Southwest Newbie! what should i know?

[MAYNARDS99]

Stowing luggage in the overhead bins should not be a problem.

Southwest lets each passenger check two bags free!

 

[taitai]

This really isn't true. WN takes no official stance on seat saving. Most people will not want to get involved in a conflict over trying to sit in a saved seat unless the plane is really full.

Additionally, on the tv show On the Fly, I have heard WN gate agents tell PAX to save seats for their friends/families a number of times.

Southwest's policy on this is frustrating. Or non-policy. The thing is, if it is between a middle seat and an aisle or window that someone is saving, I am taking the saved seat. In the end, Southwest's policy is to take any available seat and if there isn't someone else's butt in it, I am taking it.

What is so frustrating is that it in effect, dilutes the power of EBCI. Why bother if you can save?

 

[aubriee]

Southwest's policy on this is frustrating. Or non-policy. The thing is, if it is between a middle seat and an aisle or window that someone is saving, I am taking the saved seat. In the end, Southwest's policy is to take any available seat and if there isn't someone else's butt in it, I am taking it.

What is so frustrating is that it in effect, dilutes the power of EBCI. Why bother if you can save?

I agree. I absolutely hate flying and have claustrophobic issues. I can not sit in the back of a plane or in a middle or window eat. I need an aisle seat close to the front of the plane. Consequently I always fly airlines that let me choose the seat I need and don't mind paying for that seat. However, with Southwest pulling Air Tran out of Dallas last fall, our choices for decent fares at decent times dropped dramatically. If I found a good fare on Southwest I would have no problem paying for EBCI for my entire party (and would even if I was flying solo), in order to make sure I got a good boarding pass. Once I got on the plane I would be sitting in the first available aisle seat. If someone had purchased EBCI, got on before me, then tried to save seat for members of their party that did not purchase EBCI, who do you think the FA's are going to side with. No way is it fair for one person in a party to purchase EBCI, then expect to get on the plane and save seats for the rest of their party who didn't. Can't believe someone would even think that's OK.

 

[richmo]

A few comments, most of which repeat others:
- You could try to just pay for one early boarding, but there's no guarantee that you'll be able to save seats for the rest of your party. There's a decent chance you will, but no guarantee.
- Do you have a smartphone? I've used a Southwest app on my Android and BlackBerry before that to check in many times.
- I've found that check in leaving from Orlando doesn't seem to be quite as competitive at the 24 hour mark. I suspect the reason is most people flying are in a park somewhere as opposed to home/work on a computer waiting for exactly 24 hours before to occur.
- Actually, that brings up another point. Is there someone at home or work that could do the checkin for you? You do not need to bring boarding passes with you to MCO; you can print them out when you check your bags.
- And, to the OP, one final point. Your kids are 17 and 12. Worst case, they can sit apart from you for a few hours. Mine are pretty close to those ages and, after spending 24/7 with us for the entire time we're in Disney, they probably don't mind sitting a few rows away.

 

[DISvirgin1]

When we have flown Soutwest we have always boarded with the "families with young kids" group which *usually* goes on after the A group (at least this was in our case) We have always been able to sit with kids. I'm not crazy about SW, but I would think they would do everything possible to make sure kids (especially young ones) were with their parents. But that has just been my experience.