Southwest to have assigned seating

[sam_gordon]

People do it all the time and saying something has caused altercations. It is very commonplace, actually.

Not saying it's not done, just wanting PP to think about doing the same thing in a different situation.

 

[KJSJpipe]

We don’t fly SWA as often as we once did, but at one time we almost always booked our WDW flights with them. My mom (now deceased), who often traveled with us on those trips, often remarked on how chaotic their boarding process seemed, and much preferred assigned seating. I actually think they do a pretty decent job with it most of the time, although assigned seating is my preference as well. We checked in at the 24-hour mark and rarely had a problem obtaining an “A” assignment. We also used Early Bird on a few flights before it became too costly.

They don’t offer many non-stop flights from PHL these days (maybe one a day in each direction) and the fares don’t seem as competitive as they used to. I do wonder if their baggage policy will change with the advent of the new assigned seating policy. I also much appreciate their refundable fares and hope that doesn’t change either. I will be watching this change with interest.

Right?! I never used to look at other airlines but this year the fare was so high I did. We ended up flying on American. Even with paying for 2 bags it was still cheaper than what SW had for the same time flight but had a layover. Coming home on American we did have a stop over but did not have to change planes.

 

[gmi3804]

Right?! I never used to look at other airlines but this year the fare was so high I did. We ended up flying on American. Even with paying for 2 bags it was still cheaper than what SW had for the same time flight but had a layover. Coming home on American we did have a stop over but did not have to change planes.

Yes. SW's prices have really skyrocketed. It's rarely in play anymore from our home base at ORD, or even MDW if we want to haul our a$$es all the way down there.

 

[Disneylover99]

As I climb on my soapbox again, I feel, all EBCI should be able to board before family boarding. If you happen to get A59, your $25 got you a lot more than someone who gets B 1. I've been on Disney SW flights where it looked like 1/3 of the plane was families with young kids.

I agree. And to take it a step further, I always wished they’d get rid of family boarding. But I suppose going forward once assigned seats begin, it won’t matter.

 

[gmi3804]

I agree. And to take it a step further, I always wished they’d get rid of family boarding. But I suppose going forward once assigned seats begin, it won’t matter.

I think the only people who should be eligible for Family Boarding should be parties with more kids than adults.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

The idea behind family boarding was to make sure that all children could sit with a parent. But I agree, if you pay for early bird you should go before people who don’t pay. For routes like Orlando where SW knows there are a lot of kids it would be easy enough to reserve X rows in the very back and fill those with families, if needs be.

 

[Robber Baron]

I always buy EBCI. One time there was an especially large contingent of wheel chairs needing assistance to board. I had an early A number and got on to find all these wheel chairs sitting in the exit row.

I have a level of claustrophobia where I NEED and aisle and prefer an exit row.

I asked the FA, I thought to sit in the exit row you had to have a certain level of mobility, every one of these people took a wheel chair onboard. She made them all move.

Trying to have it both ways can be a problem sometimes.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I always buy EBCI. One time there was an especially large contingent of wheel chairs needing assistance to board. I had an early A number and got on to find all these wheel chairs sitting in the exit row.

I have a level of claustrophobia where I NEED and aisle and prefer an exit row.

I asked the FA, I thought to sit in the exit row you had to have a certain level of mobility, every one of these people took a wheel chair onboard. She made them all move.

Trying to have it both ways can be a problem sometimes.

If you pre-board you're not supposed to be eligible for the exit row and pre-board isn't just about mobility. Also as a qualification for exit row you need to speak and understand English. On our Puerto Rico flights (both from FL and back to FL) the exit rows were the last taken and not all were after all boarding was complete with multiple people had to be moved purely due to the language requirement.

 

[AP2007]

I already paid for early bird both ways for my September trip, I wonder what happens now. When does this go into effect.

