SWA family boarding

[chic mama]

I have to ask, how do you plan on hauling that all through the airport, and through security? Honestly, it sounds like you need to down size. I'm guessing you are renting a car, so want your car seats ready to go. Can you check the strollers? Reduce the number of bags you are carrying on board? Less will indeed be more when it comes to trying to juggle everything.

Clearly you don't have 4 small children (including infant twins!)...this IS down sizing! The twins infant carriers attach to their stroller...it can not be used without them! And the 3rd carseats is necessary on the plane for safety reasons!

I am actually not concerned about the actual traveling since we have flown several times with all 4 kids...this is just our first time on SW with all the kids!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

remember that plane can be half or more full before boarding starts at your airport depending if the plane starts at anther airport. if your flight is not the first out in morning most likely have people staying on and they will have seats before boarding starts and this includes medical boarding and group A. plus FAs might not let you put more than one carseat in a row as carseat has to go by window

 

[kaytieeldr]

Unless the four year old is really small, the car seat isn't any more or less safe on the plane than the seat belt.

 

[ilovefh]

If you are planning on the twins being lap babies could you put one on your sister's ticket? Then they would let her board via family boarding, you'd have the other one and your husband could be with the 4 year old?

I've also never not see family boarding in the countless times I've flown. And we lived in Orlando so ALL of the flights we took back from places were into Orlando.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have never seen family boarding done on any SWA flight I have taken - at least 12 legs. if it is a flight going to a "family destination" (which Orlando is), it doesn't make sense to do it.

I wouldn't count on family boarding, and, honestly, without EBCI...you might be lower down in boarding order.

I have yet to fly on SW without family boarding happening. Here's the thing.....family boarding happens almost all the time. If it doesn't, it's because there are too many familys! Not fair to those in the higher boarding slots. If you have more than 3 in your group, and you plan on doing family boarding, I would suggest paying for EBCI...just in case. And you may get an earlier boarding slot too boot!

chic mama.....stop worrying. As long as you all board together, it won't be an issue. Let your sister board with one of the kids, you and your dh board with the others. When you get to the end of the jetway, just stop over to the side, and fold up the strollers and hand them off. The other two adults can continue onto the plane and get seats, saving one for you! Don't panic, don't stress. There is no huge hurry. Each adult wears a backpack, and and those not dealing with the stroller carries a diaper bag. Two kids per adult as they board the plane, while the third adult deals with the strollers.

 

[pooch]

I have yet to fly on SW without family boarding happening. Here's the thing.....family boarding happens almost all the time. If it doesn't, it's because there are too many familys! Not fair to those in the higher boarding slots. If you have more than 3 in your group, and you plan on doing family boarding, I would suggest paying for EBCI...just in case. And you may get an earlier boarding slot too boot!

chic mama.....stop worrying. As long as you all board together, it won't be an issue. Let your sister board with one of the kids, you and your dh board with the others. When you get to the end of the jetway, just stop over to the side, and fold up the strollers and hand them off. The other two adults can continue onto the plane and get seats, saving one for you! Don't panic, don't stress. There is no huge hurry. Each adult wears a backpack, and and those not dealing with the stroller carries a diaper bag. Two kids per adult as they board the plane, while the third adult deals with the strollers.

Always the voice of reason on the Transportation Board!

 

[DebbieB]

I've flown SW probably 8 to 10 times PIT-MCO and have never seen family boarding suspended. I have seen grandparents turned away at least twice.

 

[kamik86]

My guess is if you see family boarding or not on flights to MCO depends on where your flying from and possibly even when. I have personally never seen it cancelled on my many SW flights (but most of those weren't to MCO either)

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I have yet to fly on SW without family boarding happening. Here's the thing.....family boarding happens almost all the time. If it doesn't, it's because there are too many familys! Not fair to those in the higher boarding slots. If you have more than 3 in your group, and you plan on doing family boarding, I would suggest paying for EBCI...just in case. And you may get an earlier boarding slot too boot!

chic mama.....stop worrying. As long as you all board together, it won't be an issue. Let your sister board with one of the kids, you and your dh board with the others. When you get to the end of the jetway, just stop over to the side, and fold up the strollers and hand them off. The other two adults can continue onto the plane and get seats, saving one for you! Don't panic, don't stress. There is no huge hurry. Each adult wears a backpack, and and those not dealing with the stroller carries a diaper bag. Two kids per adult as they board the plane, while the third adult deals with the strollers.

Yes! Exactly this... all of this

 

[samoyed]

If you are that worried then pay for the early boarding. I have seen many adults get turned down to board with families fi they had too many members. I have also seen people try to save seats on the plane and have the FA talk with them about not saving seats. When my kids were small I never flew Southwest due to this, unless the cost of the ticket with the early boarding option was less than another airline. Most of the time I went with the other airline. You are getting a cheaper flight with Soutwest most of the time so don't complain about their boarding policy you agreed to it by buying the lower cost ticket.

