Southwest stressing!

[prncess674]

Originally posted by DisOrBust
Someone explain SW boarding to me like I''m a 2 yo . /

Boarding Procedure

• Each Customer will be issued a boarding pass grouped by A, B, or C (in that order) based on when the Customer checked in at the Skycap Counter, Ticket Counter, Departure Gate, or RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk (where available).
  
• Prior to general boarding, Customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, and families with children under five years of age will preboard. Customers holding boarding pass "A" will begin general boarding, followed by Customers with boarding pass "B," and then "C."
  
• Because Southwest Airlines maintains an open-seating policy, Customers may sit in any open or unclaimed seat. Customers who choose a seat in an emergency exit row must meet all requirements set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and Southwest Airlines.

 

[d4est]

thank you to those that answered questions about boarding procedures! Was hoping my 7 year old would get us preboarding, oh well.

That said...

I am relatively new here and have found these boards to be helpful beyond words!! BUT, the following message left a sour taste in my mouth.

You are not required to do business with SWA. If you don't like their policies and procedures you may choose to fly any airline of your choosing. SWA is a low cost carrier and they have decided that assigning seats puts a drain on profitability. If you are that worried about the SWA open seating policy then you should choose an airline that has it's values more in line with your own. SWA will not cry that you aren't flying them.

If I read too much into it, I am sorry, but it seemed harsh to me. I think most of what was said wasn't necessary. Especially the "SWA will not cry" part. Anyone who has small children would have similar concerns and I don't think it was fair to brush them off with a "pick another airline" answer.

Sorry, but felt I had to throw my two cents in here.

 

[gw_lit]

I agree with you D4!

I didn't get the impression that the OP was saying she didn't like Southwest's boarding policy, or being negative at all, she was just concerned about something she was unfamiliar with.

 

[d4est]

glad I am not the only one...

BTW, at the risk of sounding like a dingdong, what is "OP?"

 

[mcnuss]

Originally posted by prncess674
You are not required to do business with SWA. If you don't like their policies and procedures you may choose to fly any airline of your choosing. SWA is a low cost carrier and they have decided that assigning seats puts a drain on profitability. If you are that worried about the SWA open seating policy then you should choose an airline that has it's values more in line with your own. SWA will not cry that you aren't flying them. There planes to and from MCO are packed. The people who fly them are willing to put up with a few inconveniences for a trade off of a low fare.

prncess674, don't you think you were a bit hard on poor DISorBust? She only expressed the same concern that many neophite SW flyers share, and that many non-VFFs share as well. She wasn't slamming SW or its procedures, as far as I can see.

DISorBust - the 2 yo old will qualify you for pre-boarding. As I mentioned before, my SIL & BIL pre-boarded with their family and their kids were at the time the exact same age as yours.

If you did not have the 2 yo with you, you'd check in, get a card that tells you what group you board in, stand in line, board and pick your seats. It's a bit of a free for all, but most of the time, it goes pretty smoothly.

Bottom line: You'll be fine.

 

[gw_lit]

BTW, at the risk of sounding like a dingdong, what is "OP?"

not sounding like a ding dong at all! "original poster"..... I'm fairly new on here too.... just learning the lingo

 

[prncess674]

SWA has made it's rules very clear from the beginning. If you don't like it then voice your dissatisfaction with your $$$$. Obviously, this poster doesn't agree with the open seating policy because it would make her 9yr old frantic if they weren't all seated together. Fly with someone who will calm her nerves and move on.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by mcnuss
prncess674, don't you think you were a bit hard on poor DISorBust? She only expressed the same concern that many neophite SW flyers share, and that many non-VFFs share as well. She wasn't slamming SW or its procedures, as far as I can see.

Perhaps my words were a bit harsh, but I stick to my original point that if you don't like the policy then you can fly another airline.

you are right that she will be able to pre-board but many people who post here have children over 4 and need to understand that these are the rules and this is how to follow them. What if her kids were 5, 7 & 9. she would be in conundrum. It really isn't necessary for us to all hold hands and sing "It's A Small World"

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by DisOrBust
Thank you for the explaination of SWA boarding process Sorry I asked.

