SW from PHL Questions

[jwcjoe]

First time flying SW. I have a 9:05 a.m flight..How early should I arrive, is 2 hours good enough? Traveling with a 5 year old and want to spend as little time as possible in the security line.
If i check in online 24hrs. ahead of time should I worry about not sitting together.( 3 of us)?
Any horror stories about SW and PHL
Thanks

 

[pamjb]

Two hours should be ample time to get thru security. I am not sure where you are coming from, but make sure you allow for traffic. We travel from Allentown, which is about 60 miles away. Sometimes it only takes an hour to get to the airport, sometimes much longer. There is always contruction in the airport, so it maybe hard to navigate. Just follow the signs. They will tell you where to go.
Sometimes it is better to use curbside check in for your luggage, sometimes it isn't. If the line seems long at curbside check-in, take a peek inside the terminal. Sometimes it is shorter. Not always. I have always have good luck thru PHL, especially on early morning flights. You may or may not be able to preboard with the 5 year old. So to be doubly sure you can sit together, make sure to check in as close to the 24 hr pre-flight time as you can. You will (more than likely) get A boarding passes. I personally don't park my butt in the A line until the A's start boarding, but that's just me. My kids are also older and I don't have any problem pawning them off on someone else for 2 1/2 hrs.
Don't forget about the TSA restrictions regarding carryons. This seems to be a big problem in Philly.
Enjoy your flight.

 

[Kim&Chris]

No horror stories here. We've had pretty good luck with SWA out of Philly. The biggest problem is PHL airport itself...what a mess. But once you're past security, it's smooth sailing.

Like the poster above, I also wait until there are a few people in the A line, then DH and I hop in.

By getting there early, you won't have a problem sitting together.