SW boarding position - panicking!

[erc]

Technically SWA does not have a policy regarding seat saving so it wouldn't be cheating perse.

Well, I think most people would see it as cheating. Others might actually see it as theft. Family A pays for 4 EBCI for their family of 4 to board earlier, and Family B pays for 1 EBCI, and then puts carry-ons, books, and pocketbooks in the other three. There doesn't need to be a "policy" against theft for it to not be tolerated. Each EBCI seat needs to be paid for. That's the policy.

If I decided to buy a newspaper and left the dispenser open for the three guys behind me to grab a free paper, is there a policy against that or is that theft? If I pay one subway fare and let my three kids sneak under the turnstile with that one fare... I could go on.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, I think most people would see it as cheating. Others might actually see it as theft. Family A pays for 4 EBCI for their family of 4 to board earlier, and Family B pays for 1 EBCI, and then puts carry-ons, books, and pocketbooks in the other three. There doesn't need to be a "policy" against theft for it to not be tolerated. Each EBCI seat needs to be paid for. That's the policy.

If I decided to buy a newspaper and left the dispenser open for the three guys behind me to grab a free paper, is there a policy against that or is that theft? If I pay one subway fare and let my three kids sneak under the turnstile with that one fare... I could go on.

TBH I'm really not interesting in going down the whole "what if X" rabbit hole.

You could use the words unfair or even that you view it as rude which are more opinions on it.

It's interesting that you view seat saving with such passion that you use the words cheating and theft. You posed the question previously in the frame of looking into EBCI as being curious about it..so have you flown with SWA frequently enough to see if seat saving is prevalent and not only that that it has created such a negative issue where its causing people to stop buying EBCI?

 

[erc]

It's interesting that you view seat saving with such passion that you use the words cheating and theft. You posed the question previously in the frame of looking into EBCI as being curious about it..so have you flown with SWA frequently enough to see if seat saving is prevalent and not only that that it has created such a negative issue where its causing people to stop buying EBCI?

Apparently my relative has stopped buying it because she always encounters it. People tend to devalue a service that they see others getting for free.

I've never seen it as I have never flown Southwest. I guess I will find out as I bought EBCI really just to see what goes on during early boarding. I will behave because I will be with my young daughter. But I will be flying solo a couple of weeks later also on Southwest which could be a more interesting flight.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Apparently my relative has stopped buying it because she always encounters it. People tend to devalue a service that they see others getting for free.

I've never seen it as I have never flown Southwest. I guess I will find out as I bought EBCI really just to see what goes on during early boarding. I will behave because I will be with my young daughter. But I will be flying solo a couple of weeks later also on Southwest which could be a more interesting flight.

I wouldn't put too much stock into having such an issue with it until you have a chance to fly enough times with SWA in a short enough time period. Flying just one or two times with them wouldn't give you an actual idea of how this issue impacts you personally.

I'd like to hear how your relative views her boarding position and boarding experience (meaning her available seat choices on the flight being the ones she wanted for example) now that she has stopped buying EBCI because to me fear of the possibility of people saving seats like I said just isn't a big enough reason (obviously this is just my opinion but the logic just doesn't match up)...not spending $30 RT for each person based on the cost however is a reason I would choose not to buy it.

 

[nkereina]

So from reading this thread and posts like this I thought I would look into EBCI, and mentioned it to a relative who told me she stopped purchasing it because she would always board and find that one person from a group of travelers would pay for EBCI and then throw their belongings in every seat they wanted to save for the rest of their party who was boarding later and did not purchase EBCI. That would be pretty annoying if someone goes to the expense of purchasing it for their entire party and the advantage is nullified by the cheaters. Does this happen often?

I have seen some saving of seats, but not to the degree where stuff was everywhere and it was difficult to find seats. I've seen maybe someone in one seat with their purse or bag in the seat beside them, something like that. PP is correct in that there is no official policy on the saving of seats, but I have been on flights where the Flight Attendants will tell people to take the first seat they see, it's a full flight, every seat will be taken, etc etc. So technically, you could plop in a seat that someone says is being saved if you needed or wanted to. I probably wouldn't just because I wouldn't want to tick off my nextdoor neighbor before I'm stuck next to them for however many hours, but it's technically permitted.

 

[scard192]

Apparently my relative has stopped buying it because she always encounters it. People tend to devalue a service that they see others getting for free..

I feel the same way which is why I avoid flying SW if I can. Last November they were so much cheaper we did fly them and paid for EBCI for everyone in our party. My sister has a 6 year old and 10 year old, does not fly very often and was so nervous about her 10 year old not being able to board with family boarding she said just buy for all 3 of them both ways so she did not have to worry so much about the boarding. She was willing to pay the full cost for her family. lots of others are not.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I feel the same way which is why I avoid flying SW if I can. Last November they were so much cheaper we did fly them and paid for EBCI for everyone in our party. My sister has a 6 year old and 10 year old, does not fly very often and was so nervous about her 10 year old not being able to board with family boarding she said just buy for all 3 of them both ways so she did not have to worry so much about the boarding. She was willing to pay the full cost for her family. lots of others are not.

I can see avoiding flying with SWA sure. But the discussion was more related to seat saving in direct relation to choosing not to buy EBCI...not about not being able to board with Family Boarding.

SWA doesn't require you to board with Family Boarding it's an option though. You also have the choice of staying back with your traveling party should you have a better boarding position but your traveling party does not. So in the event that the 10 year old had a worse boarding position your sister could board with her 6 year old and with her 10 year old in the position of where the 10 year old is at.

 

[erc]

I wouldn't put too much stock into having such an issue with it until you have a chance to fly enough times with SWA in a short enough time period. Flying just one or two times with them wouldn't give you an actual idea of how this issue impacts you personally.