Please, don't be sorry you asked. It was a perfectly legitimate question and deserved a pleasant answer. It can be confusing and, when you don't know, very stressful.
Hopefully, you question has been answered and you are feeling a bit less stressed. People have a tendency to make it sound way more complicated than it is.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by d4est
thank you to those that answered questions about boarding procedures! Was hoping my 7 year old would get us preboarding, oh well.

That said...

I am relatively new here and have found these boards to be helpful beyond words!! BUT, the following message left a sour taste in my mouth.



If I read too much into it, I am sorry, but it seemed harsh to me. I think most of what was said wasn't necessary. Especially the "SWA will not cry" part. Anyone who has small children would have similar concerns and I don't think it was fair to brush them off with a "pick another airline" answer.

Sorry, but felt I had to throw my two cents in here.

Some of us with BIG (read over 40) children get some similar concerns. You are not alone.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by d4est
glad I am not the only one...

BTW, at the risk of sounding like a dingdong, what is "OP?"

OP= Original Poster.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by dznyntnh
The thing to remember about SWA is that the FA are the best. They are friendly and helpful and often times very humorous. I have also found that passengers on SWA, especially the 'regulars' are very friendly and easy going, I have never been on a flight where someone was unwilling to move seats or rearrange themselves to help out someone with children who might be seperated.

If they really need people to switch seats they will ply them with free drinks. Most move for that.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by SAWYERMAW1
We are a party of 7 flying SWA. Of course, we would all like to sit together. We have one 4 year old. I understand just the parent can preboard with the child. I'm fine with this but wonder if when the first two in our party board, can they place something in seats to hold them for the rest of us? Would this be cheating???

Both parents and sibs can board with the under 5 year old. In answer to your question, yes, you can save seats. And, no, it would not be cheating.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Both parents and sibs can board with the under 5 year old. In answer to your question, yes, you can save seats. And, no, it would not be cheating.

but it is rude and inconsiderate to those of us who showed up early to receive A boarding cards. Basically a child under 5 is apparently a commodity. you win the lottery and can basically show up as late as you want to the airport get C cards board the plane with 3 kids and 2 adults and then hold seatts for G-maw, G-Paw, aunt, uncle and whoever else is with you.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by prncess674
but it is rude and inconsiderate to those of us who showed up early to receive A boarding cards. Basically a child under 5 is apparently a commodity. you win the lottery and can basically show up as late as you want to the airport get C cards board the plane with 3 kids and 2 adults and then hold seatts for G-maw, G-Paw, aunt, uncle and whoever else is with you.

Well, paint me rude and inconsiderate. Dee and I were separated by one letter. I boarded first and held a seat for him.
I was an A he was a B. Sorry if you find that offensive, but, I was told it would be perfectly allright, and since they make the rules, I listen to them.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Well, paint me rude and inconsiderate. Dee and I were separated by one letter. I boarded first and held a seat for him.
I was an A he was a B. Sorry if you find that offensive, but, I was told it would be perfectly allright, and since they make the rules, I listen to them.

Holding one seat (preferably a center) is not that bad,but when a family of 5 PREBOARDS then proceeds to hold another 5 seats for the extended family boarding in the C group then that IS RUDE AND INCONSIDERATE.

 

[NotUrsula]

My personal impression has been that other passengers will not care if you save seats *within a row* that someone is actually sitting in, so long as someone eventually boards and sits in that seat. Putting personal items in entire rows in order to mark them as "saved" is frowned upon as bad SWA etiquette, so to speak.
(Trying to save a seat for a "passenger" who doesn't exist in order to get yourself more space is an evil deed.) Normal saving technique for 2 seats is for the saver to sit on the aisle, saving the center and window of the row. When people ask, it's more polite to say who you are saving for, rather than just chanting, "it's saved." "I'm holding two for my husband & child" is a much more acceptable motivation.

There is something of a culture that has grown up around SWA's boarding process. There are things that everyone does that are accepted, and then there are things that will earn you lots of dirty looks, or even intervention by an FA. Saving 1-2 seats is OK, but saving 5-6 is overkill and may be stopped by the FA. If you can avoid it, don't try to save more than 2. If you do have to save out of another row, try to leave the aisle seat open.

