SWA boarding procedure?

[MinnieGirl33]

We are flying SWA for the first time next month out of PHL.

I know about printing boarding passes 24 hrs. prior but can you tell me how their boarding procedure, once we are at the gate, is different from other airlines?

What is an "A pass"? Any helpful hints would be appreciated.

 

[goofyabbydad]

SWA loads in bunches not by the seat. All group A stands in line, then walks down the jetway and picks any seat as they board the plane. Later it is the same for B and C. If you have carry on luggage you probably won't be able to put it in ANY overhead if you are in the last half of group B or any part of group C.

Lots of Bin hogs on SWA. A is the best by far. You can check in on the SWA website 24 clock hours before your return to try and get A passes for your return flight.

 

[plutolovr]

Southwest doesn't assign seats. When you check in online you will receive your boarding passes with either an A B or C on it. When you get to your gate you will notice that there are queues set up with Preboad, A B and C.
If you have young children (younger than 4 I think) you can preboard, although sometimes they suspend this if the flight is full of kids. Otherwise you line up in your queue. They will board preboards first, than A passengers, then B and so on. So if you have an A your seating choices will be better.

 

[ryanally]

Southwest gives out their boarding passes with A,B and C on them. When you get to the gate, there will be small sign denoting each A, B and C and a line for each. Some people are always in line for each letter. I guess I understand for B and C boarding pass holders, you want to increase the chance of sitting with your whole travel party, but why do the A people stand in line? Sorry to digress. We always have A's so we sit for awhile until they announce they are starting to board. If you are travelling with a stroller and want it to be gate checked(put under the plane at the last minute) then you will need a stroller tag for it. Must bring the stroller to the counter whereas with other airlines they just gave me the tag and I could take it back to my seat. There will be pre-boarding for handicapped travellers and those with priority boarding. Then they will allow families travelling with a child under 4 to board. It can only be the immediate family(Mom, Dad, child) under 4. The grandparents and other travellers with us must wait until regular A pass boarding. We keep DS(6) with us 3 early boarders. I know he could board with the other members of our party, but the more time that DH and I have to get the 2 kids situated the better. HTH

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Thanks for the responses!

Is it safe to assume that we will all be assigned the same A, B or C pass as long as we are on the same ressie/booking number ?

 

[pamjb]

There is a possibility that you will not get the same boarding letter. SW allows so many (I think 50) on each letter. This happened to kids and I when we returned from MCO in early March. The gate agent allowed them both to board with me. Not that I would have minded NOT sitting with my 16 year old.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Thanks for the responses!

Is it safe to assume that we will all be assigned the same A, B or C pass as long as we are on the same ressie/booking number ?

That's an excellent question! I'd like to know the answer myself.

I'll be traveling alone with my kids (10 and 8) and they have never flown. I hope that the 3 of us get seats together. I'd really like to be next to them (or even in front of or in back of) them to keep tabs on them during the flight if they get scared or if their ears hurt or whatever.

Would a guest services desk at a Disney resort preprint our boarding passes for us for our flight back home? We're staying at Pop.

Thanks!

 

[pamjb]

I haven't tried it, but many CM's will print them for you. I guess it depends on the Pixie Dust level for the day
I had DH print them for us. He didn't go along on the trip. That way I was checked in and had them reprinted when we got to the aiport. Still had the A that was on the passes the DH printed.

 

[goofy4tink]

Yes, I had my boarding passes printed out at POP at 1:30 am! Did it on our way back from an August EMH night.
And, I was one of those "A" people standing in the "A" line at TF Green. There had to be about 40 people in the 'preboard' line, and about 10 ahead of me in the "A" line. As it was, my dd and I ended up way behind the wing before we could find a window and a middle seat together. It was just crazy. I don't have an issue with parents wanting to sit with their young kids, but the entire family??? If SW did something about the extended family preboarding, things might be a bit easier. Maybe if they had the 'preboarders' go to the rear of the plane, unless it was a medical preboard....they should be up front.

 

[salmoneous]

The lobby conceirge will check you in and print passes for you. You won't be separated from your children.

Have a great trip!

 

[lpbm4]

If you check in on-line 24hrs prior, you get an "A" boarding pass so you are seated 1st. I just flew SWA 2wks ago on a full flight. I was about #30 in line (if not higher) on the A boarding and my friend and I got 2nd row seats. Also, only 2 suitcases had to be stowed underneath b/c of lack of overhead compartments...and it was a full flight so I thought that was really good.

 

[loveFL]

I flew SW last month, and about half the plane preboarded. It was a full flight, there were only a couple people in the B & C lines. I was the first A, ended up getting the exit row, which was the first available row (since no preboards can sit there) with multiple seats available (there were one or two middle seats open in the rows before, but the plane did look pretty full at that point).

 

[HappyCamperToo]

I'll need to preboard for medical reasons. Traveling with DD10, DD14, and DD15, no other adult. Will any of them get to preboard with me. It would be helpful to have one at least, to help me/carry my bag down the aisle. If they treat the older kids as "adults," do you think I'll be able somehow to save seats for them so we can all sit together?

 

[soonerhunt]

If you have a connecting Southwest flight do you have to get boarding passes for each leg 24 hours ahead of flight. For instance if I fly out of Tulsa to Houston (3:00 flight) from Houston to Orlando (7:00 flight) and this change would involve a different plane, do i get 24 hour advance boarding for the 3:00 Tulsa flight and then get 24 hour advance boarding for the 7:00 Houston flight

 

[philaround]

I believe you can get boarding passes for all legs of your trip at 24hrs before the scheduled departure of the first leg of your trip.

 

[gw_lit]

I believe you can get boarding passes for all legs of your trip at 24hrs before the scheduled departure of the first leg of your trip.

Correct!

 

[Minnie]

The lobby conceirge will check you in and print passes for you. You won't be separated from your children.

Have a great trip!

Not exactly. On our last trip on SW we had boarded a flight that was a stopover and the 3 of us were unable to sit together. Thankfully my DS is very good and played his Nintendo DS the entire way and was across the isle one seat behind so I could easily see him. Not the ideal way to travel at all though.

On the same flight a father and son boarded and no one on the flight would give up their seats so that they could sit together. The child was on his first flight and looked about 5 0r 6 at the oldest. If we'd had 2 seats togther we would have done it but no could do. I think they finally gave someone free drink credits or something to get them to do it.

 

[mitsguy2001]

Several people here mentioned the concierge desk at a Disney resort checking them in 24 hours in advance. The problem is, I'll be on a cruise, not a resort. Do you know if DCL can check me in 24 hours in advance? I doubt it. Also, please see my other thread about boardfirst.com. Maybe someone who has recently used that can help me. Thanks.

 

[pamjb]

On the same flight a father and son boarded and no one on the flight would give up their seats so that they could sit together. The child was on his first flight and looked about 5 0r 6 at the oldest. If we'd had 2 seats togther we would have done it but no could do. I think they finally gave someone free drink credits or something to get them to do it.

In all likelihood, passengers were waiting for the drink coupons to be offered to give up a seat.

Note to self: wait till FA offers drink coupons to move seat

 

[Piglet843]

Sorry -this may be a dumb question - or answered somewhere else (I didn't see it if it is)
Our trip in May will be our first flight with SWA.
I'm going to get online exactly 24 hours ahead of time and confirm and get our boarding passes printed out. (hoping for the A class)
But does doing that also check me in and print out a board pass for our return trip? I know with Delta I never had to worry about that.... Just making sure....