Southwest Seat Assignment

[Nohal]

Just checked in for our flight exactly at the 24hr mark (didn't do EBCI). We were assigned B49 & B50. Are these the last seats in the B section? Our flight is sold out so I am assuming that many people did EBCI, it's just me & DH so I didn't feel that the extra $20 was worth it. Can use that money for some beverages!

 

[momjeeps]

Those are your boarding numbers. You will line up with the B group to board. Seating is like a bus, first come first serve. You will need to go to the back of the plane to find seats together most likely.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[mdsd8700]

Pretty sure there are 60 in each group. As pp said you will line up in number order so around 10 people behind you for B. Although you are at the far end of the B boarding since there are only two of you I would think you would be able to find a seat together.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[ibob52]

Depends ... (preboarding etc = worse case)
I boarded High B (50) ... rebooked - due to delayed previous flight
and all there were left were middle seats ... May 2012
Planes are flying full these days ...
Empty seats are really a thing of the past
YMMV

 

[Nohal]

I couldn't remember how many seats in each section but figured we would be at the end of B. It doesn't matter if we sit together but was curious how far back our seats would be.

 

[StacyMarie]

60 seats in each section.

 

[DOPEYLUVER]

I couldn't remember how many seats in each section but figured we would be at the end of B. It doesn't matter if we sit together but was curious how far back our seats would be.

If you are willing to take a middle seat, you can be quite close to the front. I recently flew and was about B50, maybe a few more than that. I ended up in the last row on the aisle.

Depending on my mood and whatever, sometimes I will ask if it's a full flight. If it is, I will just sit near the front in the middle. It's a pretty good score when I go to sit in the middle and the couple that are occupying the window and aisle decide to move together.

 

[DebbieB]

I couldn't remember how many seats in each section but figured we would be at the end of B. It doesn't matter if we sit together but was curious how far back our seats would be.

There's no way to tell. If you are willing to take single seats, you could be close to the front.

 

[carl59]

SWA planes have the following seating:
737-300- 137 seats onboard
737-500- 122 seats onboard
737-700- 137 seats onboard
737-800- 175 seats onboard

Medical pre board are the first group on.
Group A - Business Select are next: 1-15 (Most times, little to no boards).
Rest of Group A: 16-60.
Family pre board are next.
Group B: 1-60
Group C: 1-#

 

[SaraJayne]

I couldn't remember how many seats in each section but figured we would be at the end of B. It doesn't matter if we sit together but was curious how far back our seats would be.

You aren't seated by section once you're on the plane. You can sit wherever there is an open seat.

The planes are not divided into three sections (A,B,C), just the boarding process.

 

[Donaldswife]

SWA planes have the following seating:
737-300- 137 seats onboard
737-500- 122 seats onboard
737-700- 137 seats onboard
737-800- 175 seats onboard

Medical pre board are the first group on.
Group A - Business Select are next: 1-15 (Most times, little to no boards).
Rest of Group A: 16-60.
Family pre board are next.
Group B: 1-60
Group C: 1-#

You also need to take into account there may already be people on the plane that are not switching plances (ie, direct flight with stops). No way of knowing how many of those may already be on board when group A starts boarding.

That's why I try to take the first flight out in the morning, more often that not from Indy (which is where I fly from) the first flight out is on a plane that has sat there all night and does not have direct flight passengers already on board. We don't have many red eyes that fly into Indianapolis, so other airports where there are a lot of inbound red eyes may still have the problem of people already on board when boarding begins.

 

[Jestocost]

OP also doesn't say where they are flying from and that can have an impact too. If the airport has a lot of SWA passengers connecting from other flights that originated elsewhe, then all of those passengers who are connecting to the OPs flight that used EBCI and those who checked in 24 hours ahead of their first flight would have had their boarding numbers assigned ahead of the OP.

 

[PatMcDuck]

You also need to take into account there may already be people on the plane that are not switching plances (ie, direct flight with stops). No way of knowing how many of those may already be on board when group A starts boarding.

HA, yes, this happened to us. We were going from Raleigh Durham, back to Philadelphia. We had low As, no problem, right? We boarded with confidence, and the plane was packed! With passengers from Orlando, headed to PHL. We failed to even notice that very few people got OFF the plane when it landed.

Now that you pointed this OUT, I am a little worried about my flight next Sat, I change planes at Midway in Chicago, headed to the west coast from NJ, and I know the flight I am getting on is coming from PHL, it will likely be pretty full when I get on in Chicago. UGH. Did pay for ECBI.

