SWA tips

[dizneyfan]

Calling all Southwest experts:

Our family of 4, myself, DH and 2 DS (ages 9 and 7) have never flown Southwest before. It's my understanding that they do not allow you to choose your seats prior to the flight....

Can anyone explain how this works and what we should do to ensure being seated together?

Thanks!!

dizneyfan

 

[MJTinNH]

Get to the Airport early! They seat in groups of A,B,C.... If you get in A or B group you should be OK. Last time we arrived at the airport 2 hrs. early and got boarding group A. Next time I think I will be there 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. before flight time.

The boarding group is assigned at where you check your bags. Either at the ticket counter or if your airport has one, the sky cap counter. Look on the SWA site and they have more detailed information on boarding passes and how the system works.

Have a wonderful vacation!

 

[FredS]

What about traveling with kids? While I plan to arrive well in advance, sometimes you run into problems. What if I aim for two hours ahead, but due to some traffic or other problem arrive an hour ahead, and somehow end up being in the C group. Surely they would not split up me and my young child?

I had a taste of this the last time we flew Delta to Orlando. They changed planes last minute and were overbooked. All prior seat assignments were out the window and they split up the four members of our family. We had arrived at the airport two hours ahead of time, but it was a real struggle to get them to put us together, at least one child with one parent. They said that the reservations were not "linked" (sounded like a personal problem to me) and I think that the only real reason to prompt them to make an effort was that they had my young son on an exit aisle, which absolutely can't happen.

I hate the thought of having to fight for a seat at the airport.

 

[mark & sandra]

One more tip: If you are lucky enough to get a group "A" boarding pass, when you arrive at the gate, park your group right at the Group "A" sign. First one in line is first on ( of course after pre boards) You can't just leave your luggage, but they welcome the people to just plop down and wait in line. This is why they can load the plane in about 15 minutes.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by FredS
What about traveling with kids? While I plan to arrive well in advance, sometimes you run into problems. What if I aim for two hours ahead, but due to some traffic or other problem arrive an hour ahead, and somehow end up being in the C group. Surely they would not split up me and my young child?

I had a taste of this the last time we flew Delta to Orlando. They changed planes last minute and were overbooked. All prior seat assignments were out the window and they split up the four members of our family. We had arrived at the airport two hours ahead of time, but it was a real struggle to get them to put us together, at least one child with one parent. They said that the reservations were not "linked" (sounded like a personal problem to me) and I think that the only real reason to prompt them to make an effort was that they had my young son on an exit aisle, which absolutely can't happen.

I hate the thought of having to fight for a seat at the airport.

They are under no obligation to seat you and your child together, nor, can they make other pax change seats to accomodate you.
They can ask for volunteers. If your child is under 5 you can preboard.

 

[Shelby5514]

We flew SWA in 2000 and luckily we were warned ahead of time about the boarding situation. We arrived at the airport 2 hours early, got boarding passes in the "A" group and were the 3rd, 4th and 5th in line. However when pre-boarding started we were amazed at how many people boarded. There were families with teenagers and single men with briefcases! I thought this was for parents with small children and people who needed extra time (the elderly and people on crutches, etc..), boy was I wrong, I guess anyone can do this. Anyway by the time we got on the plane we had to go to the LAST row of the plane to find 3 seats together. What we didn't know was that SWA is basically a flying bus. Stopping from city to city dropping off and picking up. Our plane had already made 2 stops before ours and was continuing on to Ft. Lauderdale after Orlando. Luckily coming home wasn't so bad but we made sure we were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in line!
Good Luck!

Shelby5514

 

[tmli]

Gail--my ds will be 8 on our next trip. Even though he is not under 5 he does have Aspergers...pre-boarding would help him get settled easier, will swa allow this. If not we can make do. Is there anything I can do to ensure we are seated together besides showing up early (which is our intention).