US law requires a child who is under 5 years old to be seated with an accompanying adult, so that is why SWA preboards only up to that age. Children 5 and over are, by US law, old enough to fly as unaccompanied, so there is no rule that they must be seated with an accompanying adult. FA's can force someone to move to get an under-5 seated with a parent, but they cannot do that if the child is older. They will ask for volunteers, and perhaps sweeten the pot with free drinks if no one comes forward, but that is all they can do.

The best thing to do is to try to get there early enough to make trading unnecessary, but if you anticipate having to trade, try to snag an aisle seat for the adult and put the child in a middle seat; people will be more willing to trade into an aisle seat. Try to avoid the row in front of the exit or the very back row; those seats don't recline, and it is very hard to get anyone to trade into them. Usually someone will quickly volunteer to trade; the only situations I've seen where FA's had to really beg are when the new passengers are connecting onto a weekday flight that is already full of business travelers. This is the dreaded "connecting flight with nothing left but middle seats" phenomenon, and it is, thankfully, quite rare.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by NotUrsula
My personal impression has been that other passengers will not care if you save seats *within a row* that someone is actually sitting in, so long as someone eventually boards and sits in that seat. Putting personal items in entire rows in order to mark them as "saved" is frowned upon as bad SWA etiquette, so to speak.
(Trying to save a seat for a "passenger" who doesn't exist in order to get yourself more space is an evil deed.) Normal saving technique for 2 seats is for the saver to sit on the aisle, saving the center and window of the row. When people ask, it's more polite to say who you are saving for, rather than just chanting, "it's saved." "I'm holding two for my husband & child" is a much more acceptable motivation.

There is something of a culture that has grown up around SWA's boarding process. There are things that everyone does that are accepted, and then there are things that will earn you lots of dirty looks, or even intervention by an FA. Saving 1-2 seats is OK, but saving 5-6 is overkill and may be stopped by the FA. If you can avoid it, don't try to save more than 2. If you do have to save out of another row, try to leave the aisle seat open.

US law requires a child who is under 5 years old to be seated with an accompanying adult, so that is why SWA preboards only up to that age. Children 5 and over are, by US law, old enough to fly as unaccompanied, so there is no rule that they must be seated with an accompanying adult. FA's can force someone to move to get an under-5 seated with a parent, but they cannot do that if the child is older. They will ask for volunteers, and perhaps sweeten the pot with free drinks if no one comes forward, but that is all they can do.

The best thing to do is to try to get there early enough to make trading unnecessary, but if you anticipate having to trade, try to snag an aisle seat for the adult and put the child in a middle seat; people will be more willing to trade into an aisle seat. Try to avoid the row in front of the exit or the very back row; those seats don't recline, and it is very hard to get anyone to trade into them. Usually someone will quickly volunteer to trade; the only situations I've seen where FA's had to really beg are when the new passengers are connecting onto a weekday flight that is already full of business travelers. This is the dreaded "connecting flight with nothing left but middle seats" phenomenon, and it is, thankfully, quite rare.

The scenario of saving a seat for a non existing pax is one I see often with people with a lap child who ultimately wants to use the seat for the child. That, IMHO, is rude and inconsiderate.

I most often see the upteen pax preboarding with the under 5 ( I do wish they would require birth certs for this,( no way I will believe a child of under 5 wears braces and has second teeth). LOL

Personally, if the kid can walk, I really don't see a need to preboard pax. I guess because of the law SWA has to do this, but, I do know on Delta they have stopped the kids preboard.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by prncess674
Holding one seat (preferably a center) is not that bad,but when a family of 5 PREBOARDS then proceeds to hold another 5 seats for the extended family boarding in the C group then that IS RUDE AND INCONSIDERATE.

We always sit, center and window. Exceptions: if the plane is not full and someone has not selected the aisle seat. Then we MIGHT move over, but, since neither of us are very large, we really don't need or want the extra room.
Perhaps you have seen the scenario you described, I have yet to, what I see is the number you mention all preboard. That really irritates me.

 

[d4est]

Some of us with BIG (read over 40) children get some similar concerns. You are not alone.

I guess they will always be "our babies"