Why I HATE Southwest Airlines...

[Lewisc]

Anne--On the flight to MCO the OP got to the gate 5 minutes before departure. Even the "C's" had already boarded. A legacy airline might have already released her assigned seats. The problem here is a selfish passenger not airline policy.

An A or even a B BP all but guarantees two seats together. Even a C passenger that lines up early should at least be able to get two middle seats a row apart.

You do'nt get it, do you? The person who has the uncaring attitude is the parent who chooses to fly an airline where they aren't guaranteed sitting next to their child, or doesn't bother to get their butt out of bed to get to the airport early enough to get an "A" or "B" card.

Why am I, the responsible traveler who gets there early, the one who should have to suffer and be called names due to a parents lack of forthought and responsibility?

If I had young children I wouldn't book a carrier that I couldn't get assigned seats when I booked, and if I couldn't afford another carrier, I'd simply not go.

Anne

 

[jarestel]

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That doesn't sound like common sense to me..

You don't work for SWA, do you?

We will have to agree to disagree on whether it makes sense to enforce rules when enforcement has no practical impact on the other passengers and whose unnecessary enforcement makes a customer feel bad.

 

[C.Ann]

You don't work for SWA, do you?

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No.. Why? Does a person have to work for SWA to have common sense?

 

[Lewisc]

Did you read the OP's description of her trip to MCO? She boarded the plan with 5 minutes to spare and the FA had to move passengers because she wouldn't fit in one seat. If she bought a second seat she would have pre-boarded and the seat next to her would have been reserved.

It makes perfect sense to enforce the rule so OP won't continue to violate SW's rules. OP really has to lose weight, follow SW's policy and purchase a second seat or find another airline to fly.

The customer debated the issue with the GA. The embarrasment was caused by the OP who felt she could win the debate with the GA and declined to simply purchase the extra seat. After the problem flying to MCO the OP really had no basis to complain.

You don't work for SWA, do you?

We will have to agree to disagree on whether it makes sense to enforce rules when enforcement has no practical impact on the other passengers and whose unnecessary enforcement makes a customer feel bad.

 

[jarestel]

It makes perfect sense to enforce the rule so OP won't continue to violate SW's rules. OP really has to lose weight, follow SW's policy and purchase a second seat or find another airline to fly.

The thing that would have made sense was to enforce the rule on the way to MCO when seats weren't readily available. It doesn't make sense to enforce the rule on the way back when there are plenty of seats available. There's nothing wrong with taking a COS aside and telling them what the policy is, but then follow that up with "but we have plenty of seats available on this flight, so we're waiving the rule for this flight". To collect an additional fare for a seat just to refund the cash a few days later seems, to my way of thinking anyway, non-sensical.

Of course, ymmv.

 

[CarolA]

The thing that would have made sense is to enfoce it EVERY time, then you would not be able to complain either way.... But no one is perfect every time!

 

[C.Ann]

The thing that would have made sense is to enfoce it EVERY time, then you would not be able to complain either way.... But no one is perfect every time!

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That's true, but by using the "it wasn't enforced on the other leg of my journey" argument it's like me driving to Florida, speeding all the way, not getting a ticket, but getting one on the way back and as a defense, presenting my case to the trooper as, "Well no one gave me a ticket on the way down!! "

 

[Lewisc]

The reason for the rule is to prevent the problem that occurred going to MCO.

In general I agree it makes sense to let a COS get away without buying an extra seat, as an exception, if the flight is empty. This should be a one time exception.

OP got more than fair consideration on the way down. I suspect, I don't work for SW and don't have any inside information, the problem going down might have resulted in increased enforcement. It's possible the GA in the originating airport got in trouble for letting OP board without purchasing a second seat.

The purpose of making OP purchase an extra seat is so in the future she either purchase a second seat when she makes a reservation or uses another airline. I doubt she would have even considered following SW's procedure if she was granted an exception on both legs of her trip.

The thing that would have made sense was to enforce the rule on the way to MCO when seats weren't readily available. It doesn't make sense to enforce the rule on the way back when there are plenty of seats available. There's nothing wrong with taking a COS aside and telling them what the policy is, but then follow that up with "but we have plenty of seats available on this flight, so we're waiving the rule for this flight". To collect an additional fare for a seat just to refund the cash a few days later seems, to my way of thinking anyway, non-sensical.

Of course, ymmv.

 

[EmptyNester]

I know I'm late joining this discussion...

There's no way to know how full or empty any particular flight might be weeks or months beforehand. Wouldn't it be easier if COS just purchased an extra seat when they booked their reservation?

If the flight is full they don't have to worry about embarassment at the gate or infringing on another passenger's comfort. If the flight isn't full, they get their money back.

Am I trying to make this it too simple?

- Sharon

 

[jarestel]

The thing that would have made sense is to enfoce it EVERY time, then you would not be able to complain either way.... But no one is perfect every time!

I would agree with you if the purpose of the rule was to inconvenience as many people as possible. However, if the thinking behind the COS rule is to ensure that travelers aren't forced to share their limited seat space with someone who may be too big for the space allowed, then it would seem on an almost empty flight there would be no problem with this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm only referring to the OP's situation when trying to board an almost empty flight. I'm not saying that a COS should roll the dice and hope they get on the planes rather than comply with the rules. Just that in this case, it was a bit ludicrous. Black is black and white is white, but the real world is mostly shades of grey.

I admit it is easier for some employees to just parrot the rules rather than use their common sense. After all, they might get in trouble for using their brains, eh?

