Advice on avoiding being a seat-saving jerk?
May 20, 2017, 7:49 pm
#92
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,868
You know, if we could pay it in points, we probably would. Does it work for your whole itinerary, or just that leg?
It's not like I force the issue - if it comes to it, he takes the seat I sat in and I move elsewhere. As I said, though, usually even extra legroom middles don't look all that attractive until all the other aisles and windows start to fill up.
It's not like I force the issue - if it comes to it, he takes the seat I sat in and I move elsewhere. As I said, though, usually even extra legroom middles don't look all that attractive until all the other aisles and windows start to fill up.
Jun 5, 2017, 1:26 pm
#94
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MCO
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AA PP
Posts: 541
I regularly see the gate agent tell people they need to board in their group and if the person with the higher boarding number wants to wait and board with the person with the lower boarding number, that's fine. I've never seen a person with a higher boarding number be able to drag their companion with a lower number further ahead in the line with them.
Jun 5, 2017, 1:29 pm
#95
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: ABQ
Programs: Delta Platinum, Southwest A-List
Posts: 1,426
I regularly see the gate agent tell people they need to board in their group and if the person with the higher boarding number wants to wait and board with the person with the lower boarding number, that's fine. I've never seen a person with a higher boarding number be able to drag their companion with a lower number further ahead in the line with them.
Jun 5, 2017, 1:36 pm
#96
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
Jun 5, 2017, 1:48 pm
#97
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
I don't mind seat savers for a single companion. It's the row hoarders that bug me. Once a guy was saving two rows. My kids would've been scattered all over the plane if we hadn't just sat in his "saved" extra row. When his friends boarded, he and they were peeved at me. But that's the luck of the draw. I do think FA should remind people to be reasonable. Saving a seat should be tolerated. Mouthing off to a family who sits in your saved row bc otherwise kids scattered everywhere should not be tolerated by FA.
The problem I encountered that makes me say that single seat saving should remain prohibited in bulkhead and exit rows is 2 of us pay for priority boarding and head for the bulkhead that was the specific reason we paid for the priority boarding. We find a guy who was in front of our A5 boarding pass in the bulkhead window saving the middle seat. His companion was either high B or C boarding.
If they wanted the bulkhead the companion should have paid for priority boarding.
The seat saver was pissed, and almost got tossed off the airplane.
If there were butts in the seats we would have moved to the next row and let him keep the seat but this was the bulkhead we paid extra for to try and get.
Jun 5, 2017, 8:51 pm
#98
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: Southwest RR, DL SkyMiles, AAdvantage
Posts: 130
The problem I encountered that makes me say that single seat saving should remain prohibited in bulkhead and exit rows is 2 of us pay for priority boarding and head for the bulkhead that was the specific reason we paid for the priority boarding. We find a guy who was in front of our A5 boarding pass in the bulkhead window saving the middle seat. His companion was either high B or C boarding.
If they wanted the bulkhead the companion should have paid for priority boarding.
The seat saver was pissed, and almost got tossed off the airplane.
If there were butts in the seats we would have moved to the next row and let him keep the seat but this was the bulkhead we paid extra for to try and get.
If they wanted the bulkhead the companion should have paid for priority boarding.
The seat saver was pissed, and almost got tossed off the airplane.
If there were butts in the seats we would have moved to the next row and let him keep the seat but this was the bulkhead we paid extra for to try and get.
Last edited by elevatorgeek; Jun 5, 2017 at 8:57 pm
Jun 5, 2017, 9:29 pm
#99
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,770
Please stop flying SWA and take your passive-aggressiveness elsewhere. The rest of us civil people would really appreciate it. @:-)
Jun 5, 2017, 10:26 pm
#100
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
You would have lost on this trip then. We would have called your bluff.
Jun 5, 2017, 10:27 pm
#101
Formerly known as billinaz
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
Jun 5, 2017, 11:12 pm
#103
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: St. Louis, MO
Programs: Southwest Companion Pass
Posts: 790
Glad it worked for you once. But who knows what may happen next time.
Jun 5, 2017, 11:58 pm
#105
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,770
SWA should sell "seat saved" cards for $25. It's basically another boarding pass, with the date, flight number, and city pair on it. You can buy as many as you want at the gate. Cash/credit card only, not refundable. You board the plane and pick a seat for yourself and place your seat saved card(s) on all the seats you want to save. You can save the first 5 rows of the plane if you want. Those seats are unavailable to other passengers who board after you, until the passenger count reaches the point where those seats need to be taken, at which point your "saved seat" is gone, so it's a gamble for you. Prior to departure, the flight attendants will collect all "saved seat" cards and toss them in the trash. SWA thanks you for the $25 per, and no one has to argue over this childish behavior. Win-win!