Suthwest check in times????

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I once asked a SW gate agent what the rules were and she did say under 5, my next question was then why did you let a whole little league team preboard (I kid you not twenty 12-14 year olds were allowed to preboard) and the answer was 'They all wanted to sit together'. Trying to remain calm, my only comment was, 'Do you think I've been sitting on the floor for two hours for my health?' I was first in line for 'A' boarding and we got the last row of empty seats available

That ,I fear, would have prompted a letter directly to SWA. That was not right.

 

[Rpsemont]

MARRAR,
I think if you plan on 1.5 hour you should be fine. Are you being dropped off at the airport or parking? If you want to hedge a bit more, and you're parking there, have DH drop you and the children off with the luggage so that at least three of you get earlier boarding passes. (We Alwasy find the sky cap, quicker than the line inside) We have flown SWA many times with very full (and sometimes overbooked flights) Sometimes with C passes. I have usually found people very accomodating. That being said, if you get a B or C pass, have a least one of you, camp out in line right away. Also, if you end with a C pass, stand in line all together. On a recent trip from Florida, we got C passes and the gate security people came over and told DH if he'd volunteer for a gate search, they'd let him board immediately after. He had us take all the carry ons, went through the search and saved us seats. I think they try to target one member of groups with 'younger" children. (DD Was 7 on that trip) If he hadn't been searched we probably would have been one of the last 20 on the plane.

 

[Pinnie]

Gail, boy am I with you on this one! It riles me to no end to see a family of grandparents. parents, kids and "stuff" come to the check in area just as we are ready to board....holding that lovely PREBOARDING card while I have been camped on the floor for 90 minutes or more. It recently happened on a connecting flight from STL to MCO. Loved the way the SWA gate agent handled the situation. He said that since the plane was almost FULL of families, there would be NO preboarding of families on that flight! He did preboard handicapped people.

Of course this family was spread about the plane, but there was one gentleman who gave up his seat so mom and child could sit together. I am with you, Gail, someone else's rights end at MY seat!

pin

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

If I were flying alone and could get something other than a middle seat, then yes, I would move to accomodate someone, BUT....if Dee and I have arrived early to get an A or B pass, then, I am sorry, I am not moving. I will sit with the child or the parent, but, uh huh I am NOT moving. In this case, "you snooze you loose". Bad attitude I realize, but, adults have needs to and I need to be near Dee when I fly.

 

[laurie31]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Just an FYI, it is a for sure with an A pass that you will have two seats together and pretty definite with a B pass. When you run into "iffy" territory is with a C pass.

Thanks for this info!! What a relief! I was actually planning to get to the airport 2 1/2 - 3 hours early to make sure we got seats together! I don't care if we're on the very back row of the plane, just so we are together. My youngest is 4, so we can pre-board, but I've also heard that when the flight is full of families they don't preboard kids, so I didn't want to count on that. It will be my girls' first time to fly and so not only do I not want them alone, but I must take lots of pics for the scrapbook page of their first flight

Laurie, still planning on at least 2 hours early just to be sure

 

[mrsstats]

I am with Gail on this one too. If you have a need to sit together and you don't want to get to the airport early, fly where you have assigned seating. I want to sit with my husband on the flight. It is as important to me as someone sitting with their child. That's why, when I fly Southwest, I make sure I get to the airport early. With things the way they are now, 2 hours is a minimum to arrive. And while on the subject, I also get annoyed with people who arrive 1 hour before and then expect you to let them ahead on the line.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by mrsstats
I am with Gail on this one too. If you have a need to sit together and you don't want to get to the airport early, fly where you have assigned seating. I want to sit with my husband on the flight. It is as important to me as someone sitting with their child. That's why, when I fly Southwest, I make sure I get to the airport early. With things the way they are now, 2 hours is a minimum to arrive. And while on the subject, I also get annoyed with people who arrive 1 hour before and then expect you to let them ahead on the line.

Try 15 minutes before with a little one, like I said "get out of jail" free time. These people literally ran in dragging the little one going "we get to preboard, we get to preboard!!!! It really annoyed a bunch of people.

