SW If you want to sit with your kids

[anonymousegirl]

Truth now. Are you really a considerate, prepared customer of size - or are you a lush?

Definitely not a lush, although I used to work for them in the UK. I normally refuse the drink. Not much of a day drinker.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Definitely not a lush, although I used to work for them in the UK. I normally refuse the drink. Not much of a day drinker.

Wait- you worked for Lush? If it is the company that has the bath bombs and other bath and body care products my daughter wants to work for them like you wouldn’t believe. She has all of their products memorized and is in love with their stuff. She would think you are the coolest person ever - no matter if you worked in their store or made those artistic soaps

 

[goofy4tink]

Wait- you worked for Lush? If it is the company that has the bath bombs and other bath and body care products my daughter wants to work for them like you wouldn’t believe. She has all of their products memorized and is in love with their stuff. She would think you are the coolest person ever - no matter if you worked in their store or made those artistic soaps

Ummmm, I believe the lush is question is the drinking kind...you know, someone who consistently over imbibes.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Ummmm, I believe the lush is question is the drinking kind...you know, someone who consistently over imbibes.

Well she said she used to work for them so I wondered if she worked for the company named Lush. I guess she could have worked for an alcohol company too. I believe Lush is a company from England too. Anyway I’m way off topic.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Well she said she used to work for them so I wondered if she worked for the company named Lush. I guess she could have worked for an alcohol company too. I believe Lush is a company from England too. Anyway I’m way off topic.

I am not a drinking lush, but I did work for Lush both in the UK and here in the US. So I do like to say I am a Lush. I once got to go to the factory in Poole, England and make those wonderful products all day long. So much fun!

 

[MinnieMSue]

I am not a drinking lush, but I did work for Lush both in the UK and here in the US. So I do like to say I am a Lush. I once got to go to the factory in Poole, England and make those wonderful products all day long. So much fun!

That’s so cool!

 

[Maggie Gallagher]

To someone looking for a "sublime" experience, it probably is.

When someone has a good vocabulary and uses words such as, "sublime," it's an indication of their level of education. One shouldn't be ridiculed for that.

 

[Okiemom]

I think anyone that pays for EBCI should board before family boarding.

A few trips ago, mother and child, last on plane. FA asked a few times, no one moved. FA said, this plane is not moving unless the mother and child are seated together. No you'll get a drink coupon or even 8 extra bags of pretzels, nothing, just this plane isn't moving. I wasn't fond of that statement. Of course someone did move but no one seemed thrilled about it. I have no idea where he ended up, but the seat he gave up was an aisle seat was near the front.

If we pay extra for Early Boarding Passes, we should not have to get up and move? Right? I am surprised she said the plain isn't moving.... Was the child and infant?

 

[Okiemom]

On my last SW flight the flight attendants said several times no seat saving. I know this depends on flight attendants but was glad to hear that!

My last flight, I wished they would have said that.

 

[Okiemom]

I didn't start flying on Southwest until 2017. I thought the very same thing and had anxiety about the seating situation. I actually like Southwest much better now and will rarely fly on any other airline. As long as I am at my gate 30 minutes early I have nothing to stress about. I don't agree with the whole "Family Boarding" policy though. If you want to sit together then buy EBCI - plain and simple. I'm definitely not giving up my seat due to someone else's poor planning. I don't care how many "we will turn this car around" speeches the flight attendant gives!

I agree. We pay the extra money for Early Boarding, they should too if they want to be sure and have seats together.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If we pay extra for Early Boarding Passes, we should not have to get up and move? Right? I am surprised she said the plain isn't moving.... Was the child and infant?

If you mean Early Bird Check In while that may make someone be less willing to move the mere purchase of it doesn't mean you won't be asked to be moved. You can refuse to move as can anyone. That doesn't mean the FAs won't make such announcements like "we won't be pushing off until someone moves" or something similar.

 

[Okiemom]

My DD just texted me her flight was cancelled this morning and she had to take an earlier one. Went from boarding position A39 on her first flight to C18 on the new one. Sometimes is it not a family's fault they are last on the plane!

If I have paid for Early Boarding and they change my flight, extra... I could get a C on that new flight? Would they refund by EArly Boarding fee?

 

[Okiemom]

lol I'm the same age so I totally get it. After being a doormat my whole life I will now stand up for myself and what I want. It's liberating to be this age.

I think the point is that while the OP maybe didn't necessarily know what this particular story was, I'm still not sure why someone boarding last should be able to expect to bump someone who paid for EBCI.

