Buy Two Seats?
Jul 15, 2011, 7:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Columbus OH
Posts: 30
Buy Two Seats?
I read this board all the time but rarely post. Thanks to everyone for all the great info I've gotten from reading over the years.
When I'm on SW I find if I can land a window seat and have no middle seat passenger that it's even better than getting the exit row. (I'm 6' 3")
This got me wondering, I know a COS can buy two seats, but if anyone has the money can they buy two seats, thus guaranteeing an empty middle seat? I don't plan on trying this anytime soon due to cost but if I hit the lottery this would be a consideration.
I assume not, but does anyone know for sure?
When I'm on SW I find if I can land a window seat and have no middle seat passenger that it's even better than getting the exit row. (I'm 6' 3")
This got me wondering, I know a COS can buy two seats, but if anyone has the money can they buy two seats, thus guaranteeing an empty middle seat? I don't plan on trying this anytime soon due to cost but if I hit the lottery this would be a consideration.
I assume not, but does anyone know for sure?
Jul 15, 2011, 7:29 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN CP
Posts: 6,360
The policy is available for review here:
http://www.southwest.com/html/custom...index-pol.html
This is permissible only if you "encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)".
http://www.southwest.com/html/custom...index-pol.html
This is permissible only if you "encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)".
Jul 15, 2011, 7:42 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 444
^
The policy is available for review here:
http://www.southwest.com/html/custom...index-pol.html
This is permissible only if you "encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)".
http://www.southwest.com/html/custom...index-pol.html
This is permissible only if you "encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)".
Jul 15, 2011, 11:25 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Groveland, FL, USA
Programs: Starriot Platinum, DL PM, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,041
Interesting to see that Southwest agents in Las Vegas violated their own policies when they refused to board my wife traveling in a wheelchair on our RETURN flight despite having transported us with no problem on the (completely full) outbound flight without requiring her to buy an additional seat "on the spot". 
They even REFUSED point blank to allow her to demonstrate that in fact she could sit in a seat with the armrests down without impinging on a adjacent seat (mine by the way). And while we were waiting for her extra seat payment to be processed, we both observed able-bodied passengers boarding who were clearly more likely to impinge on an adjacent seat than her. She ended up delaying the already late flight by an additional 30 minutes because it took that long for the incompentent GA to actually process the payment for the extra seat, and by the time we were allowed to actually board, the seats that the flight attendants had reserved for us were in the very BACK of the plan - forcing her to walk the entire length of the plane with her cane both ways. While we did get our seat payment refunded (because the plane was not even full), Southwest has definitely dropped to the bottom of our list of airlines we will ever travel in the future.
Of course maybe that's exactly what they want - an excuse not to have to deal with wheelchair passengers.
Note that Southwest had two prior opportunities in Las Vegas to question her size, once at the check-in counter when they inspected her manual wheelchair, and once at the original gate (later moved due to the inbound flight delay) when she obtained a gate-check tag for the wheelchair and nothing was said either time about her possibly needing to purchase an extra seat.
They even REFUSED point blank to allow her to demonstrate that in fact she could sit in a seat with the armrests down without impinging on a adjacent seat (mine by the way). And while we were waiting for her extra seat payment to be processed, we both observed able-bodied passengers boarding who were clearly more likely to impinge on an adjacent seat than her. She ended up delaying the already late flight by an additional 30 minutes because it took that long for the incompentent GA to actually process the payment for the extra seat, and by the time we were allowed to actually board, the seats that the flight attendants had reserved for us were in the very BACK of the plan - forcing her to walk the entire length of the plane with her cane both ways. While we did get our seat payment refunded (because the plane was not even full), Southwest has definitely dropped to the bottom of our list of airlines we will ever travel in the future.
Of course maybe that's exactly what they want - an excuse not to have to deal with wheelchair passengers.
