Southwest Grouping

[jodiey]

I just checked in exactly 24 hours before our Southwest flight and got B31-B35. I'm traveling with a 2 year old and 4 month old so I was hoping to get a whole row across (and not near the bathrooms). I know I'll be able to go between the A and B group because of the young kids but I'm thinking since this is a dirct flight to Orlando that most people on this plane will also be flying with little kids. What do you think the odds are of actually getting a decent seat? This is why I hate Southwest and never travel with them. We usually fly Jetblue but because they only have 1 flight a day and the flight home was real late at night I had no choice but to switch to SW.

 

[mm1971]

I just checked in exactly 24 hours before our Southwest flight and got B31-B35. I'm traveling with a 2 year old and 4 month old so I was hoping to get a whole row across (and not near the bathrooms). I know I'll be able to go between the A and B group because of the young kids but I'm thinking since this is a dirct flight to Orlando that most people on this plane will also be flying with little kids. What do you think the odds are of actually getting a decent seat? This is why I hate Southwest and never travel with them. We usually fly Jetblue but because they only have 1 flight a day and the flight home was real late at night I had no choice but to switch to SW.

From our experience, boarding between groups is a courtesy and while usually available is not guaranteed. Just a caution that if the plane is fully booked, it is possible they make you board according to your pass. Not likely, but possible.

With that said, assuming they call for family boarding, there should be plenty of seats with all 3 still available in the same row/side of the plane. They will most likely be in the back of the plane, but will be available. Usually when the C group is boarding, that is when it becomes an issue.

We usually purchase the early bird check in for an extra $10 and eliminate all worry. The prices are usually lower with SW when we are booking and no bag fees so we don't mind paying the fee.

Good luck and have a safe trip.

 

[acceber32]

We have had an issue with all sitting together on South West. And as a matter of fact when we were flying with our oldest as a lap child my husband and I were separated. No one would move and give up their seats either. If we fly Southwest now we always buy the early bird check-in so we can pick our seats.

 

[jodiey]

I really don't understand why they use this system. Is it that difficult for them to give you an assigned seat?? All the rest of the airlines don't seem to have a problem doing it

 

[kamik86]

I really don't understand why they use this system. Is it that difficult for them to give you an assigned seat?? All the rest of the airlines don't seem to have a problem doing it

Possibly because Southwest has a customer base that has decided they really like this process. I am one I love this way of boarding and I fly with Southwest most of the time. 11 of the 12 flights round trip flights I have taken this year... the last one was delta and it sucked.

There are people that prefer the other way but right now southwest gets the business of everyone that prefers to board in groups and choose to sit wherever.

Oh and of all those flights this year on only 2 did people play musical chairs after boarding. One was a flight in May on Southwest to Orlando. The other was one of the delta flights because a few people with little kids didn't get seats together even with assigned seats and started trying to get people to move and then messing up others spots etc.

 

[mm1971]

I really don't understand why they use this system. Is it that difficult for them to give you an assigned seat?? All the rest of the airlines don't seem to have a problem doing it

I think for a couple of reasons.

1) If you assign seat when purchased and there are 10 seats left on the plane, but none together, it is likely to never sell those seats. With no assigned seating, everyone gets a shot at sitting where they want and SW gets to sell every seat on the plane.

2) Most airlines are now starting to charge either fees or different prices for certain seats. No thanks. I'll buy based on capacity and supply/demand, not on if I want to pay more for row 6 than row 12.

3) It allows for faster loading from what I have experienced. As people are boarding, they grab seats and sit. With assigned seating, a lot of times you you need to wait while people find their seats and such. Not always, but I sure have seen the SW planes load fast when off schedule.

Not perfect either way, but I like the SW way better.

 

[chcoley]

We flew SWA to Orlando last November and were in the B group. We were able to board between the A and B groups with our young kids and had no problem getting seats in a row. I LOVE SWA!!

 

[Gracie09]

We have had an issue with all sitting together on South West. And as a matter of fact when we were flying with our oldest as a lap child my husband and I were separated. No one would move and give up their seats either. If we fly Southwest now we always buy the early bird check-in so we can pick our seats.

I don't understand why you would be upset that no one would move for you because you had a lap kid. Your child was with a parent. As a parent it's my responsibility to make sure as best I can that my family is seated appropriately. If that mean spending more money that is the price of parenthood.

 

[Mayhem1976]

We've flown SWA a lot and haven't had trouble. Last year there were 16 of us and we were A's into B's and all got seats together. You might not be in a row, but behind or something.

