SWA Perboarding with kids ?

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

Our twins are 5 and our family of 4 has always preboarded on SWA. We're taking my MIL in Dec and was wondering how it will work since we will have an extra person. Can our entire party of 5 preboard or is it only 1 adult for each child who's preboarding?

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Preboarding is, from what I understand, for children 4 and under.

 

[Sammy]

Just wanted to echo what Gail posted above....we just flew Southwest two weeks ago and the pre-boarding was for children 4 years old and under.

Sammy

 

[TIGGERSMOM]

I am a preboarder for medical reasons and usually they will let your party go with you if it is not too larger.

Example we flew SWA to LA and there were 3 so they let us all on at once.
We took a trip to FL with 8 of us, and although I didn't ask they were explicit once they knew how many that I could only take 1 person with me.

 

[NotUrsula]

SWA will allow kids that are slightly over 4 to preboard if they are still using a carseat onboard, because it takes time to get the thing installed. The recommendation for carseats is that they should be used if children weigh less than 40 lbs. (They must be FAA-approved models with a 5-pt. harness in use.)

DS still used his until he was about 5.5, and they always had us preboard with it. As there were only 3 of us, and it took two hands just to carry the carseat on board, they let both adults board with him.

 

[mazzarafe]

I called SW last week to ask about pre-boarding for medical reasons. My MIL is flying for the first time with them the end of the month and she has 2 artificial knees in which one (the first one she had replaced) doesn't bend well and she would do better in a aisle seat or a wider row. I was told that as long as she has something stating her knees are replaced than she can pre-board.

Anyway I also asked about the age for children to be able to preboard. Well, I was told 5 and under. And I even said to the SW rep, "wow, it's 5 and under, that's great!" And she answered "yes" to me again. Unless SW is similiar to Disney and not everyone has the same answer I'm hoping to pre-board with my 5 yo, who actually looks like she's 4 (she's a peanut) when we go in December. Last October we were able to pre-board both at Bradley and Orlando. The line for Bradley was very long, but we got in line fairly quickly so we didn't have any problems.

It won't hurt to ask the agent when you get to your terminal. I did think that it was 5 and under and I hope the agent at SW I spoke to was correct.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by mazzarafe
I called SW last week to ask about pre-boarding for medical reasons. My MIL is flying for the first time with them the end of the month and she has 2 artificial knees in which one (the first one she had replaced) doesn't bend well and she would do better in a aisle seat or a wider row. I was told that as long as she has something stating her knees are replaced than she can pre-board.

Anyway I also asked about the age for children to be able to preboard. Well, I was told 5 and under. And I even said to the SW rep, "wow, it's 5 and under, that's great!" And she answered "yes" to me again. Unless SW is similiar to Disney and not everyone has the same answer I'm hoping to pre-board with my 5 yo, who actually looks like she's 4 (she's a peanut) when we go in December. Last October we were able to pre-board both at Bradley and Orlando. The line for Bradley was very long, but we got in line fairly quickly so we didn't have any problems.

It won't hurt to ask the agent when you get to your terminal. I did think that it was 5 and under and I hope the agent at SW I spoke to was correct.

Yes, it is similar to Disney, I have been told repeatedly that it is 4 and under and on the last three trips that is what the gate agents announced. And once, I even saw that they allowed NO preboarding with kids. Flight was full of kids.

If you get there early and get an A or B pass I really don't see any reason that someone with a 5 year old cannot be in line with the rest of the pax (except with a car seat). Call me kooky but, if they can go to school (and most 5 year olds are in k), they can wait in line with everyone else.

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by mazzarafe
I called SW last week to ask about pre-boarding for medical reasons. My MIL is flying for the first time with them the end of the month and she has 2 artificial knees in which one (the first one she had replaced) doesn't bend well and she would do better in a aisle seat or a wider row. I was told that as long as she has something stating her knees are replaced than she can pre-board.

I have never had to show anything stating I have mobility issues when preboarding on SWA. I just tell the agent I have mobility issues & would like to preboard.

 

[madge]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Preboarding is, from what I understand, for children 4 and under.

a few weeks ago, it was children under 5 and their party.

Madge

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by madge
a few weeks ago, it was children under 5 and their party.

Madge

Like I said, "just like Disney" different answers all the time. Did you notice they don't post the age on the website?

Prior to general boarding, Customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, and families with small children will preboard. Customers holding boarding pass "A" will begin general boarding, followed by Customers with boarding pass "B," and then "C."

 

[Figaro]

Gail, does Southwest have the aisle wheelchairs the way that the other airlines do? This is the narrow, no-armed wheelchair that is able to move down the aisles? At this point I usually use my wheelchair up to the plane door, transfer to the aisle chair and then go to the bulkhead seats where I transfer to those seats. And reverse the process (they bring my wheelchair right up to the door of the plane, in fact I've even watched them when I was on that side of the plane carry it up the outside steps), when I leave the plane.

I've wanted to try flying Southwest, but my spouse is concerned about hassles with the wheelchair/aisle chair and you seem to know everything possible about Southwest(smile), so I thought I'd ask the expert!