Note that Southwest had two prior opportunities in Las Vegas to question her size, once at the check-in counter when they inspected her manual wheelchair, and once at the original gate (later moved due to the inbound flight delay) when she obtained a gate-check tag for the wheelchair and nothing was said either time about her possibly needing to purchase an extra seat.
Last edited by rtpflyer; Jul 15, 2011 at 11:42 am
Jul 18, 2011, 12:38 pm
#5
Company Representative - Southwest Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: SWA Customer Relations
Posts: 48
Interesting to see that Southwest agents in Las Vegas violated their own policies when they refused to board my wife traveling in a wheelchair on our RETURN flight despite having transported us with no problem on the (completely full) outbound flight without requiring her to buy an additional seat "on the spot".
They even REFUSED point blank to allow her to demonstrate that in fact she could sit in a seat with the armrests down without impinging on a adjacent seat (mine by the way). And while we were waiting for her extra seat payment to be processed, we both observed able-bodied passengers boarding who were clearly more likely to impinge on an adjacent seat than her. She ended up delaying the already late flight by an additional 30 minutes because it took that long for the incompentent GA to actually process the payment for the extra seat, and by the time we were allowed to actually board, the seats that the flight attendants had reserved for us were in the very BACK of the plan - forcing her to walk the entire length of the plane with her cane both ways. While we did get our seat payment refunded (because the plane was not even full), Southwest has definitely dropped to the bottom of our list of airlines we will ever travel in the future.
Of course maybe that's exactly what they want - an excuse not to have to deal with wheelchair passengers.
Note that Southwest had two prior opportunities in Las Vegas to question her size, once at the check-in counter when they inspected her manual wheelchair, and once at the original gate (later moved due to the inbound flight delay) when she obtained a gate-check tag for the wheelchair and nothing was said either time about her possibly needing to purchase an extra seat.
They even REFUSED point blank to allow her to demonstrate that in fact she could sit in a seat with the armrests down without impinging on a adjacent seat (mine by the way). And while we were waiting for her extra seat payment to be processed, we both observed able-bodied passengers boarding who were clearly more likely to impinge on an adjacent seat than her. She ended up delaying the already late flight by an additional 30 minutes because it took that long for the incompentent GA to actually process the payment for the extra seat, and by the time we were allowed to actually board, the seats that the flight attendants had reserved for us were in the very BACK of the plan - forcing her to walk the entire length of the plane with her cane both ways. While we did get our seat payment refunded (because the plane was not even full), Southwest has definitely dropped to the bottom of our list of airlines we will ever travel in the future.
Of course maybe that's exactly what they want - an excuse not to have to deal with wheelchair passengers.
Note that Southwest had two prior opportunities in Las Vegas to question her size, once at the check-in counter when they inspected her manual wheelchair, and once at the original gate (later moved due to the inbound flight delay) when she obtained a gate-check tag for the wheelchair and nothing was said either time about her possibly needing to purchase an extra seat.
Jul 18, 2011, 5:15 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Groveland, FL, USA
Programs: Starriot Platinum, DL PM, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,041
To be fair, the outbound flight was on a separate PNR and was an award ticket while the return was a purchased ticket. The GA would have checked if it was the same PNR, but blew me off when she discovered they were different PNRs. Given that, if you still want a PM, let me know.
The part of the policy that I consider violated was:
'"The armrest is the definitive gauge for a Customer of size. It serves as the boundary between seats, which measure 17 inches in width. Customers who are unable to lower both armrests and/or who encroach upon any portion of the adjacent seat should proactively book the number of seats needed prior to travel."
as quoted from the FAQ on the website linked to above.
The part of the policy that I consider violated was:
'"The armrest is the definitive gauge for a Customer of size. It serves as the boundary between seats, which measure 17 inches in width. Customers who are unable to lower both armrests and/or who encroach upon any portion of the adjacent seat should proactively book the number of seats needed prior to travel."
as quoted from the FAQ on the website linked to above.
Last edited by rtpflyer; Jul 18, 2011 at 5:39 pm