Tips for SWA, mom alone with kids

[Lovemy3babes]

I'm nervous about this! We're driving 4 hours to fly SWA. Do you have any tips/tricks ensuring that I can sit near all of my children? Are the seats in rows of 3? 2? Please ease my mind a bit if possible.

 

[Jestocost]

All Southwest planes are 737s with three seats on each side of the aisle. Unfortunately, that means that all four of you won't be able to sit exactly together no matter what. Someone can sit across the aisle, however, which is very close.

If at least one of your children is young enough (4 or under, I think), your entire party should be able to pre-board and you won't have any problem getting your choice of seats. If they're older, the trick will be to get the 'A' group boarding passes so that you're in the first group after the pre-boarders. To do that, you should check in online exactly 24 hours in advance of your flight departure time. You can print your boarding passes out then or wait and get them printed out when you get to the airport. It really doesn't matter. The key is the checking in part, not when you print your passes.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

All Southwest planes are 737s with three seats on each side of the aisle. Unfortunately, that means that all four of you won't be able to sit exactly together no matter what. Someone can sit across the aisle, however, which is very close.

If at least one of your children is young enough (4 or under, I think), your entire party should be able to pre-board and you won't have any problem getting your choice of seats. If they're older, the trick will be to get the 'A' group boarding passes so that you're in the first group after the pre-boarders. To do that, you should check in online exactly 24 hours in advance of your flight departure time. You can print your boarding passes out then or wait and get them printed out when you get to the airport. It really doesn't matter. The key is the checking in part, not when you print your passes.

Thank you so much!

 

[Hannathy]

Head to the back of the plane! Everyone tries to sit in the front third of the plane and many many times there are more seats open and together in the back, and guess what everyone gets to the same place at the same time. Instead of looking for 4 together across a row you may want to look for 2 in front of 2 and put the 2 older together in front of you. It is easy to talk between the seats to the person behind you.

 

[Jennyvelaz]

All Southwest planes are 737s with three seats on each side of the aisle. Unfortunately, that means that all four of you won't be able to sit exactly together no matter what. Someone can sit across the aisle, however, which is very close.

If at least one of your children is young enough (4 or under, I think), your entire party should be able to pre-board and you won't have any problem getting your choice of seats. If they're older, the trick will be to get the 'A' group boarding passes so that you're in the first group after the pre-boarders. To do that, you should check in online exactly 24 hours in advance of your flight departure time. You can print your boarding passes out then or wait and get them printed out when you get to the airport. It really doesn't matter. The key is the checking in part, not when you print your passes.

If there is only one parent you should preboard altogether. It applies to immediate family, no grandparents or extended family.

 

[bdklein]

I'm nervous about this! We're driving 4 hours to fly SWA. Do you have any tips/tricks ensuring that I can sit near all of my children? Are the seats in rows of 3? 2? Please ease my mind a bit if possible.

1. Because you have a child in your immediate family group 4 years or under, all of you can preboard. Don't worry about the different types of boarding letters (A,B,C).

2. As stated, there are 3 seats, then the aisle, then 3 seats. My suggestion is to put the oldest child by himself in the row, and you sit between the 2 younger kids. All depends on your family dynamics.

3. I'd be more worried about the 4 hour drive.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We're driving 4 hours to fly SWA

WOW. I can't think of any fare savings that would make a 4 hour drive worthwhile. May I ask why you are doing this? I am curious.

 

[judykay53]

Like the OP, we drive 4 plus hours to fly out of Nashville to fly Southwest. These are the reasons for doing that:

Our choices for airports are:
Memphis - Southwest does not fly out of, other airlines much more expensive
Little Rock - No non stop, they stop off at Houston or St Louis, Prices are always higher than Nashville
St. Louis - Still 4 plus house to drive and the prices are always higher than Nashville
Nashville - Have always gotten $49 or less airfare. Last September got $33 going and $39 returning. Plus the drive is lovely. When there are six of it the savings can mount up.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

1. Because you have a child in your immediate family group 4 years or under, all of you can preboard. Don't worry about the different types of boarding letters (A,B,C).

I have seen pre-boarding suspended at MCO due to the fact that a majority of the groups were families traveling. I would still try to get A passes so you can be guaranteed to be sitting close.

We fly with 4 people and we normally take one row of three and the seat across the aisle. If you put the smaller kids in window and middle, yourself in the aisle and your oldest across the aisle from you, you should be fine and still be able to keep an eye on and speak to all of your children.

Have fun!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thank you all soooo much. You put my mind at ease.

We drive 4 hours to an airport because we live in a small city of 4000 people in MN. Not many airport options close to us.