 

[FallDisney]

Out of Kansas City and out of Orlando, pre-board was for those 4 and under only! We ended up with C passes on our outbound flight and had no trouble getting seats together. When we got passes for our flight back, one daughter had an A pass and the rest of us had B's. Gate agent said they couldn't split families, so we were all allowed to board with the A's.

 

[SueM in MN]

All the airlines are required to have an aisle chair available at the gate.
Here's a link to the Southwest page about traveling with disabilities.
Here's their specific information about boarding with a disability and aisle chairs:
Priority preboarding is available for those who have specific seating needs to accommodate their disability. Federal safety regulations may prohibit a Customer with a disability from selecting a seat in an emergency exit row.
An aisle chair is available at every gate and will be used if you need assistance transferring from your wheelchair into the aircraft seat. Each aisle chair is equipped with a Passenger Transfer Kit (PTK), which contains a slide board and a transfer sling. The sling allows for two or three Employees to lift the Customer safely from his/her wheelchair into the aisle chair and into the aircraft seat.

 

[Figaro]

Thanks for the information, Sue! Maybe I can get my spouse to give them a try next time we fly!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Figaro
Gail, does Southwest have the aisle wheelchairs the way that the other airlines do? This is the narrow, no-armed wheelchair that is able to move down the aisles? At this point I usually use my wheelchair up to the plane door, transfer to the aisle chair and then go to the bulkhead seats where I transfer to those seats. And reverse the process (they bring my wheelchair right up to the door of the plane, in fact I've even watched them when I was on that side of the plane carry it up the outside steps), when I leave the plane.

I've wanted to try flying Southwest, but my spouse is concerned about hassles with the wheelchair/aisle chair and you seem to know everything possible about Southwest(smile), so I thought I'd ask the expert!

Yes, Figaro, they do have those aisle wheelchairs.
From SWA's site:
Assistance in the Airport and with Boarding
Upon arrival at the airport please inform a Southwest Airlines Agent or Skycap if you need an airport wheelchair and/or assistance within the airport.

Priority preboarding is available for those who have specific seating needs to accommodate their disability. Federal safety regulations may prohibit a Customer with a disability from selecting a seat in an emergency exit row.

An aisle chair is available at every gate and will be used if you need assistance transferring from your wheelchair into the aircraft seat. Each aisle chair is equipped with a Passenger Transfer Kit (PTK), which contains a slide board and a transfer sling. The sling allows for two or three Employees to lift the Customer safely from his/her wheelchair into the aisle chair and into the aircraft seat.

For ease of transfer, fifty percent of the seats on each aircraft are equipped with retractable aisle armrests.

Our Employees are trained on assisting our Customers into and out of the aircraft seat; however, the Customer being transferred knows the best way for us to help. We encourage the Customer being assisted to direct the Employees in how best to perform the lift and transfer so everyone will be most comfortable, and so that we will have a successful transfer.
The rest of the info on pax with disabilites is right here. Hope this helps. http://www.southwestair.com/travel_center/disability.html#notice

I thank you for your compliment, it was very sweet, BUT, I don't know everything about this airline, I learn something new everyday.

 

[mazzarafe]

If you get there early and get an A or B pass I really don't see any reason that someone with a 5 year old cannot be in line with the rest of the pax (except with a car seat). Call me kooky but, if they can go to school (and most 5 year olds are in k), they can wait in line with everyone else.

My DD is fine with waiting in line. It's Daddy not sitting across from us that worries me. This she would have a major meltdown over. She is daddy's little "clone."

I know I will get to the airport in plenty of time for a "A" or "B" boarding, but it was nice to be able to pre-board. It will not ruin my day if I can't.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by mazzarafe
My DD is fine with waiting in line. It's Daddy not sitting across from us that worries me. This she would have a major meltdown over. She is daddy's little "clone."

I know I will get to the airport in plenty of time for a "A" or "B" boarding, but it was nice to be able to pre-board. It will not ruin my day if I can't.

Just so we are on the same page here. My comments were in general and definitely not pointed at you. I am sorry if you took them that way.

 

[mazzarafe]

Gail,

I did not take your comments personally but just want to say my reason for "dreaming" of pre-boarding.

I do also agree that at 5 years old a child should be able to handle waiting in line to board a plane. Especially if they are on their way to Disneyworld! Actually my 5 yo does much better than my 9yo.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Hmm. We had quite a different experience. In Aug we were coming back from MCO to ISP and there were so many little kids on the flight not only with parents but lots of grandparents. The gate agents made a big announcement and said since the flight had so many kids they were accepting only parents only for preboarding, no grandparents and they really emphasized that. This was the busy summer so it could be a different circumstance for you. This was my first time on the airline. I thought it was bearable but wouldnt go out of my way to choose this airline. I much prefer an assigned seat for our family of 5. Our ds are older and we did not have to preboard. I get there very early to get the a group, even told the tiffany towncar guy we insisted on being picked up very early for return. Anyway all the poor grandparents had to get to the end of the lines in whatever group they had. I just really felt like it was a huge cattle car experience. I only took it because it was a direct flight and the price was comparable to delta, american etc.