Southwest stressing!

[classicpooh]

We are not even leaving until August but the stories of boarding SW @ MCO are stressing me out! I hate flying anyway, now I wish I had never booked SW. We are a family of 5, kids 4,7,8 and us, the parents. My four year old is very tall, she is the size of a five or six year old. I hope that we will be allowed to sit together!

 

[prncess674]

don't stress about SWA. Arrive within the appropriate time and there will be atleast one parent seated with each child. You could still have seats scattered about even if you booked with a traditional airline. Worry about something else not SWA. SWA has a great ontime record that will get you there quickly and safely.

 

[dcfromva]

classicpooh,
I know how you feel. I stress out about, too. Even though I worry about it, the bottom line is there is only one flight that I can recall that DH, DS and I did not get to sit next to each other.

That flight was on Columbus Day Weekend --on a Friday when it took us two hours to drive to airport instead of usual 1 hour...so, but the time we arrived only 1 hour early, there were only "C" boarding cards left) We ended up sitting in center seats...

This was only one flight in maybe a dozen or so flights overall... (I've lost count of how many flights we have taken over the years )

Just use the on-line check in and get there early and you should be fine.

-DC :ears:

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by classicpooh
We are not even leaving until August but the stories of boarding SW @ MCO are stressing me out! I hate flying anyway, now I wish I had never booked SW. We are a family of 5, kids 4,7,8 and us, the parents. My four year old is very tall, she is the size of a five or six year old. I hope that we will be allowed to sit together!

You will be allowed to preboard because you have a 4 year old.

 

[My2Girls66]

Families with children aren't seated together?I can't believe they'd make a child- even an older one- sit away from a parent.
On Delta, if your seats are apart, you just tell them at the gate when you check-in that you have children- they go out of their way to seat each child next to at least one parent.
If the child just turned on the tears- I'm sure you'd get volunteers to change seats rather than listen to a crying kid for hours on a flight

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by My2Girls66
Families with children aren't seated together?I can't believe they'd make a child- even an older one- sit away from a parent.
On Delta, if your seats are apart, you just tell them at the gate when you check-in that you have children- they go out of their way to seat each child next to at least one parent.
If the child just turned on the tears- I'm sure you'd get volunteers to change seats rather than listen to a crying kid for hours on a flight

Open seating means just that. You board and select your seats.
It sometimes happens that people get separated this way. The FA's cannot make someone change, but, usually there are enough people who will swap.
The trick here is to get to the airport early and get an A or B pass.

 

[CarolA]

If you are really worried about your 4 year old, bring a copy of the birth certificate.

You are NOT guranteed seats together on any airline. A ticket purchase actually only gurantees you A seat, not any special seat. Delta can and does change seats which mean family members are apart. And yes, the gate agent will usually try to put you back together. On SW the flight attendants will work with the passengers so that a small child is not sitting by themselves.

You read these messages all the time, but RARELY do you actually hear that the 4 year old was sitting between strangers.

As a matter of fact the only time I have sat with a young child in the middle seat between us was on Delta. This family was the last to board and had to take what was left. WE were late and the FAs would not allow us to all move around or we would miss our take off slot.

 

[My2Girls66]

My intineraries and boarding passes always have seat assignments on them- seats that I chose at the time I booked. If you book late- the chance of getting seats together gets lower- as the plane starts getting full. Only once have we had our seats changed. Right after 9/11- they were consolidating flights so our flight got changed. Our seats were all over the plane- I asked at the gate when we checked in and the attendants moved a few people around so my DH and I each sat with 1 child- they were 7 and 11 at the time. If you get to the gate early enough- they can fiddle with the seats. If you wait til the last minute, you can get stuck with whats left.

Classicpooh- don't stress youself out. Just get to the airport early- you won't have a problem.
Relax and enjoy! Thats what Disney is all about

 

[mcnuss]

Originally posted by My2Girls66
My intineraries and boarding passes always have seat assignments on them- seats that I chose at the time I booked. If you book late- the chance of getting seats together gets lower- as the plane starts getting full.

You've been lucky then. Seat assignments are quite frequently changed, even on Delta, bc the airline will change the plane depending on bookings. This is especially true the further out you book. I fly about 150 segments per year, so believe me, I am pretty well-versed on this airline stuff. Further, SW is NOT like the others, there are no seat assignments at all.

Classicpooh, GailHayden knows her SW, so take her words to heart. You'll be fine! I am not the biggest SW fan in the world, but I think their FA's are the friendliest in the biz, and if for some crazy reason you could not find seats together, they will help you. I've seen them do it loads of times. My SIL & BIL traveled to MCO last October with 3 kids, 2, 7, 9 and they were pre-boarded on both legs and they sat 3 and 2. They said it was easy as pie, and they did not arrive at the airport until 90 minutes ahead.

Have a wonderful trip.

 

[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.

 

[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???

 

[Paticake]

We love SW. We have never had a problem with seating. Just make sure you arrive at the airport in plenty of time. We have had as many as 6 in our party and have always sat together

 

[DisOrBust]

Someone explain SW boarding to me like I''m a 2 yo . We are considering SW and will be traveling with a 2 7 and 9yo polus us parents. My 7 and 9yo could not be split from us right . My 9yo is a Type A mother hen over her little sisters and will be frantic if they aren't all together. We have never had problems in the past, but I always had seat assigned prior...not so with SW???

TIA SUe

PS. When does SW release their schedule. I am looking for Nov but they only have flights thru Sept up.
/

 

[d4est]

what qualifies you for preboarding? I will be travelling with my husband and son (will be 7)...will his age qualify us for preboarding?? Thanks

 

[gw_lit]

I will be travelling with my husband and son (will be 7)...will his age qualify us for preboarding??

Nope, preboarding for children is reserved for families travelling with children ages 4 and under.

 

[classicpooh]

Okay, I am feeling a little better. We will just plan to arrive early, as long as one of us is with my 4 yr old! The boys will be fine as long as they are together... Thanks for your reassurances!

 

[Fizban257]

On Southwest, preboarding is allowed for the whole "nuclear family" if traveling with a child four or under. Mom, Dad, and all the kids get to preboard, but aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. have to wait for their boarding group (A, B, or C). And the FAs are always extremely helpful.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by DisOrBust
Someone explain SW boarding to me like I''m a 2 yo . We are considering SW and will be traveling with a 2 7 and 9yo polus us parents. My 7 and 9yo could not be split from us right . My 9yo is a Type A mother hen over her little sisters and will be frantic if they aren't all together. We have never had problems in the past, but I always had seat assigned prior...not so with SW???

TIA SUe

PS. When does SW release their schedule. I am looking for Nov but they only have flights thru Sept up.
/

If you are that worried you should choose another airline. SWA is not for you. Perhaps another airline (for more money) can accomodate your needs.

 

[DisOrBust]

Thank you for the explaination of SWA boarding process Sorry I asked.

 

[prncess674]

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

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.

As mcnuss has already explained no airline will GUARANTEE seats together for a family. Maybe driving in your own personal car is the best solution for your family.