What's with the Southwest seating thing...

[kaytieeldr]

Oh how I wish that the FAs would always enforce this! I cant tell you how many times I have seen this happen - the preboarding "disabled" elderly taking the exit rows. Grrrrrrrrr.......

I'm surprised they don't enforce it! FAA regulations prohibit disabled persons from sitting in exit rows.

 

[goofy4tink]

I am one of those dopey heads, lining up in the A line an hour before. The last time I did it, I got to the gate about 90 minutes before our flight. I sat for a bit, and then as I saw some get into the line, I joined in. I was number 8 in line. There were a ton of preboarders. Only my dd and I were in our party, so figured there wouldn't be an issue. And there wasn't. But, remember, we were 8th in line. By the time we boarded, we had to hike back to about 3 rows behind the wing before we found a window and a middle seat together! If I had waited to board at the end of the A line my dd and I would not have gotten that configuration. So....my choice to stand in line for an hour. But unless I get a terrific fare with SW, I won't fly them. I prefer having my seat assigned, and love the tv's in front of me that I used to get with Song (and hopefully will in the future) and with JetBlue.

 

[NotUrsula]

(side note - I've never understood why SW's system is labeled a cattle call. On SW, you have orderly lines. It's the other airlines that have a cattle call when calling sections.)

I agree, it has never made any sense. A "cattle call" has nothing to do with herding; it is a theatrical term for an open audition at which anyone is welcome, even those with no experience. I think what the image that most SWA detractors may be meaning to call up is a "cattle chute", which is the device used to organize cattle for orderly loading onto livestock transport trucks or railcars.

Of course, it could be that some road-warrior types mean it in a snotty sense, to imply that only the "amateur traveler" who is SWA's best customer would accept what they would consider to be barbaric treatment. Oh, well ...

 

[PrincessAurora]

It is my understanding that SWA has an equal amount of A passes for curb check, online, and traditional airport check ins.

In my experience, at my airport (Oakland), I have never found that to be true. The average batch of A's is approx 45-50 based on the capacity of the plane I am assuming. I have had a 48 and been in the A group. I have never seen an A boarding pass higher than 50. The highest number I have printed out for an A boarding pass was 46 at 6am for a flight later than afternoon. I highly doubt there were an equal number of people at the Oakland airport earlier than 6am for a 3pm flight to claim an A boarding pass.

Now my experience is ONLY with my home airport. Maybe they do things differently in Kansas City or Houson or (pick a city).

 

[KandiB47]

My husband and I were "C"s on the flight home from Orlando in Dec. We had no way to check in 24 hours before because we had no internet access on vacation.

Anyway, we didn't get to sit together on the flight. My husband ended up with a teenager sleeping on his shoulder

 

[welovedis]

We stayed at BWV and on the afternoon before our return flight I asked at the concierge desk if they could print my boarding pass or if I needed to head down to the conference center and pay for online access. We didn't bring out laptop with us for this trip & wouldn't have had a printer anyway.

The nice CM said that they always help print out boarding passes and proceeded to check us in & print them out. We got "A" passes, but I did line up first in the A line because I knew there would be lots of pre-boards. We got a wing row (behind the exit row) and that was the first one we could have taken for the 3 of us.

 

[TheWog]

I am planning on SWA for our Nov trip. HOWEVER, it will be my MIL first time flying and she is scared. We are a party of 8 which easily can be 4 an 4 . Should we go another airline to reduce the chaos??

To put it in perpective...her first time on a "real" vacation, out of state, staying at resort etc....Truely a trip of a lifetime. I "need" to fly SWA because I have 5 tixs to purchase otherwise I would fly MDW.

SWA flies only one type of plane and that is configured 3 seats on each side of the aisle. If you get all "A" passes (which you should after reading this thread) get in line and then head toward the back of the plane. That way you can guarantee yourself 3 rows of seats so your family can all sit "together".