My understanding from a SWA ticket agent is that they will roll it out a few airports at a time…

 

[RD-SOX]

My understanding from a SWA ticket agent is that they will roll it out a few airports at a time…

I was under the impression that all of this was starting next year. I already have flights booked for February, I wonder if I will be able to pick my seat...

 

[Pinnochio]

Yes. SW's prices have really skyrocketed. It's rarely in play anymore from our home base at ORD, or even MDW if we want to haul our a$$es all the way down there.

well, that's gonna ruin Maw's birthday for sure

 

[NotUrsula]

As I climb on my soapbox again, I feel, all EBCI should be able to board before family boarding. If you happen to get A59, your $25 got you a lot more than someone who gets B 1. I've been on Disney SW flights where it looked like 1/3 of the plane was families with young kids.

With open seating that is not possible due to FAA regulations, because the seating of young children is restricted to certain positions and proximity, so the airline has to make sure that they have "legal" seating positions available when they board. That might not happen if all of the EBCI holders were allowed on first.

US law guarantees the right to use an aircraft-approved child safety seat if the "berth" (the seat) is paid for and the child weighs less than 48 lbs. There are also FAA regulations prohibiting the placement of child safety seats in certain seating positions, most notably both the exit rows and the rows immediately in front of and behind the exit rows, and it is also Federal law that a carseat may not be placed where it might "impede passenger egress in an emergency" -- which most airlines interpret as requiring placement in window positions only (or window and middle if you have 2 of them with only one adult.) The adult responsible for getting the child out of the seat in the event of an emergency evac must be seated next to it.

It's also Federal law that children under the age of 6 must be seated contiguously to a member of their party who is at least 14 years old, because children that age typically cannot read and will not know what to do in an emergency unless someone older assists them.

All that said, SWA has recently really dropped the ball on most routes on policing preboarding and family boarding. They have been allowing much more leeway than is required by FAA regulations, and it has been not only gumming up the works, but causing annoyance for other passengers.

I remember when SWA switched "family" boarding from preboarding to between A-B groups. For a good 6 months either side of that decision the gate agents really cracked down and refused to let more than two adults board with younger kids, and also refused to let teens join younger siblings for special boarding unless they also claimed disability. I'm guessing this resulted in ugly confrontations in some airports (at mine people quietly grumbled but complied), and the legal teams probably decided that the litigation risk for employee injury claims was too high, so it was stopped.

What I can tell you is that the advent of EBCI was the catalyst that caused conditions to detiorate. That system was always ripe for abuse, and I wish they had never started offering it if they were not prepared to police egregious seat-saving. SWA has placards that they give to COS who purchase a second seat, and my feeling has always been that if there isn't one of these in the seat, then it is free to be taken, but I try to be gracious about taking seats if people are gracious about asking to save them.

So, do I "save" seats when I travel with family and I'm quicker on the button than my DH is? (We do not purchase EBCI for anyone, and we often have separate reservations.) Yes, in that I'll go to the far back and sit in an aisle seat. If someone asks I'll politely tell them that DH & DD are boarding several slots behind me and that I'd appreciate it if they could let me hold the 2 seats for them, but I don't insist, and if they want them then I'm fine with that.

I don't blame people for getting angry at passive-aggressive seat-saving tactics like putting a 6 yo in a middle seat to save an entire row, or spreading belongings around. If your child is not prepared to sit between strangers, that's not only a crappy thing to do in general, but it's cruel to your own child. If you are going to attempt to save seats, limit yourself to no more than 2 seats for actual passengers (no phantoms to keep the middle seat open), go to the very last open row, *own* what you are doing, and graciously concede if challenged. No cursing, no huffing under your breath and rolling your eyes, no whining. And no purchasing EBCI for just one member of the party to gain an unfair advantage.

 

[focusondisney]

All that said, SWA has recently really dropped the ball on most routes on policing preboarding and family boarding. They have been allowing much more leeway than is required by FAA regulations, and it has been not only gumming up the works, but causing annoyance for other passengers.