I think that many people would move so that a parent and child aren't separated (who would want to sit next to someones kid without the parent) but people might not move so that you are all near each other. They might be with their families.

We usually pay for the early bird. You might want to pay for it for the return trip, if not too late....you might be out and about 24 hours before your flight.

We are flying Jetblue this time because adding in early bird fee it was close to the same price.

 

[Allison]

From our experience, boarding between groups is a courtesy and while usually available is not guaranteed. Just a caution that if the plane is fully booked, it is possible they make you board according to your pass. Not likely, but possible.

With that said, assuming they call for family boarding, there should be plenty of seats with all 3 still available in the same row/side of the plane. They will most likely be in the back of the plane, but will be available. Usually when the C group is boarding, that is when it becomes an issue.

We usually purchase the early bird check in for an extra $10 and eliminate all worry. The prices are usually lower with SW when we are booking and no bag fees so we don't mind paying the fee.

Good luck and have a safe trip.

The OP is looking for 5 seats in the same row not 3.

 

[acceber32]

I don't understand why you would be upset that no one would move for you because you had a lap kid. Your child was with a parent. As a parent it's my responsibility to make sure as best I can that my family is seated appropriately. If that mean spending more money that is the price of parenthood.

I wasn't upset because I had a lap child, I was upset because my husband and I did not get to sit next to each other. We were several rows apart. No one likes getting separated while on a plane, let alone a toddler who doesn't understand. Him being a lap child had nothing to do with it, it was about the way Southwest does not assign seats insuring families can sit together.

 

[Mkrop]

I really don't understand why they use this system. Is it that difficult for them to give you an assigned seat?? All the rest of the airlines don't seem to have a problem doing it

Because some their customers prefer this way I know we do. We have never been separated on SW, we have been on USAir with assigned seats. They only time DH gets separated from us is when he is nice enough to move for a mom and her kids because they got C boarding, but frankly after getting next to the family from hell after he moved the last time, he is reconsidering being so nice, he paid the EBCI, he can stay put, let someone else move.

 

[tjmw2727]

We have had an issue with all sitting together on South West. And as a matter of fact when we were flying with our oldest as a lap child my husband and I were separated. No one would move and give up their seats either. If we fly Southwest now we always buy the early bird check-in so we can pick our seats.

Missing from your post:

What did you do to increase the odds that you and your husband could sit together? Purchase EBCI? Check in at T24? Board with family boarding?
Your child as a lap child would qualify both of you to board between A and B groups, this would mean that only 60 of the 130 seats were occupied at that point.

I have actually been separated from my kids on the airlines that assign seats and I have never ever been separated form them on SWA. With SWA I have control of my situation and with the legacy airlines if they change time/equipment many times the seats change as well. Sometimes you can fix the issue sometimes you can't.

The real point is that no airline guarantees your seat assignment - even when you pay ! With SWA at least you know the deal when you book (or you should if you read the terms) and can take every precaution available to be seated with your family.

 

[Gracie09]

We have had an issue with all sitting together on South West. And as a matter of fact when we were flying with our oldest as a lap child my husband and I were separated. No one would move and give up their seats either. If we fly Southwest now we always buy the early bird check-in so we can pick our seats.

I wasn't upset because I had a lap child, I was upset because my husband and I did not get to sit next to each other. We were several rows apart. No one likes getting separated while on a plane, let alone a toddler who doesn't understand. Him being a lap child had nothing to do with it, it was about the way Southwest does not assign seats insuring families can sit together.

Then fly an airline that does. So people, who may have paid for ebci, should move their seats around so two adults could sit together. Yeah don't think so. And you mentioned your son was a lap kid. If that was not important to your story, at least in your mind, why mention it?

 

[acceber32]

I'm not for sure why you are having a problem with my comments, I was only giving the OP my story to encourage buying ebci. The reason I mentioned having a lap child was bc it was our first time flying with him and it was stressful being separated. I understand it'd be way worse being separated on a flight from your kids and I'd never expect someone who paid for ebci to give up their seat. We did not pay for ebci, we didn't know about it at the time and it was our first flight with Southwest. We did pay for it on our return trip and had a much more pleasant trip. This happened several years ago so I don't remember all the details. Again, I was just suggesting the OP get ebci.

 

[JEWLSVERN]

I don't know if you've ever flown with a lap child but its extremely tiring and difficult, especially if they are over a year and mobile.
I would be very upset if I was separated from my husband with a lap child. There are times you need to be able to pass the child back and forth just to be able to get into a bag, go to the bathroom, or even have something to eat or drink.
I haven't flown SW since my oldest was a baby but on all other airlines even when I pick my seats it gets screwed up. We arrive at the airport to find we have all been moved around only for them to move us all around again and then end up at the back of the plane.

