Southwest question

[NJlauren]

I have never flown southwest, but my DH did recently and loved it. So I'm considering it for an upcoming trip.

Currently on other airlines with assigned seats he board first gets everything ready and I board as close to last as possible with DD.... I'm assuming he can't save seats and do this on southwest correct?

 

[LisaS]

Southwest has no policy on seat saving. What this means in practice is that passengers can try to save a seat or two but if another passenger wants to claim one of those saved seats they can. If someone sits in the window or aisle and tries to save just the middle seat it's probably not too hard to do so. If someone tries to save two seats in the row, that's more difficult particularly once the plane has filled to the point where only middle seats are left. Someone might choose to take that open aisle/window seat in your husband's row rather than be stuck in a middle seat.

 

[NJlauren]

Southwest has no policy on seat saving. What this means in practice is that passengers can try to save a seat or two but if another passenger wants to claim one of those saved seats they can. If someone sits in the window or aisle and tries to save just the middle seat it's probably not too hard to do so. If someone tries to save two seats in the row, that's more difficult particularly once the plane has filled to the point where only middle seats are left. Someone might choose to take that open aisle/window seat in your husband's row rather than be stuck in a middle seat.

Thank you for the reply!

So not totally impossible, but highly unlikely, if we go with southwest we will just need to adjust the boarding process we have.

 

[tjmw2727]

Your DH "may" be successful saving seats if he heads to the rear of the aircraft or if your using a car seat. Honestly though the boarding process at SWA is so much quicker than other airlines (In my experience) that you won't be on the aircraft that much longer if you just board with your dh and dd at your boarding positions.

Personally I wouldn't risk the possibility of not sitting together for 5/10 more minutes of gate time!

 

[BabiesDaddy]

Buy "early bird check-in" through Southwest for your flights. This usually guarantees that you will have no issues sitting together.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We have flown SWA at least 20 times since they started flying out of Philly in 2005.
Our kids were 5 & 8 then. We have never been separated but even before there was Early Bird options, we were careful to check in for our flight at T-24. Even on rare occasions that we've gotten B boarding passes, we still got to sit together.
If your child is 4 or under, you will be able to do Family Boarding which is after the A boarding but before B boarding.

Definitely give them a try. We have flown other airlines since and SWA has one of the smoothest boarding plans of them all. It's funny how others call it a cattle call but USAirways/American is the worst, despite their assigned seating, at how passengers just hover so close to the line that you can't tell if they are actually in line or just hovering. It's so annoying.
At least with SWA boarding, no one really gets close to the line unless they're in it. Once they started adding the number position to the letter designation, like A-35, it made it so easy. You just go up to the line and ask people what their number is so you can find your spot in line.

It's so civilized compared to American and not a cattle call at all.
We still buy EBCI for our return flights, especially when cruising, because I don't want to have to deal with checking in while on vacation.

 

[DebbieB]

Family boarding has changed to age 6 and under. Then people stretch that to 7 or 8 or even 10 and seem to get away with it.

 

[NJlauren]

Thank you everyone!