Southwest Early Bird Check In: Can you just pay for 1 person?

[2infinityandbeyond]

If SWA is taking a "we have no position" position, how do SWA FA's handle arguments/confrontations over seat saving?

 

[keishashadow]

last i flew SW, i did purchase EB for everybody & still wound up unhappy due to group of chair hogs saving rows of seats...i've managed to go on with my life

IMO nobody should be able to save more than the seat on either side of them, period. unfortunately, im not running SWA

i'll likely buy EB next time we fly them. I consider it a self-opt nuisance charge in lieu of luggage fee.

 

[LIFERBABE]

This sounds like a total pain.. Im glad we have Airtran and SWA.

When someone goes off I would think SWA will be held liable. You cant put already stressed out passengers in those types of situations and expect any good to come of it. There will be personal responsibility but I think this is the equivalent of yelling "fire" in a crowded concert.

 

[keishashadow]

This sounds like a total pain.. Im glad we have Airtran and SWA.

When someone goes off I would think SWA will be held liable. You cant put already stressed out passengers in those types of situations and expect any good to come of it. There will be personal responsibility but I think this is the equivalent of yelling "fire" in a crowded concert.

pretty much the gist of my email to SWA

in protest, i booked AT for trip to Miami this July a month ago...they already changed my return flight by an hour

we cannot win

 

[goofy4tink]

If SWA is taking a "we have no position" position, how do SWA FA's handle arguments/confrontations over seat saving?

Excellent question....and one I would love to have SW answer. I have no issue with saving the seats on either side of you, but no more than that. Like I said...I have seen a family of 7 or so spread out over many rows, with one person in each row, trying to save all the seats in each row so that they had an entire row to themselves!! Go figure. Obviously, that didn't work out too well...not after the 'this is a full flight, no empty seats' announcement was made.

I will say that last year, on our NYE flight home to TF Green, we were diverted to Philly. We made the choice to stay with the plane and return to Ft Lauderdale rather than spend the night in Philly without any luggage. The vast majority of people (about 90%) got off in Philly. Plenty of empty seats for the 20 or so who remained on the plane....especially for my dh who was really grumpy and went off to sit all by himself!!!

 

[LIFERBABE]

pretty much the gist of my email to SWA

in protest, i booked AT for trip to Miami this July a month ago...they already changed my return flight by an hour

we cannot win

Yes AirTran does change times quite often but I always use that as an opp. to review my travel plans and take advantage of the free change. I always tell my friends to book the cheapest flight on Airtran and then when they change the time on you, book what you really want!

 

[Inkmahm]

Yes AirTran does change times quite often but I always use that as an opp. to review my travel plans and take advantage of the free change. I always tell my friends to book the cheapest flight on Airtran and then when they change the time on you, book what you really want!

Exactly! I make sure I can live with the flights I book but I wait for Airtran to do their time changes and then I switch to the flights I really want.

 

[LisaS]

pretty much the gist of my email to SWA

in protest, i booked AT for trip to Miami this July a month ago...they already changed my return flight by an hour

we cannot win

Sometimes it works out in your favor. When we planned a trip to WDW with my mom, the only non-stop return flight she could take was on AT leaving MCO 4 hours before our flight. We were dreading having to get to the airport 6 hours before our flight in order to see her off. A few weeks before the trip, they rescheduled her flight, pushing it back by 3 hours. So in the end, our flights left within an hour of each other and from nearby gates too. It worked out perfectly. We got to spend 3 more hours in WDW instead of at the airport!

 

[keishashadow]

Yes AirTran does change times quite often but I always use that as an opp. to review my travel plans and take advantage of the free change. I always tell my friends to book the cheapest flight on Airtran and then when they change the time on you, book what you really want!

so true, im just sitting it out...hoping it won't present a problem out of FLL to request changing dates 1+ day (one way or the other) jik i find a 'better' deal on another cruise leaving a day earlier

 

[LidoDeck]

There are many things I "luv" about Southwest, but their boarding policy is NOT one of them. Count me in the group of folks who would strongly prefer paying my $10 for an assigned seat. And like on AirTran, I'd gladly pay $15 for the exit row.

But as long as Southwest is asking for these problems, I applaud the folks with enough moxie to plunk themselves down in a seat that is "saved" for someone with a higher boarding number. Once hubby and I took two seats in an exit row that were being saved by a pre-boarder (talk about nerve) and FA did advise seat-saver that she couldn't do that. Seat-saver continued to refer to us as "rude" throughout the flight.

In two weeks we are flying to Las Vegas from Orlando. We added EBCI to both flights for each of us. I think it is unfair to save seats and I won't be party to it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm a little surprised a preboarder was allowed to stay in an exit row seat! As far as I know, back before the "family with small children boarding between the As and the Bs" started - preboarding was limited to: medical needs (can't sit in the exit row), families with small children (can't sit in the exit row), and unaccompanied minors (can't sit in the exit row).

 

[bavaria]

Unfortunately based on what I have read here, and on FT, it would appear that SW are happy to collect the revenue from EBCI, but are unwilling to enforce boarding order or enforce or even state any policy when it comes to saving seats.

I feel that is unfair for those who did spend the money for EBCI and find someone with a lower number boarding ahead of them, and/or saving seats.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have never flown Southwest, but I must say I am a bit shocked by their save seats if you want to policy. It seems like only a matter of time before something really ugly happens as a result of it.