 

[mom2cgj]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but we are considering SWA for our flight, and I'm confused by the check-in process. I don't fly much, so please bear with me!!! With SWA, do you check-in online? Usually my DH flies Delta for work, and I don't think he does anything more than check in at the airport a couple of hours before his flight. I'm assuming you aren't sitting in the airport for 24 hours, though! So if you can check in 24 hours early online, what exactly is the benefit of EBCI? I was thinking about using it, but now I'm not sure. We will be a family of 5. Any advice?

 

[vicki_c]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but we are considering SWA for our flight, and I'm confused by the check-in process. I don't fly much, so please bear with me!!! With SWA, do you check-in online? Usually my DH flies Delta for work, and I don't think he does anything more than check in at the airport a couple of hours before his flight. I'm assuming you aren't sitting in the airport for 24 hours, though! So if you can check in 24 hours early online, what exactly is the benefit of EBCI? I was thinking about using it, but now I'm not sure. We will be a family of 5. Any advice?

You check in online at 24 or less hours out to get the best boarding assignment. That just means when you get in line to board the plane because there is no assigned seating. So it's best to check in at exactly 24 hours out. You can also pay $10 pp each way to get early check in (ECBI) and the airline does it for it at 36 hours out, I believe.

 

[sam_gordon]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but we are considering SWA for our flight, and I'm confused by the check-in process. I don't fly much, so please bear with me!!! With SWA, do you check-in online? Usually my DH flies Delta for work, and I don't think he does anything more than check in at the airport a couple of hours before his flight. I'm assuming you aren't sitting in the airport for 24 hours, though! So if you can check in 24 hours early online, what exactly is the benefit of EBCI? I was thinking about using it, but now I'm not sure. We will be a family of 5. Any advice?

Depending on the ages of your kids, it might be worth paying for EBCI (even for a couple of you).

As the OP mentions, they checked in right at the 24 hour mark and got low B's. Looking at the list carl posted, with a 'B50' assignment, that only leaves between 12 & 60 "empty" seats boarding after you. IMO, if it's the former, that's not enough to guarantee finding seats together. Even if it's a plane that seats 137, there'll only be 27 seats empty... those can all be middle row.

Of course, there's no guarantee you'll get a low B by checking in 24 hours ahead... you might even get an 'A' number.

In my opinion, I would pay for EBCI for however many people MUST sit together. For example, if one of your kids is <7, and the rest are all teenagers, I'd get two EBCI's... one for the youngest and one for an adult. The rest are on their own.

 

[jayhawk74]

SWA planes have the following seating:
737-300- 137 seats onboard
737-500- 122 seats onboard
737-700- 137 seats onboard
737-800- 175 seats onboard

SWA is converting the 737-700s to what they are calling the Evolve seating. That means those aircraft have 143 seats on board but because of the new seat design the legroom is the same as on the 737-500.
Here is the seat pitch of each aircraft. The info came from a SWA employee magazine.
AirTran 717 - 29"
AirTran -700 - 30"
SWA -300 - 32"
SWA -500 - 31"
SWA -700 (non-Evolve) -32"
SWA -700 (Evolve) - 31"
SWA-800 - 32"

 

[daughtryfan114]

SWA planes have the following seating:
737-300- 137 seats onboard
737-500- 122 seats onboard
737-700- 137 seats onboard
737-800- 175 seats onboard

Medical pre board are the first group on.
Group A - Business Select are next: 1-15 (Most times, little to no boards).
Rest of Group A: 16-60.
Family pre board are next.
Group B: 1-60
Group C: 1-#

Just flew from Phl to Mco Saturday and thsts exactly how boardong went. I was A60.

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

Seeing that I usually vacation solo, I always get the early bird seating. I much prefer a window seat. But seeing that I will have early bird, should I still do the exact 24 hour check-in? It is always a very early direct flight from Albany, NY to Orlando. Would it make any difference if I did the check-in at 24 hours, or has it already been determined what my boarding number is? Thank You!

 

[sam_gordon]

Seeing that I usually vacation solo, I always get the early bird seating. I much prefer a window seat. But seeing that I will have early bird, should I still do the exact 24 hour check-in? It is always a very early direct flight from Albany, NY to Orlando. Would it make any difference if I did the check-in at 24 hours, or has it already been determined what my boarding number is? Thank You!

Since you have early bird, you will automatically be checked in 36 hours before your flight. You won't find out your boarding position until 24 hours before your flight. There is no need to check right at 24 hours since your boarding position won't change.