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by tmli
Gail--my ds will be 8 on our next trip. Even though he is not under 5 he does have Aspergers...pre-boarding would help him get settled easier, will swa allow this. If not we can make do. Is there anything I can do to ensure we are seated together besides showing up early (which is our intention).

I would expect that if you asked to preboard they would have no problem allowing you to do this. Just go to the gate counter and ask for preboarding.

this pretty much covers their policy, since I pulled it from their site.

Prior to general boarding, Customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, and families with children under five years of age will preboard. Customers holding boarding pass "A" will begin general boarding, followed by Customers with boarding pass "B," and then "C."
http://www.southwestair.com/travel_center/checkin.html

I would say your son qualifies.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Shelby5514
We flew SWA in 2000 and luckily we were warned ahead of time about the boarding situation. We arrived at the airport 2 hours early, got boarding passes in the "A" group and were the 3rd, 4th and 5th in line. However when pre-boarding started we were amazed at how many people boarded. There were families with teenagers and single men with briefcases! I thought this was for parents with small children and people who needed extra time (the elderly and people on crutches, etc..), boy was I wrong, I guess anyone can do this. Anyway by the time we got on the plane we had to go to the LAST row of the plane to find 3 seats together. What we didn't know was that SWA is basically a flying bus. Stopping from city to city dropping off and picking up. Our plane had already made 2 stops before ours and was continuing on to Ft. Lauderdale after Orlando. Luckily coming home wasn't so bad but we made sure we were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in line!
Good Luck!

Shelby5514

Multi stops is not unusual for many airlines. You had to know it was going to make stops when you made your reservation. As to the preboarders, unfortunately, we cannot tell what special needs people may have. Special needs is not age specific. If a family has one small child, the whole family gets to preboard. Happily they stopped boarding uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins and people "you met 10 minutes before" with the immediate families of a small child. Not sure if it eliminated any problems as they can still hold the seats.
You had A passes in 2000? I thought that was back in the days of 1-30,31-60, and 61-90. Wow, time flies.

Personally, I would love to see them do what other airlines have started to do which is preboard those with special needs only.
The preboarding with small children gets sort of silly when you are boarding half the plane with one family.

 

[Grog]

Also, FYI, I think there's 30 people in each boarding group. That way you know that if you end up in group C, there will probably be at least 60 people boarding ahead of you.

I've usually arrive at the airport about 90 minutes ahead of time and have never had a problem getting group A.

 

[NotUrsula]

The preboarding with small children gets sort of silly when you are boarding half the plane with one family.

I agree EXCEPT where a carseat is involved. I want carseats onboard first with every airline, not just when I'm the one using one, but when I'm not, because I don't want to get bopped with the thing by someone attempting to carry it down the aisle. Besides, as the locations where a carseat can be placed are restricted, on SWA it would cause nasty headaches moving people to accomodate them after gen'l boarding has begun.

 

[lawgs]

Gail said....

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

she should add to her list, customers who can "feign" an injury as we saw once again yesterday coming back from las vegas to buffalo.....

a young couple had a pre board pass sleeve, and were allowed to pre board ( the young man had this "limp" ), they proceeded on board and from what i can see they expected to get the "exit " rows but "fortunately" this was a "through flight" and there was already a couple on the one side and a couple of other pre boarders ( legitimate ones ) snagged the others 5 exit row seats....an aside, the long flight from Las Vegas must have cured this man since when he exited the airplane there did not to be any "limp" at all

smilawgs as i overheard the "young couples" dismay at not getting the "prime seats" by their devious methods, they were really annoyed at the elderly couple

they then proceeded to play the aisle/window seat game hoping no one would need the seat in between them ( by the way they did this on the flight down too but it was FULL so they had to "give up" their buffer )....on this particular flight they were 30 seats free so it did not matter.....sometimes there is justice, but i do think some people do "abuse" the pre board policy....

another example on the way down, there was the party of 8.....who were attached to a "lady" who had a "face mask" on...they all preboarded the plane and took up "the exit rows", however mysteriously, there was no MASK in place NOW.....

