Southwest questions...

[*WeLuvDisney*]

Have a few questions about Southwest. When we travel in November our party will include 7 children. I'm a bit worried to book Southwest with the seating policy. Do you think we would have trouble getting seats together for 13 people, 7 being children?

Also, this may sound silly...but how do you sign up for DING? I couldn't seem to find it on the Southwest website!

Thanks so much!

 

[DebbieB]

Those with children 4 and under will be permitted to board after A if they get a B or C pass. I see by your signature that you have a 1 year old, so your family will be in this group (parents & siblings of 1 year old) and should get seats together. How old are the other children?

 

[iteachlit]

Here's the link to download Ding! Look for the yellow "Download DING! Now" button on the right edge of the screen.

http://www.southwest.com/ding/

 

[pooch]

24 hr mark for your flight, you should have no trouble at least being close to each other and each child being with an adult. With A passes, you can probably all sit together if you go back a little.

IMHO, people make too big a deal out of SWA seating policy. Unless you wait to check in until you get to the airport and RUN to the gate at the last minute (with, for example, 13 people!) you can get seats with your kids. They won't make your kid sit 20 rows away from you, by themselves with creepy people next to them!!!

Really, SWA handles this VERY well!!!

 

[Hannathy]

I wouldn't hold my breath that all 13 people will all sit absolutely together but I would bet that at least all the young children will be with a family member. That an awful big group of seats to get all together. Even with ticketed seats that would probably be hard to do.

 

[Jestocost]

Realistically, you are unlikely to be able to get 13 people seats together on an airline that does offer reserved seating. There just aren't usually such huge blocks of seats together.

That said, as long as you get your check-in done at the 24-hour mark on SWA, you should all be able to board early enough to find a few blocks of six seats or more together and it's not out of the question that you could find 13 together near the back of the plane.

As far as boarding for families with small children goes, if you all have A boarding passes you will be better off just boarding with that group as family boarding occurs between the A and B groups. Also, don't plan on having all 13 members of your party board with one or two kids under four if you have boarding passes in the B or C groups. Unless the flight is not at all full, which is unlikely, they will at best allow parents and siblings to board with the younger child and could even allow only one parent to board with each child.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

When did they change the boarding with families from Pre-board to between A & B? Granted, it's been a few years since we've needed to do this as my youngest is now 7. However, we were always able to pre-board before everyone else.

Getting an A pass is not hard if you check in at the 24 hour mark as others had said. I notice that most people (and their kids) want to sit up front. Personally, we find it easier to head to the back of the plane as there is usually lots of available seating.

I agree with a PP, you may have a harder time finding seats together on another airline.

 

[tjmw2727]

When did they change the boarding with families from Pre-board to between A & B? Granted, it's been a few years since we've needed to do this as my youngest is now 7. However, we were always able to pre-board before everyone else.
sniped great advice!
.

Its been a couple years now. When they changed the boarding passes from just letters to letters and numbers they moved family boarding to between A and B.

OP - keep an open mind and be warned that it is unlikely that 13 passengers will sit together on any airline. I have been separated from my dd's many times on legacy airlines and never yet had a problem sitting with them on SWA. Go to the SWA website and read the boarding school page - it should address your concerns.

I would also assign each kid an adult "travel buddy" in case you have to split up into smaller groups within the 13. This way the adult responsible will have the carryon stuff for the kids, esp the younger ones and avoid having to pass items down and across an aisle. For reference the aircraft sits 3 across on both sides.

If you check in at 24 hours you will likely get A boarding passes, if you get B passes then each child 4 and under and immediate family can board with family boarding. Occasionally they limit the family boarding to one adult but I have only seen that happen once out of many, many flights.

TJ

 

[DebbieB]

When did they change the boarding with families from Pre-board to between A & B? Granted, it's been a few years since we've needed to do this as my youngest is now 7. However, we were always able to pre-board before everyone else.

Getting an A pass is not hard if you check in at the 24 hour mark as others had said. I notice that most people (and their kids) want to sit up front. Personally, we find it easier to head to the back of the plane as there is usually lots of available seating.

I agree with a PP, you may have a harder time finding seats together on another airline.

They changed it when they changed boarding to letters and numbers, a couple years ago?

I actually preferred the old way because all the kids were in the front and you could get some quiet in the back.

 

[tripplanner2]

Question...everyone in my party, 5 of us, have a different reservation number. We are 2 adults and 3 kids. Do they let the parents board with the kids or the kids board with the parents? Not sure who I should check in first. Usually we have one reservation for our entire party but SW never released 5 seats at the same time for $79, so everyone has a seperate reservation.

 

[iteachlit]

Question...everyone in my party, 5 of us, have a different reservation number. We are 2 adults and 3 kids. Do they let the parents board with the kids or the kids board with the parents? Not sure who I should check in first. Usually we have one reservation for our entire party but SW never released 5 seats at the same time for $79, so everyone has a seperate reservation.

According to Southwest's web site:

"Q: Do families still get to preboard?
A: An adult traveling with a child four years old or younger will board between the "A" and "B" boarding groups, unless you have an "A" boarding pass. Those Customers holding an "A" boarding pass should board with the "A" boarding group. With an all-jet fleet outfitted with comfortable, leather seats, our families traveling with small children are easily accommodated together."

Only kids four years and younger qualify. If you are concerned, try to get the adults checked in early enough to get each two A passes. I don't think they would break up your family if you have a child over four who is holding a C boarding pass. Other may have direct experience with this same situation; both of my kids are over four.

 

[brianm27]

Question...everyone in my party, 5 of us, have a different reservation number. We are 2 adults and 3 kids. Do they let the parents board with the kids or the kids board with the parents? Not sure who I should check in first. Usually we have one reservation for our entire party but SW never released 5 seats at the same time for $79, so everyone has a seperate reservation.

Check in one of the adults first, then the three kids, then the last adult. We only have one child (7), but she likes to be independant and stand in line by herself. We are usually just a few ahead or behind of her so she is in plain sight at all times. I just wait on the jetbridge for her to get scanned then we head forward. My wife is usually on before we are settled.

If your kids are old enough this works great, if they are 4 or under you can always family board after the A group or have everyone line up at the HIGHEST number if you are in the A group..

 

[tripplanner2]

Thank you both. This is the first time we are traveling without a child 4 or under. Our baby just turned 5 so this is a first for us. I was unsure if I should check the kids in first or the adults but I guess it is the adults, then the kids. Thank you so much.