 

[Jo-Anne]

Marrar - I see you are flying out of Buffalo...have you used this airport in the past? We are travelling down from Toronto to fly out of Buffalo in November, but I've never used this airport. Wondering the logistics of checkin (is there curbside? Express with your credit card? etc.) and if there is anything in airport to do to pass the time (we'll have our two kids 7 &4). Thanks, Jo

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Jo-Anne
Marrar - I see you are flying out of Buffalo...have you used this airport in the past? We are travelling down from Toronto to fly out of Buffalo in November, but I've never used this airport. Wondering the logistics of checkin (is there curbside? Express with your credit card? etc.) and if there is anything in airport to do to pass the time (we'll have our two kids 7 &4). Thanks, Jo

Yes, there is curbside in Buffalo, for SWA. SWA has rapid check in kiosks, but, only for pax without checked luggage. http://www.southwestair.com/travel_center/suggested_arrival.html
Here is the website for the airport. If there is anything to do, I would imagine it would be on here. http://www.nfta.com/airport/

 

[dznyntnh]

Actually with the boarding passes I have found that is you are on an originating flight then and 'A' or a 'B' practically guarantees you seats together, but if its a continuation or connecting flight then it really depends on how full the plane is.

We were on a connection from Kansas City to MHT and were the first in the 'A' line and got teh last row of 3 empty seats on the planes.

The good thing about SWA is that they offer lots of originating and direct (non-stop) flights even from the small airports.

 

[MARRAR]

Jo-anne.
I have used Buffalo airport many times before as I live in a suburb of it, just not SW (with my family. )
It's clean and modern and really easy for check-in . Most majors have curbside and it's rarely ever really crowded. Just with SW no assigned seats you have to arrive really early,otherwise 1 hr is plenty for airlines w/ assigned seating.
There is a small childrens area to play but even my DD 5 says its "boring". Theres small fast food places and your magazine and snack shop. It's not like MCO with all the shops etc. I bring puzzle books and coloring books small magnetic games for my kids to play also there's tons of windows so my kids watch the planes take off. Hope this helps

 

[Padre Disney]

I have been reading through this thread and am getting worried about our non stop flight out of KC in October. I am assuming that most of the flights people have had problems with lots of kids preboarding have been over the summer months. I am hoping that since our flight is during the week on a school early in the morning that our group of four will get seats together. We had planned on arriving about 90 minutes early but am wondering if we need to arrive earlier. We planned on 2 hours early for the return flight home out of Orlando on a Sunday afternoon. We figure since it is a weekend it would be very busy.

Do I understand correctly that for people that have carry on luggage they can check in up to four hours before the flight and get an A boarding pass? How many A passes are handed out before they start the B passes? We all have luggage to check so getting passes early is not an option. How busy are SWA flights during the week after school has started?

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Padre Disney
I have been reading through this thread and am getting worried about our non stop flight out of KC in October. I am assuming that most of the flights people have had problems with lots of kids preboarding have been over the summer months. I am hoping that since our flight is during the week on a school early in the morning that our group of four will get seats together. We had planned on arriving about 90 minutes early but am wondering if we need to arrive earlier. We planned on 2 hours early for the return flight home out of Orlando on a Sunday afternoon. We figure since it is a weekend it would be very busy.

Do I understand correctly that for people that have carry on luggage they can check in up to four hours before the flight and get an A boarding pass? How many A passes are handed out before they start the B passes? We all have luggage to check so getting passes early is not an option. How busy are SWA flights during the week after school has started?

answers to how many of each letter are given out.

http://southwestair.com/travel_center/abp.html

You can check your luggage and recieve your boarding pass at the skycap counter up to 4 hours ahead (remember to tip the skycap if you use this ).

All your questions can be found on this site. It is a GREAT site.

http://southwestair.com/travel_center/

 

[lawgs]

to determine how many A etc are given out...take the number of seats on a SWA flight and divide by 3.....

not sure of the total seating capacity .....but would say they hand out 45 or so A ....B and C cards......