So buying EBCI got us a B3 boarding position. This being a direct flight to Orlando the family boarding was a larger group than the A boarding. But immediately it was obvious that there were A listers who liked the aisle seat so we found two seats against the window in row 4. So I didn't see any seat saving and I'm not sure I really needed to buy EBCI besides not having to worry about the exact 24 hour mark. A pretty good flight with a flight crew with a sense of humor.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So buying EBCI got us a B3 boarding position. This being a direct flight to Orlando the family boarding was a larger group than the A boarding. But immediately it was obvious that there were A listers who liked the aisle seat so we found two seats against the window in row 4. So I didn't see any seat saving and I'm not sure I really needed to buy EBCI besides not having to worry about the exact 24 hour mark. A pretty good flight with a flight crew with a sense of humor.

Glad you had good flight! And row 4 that's great.

Just a note the A boarding group isn't by any means just A-listers so it's very possible those in aisle seats are just your average every day person; I've got an A boarding position multiple times before and without EBCI though that's getting rarer now with more and more being buying EBCI. My husband, who is an A-lister but has only been that since 2015, loves the aisle seat..course him being 6 ft 5 1/2 inches tall it's easy to see why so even without being an A-lister he will prefer and try to get an aisle if it's possible.

Hope your other flight you've got planned with SWA goes well

 

[Denise W]

So buying EBCI got us a B3 boarding position. This being a direct flight to Orlando the family boarding was a larger group than the A boarding. But immediately it was obvious that there were A listers who liked the aisle seat so we found two seats against the window in row 4. So I didn't see any seat saving and I'm not sure I really needed to buy EBCI besides not having to worry about the exact 24 hour mark. A pretty good flight with a flight crew with a sense of humor.

So as a direct flight your plane stopped part way and took on more passengers? Or was this a non stop flight? They are two different things.
Denise

 

[awalker1015]

Only flown SW past 5 years or so to multiple places from MCO to TX to Vegas with all different passenger demographics. Have never had an issue getting a seat with or without my family. Have never bought EBCI. I guess if my kids were younger I would but they are 9 and 11 and can sit without me. Luckily we have never had an issue over multiple flights and weee always able to get seats together by heading to back of plane. I do check in right at 24 hrs and have only had C boarding when flying alone thankfully.

 

[nkereina]

So buying EBCI got us a B3 boarding position. This being a direct flight to Orlando the family boarding was a larger group than the A boarding. But immediately it was obvious that there were A listers who liked the aisle seat so we found two seats against the window in row 4. So I didn't see any seat saving and I'm not sure I really needed to buy EBCI besides not having to worry about the exact 24 hour mark. A pretty good flight with a flight crew with a sense of humor.

Keep in mind that you don't know how many people after you had purchased EBCI as well. If the next 30 people after you had also purchased EBCI, that means if you checked in at or after the 24 hour mark, you'd be somewhere after B33 (for example). Once you get into mid-high B range, especially if there's a large family boarding group, I start to get nervous about getting the seats I want or together. But for people who don't get nervous about this, EBCI has less of a value.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Keep in mind that you don't know how many people after you had purchased EBCI as well. If the next 30 people after you had also purchased EBCI, that means if you checked in at or after the 24 hour mark, you'd be somewhere after B33 (for example). Once you get into mid-high B range, especially if there's a large family boarding group, I start to get nervous about getting the seats I want or together. But for people who don't get nervous about this, EBCI has less of a value.

also keep in mind people staying on plane will be on plane before As even start boarding. was on a SW flight that was over half full when As started boarding. had the feeling was going to be hard to find seats together when boarding numbers only went to B20 and they did not do family boarding

 

[Dismommy8]

Hi All-
Great information here. We are flying SW for the first time for Easter break from Newark. I did purchase the EBCI, what are our chances of sitting together (me, DD, DS together and DH alone). Don't care where on the plane we sit.
Thanks!!

 

[Vijoge]

Probably about 99.99%

 

[Dismommy8]

Probably about 99.99%

Phew!! Thank you!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Phew!! Thank you!

what time is your flight? remember any one staying on the flight will be staying on plane with first choice of seats. plane was over half full when boarding started. knew we were on a full plane but boarding numbers only went to B20 with no family boarding.

 

[calablovedisney]

Talk me down! I checked in to the minute at the 24 hour mark for a Wednesday morning flight out of Portland Oregon. There are only two of us flying and we are B-29 and B-33. I'm feeling completely panicked that I won't be able to sit with DS. I've never flown Southwest before and am hoping that I am wrong. Are people pretty friendly and accommodating to allow people traveling together to sit together?

You should be fine. I have had numbers higher than that and my family of 4 were still able to split up 2 and 2. We were towards the back, of course. And I have found people to be pretty accommodating for those with kids.

 

[mb187143]

Even with EBCI, I ended up with B17 as my boarding position on Wednesday evening out of Kansas City. I had no trouble getting an aisle seat, but did go back to row 19 for it. Plenty of window/middles in rows before that and almost every row behind mine was empty at that point. The flight only had about 6 through passengers on it when we got on but it was pretty easy to find a good seat, even in mid-B group.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just got back from Orlando. Flew SW down, JB back. Yes, there was a group in the Family Boarding group, but not a huge number...maybe 13 or so. I got A35, grabbed a seat in an exit row. I didn't see any seats being saved. I have seen it in the past though. The worst was the time I had slot A16, so among the first to board. I watched as people in the A group boarded, took a seat and put stuff on the seats beside them. This happened for about 4 rows! Well, evidently the people that had taken these seats were 'saving' seats in the hope that they would have empty seats between them. Man, they moved fast when it was announced that it was a full flight, with no empty seats!!! complete chaos as that family tried to get seats together. There sure were some happy people in the mid C group that found seats in the front of the plane!!!