I have never flown Southwest, as it is relatively new to our market. So, I have no idea on what to expect for crowds and how early to get to the gate during a busy Thanksgiving week.
Here are the parameters:
1) Plane leaves at 9:05 am.
2) Only Non Stop to MCO, so I am assuming it was the prime choice for people travelling with families. In other words, I am expecting lots of happy (if not sleepy) children heading to the Mouse.
3) Plane appears to be full - comes up as "unavailable" for any price range.
4) Flying with a group of 8 (3 adults, 5 kids) - which includes 2 kids with disabilities and an elderly adult. Consequently, due to the needs of some of the individuals, we would like to maximize our chances of getting 3, 3 and 2 in rows, preferably next to each other or across from each other.
4a) According to Southwest - we qualify for preboarding - but not sure I want to stick 8 people in the preboarding queue
. But with the 3 that need help and the 3 helpers and then the two younger kids, that is an option.
5) We absolutely don't care where we sit on the plane as long as we are together. In fact, as we like to take our time getting organized and off the plane, we usually book seats farther back in a plane.
6) We are very experienced at air travel, just not with Southwest.
7) Alarms are set to remind us to log in and check in at exactly 24 hours before departure. Hoping to score A boarding passes.
8) We usually arrive a couple of hours before a flight anyway, so don't mind a longer wait. Kids are armed with new games for their PSP's.
9) We are planning on at least 1.5 hours to get parked, check luggage and go through security. So we will add that time to gate arrival time.
So, great minds of the transportation board - how soon should we arrive at the gate to maximize our chances of getting 8 seats together in a 3,3,2 pattern?
Here are the parameters:
1) Plane leaves at 9:05 am.
2) Only Non Stop to MCO, so I am assuming it was the prime choice for people travelling with families. In other words, I am expecting lots of happy (if not sleepy) children heading to the Mouse.
3) Plane appears to be full - comes up as "unavailable" for any price range.
4) Flying with a group of 8 (3 adults, 5 kids) - which includes 2 kids with disabilities and an elderly adult. Consequently, due to the needs of some of the individuals, we would like to maximize our chances of getting 3, 3 and 2 in rows, preferably next to each other or across from each other.
4a) According to Southwest - we qualify for preboarding - but not sure I want to stick 8 people in the preboarding queue
. But with the 3 that need help and the 3 helpers and then the two younger kids, that is an option.5) We absolutely don't care where we sit on the plane as long as we are together. In fact, as we like to take our time getting organized and off the plane, we usually book seats farther back in a plane.
6) We are very experienced at air travel, just not with Southwest.
7) Alarms are set to remind us to log in and check in at exactly 24 hours before departure. Hoping to score A boarding passes.
8) We usually arrive a couple of hours before a flight anyway, so don't mind a longer wait. Kids are armed with new games for their PSP's.
9) We are planning on at least 1.5 hours to get parked, check luggage and go through security. So we will add that time to gate arrival time.
So, great minds of the transportation board - how soon should we arrive at the gate to maximize our chances of getting 8 seats together in a 3,3,2 pattern?
