WDW. I like not having to worry about where I am at that 24 hr mark. And yes, as more and more people do this, those checking in at the 24 hr window are going to find themselves further up in the B group. It's all about choices.

Thats a dang good point!

I don't usually pay for it coming or going, but this year I just might on the trip home just for that reason. Then your locked in and don't have to even worry where your going to be at the 24 hour mark.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I am always amazed at how much FASTER boarding is on SW vs other airlines. I expected it to be slower, with people not having the assigned seats, but it always seems so much faster to me, and I have flown SW dozens of times.

I still think it should be the other way around, but SW gets people onto the plane and seated very quickly.


I have 2 kids with either disabilities or medical issues, and I have had to reschedule trips many times (both for trips they were included on, and trips just for me). And years back, we had the aging parents to worry about, too. Changing trip plans is always a pain, but I almost always use SW so if I HAVE to do this, I can without paying a very steep penalty.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, yeah. On Southwest, you're not stopping periodically to check the row number or arguing with someone who's in your assigned seat 'accidentally' . Board, stow, sit. Fast and easy