I have had a flight canceled and been bumped from my A boarding group to C. I took my lumps and sat in my middle seat (without my boyfriend who was in another middle seat). Crap happens. If it is REALLY a situation where someone NEEDS to sit with someone else (not just really really wants to) then the airline had better step up and make it right and not put it all on the shoulders of someone to volunteer. A couple of free drink coupons might be all it takes to convince someone to volunteer. But asking someone to give up their seat just because? People are within their rights to refuse.

And I have shown plenty of compassion for people in my life but that doesn't mean that every single time I have to be the one to do it. There is a plane full of people. If you have no volunteers then sweeten the deal til you get one. That's the way it should work. No making someone feel crappy for not wanting to fly in discomfort.

Do they not refund back your money for the Early Boarding Pass if this happens? If I am a A then move to a C because they changed the flights, I would want my money back.

 

[Okiemom]

Just completed our first SW flight, round trip to MCO.
We both purchased Early Check in and got toward the end of A group both directions. We sat towards the back of the plane on both flights due to seat savers. Most seat savers were saving two additional seats.
Wish they would offer an option to choose your seat for an upcharge.
At this time, it is the only direct flight from our local airport to MCO so will make do for now.

That is just wrong.... We saw seat saving our last time, Just now right

 

[meggers628]

Man, after this thread and others like it, I am planning my strategy for our first SW flight next year ALREADY. We got the SW card and bonus points/companion pass for a trip this year that had to be postponed, so we’re definitely going to fly SW from PHL to MCO. I’ll be flying with my husband, 3 kids 7 and under, and a lap infant. If I book the earliest flight of the day, buy EBCI for myself/the baby and my 2 most annoying kids, then strategically place them near the back of the plane, hopefully we’ll get lucky and all be together.

Lol.

 

[Allison]

Early Boarding

You have said early boarding every time. You are paying for early check-in. Not early boarding. There is a distinction.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You have said early boarding every time. You are paying for early check-in. Not early boarding. There is a distinction.

I'm to the point where I wish they would rename it completely so it didn't have the same leading initials of EB lol

 

[kaytieeldr]

then strategically place them near the back of the plane, hopefully we’ll get lucky and all be together.

Almost perfect except - why punish yourself with both annoying kids?

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Man, after this thread and others like it, I am planning my strategy for our first SW flight next year ALREADY. We got the SW card and bonus points/companion pass for a trip this year that had to be postponed, so we’re definitely going to fly SW from PHL to MCO. I’ll be flying with my husband, 3 kids 7 and under, and a lap infant. If I book the earliest flight of the day, buy EBCI for myself/the baby and my 2 most annoying kids, then strategically place them near the back of the plane, hopefully we’ll get lucky and all be together.

Lol.

Booking the earliest flight of the day is a good strategy. We exclusively fly the 6 AM flight wherever we are going because we like to just get where we're going. We are usually some of the only ones in the family boarding group when we travel that early in the day. A few weeks ago, they cancelled our 6 AM flight to Tampa and put us on a 10:30 AM one. There were at least 30 people in the family boarding group. I've never seen anything like it - and we always travel during school breaks, and exclusively fly SW, so we know what busy travel times look like, and we're used to the SW boarding process. When I saw how many families were at our gate, I made my 5 year old son sit with me and hold a spot in line while my husband and 2 year old walked around doing things like gate checking the stroller, getting water for the kids, etc. This worked well - the four of us were the first to family board and we had no problem getting 4 seats together in the back of the plane. I've never experienced this taking a 6 AM or 6:30 AM flight, but the 10:30 time was an entirely different animal!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Man, after this thread and others like it, I am planning my strategy for our first SW flight next year ALREADY. We got the SW card and bonus points/companion pass for a trip this year that had to be postponed, so we’re definitely going to fly SW from PHL to MCO. I’ll be flying with my husband, 3 kids 7 and under, and a lap infant. If I book the earliest flight of the day, buy EBCI for myself/the baby and my 2 most annoying kids, then strategically place them near the back of the plane, hopefully we’ll get lucky and all be together.

Lol.

just make sure flight is the earliest flight of day because any flight coming in mid morning or later will have people staying on flight who will get first choice of seats and can leave plane half or more full. I hope you get a flight at like 730 which we did for one of grandsons Wish Trip. plane was there waiting for boarding to start when we got there. other boys flight was like 830 and that plane was coming from another airport and we were not able to sit across from each other at front of plane. both of these were SW out if PHL and we were at end of preboards