 

[goofy4tink]

Always the voice of reason on the Transportation Board!

awwwww, shucks.

If you are that worried then pay for the early boarding. I have seen many adults get turned down to board with families fi they had too many members. I have also seen people try to save seats on the plane and have the FA talk with them about not saving seats. When my kids were small I never flew Southwest due to this, unless the cost of the ticket with the early boarding option was less than another airline. Most of the time I went with the other airline. You are getting a cheaper flight with Soutwest most of the time so don't complain about their boarding policy you agreed to it by buying the lower cost ticket.

I fly SW fairly often...whenever I can't get the flight times I want with Jetblue. I have seen adults get turned away from family boarding as well. BUT....not the immediate family! It was more like mom, dad, little 4 y/o Joey, annie, billy, grammie, grandpa, aunt sue, uncle frank, cousin stu, cousin betty. Never when it was a party of 3 adults and multiple kids.
I have never seen a FA speak to anyone about saving a seat. I have heard them make announcements that it will be a full flight so no empty seats, but other than that, they let the passengers deal with it...a flaw if you ask me.
I find that SW is no longer the cheapest to fly. Fares are pretty comparable with others. And as to the boarding process? I actually like it! Sometimes I pay for EBCI, sometimes I don't...depends on who is in my travel party.

 

[samoyed]

Te last time I flew, a mom was already on the fligh. Some peple decided to take the row in front. The Mom jumped up and said someone is sitting in those seats, the flight attendant was 2 rows back, she asked the Mom are those people are on the plane she said not they are coming, the flight attantand told the people if they wanted to sit there they could. they decided not have a get involved and moved on. Then the womens olders late teens got on the plane and sat there. In this case the flight attentant was in the right spot at the time and did say something.. The flight was also booked....

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Te last time I flew, a mom was already on the fligh. Some peple decided to take the row in front. The Mom jumped up and said someone is sitting in those seats, the flight attendant was 2 rows back, she asked the Mom are those people are on the plane she said not they are coming, the flight attantand told the people if they wanted to sit there they could. they decided not have a get involved and moved on. Then the womens olders late teens got on the plane and sat there. In this case the flight attentant was in the right spot at the time and did say something.. The flight was also booked....

If I were those people I'd have sat there! We flew SW first time this year and had A boarding passes so boarded prior to family boarding. Even at end of A's if there was empty seat I wanted and someone said it was saved I'd put my rear in that seat and not worry about it.

What is frustrating is people who pay so much for Disney and then won't do early bird or won't pay for seats on legacy and expect people to move for them or that they are special. I don't care that my kids are older teens (17 and 19) if I pay for my seats I will not move. If we did EBCI and you chose not to and want to sit together. I will not move.

 

[tessiesevin]

If I were those people I'd have sat there! We flew SW first time this year and had A boarding passes so boarded prior to family boarding. Even at end of A's if there was empty seat I wanted and someone said it was saved I'd put my rear in that seat and not worry about it.

What is frustrating is people who pay so much for Disney and then won't do early bird or won't pay for seats on legacy and expect people to move for them or that they are special. I don't care that my kids are older teens (17 and 19) if I pay for my seats I will not move. If we did EBCI and you chose not to and want to sit together. I will not move.

 

[Trina0981]

I find that SW is no longer the cheapest to fly. Fares are pretty comparable with others. And as to the boarding process? I actually like it! Sometimes I pay for EBCI, sometimes I don't...depends on who is in my travel party.

I agree completely. We usually find other flights the same price as Southwest, and I prefer to flu the other airlines. We only fly Southwest when we spend our points.

 

[pd1138]

Okay, this is the first time I am flying southwest with at least one of my kids over 5. I am reading the cutoff for family boarding is age five. I am planning to check in at exactly 24 hours and the three times i have flown to mco with kids before I have been lucky to be in late A or early B. Since we had one, two, or three kids at the time under five we just did family boarding. Now that I have a 7 year old I am thinking if I don't get the a group then protocol dictates I can do the family boarding alone with the baby and toddler and my husband would wait with the 5 and 7 year old. The 7 year old could sit by himself if needed if he was only a row or two away. I think next time we go we will drive!

 

[mek17]

You can all family board so long as one kid is under 5.

 

[maxiesmom]

You can all family board so long as one kid is under 5.

And as long as they have family boarding.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You can all family board so long as one kid is under 5.

This is incorrect. The actual policy states:

An adult traveling with a child four years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If the child and the adult are both holding an “A” boarding pass, they should both board with the “A” boarding group.