How Do Find Out How Full A Flight IS
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: CO-Plat, SPG-Gold, Hilton-Gold, Hertz-5 Star
Posts: 83
How Do Find Out How Full A Flight IS
I normally fly Continental, but got a great rate on Southwest and booked a flight to LAX. I would like to know how full the flight is. On Continental, I would just look at the seat map and see how many seats are empty. There is no such thing on Southwest. So can someone tell me if there is another way to determine how full my flight is going to be?
#3
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: WN, BA, Kimpton Hotels, Starwood Hotels
Posts: 143
#4
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: WN | UA
Posts: 282
I normally fly Continental, but got a great rate on Southwest and booked a flight to LAX. I would like to know how full the flight is. On Continental, I would just look at the seat map and see how many seats are empty. There is no such thing on Southwest. So can someone tell me if there is another way to determine how full my flight is going to be?
#5
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: STL
Programs: MR Plat Premier, IHG Spire, Hilton Diamond, Southwest CP
Posts: 623
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Nashville, TN - BNA
Programs: Hilton Gold, WN RR
Posts: 1,818
?? How are people getting on WN flights that aren't positively brimful?
Maybe I just book popular markets, but I can't remember the last flight I took that didn't have at least 95% of the center seats filled. Which doesn't bother me, of course, except for examples like the BNA-BWI trip I took last month - in which Mr. Center Seat not only hogged the armrest, but rested his meaty arm actually on my thigh for most of the flight...Seems like I've been having a bad spate of being seated next to men whose upper bodies are too wide for the seat, as well, shoving me either out into the aisle (to be hit by passing bev carts) or into the plane wall (talk about backache).
It'd be wonderful to have room to get away from these folks, but it just doesn't ever seem to happen.
Oh, and to the OP: It's a good idea to set alarms on your desktop calendar or whatever, so you can be sure to OLCI 24 hours in advance and get into the A boarding group. Otherwise you can expect your carryon to be gate-checked if you're on one of the older WN planes (22" bags won't fit in long-ways, only sideways, and the bins fill up fast.)
Maybe I just book popular markets, but I can't remember the last flight I took that didn't have at least 95% of the center seats filled. Which doesn't bother me, of course, except for examples like the BNA-BWI trip I took last month - in which Mr. Center Seat not only hogged the armrest, but rested his meaty arm actually on my thigh for most of the flight...Seems like I've been having a bad spate of being seated next to men whose upper bodies are too wide for the seat, as well, shoving me either out into the aisle (to be hit by passing bev carts) or into the plane wall (talk about backache).
It'd be wonderful to have room to get away from these folks, but it just doesn't ever seem to happen.
Oh, and to the OP: It's a good idea to set alarms on your desktop calendar or whatever, so you can be sure to OLCI 24 hours in advance and get into the A boarding group. Otherwise you can expect your carryon to be gate-checked if you're on one of the older WN planes (22" bags won't fit in long-ways, only sideways, and the bins fill up fast.)
#8
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA Gold; WN A-List Pref., CP; Marriott Plat.
Posts: 341
#9
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,266
Heck, I flew HOU-CRP a while back and even that was like 135/137.
#10
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: IND
Programs: SPG Plat, WN CP, Many Others
Posts: 538
I just few IND to BWI with only about 50 people, everyone was in the A group obviously. On the way back a few days later I forgot to checkin at T-24 so I checked in at about T-16 and got B15 but lucked out because the flight only had about 80-90 people. Those are the two lightest flights I have been on in a very long time.
#11
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: SW Rapid Rewards, Hilton Honors, Marriott, Avis First
Posts: 4,831
The last flight out each day of PHX-SNA and back are usually only 50-75% full. I have flown that last flight going and returning more times than I want to think about (my spouse lives in Orange County), and there has only been one time when that flight has been full. I always have at least a middle seat open next to me.
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,489
That was my first thought.
If you aren't elite, you might be looking at a plane that appears 100% sold out but isn't.
If you are elite, you might be looking at a plane that appears quite empty but will end up checking in full or close to it.
With Southwest, stuff changes so fast that I don't bother calling. I just ask as I'm boarding. Agent usually responds with an exact number unless the answer is obviously going to be "pretty empty" or "100% full".
If you aren't elite, you might be looking at a plane that appears 100% sold out but isn't.
If you are elite, you might be looking at a plane that appears quite empty but will end up checking in full or close to it.
With Southwest, stuff changes so fast that I don't bother calling. I just ask as I'm boarding. Agent usually responds with an exact number unless the answer is obviously going to be "pretty empty" or "100% full".