southwest

[CarolA]

My younger sister is deaf and my younger brother has never been on a plane before, so I find it pretty important to sit with them.

Your younger sister will probably qualify you for preboarding. Check with the gate agent.

Now here's my rule. NO seat saving. I take the seat. (I have had a woman try to get me moved. Had she nicely said she was holding the seat I might have moved but she had spread "items' out over THREE ROWS!!!!! So folks started MOVING her stuff. LOL! I wasn't the only one and she was ballastic! The SW FA actually started removing her stuff as she was throwing it on to other seats and informed her that if this continued she would be removed from the plane! She was furious that her family of about 12 had not been allowed to pre-board with her and her child. Her DH had preboarded too but he was in another row and did nothing to stop folks from sitting with him, which made her YELL at him LOL! I think he was trying to pretend he had never met her. Her family finally gets on. They had A passes but waited until the END to board because she was "saving" them seats. They wound up all over the plane and the SW attendants did NOTHING to help them get thier younger kids with adults. They had blown this one big time!) IMHO it's fine to save say a seat, but not whole rows.

 

[dlrhine]

What makes me sad is when people yell at me or get upset because my DH and I preboard without our children and bring a grandmother along to wait with them so that we can get on and wipe down the seat that we'll be sitting in with a wet wipe. My DD 4 has peanut allergy and if she contacts peanut dust or crumbs we could have some major problems. We fly all the time 4 to 5 times a year and only had a problem once when we didn't preboard and wipe everything down. Then once we have everything wiped down grandma brings the two girls onboard. It works nicely but people would wonder why DH and I are getting on the plane early. He wipes down his seat and hers and I wipe down mine and my other daughters, but regular people couldn't see this and would have not clue why we are getting on earlier. I'd answer anyone who asked me why I was getting on early, and I'd be happy if they would ask, I'd have no problem. On top of that we give her Zyrtec and then also Benadryl so she can have an antihistamie in her to pre block anything she might contact. Anyhow, there are hidden disabilities, some of us don't mind if you ask.

 

[tlinus]

if you truly believe this I have some oceanfront land in South Dakota I'd like to sell you!!!


For the life of me though I'll never understand the big deal in sitting together. Once a child is over 4 or 5 who cares where you sit. and when they are under 4 you only need one family member near them. Everyone gets there at the same time.

I have a children who are 11, 7, and 5 and we WILL try to sit together, considering my 7year old may need her epi-pen/inhaler at any time. Yes everyone gets there at the same time but a child who is as young as 4 or 5 DOES want their Mom or Dad with them - I hate to sound rude, but you are way out of line with your comments!

 

[Hannathy]

What is out of line? this is my opinion your welcome to yours.

 

[Cinderella1122]

I have a children who are 11, 7, and 5 and we WILL try to sit together, considering my 7year old may need her epi-pen/inhaler at any time. Yes everyone gets there at the same time but a child who is as young as 4 or 5 DOES want their Mom or Dad with them - I hate to sound rude, but you are way out of line with your comments!

I agree. I also wouldn't want my child who is that young sitting with complete strangers. There are so many creepers in this world and you never know if your child could be sitting, alone, next to one.

 

[tlinus]

What makes me sad is when people yell at me or get upset because my DH and I preboard without our children and bring a grandmother along to wait with them so that we can get on and wipe down the seat that we'll be sitting in with a wet wipe. My DD 4 has peanut allergy and if she contacts peanut dust or crumbs we could have some major problems. We fly all the time 4 to 5 times a year and only had a problem once when we didn't preboard and wipe everything down. Then once we have everything wiped down grandma brings the two girls onboard. It works nicely but people would wonder why DH and I are getting on the plane early. He wipes down his seat and hers and I wipe down mine and my other daughters, but regular people couldn't see this and would have not clue why we are getting on earlier. I'd answer anyone who asked me why I was getting on early, and I'd be happy if they would ask, I'd have no problem. On top of that we give her Zyrtec and then also Benadryl so she can have an antihistamie in her to pre block anything she might contact. Anyhow, there are hidden disabilities, some of us don't mind if you ask.

This is dd#2 first time in a plane and we are hoing to pre board for the same reason! Thank you for voicing this - its better to know if there is a problem on the ground than in the air!

 

[ChrisAlli]

What qualifies for pre-boarding? Never flown SW and it will be me, DH, DS 5 and DD 3.

I plan to check in 24 hours in advance, but not sure about the little ones waiting in a line for and hour? Can one of us wait in line and then the other come when it's time to board? Or would people freak out?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I agree. I also wouldn't want my child who is that young sitting with complete strangers. There are so many creepers in this world and you never know if your child could be sitting, alone, next to one.

Why, thank you for that assessment. One of my most enjoyable flights was a connection in Chicago, to Las Vegas. I had preboarded (medical) and was sitting in row two. A flight attendant brought over an adorable five or six year old boy traveling alone and asked if I would mind sitting with him. We had a blast, playing games, reading, talking... funny thing, the (male)passenger in the window seat wasn't any more of a 'creeper' than I am. That child was perfectly safe with us; we didn't know him or each other, but heck, the three of us were still able to travel together with no harm coming to any of us (except the other passenger WAS supposed to be sleeping).

So, if a five year old can fly safely with nobody on the plane that he knows at all, a five year old can fly safely with a parent in a non-adjacent seat. I'm not saying it's the ideal situation, but it's not the danger people seem to think, either.

 

[HayGan]

What qualifies for pre-boarding? Never flown SW and it will be me, DH, DS 5 and DD 3.

I plan to check in 24 hours in advance, but not sure about the little ones waiting in a line for and hour? Can one of us wait in line and then the other come when it's time to board? Or would people freak out?

Families with children under the age of 5 are typically allowed to preboard on SW. Your entire family (you, DH and your 2 kids) will be allowed to preboard and you don't have to stand in the pre-board line for an hour. Just stay close to the gate and get in the pre-board line shortly before boarding or when they call for pre-boards.

You'll be fine

 

[salmoneous]

I plan to check in 24 hours in advance, but not sure about the little ones waiting in a line for and hour? Can one of us wait in line and then the other come when it's time to board? Or would people freak out?

There's no reason for any of you to wait in the pre-boarding line. Just wait until about half the pre-boards have gotten on, then join the back of the line.

 

[WillCAD]

What qualifies for pre-boarding? Never flown SW and it will be me, DH, DS 5 and DD 3.

I plan to check in 24 hours in advance, but not sure about the little ones waiting in a line for and hour? Can one of us wait in line and then the other come when it's time to board? Or would people freak out?

Southwest rules are that a child under 5 can pre-board with 1 adult. Since both of your kids are under 5, you can all pre-board together.

You probably won't need to wait in the pre-board line for an hour. On most of my flights, the lines start forming at the gate around 45 minutes before the scheduled flight time, but since you are pre-boarding you can probably wait till about 20 minutes beforehand. Just keep your eye on the pre-boarder line and if it starts to get too big you can get in it, but it is usually less than 20 people.