What a stupid way to run your business.

 

[LidoDeck]

I like the suggestion posted on FT that boarding passengers may save ONLY one middle seat in a non-exit row. Come on, Southwest!

 

[DVC-Don]

As long as you're willling to 'defend your turf'

Im waiting to hear of a flight where somebody tries to save multiple seats & an altercation starts when; perhaps a single passenger plops down in one of themfur would fly

Already heard of this. Woman that works for me saw this happen. Fellow came along and proceeded to take a seat, woman there tells him she's saving the seat. He said "sorry, I'm taking the seat". Heated discussion followed and a FA is called. The FA said sorry, seats his.

 

[keishashadow]

Already heard of this. Woman that works for me saw this happen. Fellow came along and proceeded to take a seat, woman there tells him she's saving the seat. He said "sorry, I'm taking the seat". Heated discussion followed and a FA is called. The FA said sorry, seats his.

sounds reasonable to me

if i was a FA the last thing i'd want to have added to my duties is chance of being referee in this sort of instance.

SW clings to their tradition of open seating & insists it's why they have no issue with seat saving, yet they selling EB; they can't have it both ways kwim?

 

[goofy4tink]

There are many things I "luv" about Southwest, but their boarding policy is NOT one of them. Count me in the group of folks who would strongly prefer paying my $10 for an assigned seat. And like on AirTran, I'd gladly pay $15 for the exit row.

But as long as Southwest is asking for these problems, I applaud the folks with enough moxie to plunk themselves down in a seat that is "saved" for someone with a higher boarding number. Once hubby and I took two seats in an exit row that were being saved by a pre-boarder (talk about nerve) and FA did advise seat-saver that she couldn't do that. Seat-saver continued to refer to us as "rude" throughout the flight.

In two weeks we are flying to Las Vegas from Orlando. We added EBCI to both flights for each of us. I think it is unfair to save seats and I won't be party to it.

I have seen those who 'preboarded' hear right to the exit rows....drove me nuts. I had paid full price and got A1, 2 and 3. So, I watched as those medical preboards boarded and then followed them on. One gentleman, who had preboarded, with a cane, had gone right to the exit row...with his wife. Well...the FA went right over to him and told him he would have to move. He said he had no issue helping out in an emergency. The FA just looked at him and told him that since he had 'needed' a medical preboard, there was no way he was going to be able to 'help out' in an emergency...no one doing preboarding was allowed to sit in those seats. His wife just rolled her eyes and got up...dh followed but not happily. I thanked the FA..she just grinned and said there is nothing she likes better than enforcing that particular rule!!!

I truly have no issue with SW's boarding proceedures. I have only seen people saving massive numbers of seats that one time...and it was humerous to watch the mayhem when they had to find seats together rather than sit with strangers. The vast majority of the time, passengers do what is needed. It may be time for SW to institute some kind of seat saving rule now that EBCI is getting well known. I think a lot of people may try to 'work' the system and only pay to do EBCI for one person and that one person will then try to save seats for the rest of the group...and that's not fair.

 

[LisaS]

It may be time for SW to institute some kind of seat saving rule now that EBCI is getting well known. I think a lot of people may try to 'work' the system and only pay to do EBCI for one person and that one person will then try to save seats for the rest of the group...and that's not fair.

I agree. Before EBCI, if I had seen someone saving a lot of seats I would have been annoyed. Now that I'm paying extra to get a low boarding number, I would be upset enough to contact Southwest to complain about it. If they are going to charge extra for the privilege of boarding as early as possible and having the greatest choice of seats, they better deliver on that and not allow people to grab prime seats for traveling companions further back in line who opted not to pay for EBCI. I imagine they decided to take a wait and see approach and hope that the vast majority mind their manners and don't cause problems by saving seats. But that shifts the burden to their customers to either confront the seat savers or accept less than they paid for with EBCI.

On our recent flights (both of which were full) I didn't see anyone saving any seats. There were a few couples who sat in the aisle and window seats hoping that the middle seat would stay empty. The FA announced that the flight was full and told people to remove their items from those middle seats so we could get everyone seated quickly and get on our way.

 

[KimDis]

As someone who flies SW a couple of times a month throughout the country (and is always one for the 1st 25 folks to board as a result) I have to say that on the vast majority of their flights this really isn't a problem. People tend to be pretty good natured and most people don't really abuse seat saving to any extreme. I think SW's stance on seats may be based on the fact that while seat saving may happen sometimes, it doesn't happen all the time.

IMHO SW's customer service, reliable schedules, numerous, affordable routes, lack of bag fees and overall flexibility are such a great value that I'm not concerned about seat savers.

But that may just be the case for me. If it was an issue I just wouldn't fly on them - hey I may love them to death but I realize that SW isn't for everyone. That's why we have all those other airlines out there.

I'd say if you're saving one seat, no biggie. Now 4 seats? That's probably a bit much and could frustrate your fellow flyers.

 

[HeatherC]

Well I just printed our boarding passes for tomorrow. We got A36-A38. My dh has to check in at the airport. For some reason, he always gets flagged and can never check in online with Southwest or Airtran.

I was worried that this would mess up the other 4 of us for EBCI, but it worked fine even though we were all on the same confirmation number.

So...now I wonder if they will give me my $10 back for his since he didn't get to use it. And...yes, I'll be saving him a seat.

Now I just have to wait for tomorrow!