MikeMpls

Only if you choose to board together. Or you can board during family boarding after A-60.

MikeyZBT

As do all the "legacies"... definitely nice when you are traveling with a loved one.

It's been this way forever with Southwest. It seems to be with any airline that doesn't have an automated safety presentation. Delta, with their video, keeps it standard. Even the "you're in an exit row" speech on Delta is usually the exact same flight-to-flight.

Southwest's has never been the same on any flight I've ever been on. Sometimes they do the "you're in an exit row... please read the card and ask me if you have any questions"... other times they go for 5 minutes about "do you all speak english... please respond audibly so you can prove it to me... please put down your books, turn off your ipods and listen to me as I go over the proper way to operate the emergency door"

Yes, most the time the flight attendant wants to hear themself speak, but the fact that it changes so much from flight to flight is annoying.

addictedtofl

Hi everyone,
This is my first post in the forum and its my first time flying SW.
we will be flying back to Buffalo from Orlando on April 15th it's the same day that our cruise arrived back to ports.
so from what i read so far i'm so confused, please help me with a few questions:
Do you have to check in 24 hours before your flight?
Can we just check in at the airport?
What is this boarding # that everybody is talking about?
From what I have read so far, I don't know if we even can get on the plane to go home, and with 7 ppls(4 adults and 3 kids ages 10,6, and 4) and assuming that we can all get on the plane, will we run into situation that i have to put my 4 6 and 10 years old between 2 strangers?
I confused about this Airline!

MikeyZBT

Southwest has open seating. There are no seat assignments. This can be a huge pain with a large family.

You should all check-in whenever you get a chance to. Typically, if you are not a family (i.e. by yourself, or just adults) you check-in 24 hours in advance to get a good "boarding number" so you don't get stuck with middle seats only left.

In your situation, though, after the first 60 people board (also known as the "A" group), Southwest has family boarding and regardless of your boarding pass number, your entire group (all 7 of you) can board together during that period. Since only 60-65 people are on the plane at that point, you can easily find seats where your family will be able to all sit together.

Yes, Southwest is weird, but once you do it once, it's actually pretty simple. It's not the best thing around, but it is pretty simple.

judolphin

Don't worry yourself, don't let yourself get confused. We're just a bunch of whiners arguing about stuff that doesn't matter.

Just check in at the airport, and board after group A (the guy/gal at the gate will say "At this time, any families with small children may board now"). You will be fine.

addictedtofl

Thanks, I feel much better, personally I don't care when I board,
Actually I prefer to be the last one on the plane, because I rather wait in the wide open space of the boarding area then in the small space on the plane while waiting for everyone to board.
The most important thing for me on the plane is that my family has to be together.
Last time at the check in counter with AA, I was told that there are no more together seats for my family and we have to be separated, we said no and told them that we rather wait for the next flight than to be separated. They were nice enough to put all of us in first class on the same flight.
So will we be able to sit together on SW?

MikeyZBT

Yes, as long as you board during the "family" boarding time after the "A" boarding group is completed.

Unfortunately for you, Southwest doesn't really cater to passengers that like to board at the end. By that time, you'd only have single seats available and most likely only middle seats and your family would be split up for sure.

On Southwest, you have to board as early as possible and just sit on the plane otherwise you can't guarantee having seats together.

Not to be crazy offensive, but if you imagine the boarding process like getting on a bus or a train where you can sit anywhere you want, it's like that.

addictedtofl

Thank you! I would feel very bad for the 2 strangers that have to sit beside my 4 years old daughter. They might want to jump out of the plane half way throught the flight LOL.

Rock72

I have not had any issues with this but I think the passengers should know what to expect when they take certain seats.

For example:

1) If you sit in the front row (where all bags must be stowed), chances are very high that all seats will be filled. It doesn't matter if the flight is pretty empty...people sit there anyway. I had one lady complain to me once that she sat there and a guy tried to sit in the empty middle seat so she moved. She was complaining about the nerve of that guy to sit there on an empty flight...it should be expected.

2) If you sit in the exit row (2 seats only), it will also likely be taken. These are some of the most desirable seats on the plane.

So if you really want to sit together, just take a seat towards the middle or back and sit there in the middle. That is a sign that you are saving the other seats and usually passengers will just walk by you. If someone happens to stop, just let them know.

Another thing I witnessed was flying through Vegas in the morning once when a lady was lying down faking sleep across all 3 seats. Sure enough another lady came by with her husband and asked her to get up so that they can take the other 2 seats. Sleeping lady complained but whatever.

RVD.

nsx

Let her sit next to another 4 year old. That works great for both families!

MikeyZBT

Serves her right. Good for the couple.

SCGustafson

Mikey, that may be the nicest thing you have ever said about WN.

banksy

So, it's nice of you to stereotype as well and assume it's racial. I would venture to guess that in most cases you are completely incorrect and in fact they are saving a seat for a companion or co-worker, etc.

REGARDLESS OF WHY...it is immaterial since the airline HAS NO POLICY. So, either deal with it.

izzik

Trust me, they weren't saving the seat for someone they knew.
Thus, you are wrong.@:-)

Firewind

@:-) The solution, in bas relief: Check-in should be by PNR, not by individual. Persons on the same PNR get consecutive numbers at check in. So, if you want to do the most you can to ensure that you get seats together - short of all buying BS - you book together on one PNR.

This results from first thinking that it should be possible - no, axiomatic - for CP holders to check-in together in one move. But that's a solution that just gets at a little bit of this problem.

With all the enhancements recently made to the website, there is no remaining reason why one or both of these solutions aren't possible.