Southwest to have assigned seating

[Smugpugmug]

More airlines should adopt Alaska Airlines policy of giving you 2,500 miles per bag if the bags aren't at baggage claim within 20 minutes of the aircraft door opening.

I've waited over an hour for my bag at MCO in the past and that wasn't even a 1 time thing lol being able to walk off the plane and be on my way to my destination is 100% worth it even if airlines started charging for overhead space.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I've waited over an hour for my bag at MCO in the past and that wasn't even a 1 time thing lol being able to walk off the plane and be on my way to my destination is 100% worth it even if airlines started charging for overhead space.

I've not had the best of luck either at MCO with the luggage

 

[geargrinder]

That won’t address the families must sit together issue. The same parents who won’t pay for EBCI won’t pay for seat selection. And then demand they have to sit with their kids.

It does help solve the problem since others have chosen and paid for specific seats.

Same problem on any other airline. If you need to sit together, pay extra and/or book early.

 

[focusondisney]

More airlines should adopt Alaska Airlines policy of giving you 2,500 miles per bag if the bags aren't at baggage claim within 20 minutes of the aircraft door opening.

A lot of times the delay is out of the airlines control. Bags can’t get unloaded from the plane when workers get pulled off the tarmac for lightning. Not anything the airline can do about it & lightning storms aren’t unusual in Orlando.

 

[focusondisney]

It does help solve the problem since others have chosen and paid for specific seats.

Same problem on any other airline. If you need to sit together, pay extra and/or book early.

And if the parents don’t pay for seat selection & there aren’t seats together….the problem isn’t solved.

 

[BrightMorningStar]

But they also won’t help you if someone wants that seat. As someone else said, shame on you for skirting the system. Customers like you are what is causing the change. If you don’t have the $200 you shouldn’t be going.

How is it skirting the system when SWA has no policy against it?

 

[BrightMorningStar]

I think my point is clear. The actual employees of Southwest Airlines did not tell me I couldn’t save seats for my family. If it’s okay with them, why are u acting like I said I kill puppies in my free time? Dang

All of this pearl clutching is over the top

Right. And they have told us the same. It is okay to save a seat or a row.

Sometimes my husband saves my seat because although I went before boarding time, as soon as we are getting on that plane my tiny bladder starts talking. Technically, it is already my seat but I am in the loo. The FAs have no issue with it.

 

[Brian Noble]

If it’s okay with them, why are u acting like I said I kill puppies in my free time?

My Brother (or Sister) in Christ: You are taking advantage of a system to save money at the expense of other passengers who spent that money for the same privilege. The airline will not tell you no. That doesn't mean you won't be judged by the rest of us for it. If you don't like that, don't brag about how you work the system.

And if the parents don’t pay for seat selection & there aren’t seats together….the problem isn’t solved.

As for the families-with-kids-who-don't-buy-seats: I don't really see this, and I fly a lot. Delta deals with this in part by blocking the last couple rows of the plane until they start clearing Basic Economy seating; presumably they use those seats for these situations. It's still not a guarantee, and so most families appear to be willing to pay for seat assignments so that they don't have to worry about it.

There are a couple of other spots they block before clearing too--often the rows right by the lavs, and occasionally a pair of seats in a bulkhead.

 

[focusondisney]

It's still not a guarantee, and so most families appear to be willing to pay for seat assignments so that they don't have to worry about it.

You would think they’d pay for EBCI too. But they don’t.

 

[Brian Noble]

I think part of the difference is that ECBI is something you have to explicitly add to your ticket unless you are buying one of the highest fare classes, and it is only about boarding position---and only probabilistically at that. On other airlines, advanced seating assignments come with any fare classes except the lowest one, and there are other perks that come along with it--slightly better boarding position, earning frequent flyer miles, etc. So it's plausibly a more common purchase.

I also sometimes see folks claim that it is because SW is a "budget" airline, and they tend to have more budget-conscious customers. But that has not been my experience. They are rarely cheaper than Delta out of Detroit for the routes I fly--even if you are checking a bag--and they have worse routes/times.

 

[enzy65]

So I have read all 11 pages and I’m still confused, I don’t fly all that often. So is SW assigning seats or do we pick our own seats when booking flights??