I remember when SWA switched "family" boarding from preboarding to between A-B groups. For a good 6 months either side of that decision the gate agents really cracked down and refused to let more than two adults board with younger kids, and also refused to let teens join younger siblings for special boarding unless they also claimed disability. I'm guessing this resulted in ugly confrontations in some airports (at mine people quietly grumbled but complied), and the legal teams probably decided that the litigation risk for employee injury claims was too high, so it was stopped.

It hasn’t stopped at my airport. My niece & her family flew less than a year ago. She was with her husband, her kids who were 5, 12 & 14. The father & 2 older kids were not allowed to stay in family boarding, gate agent only allowed my niece & the 5 year old, made the rest of the family board in their boarding spots. This wasn’t even a flight to Orlando & there were only 2 other families with kids.

 

[jo-jo]

With open seating that is not possible due to FAA regulations, because the seating of young children is restricted to certain positions and proximity, so the airline has to make sure that they have "legal" seating positions available when they board. That might not happen if all of the EBCI holders were allowed on first.

US law guarantees the right to use an aircraft-approved child safety seat if the "berth" (the seat) is paid for and the child weighs less than 48 lbs. There are also FAA regulations prohibiting the placement of child safety seats in certain seating positions, most notably both the exit rows and the rows immediately in front of and behind the exit rows, and it is also Federal law that a carseat may not be placed where it might "impede passenger egress in an emergency" -- which most airlines interpret as requiring placement in window positions only (or window and middle if you have 2 of them with only one adult.) The adult responsible for getting the child out of the seat in the event of an emergency evac must be seated next to it.

It's also Federal law that children under the age of 6 must be seated contiguously to a member of their party who is at least 14 years old, because children that age typically cannot read and will not know what to do in an emergency unless someone older assists them.

All that said, SWA has recently really dropped the ball on most routes on policing preboarding and family boarding. They have been allowing much more leeway than is required by FAA regulations, and it has been not only gumming up the works, but causing annoyance for other passengers.

I remember when SWA switched "family" boarding from preboarding to between A-B groups. For a good 6 months either side of that decision the gate agents really cracked down and refused to let more than two adults board with younger kids, and also refused to let teens join younger siblings for special boarding unless they also claimed disability. I'm guessing this resulted in ugly confrontations in some airports (at mine people quietly grumbled but complied), and the legal teams probably decided that the litigation risk for employee injury claims was too high, so it was stopped.

What I can tell you is that the advent of EBCI was the catalyst that caused conditions to detiorate. That system was always ripe for abuse, and I wish they had never started offering it if they were not prepared to police egregious seat-saving. SWA has placards that they give to COS who purchase a second seat, and my feeling has always been that if there isn't one of these in the seat, then it is free to be taken, but I try to be gracious about taking seats if people are gracious about asking to save them.

So, do I "save" seats when I travel with family and I'm quicker on the button than my DH is? (We do not purchase EBCI for anyone, and we often have separate reservations.) Yes, in that I'll go to the far back and sit in an aisle seat. If someone asks I'll politely tell them that DH & DD are boarding several slots behind me and that I'd appreciate it if they could let me hold the 2 seats for them, but I don't insist, and if they want them then I'm fine with that.

I don't blame people for getting angry at passive-aggressive seat-saving tactics like putting a 6 yo in a middle seat to save an entire row, or spreading belongings around. If your child is not prepared to sit between strangers, that's not only a crappy thing to do in general, but it's cruel to your own child. If you are going to attempt to save seats, limit yourself to no more than 2 seats for actual passengers (no phantoms to keep the middle seat open), go to the very last open row, *own* what you are doing, and graciously concede if challenged. No cursing, no huffing under your breath and rolling your eyes, no whining. And no purchasing EBCI for just one member of the party to gain an unfair advantage.

I haven't seen it myself, but there have been a few here that have said, there were so many families, family boarding was cancelled for that flight.

