SWA Pre-Board

[KarenP99]

We are bringing our children (3 & 15Mos) along with my IL's on SWA. Does anyone know the policy regarding pre-boarding? I know with kids under 5 you can, but will my IL's have to wait and risk not being able to sit with us?

 

[Shannon G]

In my limited experience with SW, yes, your in-laws will have to wait. We flew SW in September, and prior to beginning pre-boarding, they repeatedly announced the policy was that only the child and parent(s) were allowed to pre-board, any other members of their party, such as grandparents, had to get in the proper line for their boarding pass (A, B or C). Despite this being announced numerous times, there was a grandmother who remained in the pre-boarding line with her daughter and grandchild. When they got to the front of the line, grandma was told she could not pre-board with them, and was sent to the proper line for her boarding pass. She would have been better off had she been in the proper line to begin with, since now she was the back of the line for her boarding group.

 

[Suzabelle]

We did this with my mom a few years ago, when my daughter was still of pre-board age limit. My mom waited in her assigned area while my husband and I boarded with my daughter. My husband and daughter sat in two seats and I sat across the aisle and then waited for my mom. When she boarded she took my seat and I sat with my family. I believe she was in the A corrale, so she was one of the first to board.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by KarenP99
We are bringing our children (3 & 15Mos) along with my IL's on SWA. Does anyone know the policy regarding pre-boarding? I know with kids under 5 you can, but will my IL's have to wait and risk not being able to sit with us?

Yes, they will have to wait if you want to preboard. But, there is no rule against you saving seats. Of course, you could board with them also.