Southwest Family Boarding ?

[SamSam]

My DD, SIL, and 2 wonderful 14 month old Grandsons will be joining us in WDW in a couple of weeks. I have purchased them Southwest flights, but did not purchase the early bird check-in because of the 'families with small children' board after the A group.

Now I'm having second thoughts as I've heard that sometimes with flights to Orlando that Southwest eliminates the 'family' boarding because so many people flying to Orlando are families with young children. this would be a flight from Salt Lake City to Orlando (very long flight), so I want to do what I can to make the trip easier for them..."sitting together" is very important.

I'm not worried about the flight home from Orlando to SLC because I've never heard/read that Southwest eliminated the 'family' boarding on outgoing flights.

If anyone has experience with this, please share your thoughts.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

We had no problems using family boarding for our August 2011 trip. We have a 6 and 3 year old and they were very nice.

 

[deegack]

They have been known to cancel family boarding because most of the plane would qualify. If you want to guarantee (as much as you can) sitting together pay for early boarding. They do not have to move people to accommodate you.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

They have been known to cancel family boarding because most of the plane would qualify. If you want to guarantee (as much as you can) sitting together pay for early boarding. They do not have to move people to accommodate you.

Just do your online check-in right at 24 hours before your flight. You'll likely get "A" boarding or certainly early B. Then even if "Family" boarding is eliminated (never experienced that personally and I fly a lot) you'll be fine with A or B.
If you do get A, then you can board before the family boarding starts too.
I wouldn't worry...and that comes from a mom with 4 little kids.

 

[DebbieB]

I've never seen them eliminate family boarding but I have seen them make an announcement that it is only for the immediate family of the children, no grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

 

[PlutoPony]

The likelihood of them getting an A pass at T-24 depends on how many purchase EBCI. I've read many reports on Flyertalk of people checking in at T-24 only to get late A/ early B passes because so many people ponied up the $ for early check in. The other question is how many through passengers there are (if any) that would get good seats together before your group gets on. That seems to be more of an issue on east coast flights but I know SW is fairly big in SLC so not sure how flights that originate there look in that regard.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I would not pay for the priority seating. I would try and check in right on the 24 hour mark dot, trying for As. If this fails, the group that is allowed to family board can "sort of" save adjacent seats. They have no policy against "seat saving", from what I have read. I do not like it, but that is the reality of Southwest.

I would head for the middle to back of the plane, however. Then the potential seat saving thing will cause less issues. Some passengers have very tight connections to make, and will want seats close to the front of the plane, and will argue with you about the seat saving thing. Who needs that on a vacation?

And I hope the little ones have seats, so they can relax in their car safety seats for that long flight. Have a great time! Southwest is the best!

 

[shoney]

I've never seen them eliminate family boarding but I have seen them make an announcement that it is only for the immediate family of the children, no grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

The last time we flew sw home from mco they did this. Just get creative on the way you pick your seats.

We put each kid in a middle seat and then we sat on the aisle. then the 2 window seats were open for when my parents were able to board the plane. No one wanted those single seats next to the kiddos! LOL

 

[SamSam]

Thank you all for your responses. To clarify, my dd, sil and twin gs's are flying out of SLC, we are flying out the day before from KC, so we're not worried about us all getting seats together.

I think I'm best to bite the bullet and get them early bird for the trip to Orlando. 24 hours before their flight leaves my dd will be at work and I will be boarding a plane in KC, so neither of us will be able to check-in at the 24 hour mark for her family.

Worth the money, so I can quit worrying. DH and I have actually been on SW flights when they announced that there would be no family boarding because so many families were going to Orlando.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I think I'm best to bite the bullet and get them early bird for the trip to Orlando. 24 hours before their flight leaves my dd will be at work and I will be boarding a plane in KC, so neither of us will be able to check-in at the 24 hour mark for her family.

Just to add that anyone can check you in, they just need your name and reservation number. While it may not help you this time, I have been able to ask my daughter to check me in, for example.

Then I just print out the boarding passes later at home, or the next day at the airport.

I think people with smart phones have an APP to check in, but I do not have one of those.

 

[malibuconlee]

It shouldn't be as difficult either since they won't all be sitting together. Not sure if you bought all of them tickets, but if they are lap babies they still won't be able to sit in one row of 3 across since there are only 4 oxygen masks per row of 3 seats only one lap baby will be allowed per row.

 

[SamSam]

Thanks for all the helpful information. DD, SIL, and my twin DGS's will have 3 seats so one baby will be a lapbaby and the other in the middle seat. Im sure there will be lots of trade off time, but they will have the row to themselves.