 

[polyfan]

That does seem the most logical. One never does know how full a flight is going to be. Prime example last Monday we had a flight returning from FLL to JAX to ORF- the flight still had plenty of seats before we left. We asked in FLL if it was overbooked at checkin- at that point it was still not and the flight from JAX was not either. We arrived in JAX and- well it had now become overbooked by 5 people. So you never can count on the plane not being full.

 

[PaulaSue]

Very interesting thread OP. I am sorry it happened to you but I am sure many others have learned from your mistake by posting this.

 

[NotUrsula]

You do'nt get it, do you? The person who has the uncaring attitude is the parent who chooses to fly an airline where they aren't guaranteed sitting next to their child, or doesn't bother to get their butt out of bed to get to the airport early enough to get an "A" or "B" card.

Why am I, the responsible traveler who gets there early, the one who should have to suffer and be called names due to a parents lack of forthought and responsibility?

If I had young children I wouldn't book a carrier that I couldn't get assigned seats when I booked, and if I couldn't afford another carrier, I'd simply not go.

Anne, while I'll totally agree that there is no reason at all why any other passenger should have to save the tush of a parent who lacks foresight, I'll have to argue about your contention that it is unwise to ever book SWA with a small child because of the lack of assigned seats.

I've been separated from DS lots of times (and had to beg other passengers to move for his carseat when he was younger) ... and every single time it happened, it happened on a legacy carrier. Either that carrier had allowed me to reserve seats, but then changed the equipment and vacated the seat assignments, or they simply would not assign us seats, because all of the remaining unassigned seats were being held for elites. This happens to us ALL the time, more often than not, actually. Legacy carriers base your place in the seat queue on your FF status, and most kids don't have much, so while the adult in the party might get a good reassignment, the kiddies almost always get scattered middles. IME, legacy carriers are much worse than SWA in this regard. Honestly, I'd be amazed that you always manage to hold onto your seat assignments, but I'm guessing that there is a factor of fare class and/or FF status that must be ensuring your seating preference.

On SWA, I'm in control of where I sit, and barring force majeure, no one except me can force me into a position where I have to take what I can get on a nonstop flight. (Connections are another matter, and must be handled with care, I'll grant. I don't connect on SWA while travelling with a child if I can help it -- for that matter I don't connect on any airline while travelling with a child unless I just have no choice.)

 

[jadejazzkayla]

I've been separated from DS lots of times

WOW. i see now why people hate sw!

 

[LeftCoaster]

WOW. i see now why people hate sw!

NotUrsula actually said that this always happened to her on legacy carriers. Not Southwest.

 

[ducklite]

I'd be amazed that you always manage to hold onto your seat assignments, but I'm guessing that there is a factor of fare class and/or FF status that must be ensuring your seating preference.

Yes, I'm sure the FF status has a lot to do with it...but that's a perk that you can't get on SWA. So I'll stay with my legacy carriers who value my business enough to allow me to book an aisle seat in the first few rows.

Also, the day before your flight all the elite seats not yet claimed open in the front of the plane, and when you check in onoine i'ts a great way to grab better seats. THere are often two full rows open in the front when there's nothing but scattered centers throughout the rest of the plane.

Anne

 

[kelscross]

I guess I don't understand why they approach someone before they board. How did they know that OP wouldn't fit in the seat with the arm rest down before she got on the plane? I'm a plus size person and I know that I fit in the seat with the arm rest down and I don't use an extender for the seat belt, but I would be offended if someone approached me before I got on the plane because I "appear" to be the size that wouldn't fit in the seat. What would they do measure my rear to see??

 

[OzFan]

Wouldn't be nice if SW could post the deminsions of the seat so you could measure your own rear end to see if you can fit.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, I'm sure the FF status has a lot to do with it...but that's a perk that you can't get on SWA. So I'll stay with my legacy carriers who value my business enough to allow me to book an aisle seat in the first few rows.

Hey, it's all in what's important to you. I don't care about having a particular seat position 99.9% of the time, so elite status isn't a priority for me. SWA gives me something better from my POV: an unrestricted Companion Pass. I can literally get a free seat every day for a year if I want to, even more than that, theoretically, if I took day trips.

Also, the day before your flight all the elite seats not yet claimed open in the front of the plane, and when you check in onoine i'ts a great way to grab better seats. There are often two full rows open in the front when there's nothing but scattered centers throughout the rest of the plane.

Those seats normally are not visible 24 hours out to those without status; we usually can't see them until 3 hrs. before scheduled departure, and sometimes not even then. I've even checked in at kiosks 2 hours before the flight and gotten a BP that is marked "See gate agent." American is particularly bad about this; we've had several occasions where all 3 of us are in middle seats, with each one of us seated next to a deadheading crew member who has the aisle. On one memorable flight home from MCO, there were a total of 26 deadheaders on the plane; the pilot next to me was very surprised that we were all separated, because he had been notified that the flight was wide open as recently as 30 minutes before boarding; so he asked the FA, who gave him the head count.

 

[Disneyjosh229]

...Wouldn't it be easier if COS just purchased an extra seat when they booked their reservation?...

You hit it on the head!

The OP was aware of the fact at the time of purchase, that she couldn't fit in one standard sized seat, without sitting next to her child. Aware of SW's seating policy, she knew that IF the aircraft was full, she couldn't sit next to her child, therefore infrenging on the rights of another paying customer. If she would have purchased a second seat at the time of purchase, her entire problem would have been avoided.

I have a ligitiment problem with people that take others rights, because they choose to be cheap, and then have the nerve to tell everyone that they hate Southwest Airlines, because SWA enforced the policy that the op agreed with at the time of purchase.

Little word of advice "READ THE FINE PRINT