Southwest- seating issue

[sam_gordon]

I’ve seen over well 20 preboards… 6 wheelchairs & their companions, then several people walking on & families groups of 4 -5. This happens on many flights. We buy Business Select on opening day & have gotten A 1& 2 many times. Even then, we’ve had to go to row 5 or 6 to get 2 seats together.

Still seems like a really high number. Is it possible? Sure. Likely? I'd say no.

 

[Dug720]

I got EBCI for my flight to Nashville tomorrow purchased not long after they went on sale. I have A37 - which isn't horrible, but we'll see how many people are doing the 1 or 2 buying it and saving seats (as well as pre-boards). It may bump up a little since they're still selling positions in A 1-15, but for $104 no thank you. We'll see what I end up with coming back to NYC.

To me, it's even more annoying that I can't see how full the flight is with open seating. LOL. On a legacy where you purchase seats, you get an idea as to how full a flight is going to be by checking the seating chart.

 

[pooch]

I try to purchase 8 tickets, not a great barometer but at least I get an idea.

 

[Akck]

I’ll throw in something else to consider. For our next flight, we went ahead and applied for the SWA credit card. They offered a $400 credit, so our tickets ended up costing around $200 for the two of us, including the $69 annual fee on the card. I didn’t know it at the time, but the card included 2 free EBCI each year so that was another savings. There’s also points we’ll get for charging $750 on the card. We’re also supposed to get 1 free checked bag for each of us.

My wife hates the boarding process. We were flying to Cancun with a son’s family and of course, our son refused to get EBCI. So, dutifully at 24 hours, we both checked in. Unfortunately, there was a glitch/feature where we had to input passport information and it failed the first time. By the time we finished, we ended up in group C. I immediately paid for the group A upgrade and we were able to save a seat so our granddaughter could sit with us. Her parents were seated separately. The last time we flew on SWA, EBCI got us group B, but we were able to sit together at the back of the plane.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Husband's two co-workers both purchased WGA+ but without EBCI and flew today in Vegas to come back home. Completely full flight (no empty seats). Flight was close to 1pm (ended up being delayed) and both of those two co-workers checking in immediately at 24 hours got C18 and C22. Very likely that people who purchased even WGA+ and EBCI got B's for that particular flight.

 

[Dug720]

So reporting on today's experience on SW going from LGA to BNA...

Completely full flight so they started early asking for volunteers to check bags - said if they didn't meet that number Group C would be mandatory gate check. There was one older guy who voluntarily checked his (he was first) and then started whining to those of us in earshot that "It's ridiculous you pay for upgraded boarding and have to check your bags." I'm guessing he meant A 1-15? I said "If you have the first group of boarding you didn't have to check your bag," but he said "They said that it was going to be mandatory..." None of us felt like dealing with trying to explain. What was done was done. THEN they started boarding, and as soon as she called A 1-15 a couple who had B 1 and 2 jumped into the line-up on the 1-10 side, blocking A 16-30 from going forward. The gate agent didn't understand that's what happened, so she paused to wait, then shrugged and said "A 30-60?" so it became a big cluster getting scanned.

The flight itself was fine, and I ended up in the magical extra foot room exit row seat!

I think a lot of the congestion was they had a flight going to Houston at Gate 54 and us at Gate 55 which are right next to each other - like there is plexiglass dividing the lines from scanning to the gate, and we were starting boarding like 10 minutes after they started.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

upgraded boarding and have to check your bags." I'm guessing he meant A 1-15

Yes, Upgraded Boarding fills the remaining slots of A1-A15 that hadn't been purchased as Business Select.

A 1-15 a couple who had B 1 and 2 jumped into the line-up on the 1-10 side, blocking A 16-30 from going forward. The gate agent didn't understand that's what happened, so she paused to wait, then shrugged and said "A 30-60?" so it became a big cluster getting scanned.

It's fairly normal IMO for B's to start lining up (and then C's once B's have started to be called) once the row had been called but generally people wait until the line has fully gone IME. So like once A1-30 has been called I've seen decently enough B1-30 start to line up. It doesn't really affect the boarding that way.

However, IME the gate agents attempt catch people trying to board way off. So even though the gate agent didn't realize what happened they should have told the Bs to wait until their turn once she saw their boarding pass since it was As being called at that time. I don't tend to see them do too much when the actual number is off but entire boarding group is different. It doesn't always happen but it does. Other times they just have had it for the day and don't care nearly as much. Sometimes it's passenger confusion other times they know exactly what they are doing.

 

[Dug720]

Yes, Upgraded Boarding fills the remaining slots of A1-A15 that hadn't been purchased as Business Select.


It's fairly normal IMO for B's to start lining up (and then C's once B's have started to be called) once the row had been called but generally people wait until the line has fully gone IME. So like once A1-30 has been called I've seen decently enough B1-30 start to line up. It doesn't really affect the boarding that way.

However, IME the gate agents attempt catch people trying to board way off. So even though the gate agent didn't realize what happened they should have told the Bs to wait until their turn once she saw their boarding pass since it was As being called at that time. I don't tend to see them do too much when the actual number is off but entire boarding group is different. It doesn't always happen but it does. Other times they just have had it for the day and don't care nearly as much. Sometimes it's passenger confusion other times they know exactly what they are doing.

Oh - the Bs didn't try to board. They literally stood there at the front of that side before A 16-30 was called, and whoever had A 16 didn't ask them what number until right as the gate agent called A 31-60. There was a girl with C in front of me and the agent did pull her aside, but she was not comprehending.

 

[pooch]

You can’t fix stupid, clueless or just plain entitled

 

[Craig Larson]

Oh - the Bs didn't try to board. They literally stood there at the front of that side before A 16-30 was called, and whoever had A 16 didn't ask them what number until right as the gate agent called A 31-60. There was a girl with C in front of me and the agent did pull her aside, but she was not comprehending.

When do they just call half the side? I'm pretty certain every time I have flown swa they call a1-30. Then once that is complete they call a31-60. I'm assuming the "b" people who started lining up thought that side was complete and the rest of a16-30 were "b" groups.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

When do they just call half the side? I'm pretty certain every time I have flown swa they call a1-30. Then once that is complete they call a31-60. I'm assuming the "b" people who started lining up thought that side was complete and the rest of a16-30 were "b" groups.

IME it mostly depends on how many of the A1-A15 slots are filled and how many pre-boards. If only a couple in the A1-A15 and pre-boards have gone fairly smooth then A1-30 seems to be what gets called, the more in the A1-15 and pre-boards the more likely they hold and say A1-15 then proceed with A16-30.

In reality usually it's only a minute or so more often than not under a minute between calling A1-A15 and then calling up to A30. Same goes for A31-A60 often little time in between. The passengers themselves and how much back up into the jet bridge also dictates. I've had times where my husband was A30 and I was A31 (and yes we would separate ourselves in that case) and he would board but it'd be a bit before 31-60 was called, can only assume there were slower passengers and so they paused momentarily boarding to clear a backup.

 

[Dug720]

When do they just call half the side? I'm pretty certain every time I have flown swa they call a1-30. Then once that is complete they call a31-60. I'm assuming the "b" people who started lining up thought that side was complete and the rest of a16-30 were "b" groups.

IDK - that is what the gate agent did. The people in B 1 and 2 were in line before all of the A side to 30 was called - that is what caused the confusion. The 16-30 people had not started moving yet because they were following the instructions.

Our head flight attendant was funny though. Right before the safety spiel, he said "Did any of you drop this?" and then - when everyone looked up - said "Alright! Now that I have everyone's attention, let's go over safety information."