could see one person accompanying someone but 7 people, that was an overkill...after all in the speech that the gate agents give they say parents with children under 5 can pre board but not their aunts and uncles and people etc who they have just met

thus the person with the young son......go for it, you have a reasonable request not like some we have seen on flights

we are going to florida tomorrow, think i am gonna ask the "gate crew" whether or not they think some people abuse the "pre board process"

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Not my list, it came directly, via copy and paste, from SWA's site.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by NotUrsula
I agree EXCEPT where a carseat is involved. I want carseats onboard first with every airline, not just when I'm the one using one, but when I'm not, because I don't want to get bopped with the thing by someone attempting to carry it down the aisle. Besides, as the locations where a carseat can be placed are restricted, on SWA it would cause nasty headaches moving people to accomodate them after gen'l boarding has begun.

Good point Ursula. some airlines have stopped the practice, as I said, of boarding folks with kids, including car seats. The ones that totally tick me off are the ones with the lap child who do not have a ticket and THINK they can just set it up and then get angry when the plane is full and they cannot use said car seat and have to hold the kid. Makes for a real super fun flight when the kid does not want to be restrained. One kid screamed the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes. When we hit the ground he was asleep, I REALLY wanted to pinch him and make him scream again.
Boy, was that kid annoying. Bet that mother buys a seat next time.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Grog
Also, FYI, I think there's 30 people in each boarding group. That way you know that if you end up in group C, there will probably be at least 60 people boarding ahead of you.

I've usually arrive at the airport about 90 minutes ahead of time and have never had a problem getting group A.

except for the preboards which sometimes look like 60 people.

 

[lawgs]

gail....it was tongue in cheek.....knew it was not your list but it did give me the "segue" into one of my pet peeves with the whole "pre board" issue ......do not resent "pre board" just the way some choose to flaunt it

 

[Grog]

except for the preboards which sometimes look like 60 people.

Very true. I've seen preboard parties that were as small as two or three people, and large enough to look as if they might fill the plane themselves.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I agree that people should not abuse the preboard. However, I will be traveling alone with my 4yo and I would not have gone with Southwest if they wouldn't let me preboard because I wouldn't have taken the chance of us not being seated together. I called and confirmed about the preboarding before buying the ticket.

I think that they should only board people in my situation, people who have a carseat to hook up who have bought the ticket for their baby, and people who have a medical situation severe enough to really need the extra time. Seems that they are concerned about offending a few preboarders but in turn offend the rest of the people who are waiting their turn to board.

This is common in lots of situations (ie restaurants refusing to suggest to a diner with a noisy child that they walk the child around until the child quiets down). They make everyone else suffer because they don't want to lose that one customer.

Rant over....

T&B

 

[NHmouse]

When we flew SWA in August it seemed that they had tightened up on the preboard policy to my delight. They were only allowing immediate family with children 4& under( we saw them tell a hole group of angry aunts and uncles that they had to go to the C group of their passes - they arrived 5 minutes before boarding time ). I really had gotten fed up with people abusing this. We are a family of 4 children 10, 7 and all we try to do is get 2 sets of 2 or a 3 and 1. We are not picky about location and my dh or myself has moved before being asked to allow small children to sit with their parents simply because it is the right thing to do!

 

[donmil723]

Although I know that there are people who will take advantage of preboarding, let's just be glad that we do not need to do so. This past summer, my DH, DD, age 18, and myself asked to preboard on our flight home from Orlando because we needed to sit in one of the front seats so we could be one of the first off the plane. You see, my father was dying and we were rushing to get home to say goodbye. SWA was very considerate and did allow us to do so. I hope we never have to use preboarding again!!!!

I'm glad that SWA has the preboarding policy as I know how hard it is to travel with young kids and all the extra stuff they need as well as traveling with people with disabilities. My dad was in a wheelchair for the last six years of his life.

Donna