Southwest seat selection

[4 DZNY NUTZ]

Hi Everyone,

we are flying southwest for the first time for our November trip. Can someone explain to me how the seating works. Someone told me when you check in you are assigned a number and depending on that number is when you board the plane and then pick your seat. Is that correct and does the earlier number go by how soon you check in?

any help is greatly appreciated

FYI...I am scared to death of flying and want to make sure I am sitting with my family

 

[Christine]

We've always had great luck getting seated together and I think most people do so don't worry too much.

Twenty-four hours prior to boarding, go on line (have your confirmation number handy) and check in. At that time, you will be provided a boarding pass to print out. It will have a boarding classification on it (A, B, or C). Within A, B, or C, you will also have a number. For instance, the last time I did check in for 3 people, I got on line RIGHT AT the 24 hour point and we got passes A-23, A-24, and A-25. This meant that we were the first boarding group (after Priority Boarding) that got to board the plane. You just line up when they call the A boarding group, go on and pick your seat.

If you check in later, you are going to get boarding group B or C.

As far as I know, within each boarding group, they don't make you wait by the number you are assigned. They might if it is really crowded but I don't think an A-1 gets to get in line before A-5.

 

[goofy4tink]

You need to checkin, online, right at the 24 hr mark....if your flight is leaving at 9am on Nov 12, you need to be online, ready to checkin at 8:58, Nov 11.
So....be all set to go, have all the names on the reservation checked off on that particular page. Then you can submit it. If it's too early, an error message will come up...just submit it again until it is accepted. Figuring out the actual time is tough.
So.....you submitted it, it went through. You will see something like this...
A23, A24, A25, etc. These are your boarding numbers. There are three sections...A, B, and C. The earlier you checkin, the higher (or lower depending on how you think) your boarding section/number will be. Those with medical issues will board first, regardless of their boarding assignment. Then, A1-15 will board, if there is anyone with those numbers...those are the business select people who have paid full price, refundable fares. There are seldom a lot of them.
When you get to the gate, you will see poles, with letters (A,B,C) on them. Then behind them, you will see smaller groupings...16-20, 21-25, 26-30, etc.
When the gate attendent gives the word, you will get up and stand in the spot indicated on your boarding pass....in your case it would be A23, 24, 25. When the A's are boarded, they make an announcement that anyone traveling with children under the age of 4 may now board (assuming they had B or C boarding passes). They don't have to wait for their particular number to come up. Once they are boarded, the B's board, then finally the C's.

Unless you have a large group, you should be able to find seats together if you are in the A group. I've never seen those boarding in the A group have to really split up...of course if there are more than 3 of you, you will have to sit in different rows, but those rows should be next to each other.
Even those boarding in the B group tend to find seats together if they head to the back of the plane. It is usually the C group that has to split up and scatter throughout the plane...and even then that doesn't happen a lot unless it's a larger group traveling together.

So...get online right before that 24 hr mark and get checked in. That should assure you that you are all seated together.

Flying can be scary if you aren't used to it. My advice? Just occupy your mind elsewhere. Bring a bunch of magazines, or an iPod, crossword puzzles, sudoku..whatever. Then, watch your flight attendents. If they are just going about their business, you're fine. Try to relax..flying really is a very safe mode of transportation.....this from someone who isn't the most happy person at 30,000 feet!! But, I've pretty much overcome my flying distress.

 

[pamjb]

Here is a link to Southwest's Boarding SChool

http://www.southwest.com/help/boardingschool/index.html

 

[scammermom]

We're a family of 4 and have never had a problem getting seats together. Once we even got C passes since I wasn't able to check in before we got to the airport and we still we all together. I've heard them ask people to shift so a family with small children could sit together who had arrived late to the airport. I do remember one family who arrived very late for their flight and had older boys who didn't get to sit with their parents. But actually they were pretty happy about that. Guess too much "family vacation" LOL!

 

[davidb69]

We're a family of 4 and have never had a problem getting seats together. Once we even got C passes since I wasn't able to check in before we got to the airport and we still we all together. I've heard them ask people to shift so a family with small children could sit together who had arrived late to the airport. I do remember one family who arrived very late for their flight and had older boys who didn't get to sit with their parents. But actually they were pretty happy about that. Guess too much "family vacation" LOL!

The most important thing is that most people know that people on the way to Orlando has a pretty good chance that you need to sit with each other as a family. There are a few things to remember.

1. If you have a child under 5, it doesn't remember what group you are because you board first.

2. You can get your boarding pass 24 hours prior to the flight.

3. As a former business traveler, I always moved to help keep families together, most people are just people that want to help everyone have an enjoyable trip.

 

[goofy4tink]

The most important thing is that most people know that people on the way to Orlando has a pretty good chance that you need to sit with each other as a family. There are a few things to remember.