 

[Gracie09]

There is a way to prevent the "stress of flying with a lap child" buy a seat for them. Besides first the pp said it had nothing to do with the lap child she wanted to sit with her husband. Now it has every thing to do with having a lap child. Just because you have a child you are not entitled to have people move around so your experience is better. And this idea that people are mean or rude because they don't is ludicrous. You are responsible for you, and your family, not strangers on a plane.

You're right. I have never flown with a lap child. Every member of my family has always had their own seat when they flew. I choose to spend money to make sure my family flew as safe and comfortably as possible.

 

[cjbcam]

There is a way to prevent the "stress of flying with a lap child" buy a seat for them. Besides first the pp said it had nothing to do with the lap child she wanted to sit with her husband. Now it has every thing to do with having a lap child. Just because you have a child you are not entitled to have people move around so your experience is better. And this idea that people are mean or rude because they don't is ludicrous. You are responsible for you, and your family, not strangers on a plane.

You're right. I have never flown with a lap child. Every member of my family has always had their own seat when they flew. I choose to spend money to make sure my family flew as safe and comfortably as possible.

Wow although I agree I would not fly with a child on my lap because I personally would think its too cramped and the child would probably fair better in a car seat, I do think its unreasonable to not seat families together. Just last March when we flew to Orlando and back out of Minneapolis with one transfer each way we paid for seats together. Our kids at the time were 10,8,4,2. Some airlines don't let 8 and younger fly alone (I think SW is 5?) so why would they separate us? If they will not let them on the plane alone why would they seat them alone? Makes no sense. Anyways even though we had paid to sit together they had separated us on the flight from Orlando to layover I had to fight at the airport for them to let us sit dispersed throughout the plane in twos. The stress of having my 8 and 10 year old getting on and off the plane was insane next time I will just let them deal with all the unhappy customers having to deal with kids that would be screaming and crying without one of us beside them. Lets see how happy those people unwilling to move will be lol.

 

[Gracie09]

Wow although I agree I would not fly with a child on my lap because I personally would think its too cramped and the child would probably fair better in a car seat, I do think its unreasonable to not seat families together. Just last March when we flew to Orlando and back out of Minneapolis with one transfer each way we paid for seats together. Our kids at the time were 10,8,4,2. Some airlines don't let 8 and younger fly alone (I think SW is 5?) so why would they separate us? If they will not let them on the plane alone why would they seat them alone? Makes no sense. Anyways even though we had paid to sit together they had separated us on the flight from Orlando to layover I had to fight at the airport for them to let us sit dispersed throughout the plane in twos. The stress of having my 8 and 10 year old getting on and off the plane was insane next time I will just let them deal with all the unhappy customers having to deal with kids that would be screaming and crying without one of us beside them. Lets see how happy those people unwilling to move will be lol.

You missed the point that the child was with a parent, not by themselves. It was inconvenient for the father to be elsewhere. I personally have never been moved from seats that we have paid for absent a change of plane. And i always love the my kids will cry if they are not next to me. Let the mean people who wouldn't move deal with them. Really. Your kids don't know how to behave in public for a couple hours without you next to them. At 8 and 10 you explain that they have to sit here and mommy is right there and here is your bag of stuff to do. I'll check on you in a little while. How difficult is that. It's not like you are leaving them alone in the airport telling them to catch the next plane.

 

[cjbcam]

You missed the point that the child was with a parent, not by themselves. It was inconvenient for the father to be elsewhere. I personally have never been moved from seats that we have paid for absent a change of plane. And i always love the my kids will cry if they are not next to me. Let the mean people who wouldn't move deal with them. Really. Your kids don't know how to behave in public for a couple hours without you next to them. At 8 and 10 you explain that they have to sit here and mommy is right there and here is your bag of stuff to do. I'll check on you in a little while. How difficult is that. It's not like you are leaving them alone in the airport telling them to catch the next plane.

I'm obviously not talking about my 8 and ten year old. And yes my 2 and 4 year old would cry and if the people who chose not to move would have to deal with them. That would be their choice. And yes they tried to split us all up. That is not good business. And I have very well behaved kids and am complimented all the time about their behavior. Complimented numerous times on all those flights about how well behaved my kids are especially compared to most kids. And it's not exactly easy having to rush to our next flight when my ten and eight year old cant reach their carry ons so yes we made every one else behind them have to wait so we could get back to get them for them.