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

So I have read all 11 pages and I’m still confused, I don’t fly all that often. So is SW assigning seats or do we pick our own seats when booking flights??

Currently you pick your own, but next year they will be assigned.

 

[Brian Noble]

I did a little reading. It is also possible to pay for a seat assignment on Delta's Basic Economy ticket between seven days and 24 hours prior to departure. I wonder if some families in this position pay for just enough to make sure a parent is with any younger kid(s), and split up otherwise?

 

[focusondisney]

So I have read all 11 pages and I’m still confused, I don’t fly all that often. So is SW assigning seats or do we pick our own seats when booking flights??

The exact process hasn’t been announced. But it sounds to me it will be like by other airline… pick your seat when you book. What the fare categories or seat selection fees will be or if there will be a cheaper option where SW will assign your seat is unknown.

 

[jo-jo]

I've waited over an hour for my bag at MCO in the past and that wasn't even a 1 time thing lol being able to walk off the plane and be on my way to my destination is 100% worth it even if airlines started charging for overhead space.

Once we had the exact opposite. Got off plane, went to bathroom, headed to baggage, couldn't find bags. Thought there was a pause in bags...waited waited, no more bags. Then we noticed our bags off in luggage jail (a few ropes and stands) and we had to talk to agent to get bags.

 

[jo-jo]

The exact process hasn’t been announced. But it sounds to me it will be like by other airline… pick your seat when you book. What the fare categories or seat selection fees will be or if there will be a cheaper option where SW will assign your seat is unknown.

I've only flown SW for about 10 years. How has other airlines done seat assignment? Do aisle seats cost more than middle? If you book 3 months ahead cost less than 2 weeks ahead?

 

[LoveToDisney]

I can’t remember where I read this but someone mentioned the possibility that the lowest fare would block off the first third of the plane…those seats won’t even be an option for the lowest fare purchaser to select. Perhaps because those will be the premium seats?

 

[sam_gordon]

I've only flown SW for about 10 years. How has other airlines done seat assignment? Do aisle seats cost more than middle? If you book 3 months ahead cost less than 2 weeks ahead?

Speaking for Delta, there are "preferred" seats (usually exit row and first couple of rows of economy class) that you can pay extra to select (or get for free if you have status). But, in general, a window seat is the same cost as a middle, is the same cost as an aisle (in the same class).

The cost of the ticket does depend on when you book and how busy that flight is (just like on SW). Again, looking at Delta, a one way ticket where you DON'T get to select your seat is $115 and you can select your seat for $145. That's for August 16, so three weeks from today.

October 25 (3 months), same prices.
I avoided the holidays and went to January 24th. $169/$199.

I tried going further and Delta website started going flaky.

I do think there are airlines (maybe Spirit/Frontier/LCC?) that DO charge more for aisle/window vs middle.

 

[focusondisney]

I've only flown SW for about 10 years. How has other airlines done seat assignment? Do aisle seats cost more than middle? If you book 3 months ahead cost less than 2 weeks ahead?

It’s been over 20 years since I’ve flown anything but SW or Jetblue. But from my general knowledge.. there are different fare categories, the most expensive categories are usually refundable &/ for premium seating. The least expensive categories are nonrefundable & may not include seat selection. Your seat in that category may be assigned by the airline, or you may be able to pick from what’s open at a certain time. In addition, there may be additional fees for window or aisle seats. In Jetblue, the Extra Legroom seats are the premium added fee seats. But selecting a window or aisle seat might cost $55, selecting a middle extra leg room might only cost $50. We always book the Extra Leg room, so I’m not sure of fees for other seats on the plane.

 

[DanceDisney23]

I've only flown SW for about 10 years. How has other airlines done seat assignment? Do aisle seats cost more than middle? If you book 3 months ahead cost less than 2 weeks ahead?

If you book a regular fare as opposed to a basic fare, you can select your seat from a seat map right at booking or anytime after. Most seat selections won’t cost you anything extra but there will be seats in the front of the plane that will have a surcharge.

If you’re booking a basic fare, I believe you can select a seat for an upcharge, or you can wait until check in and select from what is left by then. There may be times when it looks like no seats are left, but in that case the gate agent will give you a seat assignment right before boarding. Seats free up as frequent fliers get upgraded to the higher seat classes that didn’t get sold.