1. If you have a child under 5, it doesn't remember what group you are because you board first.

2. You can get your boarding pass 24 hours prior to the flight.

3. As a former business traveler, I always moved to help keep families together, most people are just people that want to help everyone have an enjoyable trip.

No, SW no longer allows families traveling with kids 4 and under to board first. That stopped several years ago. Many families were abusing it. Now...if you have a B or C boarding group and you are flying with kids 4 and under, you will be allowed to board when the medical preboards and the A group have all boarde, before the B and C groups. It is still best to try to checkin as early as possible....that way you can be in the A group.

I usually travel with my family or just my dd. I have been on flights where the FA has asked for people to move in order to allow families to be seated together. Have I moved? No. Why? Because I checked in early, in order to be seated with my family. I can understand if someone is on their own, and they choose to move in order to allow a parent to be seated with their child.
But, no one should be made to feel badly if they don't choose to give up their seat for another family. My dh needs to be on the aisle..he has leg issues. So, he can't switch to a window or middle seat and be comfortable. I guess some would think he was selfish if he were on his own but didn't offer his seat.

 

[n2mm]

1. If you have a child under 5, it doesn't remember what group you are because you board first.

This is not correct. Family's traveling with children under 5 can pre-board after the folks in the A group goes. It's HA/special needs folks first, A folks, pre-boarding families with children under 5, B folks, C folks.

 

[crashbb]

This is not correct. Family's traveling with children under 5 can pre-board after the folks in the A group goes. It's HA/special needs folks first, A folks, pre-boarding families with children under 5, B folks, C folks.

And, just to be clear, is it 4 and under (so a child that is 4.5 wouldn't qualify for early boarding if you had a B or C boarding pass).

 

[5boyz]

We've always had great luck getting seated together and I think most people do so don't worry too much.

Twenty-four hours prior to boarding, go on line (have your confirmation number handy) and check in. At that time, you will be provided a boarding pass to print out. It will have a boarding classification on it (A, B, or C). Within A, B, or C, you will also have a number. For instance, the last time I did check in for 3 people, I got on line RIGHT AT the 24 hour point and we got passes A-23, A-24, and A-25. This meant that we were the first boarding group (after Priority Boarding) that got to board the plane. You just line up when they call the A boarding group, go on and pick your seat.

If you check in later, you are going to get boarding group B or C.

As far as I know, within each boarding group, they don't make you wait by the number you are assigned. They might if it is really crowded but I don't think an A-1 gets to get in line before A-5.

Sorry dont know how to quote certain lines so had to quote all...

I was just going to say for the last paragraph....if you dont go in line in the order of the numbers you got then why did they change it? Then I read Goofy4Tink and she explained how it works...thanks!

 

[n2mm]

And, just to be clear, is it 4 and under (so a child that is 4.5 wouldn't qualify for early boarding if you had a B or C boarding pass).

From their website:

Prior to general boarding, unaccompanied children between the ages of five and 11 and Customers with disabilities who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability and/or need assistance in boarding the aircraft may preboard. Customers who choose to preboard cannot sit in an emergency exit seat.

Effective October 2 in all Southwest cities, an adult traveling with a child four years old or younger will board between the “A” and “B” boarding groups. If you have an “A” boarding pass, please feel free to board with that boarding group. With an all-jet fleet outfitted with comfortable, leather seats, our families with small children are easily accommodated together

 

[WillCAD]

I like to think of Southwest boarding exactly the same as finding a seat in a movie theater - the earlier you get on, the better selection of seats you have.

How early you get on is determined by your boarding group and number. The lower the letter and number, the earlier you get on.

The order that the letters and numbers are issued is the order you check in. Check in earlier, you get a lower number. Get a lower number, you get on the plane earlier. Get on the plane earlier, you have a larger selection of seats.

Since a lot of people know this, it's getting harder and harder to check in early and get a low number, so it's important to be ready to check in online exactly at the 24-hour mark before your scheduled flight time.

Sorry dont know how to quote certain lines so had to quote all...

I was just going to say for the last paragraph....if you dont go in line in the order of the numbers you got then why did they change it? Then I read Goofy4Tink and she explained how it works...thanks!

After you hit the Quote button and you are typing in your post, you will see the quoted post in the white box above your text. Just move your cursor up and delete the parts of the quoted message that you want to delete.

At the beginning of the quoted message you will see [ quote=Name ] in brackets, and at the end you will see [ /quote ] in brackets. These determine where the quote starts and stops; be sure not to delete them, especially not the brackets.

 

[5boyz]

Thank You!!!

 

[DebbieB]

And, just to be clear, is it 4 and under (so a child that is 4.5 wouldn't qualify for early boarding if you had a B or C boarding pass).

4.5 is still considered 4. When the child hits 5, they are no longer eligible for family boarding (unless they have a sibling under 5).

 

[4 DZNY NUTZ]

Thanks for all the replies....makes it much easier to understand.