SW boarding numbers

[firegurl]

Not an issue, more just curiosity. I thought the boarding numbers in the A group went from 1-60. I just did online checkin for myself, DH and DS6. DH and I got A 58 & 59. DS got B01. Based on the 1-60, it looks like someone was between us. We were all on the same reservation. I'm not concerned because I don't expect them to make a 6 year old wait for boarding without his parents and its only one in between. I'm just curious if anyone else has insight.

 

[CarolMN]

It's odd, but not unheard of for parties to be split like that. It could be an issue for you if there are a lot of families boarding between the A&B groups, so I'd have one adult board with the 6 year old using the A passes, and have the other adult board with the B01 pass. The first two can just save a middle seat - I highly doubt it will be a problem sitting together. You can decide who is going to actually sit in which seat when the B01 adult gets to the row the A adult selected.

They don't check ID at the gate and even if they do challenge you cab just explain then. It won't be an issue.

 

[firegurl]

Thanks. Like I said, I'm not worried. Even with the family boarding in betwern, I just planned on boarding with the A group, all 3 of us. I doubt they will have an issue with it. Just seemed unusual to me.

 

[Mkrop]

We has this happen to our youngest once. We asked at the gate what to do and they told us to have him just get in line with us in the As.

 

[PlutoPony]

Thanks. Like I said, I'm not worried. Even with the family boarding in betwern, I just planned on boarding with the A group, all 3 of us. I doubt they will have an issue with it. Just seemed unusual to me.

I do know that other families with split boarding numbers like this have been told they were welcome to board with the lowest boarding number, not the highest. Obviously YMMV - depends on gate agent

 

[sonnyjane]

It can happen. I learned this on a recent trip with DH. I was A59 and he was B01 with a woman in between us. We got to talking and had all checked in at exactly 24 hours, so even though we were on the same reservation they can squeeze folks in between.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thanks. Like I said, I'm not worried. Even with the family boarding in betwern, I just planned on boarding with the A group, all 3 of us. I doubt they will have an issue with it. Just seemed unusual to me.

Why not do the right thing and have one of the adults board with B01?

 

[jcemom]

I checked in my MIL and her sister for a trip to Oklahoma last month, right at the 24 hour mark, and they somehow ended up with 8 numbers in between them. They were on the same reservation. I have never seen that happen before. I've seen one number between but not 8 lol.

 

[firegurl]

Why not do the right thing and have one of the adults board with B01?

Well the right thing would be to follow the rules and board with your assigned boarding pass. Since my 6 year old will not be waiting on his own to get through family boarding, he will go with us.
Really??? You want to argue about a 6 year old boarding with his parents? Its not like we are trying to jump from C to A.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Thanks. Like I said, I'm not worried. Even with the family boarding in betwern, I just planned on boarding with the A group, all 3 of us. I doubt they will have an issue with it. Just seemed unusual to me.

You may not think that they have an issue with it, but trust me I have seen some Southwest employees let people have it for boarding out of order I would not assume that all of you will get to board in A.

 

[DebbieB]

I saw a proactive gate agent in Orlando a couple of weeks ago. He boarded the A's and then the family boarders and then B was ready to go. He noticed a family with a little boy in the upper B group (B31-60). He told them to come up and board, they must not have understood the family boading process (he was definitely under 5).

I had B3. There was a couple standing with me, the husband had B2 and the wife had B4. She said she did them together. So likely when the system is being hit all at once at exactly 24 hours, the processing may have done husband, me, wife.

 

[mb187143]

It depends on the gate agent. Last week before my flight to Orlando for work on SW, there was a family of 4 split between the A and B groups. Mom, dad, a girl who looked 10 and one who looked to be 7ish. Mom and dad had B boarding passes and both girls had high As. I was sitting next to them waiting for the flight, and had a B boarding pass not far behind the parents, so I overheard most of what was said. They were told to board two and two or that they could all board with the Bs, but they were not all getting on with the A group. They boarded together in the Bs and had no trouble getting their seats together as the plane was nearly empty since it was the first flight of the day.

Personally, I would approach the gate agent before boarding begins, let them know your situation and ask them what you should do. I feel like they're more likely to help you out or be sympathetic if you handle it that way than if you (general you, not specifically to the OP or anyone else in this thread) pitch a fit when they're actively boarding the plane and ask you to wait until your group is called.

For the OP, The net result is likely going to be the same whether they board together in the As, two A and one in B, or at the beginning of the Bs altogether, it's just that the scenario of you all boarding together in A might not happen depending on the gate agent.

 

[carmelhp]

You may not think that they have an issue with it, but trust me I have seen some Southwest employees let people have it for boarding out of order I would not assume that all of you will get to board in A.

Times I have flown SW they have announced that those traveling together can board at the earliest boarding position of the groups passes. I paid extra for automatic early check-in, we'll see how that works.

 

[DebbieB]

Times I have flown SW they have announced that those traveling together can board at the earliest boarding position of the groups passes. I paid extra for automatic early check-in, we'll see how that works.

I've heard them say the opposite, otherwise one person could buy EBCI and the rest could go with them.

 

[carmelhp]

I've heard them say the opposite, otherwise one person could buy EBCI and the rest could go with them.

To be clear, I paid for early check-in for all my party, not just one, before any snarkiness ensues.

 

[DebbieB]

To be clear, I paid for early check-in for all my party, not just one, before any snarkiness ensues.

I didn't mean to imply that. I have heard them say that on other airlines that use the zone #'s with their preassigned seats. But it wouldn't work with open seating. I would be upset if they said that everyone can board with the early number after you paid for everyone.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Times I have flown SW they have announced that those traveling together can board at the earliest boarding position of the groups passes. I paid extra for automatic early check-in, we'll see how that works.

Well don't fly out of Atlanta. I have never heard that and they are strict about boarding.

 

[firegurl]

I didn't mean to imply that. I have heard them say that on other airlines that use the zone #'s with their preassigned seats. But it wouldn't work with open seating. I would be upset if they said that everyone can board with the early number after you paid for everyone.

I agree with that. I would be upset if I paid for early boarding and someone that didn't got to go ahead of me. My issue is a little different. We did not pay for it but my party got split up. I do not see the issue with letting one child board ahead of the family boarding because SW put someone between them in boarding assignments. If people had to pay for family boarding that would be one thing but they didn't. They recieve it free as a convenience.

 

[ZooKeeper13]

This happened to us (I got A59 & DH got B01) and even though we paid for EBCI, the gate agent said DH had to board after the families. It wasn't a problem, just an annoyance. I grabbed a middle seat and nobody even looked to sit in that row.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

This happened to us (I got A59 & DH got B01) and even though we paid for EBCI, the gate agent said DH had to board after the families. It wasn't a problem, just an annoyance. I grabbed a middle seat and nobody even looked to sit in that row.

With all due respect, two adults boarding separately is different than splitting a family with a young kid.

I'm so glad MSP is my home airport. The gate agents there are very accommodating when you have a young kid. My son (4) has even been called up to "assist" with the boarding process before.

I really can't imagine any SW gate agent anywhere denying a single 6 year old in B01 from boarding with his A58 and A59 parents. It just defies common sense.