 

[TXDisneyFan1]

The comments about not vacationing stem from the idea that others who want to sit by their families save longer or find other transportation. Disney is an expensive vacation. If $200 to sit by your family is a stretch then you might want to evaluate when then best time is for you to travel. Also, many people are buying EBCI for everyone in their family or themselves. Paying to pick any AVAILABLE (doesn’t imply unsaved) seat and then finding rows and rows are saved is frustrating. I pay for it as I desire a seat in a certain area. If they aren’t available because of seat savers I have no problem saying, “good morning. I’m going to sit here.” Then dropping my small item in the seat while putting my overhead in.

On the SW site they don’t guarantee that no one will take the seat next to you when you have purchased two seats until the placard is placed there. If people purchasing two seats can’t save their seat with a verbal why would someone who personally has no right to the seat(s) next to them with a verbal?

This is no different than holding a spot in line or taking a table in a crowded place before you have your food.

It’s amazing to me that you guys take the time to look at the Southwest website to prove a point to me then u tell me how to spend my money on vacation and imply that I’m a loser for not wanting to spend the extra $200 for something I can get for free.

If I fly Southwest again before the change to reserved seats, I will do the same thing I’ve been doing unless the FA tell me I can’t. If someone sits there, they sit there. Not a big deal. Not like I’m gonna fight someone over a seat like it seems some of y'all would.

Happy travels!

 

[hrhdhd]

It hasn’t stopped at my airport. My niece & her family flew less than a year ago. She was with her husband, her kids who were 5, 12 & 14. The father & 2 older kids were not allowed to stay in family boarding, gate agent only allowed my niece & the 5 year old, made the rest of the family board in their boarding spots. This wasn’t even a flight to Orlando & there were only 2 other families with kids.

Applause for this gate agent. This is how it should work.

 

[sam_gordon]

If I fly Southwest again before the change to reserved seats, I will do the same thing I’ve been doing unless the FA tell me I can’t. If someone sits there, they sit there. Not a big deal. Not like I’m gonna fight someone over a seat like it seems some of y'all would.

The FA won't say you can't save seats. BUT, if someone sits in a seat that you're "saving", they won't help you either. That's what I, and others, have been trying to tell you. Them not telling you "no" is NOT saying "you're allowed to", which is what it seemed you were trying to make it out to be.

And it's not just about "fighting" someone over a seat. If someone DOES sit in a seat you're saving, ok, you won't fight them, but will you be upset with them?

IMO, if you want the best chance of sitting with your travelling companions, you pay EBCI (or pay for seat selection on other airlines) for everyone. If you're willing to NOT sit with your traveling companions, then you take your chances.

 

[Disneylover99]

If I fly Southwest again before the change to reserved seats, I will do the same thing I’ve been doing unless the FA tell me I can’t. If someone sits there, they sit there. Not a big deal. Not like I’m gonna fight someone over a seat like it seems some of y'all would.

You’re stuck on the fact that nobody from the airline has challenged you on this, so it must be okay.

But when you initially admitted to seat saving, you said you didn’t know it was rude. Many told you it was rude, and told you why or tried to get you to see it from a different perspective. You still don’t care.

At least you’re honest about it. lol.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

I was under the impression that all of this was starting next year. I already have flights booked for February, I wonder if I will be able to pick my seat...

Doubtful. It will most likely be an overhaul to their website and apply to future purchases. You have already paid.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

I remember when SWA switched "family" boarding from preboarding to between A-B groups. For a good 6 months either side of that decision the gate agents really cracked down and refused to let more than two adults board with younger kids, and also refused to let teens join younger siblings for special boarding unless they also claimed disability. I'm guessing this resulted in ugly confrontations in some airports (at mine people quietly grumbled but complied), and the legal teams probably decided that the litigation risk for employee injury claims was too high, so it was stopped.

Not in Dallas. We see it all the time with pre-teens getting on with mom and dad. Nobody says a word. Gate agents just wish them a good flight.