swatter

Got a chuckle thinking about this thread when my wife told tale of her escape from BWI yesterday. She recently earned A-list and was pleased that early boarding had rewarded her with her favorite exit row seat. Except that it didn't happen. She was in the process of sitting down when the gentleman adjacent announced that he was saving that seat for his wife. At that point the FA intervened. She embarrassedly apologized to the gentleman saying that she wrongly assumed that my wife was the one he was saving the seat for. So here we have a case of an FA actually facilitating seat saving, in fact, one attempting to help guard a seat.

The rest of the story, as they say, is that the gentleman was a Senator returning to Texas (shouldn't take rocket surgery to figure out which one). His wife boarded quite late and gained the still saved seat.

So, the lesson learned is that VIP's flying SWA, perhaps here as a function of weather cancellations elsewhere, get VIP privileges including help in saving prime seats. As for my wife, she was much more thrilled about leaving than concerned about seat policy (or lack thereof).

MikeMpls

It's been my experience that WN allows/encourages seat saving, period, end of story. VIP status is irrelevant.

DontCallMeShirley

nope, only your experience, I'd say.

pinworm

She should have sat down anyhow! Let HIM deal with the PR issues....and WN. Saving an exit seat...like I say, no policy=means no rules broken if you sit in a "saved" seat.

jtaft

On the midday RSW-STL flight today (12:35 departure, -700 plane) I boarded at position B38 (was busy, didn't check in until T-23hrs and refuse to pay the EBCI fee simply because it's a fee). Flight was dead full, as confirmed by GA who offered us a bump we couldn't use (delay until next day, but I have to be at work). Upon boarding, found 11A, B, C and E occupied along with 12A,B,C,D & F. 11E had a male passenger in it, 11D had a woman's purse on the seat plus a female FA standing at 11D, obviously holding the seat for the man's wife as they were conversing about how he is A-list and she got boarding pass C4. And, yes, she did board as one of the last 10 passengers.

I thought about getting pushy for 11D as I needed to be working on my laptop the whole flight but decided that 12E was nearly equivalent. It was somewhat annoying to see "seat saving" in progress with overt assistance of an FA, but there was nothing to be gained by making a scene.

jrpaguia

And he was perhaps even too lazy to check her in at T-24. I do save a seat for my wife (usually 11B ) but she's typically well within 10 boarding positions behind me...so not as obvious as holding a seat all the way to the C's. And she is my designated CP holder.

Said it before, I'll say it again:

I'd like to see WN assign designated CP holders of A-List members a BP right behind the A-Lister as well as access to Fly-By. I don't see this as a devaluation of perks...it would actually be a cool enhancement.

homeboy4

And, when I book a CP seat, I would like for the system to display my booked flights so that I can simply choose the one on which my companion will be flying. Why the need to re-enter all the data?

judolphin

+1

Fly-By has never turned my designated companion away.

jtaft

I'm of the opinion that all CP pax should automatically be checked in with the immediately following boarding pass when the paying member checks in, irrespective of the paying member's A-list status. My flight patterns guarantee that I'll never be A-list but instead always hover at about 60%-75% of the way there.

InkUnderNails

It is, after all, a companion pass, not a fly on the same flight pass.

SKIEL

Inkundernails has nailed it!
IT's a "Companion pass" not a fly on the same flight pass. Boarding order should be tied together so you can be a companion!

cxn

I must be the type of flyer you people seem to hate. I let me family come through the A-List line with me. I either have my family board with me or I save seats.

Too bad WN seems to be so Family Unfriendly. AA never has a problem with me doing the same with my family.

saltydog

It is Southwest policy that if you are A list, but your companion pass person or other family member (even young child) has a higher boarding pass, you have to board at the higher one. Which makes no sense, especially if you earned enough for a companion pass, or have earned a-list and are traveling with your kid.

Airtran's policy with the zone boarding is that you and your travel partner can board together which ever zone is first. This is nice becaus Elite boards first, so my wife or son can board with me.

Southwest is becoming Wild West airlines, make your own rules. You never know what will be enforced. Each FA has different rules.

Eemraldskies

FA's are not in the boarding area and have no control over companion pass flyers boarding out of order.

SWA has no seat saving policy, not sure how that's the FA's fault either.

It's sad that some adults (and not as many as FT would have you believe) turn finding a seat on the plane into romper room and then blame the FA.

Southwest does beat the tune of it's own drummer and it's a happy tune.

saltydog

[QUOTE=Eemraldskies;13508502]FA's are not in the boarding area and have no control over companion pass flyers boarding out of order.

SWA has no seat saving policy, not sure how that's the FA's fault either.

It's sad that some adults (and not as many as FT would have you believe) turn finding a seat on the plane into romper room and then blame the FA.

Southwest does beat the tune of it's own drummer and it's a happy tune. [/QUOTE

I was not blaming FA's at all, I'm blaming Southwest Corp for lack of a policy. My point is that Southwest Corp. does not have firm rules on seat saving so some FA's make their own rules due to nessesity. Not that it is the FA's fault but Southwest Corp. should have a firm rule to make it easier for the FA and customers. Most Southwest FA's are good people, this issue and lack of a rule has put them in a tough position with customers lookin to the FA for help.

Also it is the gate agents not FA's, that are inconsistantly enforcing a firm rule of not allowing companions or children to board with the Alist customer. This rule should be changed.