top987

I recently had this experience, I had a low A BP, 17 I believe, for which I had obviously paid at booking. Man in the Exit row, so he obviously paid for the upgrade to Early A at the gate or maybe he paid for the high $ fare. When I went to take the empty Exit seat, one of the rows with only two seats, he said his wife was sitting there. She was two people behind me in line. And was two people behind me in line all the way back to the boarding area so it wasn't a case where she was in the john or stowing her bag. The FA was there, said nothing and I didn't push it. It wasn't a long flight, and it wasn't full so I knew I could stow both my bags overhead without inconveniencing anyone and therefore would have enough leg room. But if it had been the 5 hour leg of my trip and a full cabin I probably would have said "I paid for the early boarding opportunity to get the seat of my choice so I get the seat of my choice".

I do fly WN for most of my trips. They are usually the best deal for my trips, even with the extra $12 for the early boarding. I don't mind the open seating policy, even when I get A-45 and know I'm not getting the exit row. But seat saving of the better seats is not cool.

pkincy

I think saving seats in a first come first served situation is boorish behavior, but if the parents were right behind me, I suppose I would have moved on to the next available.

Actually I fly SWA a lot and have found that I value the middle seat near the front for quick egress more than I value the slightly xtra space of a bulkhead or aisle seat. Also when picking a middle seat early you can do so between 2 pax of reasonable proportions so you will be comfortable.

My most recent flight boarding number earned me a window seat only to find that the middle was taken by a defensive tackle sized man. He was extremely polite during the 3 hour flight and tried to make himself as small and unobtrusive as possible but nevertheless it reinforced my desire for a middle seat between 2 clearly reasonable sized adults.

BeatCal

So does this mean that it is "wrong" to save a seat next to you at a movie theater either because other is getting pop corn or you arrive sooner
Or how about at Disney for the parade.
In Europe, if you buy standing room at opera, you tie a scarf on the rail and leave and your spot is safe
The OP Nd supporters are what has become wrong with America. No courtesy anymore. Me first

cxn

WoW just WoW. You thought it was your right to touch other peoples property.

Just my opinion but what I read is you, most likely older male, saw a teenage girl who thought you could just make a point and bully her into giving you a seat she saved for her parents. She wasn't old enough to play word smiting games with you about taken, saved or open seats.

this is Southwest. This isn't a private jet or an airline which allows you to reserve seats.

As others have pointed out, this has been hashed over many times. if WN thought it was a big deal as some here try to make it they would make a policy. For me, it is simple, saving a row for a family is fine. Don't save bulk head or exit row, any seats. If I want an isle seat I check-in 24 hours in advance or pay to auto check me in. Unite the couple is the easiest way to get a non middle seat.

With my 20+ years of travel and 2mm+ of flight miles, a middle seat isn't going to kill you. It may make things uncomfortable but not really. And if the people you sit next to are experienced travelers, you actually get a comfortable ride since they know the person with the middle seat can't move. When I get a middle seat I actually sit a bit better since I can't lean in either direction.

In the past, I have given away my isle seat and taken middle seats to late boarding families as I know as a father I would want to sit with my young kids then rather let some strange older person.

ILovetheReds

This thread has provided a lot of helpful info for me and may be saving me some serious coin next month.

I am going to be flying with a colleague out of our burbank office. Appears the flight originates in BUR so there should be no throughs.

It sounds like I can avoid the Business Select/EBCI fee for one of us if I purchase Business Select. Hopefully I can get A1 and seeing preboards can't take the exit row, I should be able to get the Exit aisle with no problem and simply put my laptop/suit jacket on the middle and say it's saved correct? If a solo traveller grabs the window seat before he boards, I know that won't be an issue unless only middles are available. I'm nervous about having a couple board before he does insisting on the window and aisle seats.

Hopefully a NRSA won't preboard me and take the aisle exit row. If that happens I can live with the window and just save the middle exit row seat.

rsteinmetz70112

Not the same thing at all. Does your movie theater charge you extra to get in early? Are there a small number of "premium" seats available ( I've never seen an exit row seat in a theater and I've designed several)?

I don't think anyone here has said that they object to someone saving the adjacent middle seat for a companion. The objection is to saving "premium" or "multiple" seats.

Yes but you tied your scarf to the rail. How would you feel if someone went early and tied 6 or 8 scarves to the rail with the best view for late arrivals?

Are you referring to the people who try to save premium or scarce seats for people too cheap to pay for early boarding or the passenger having paid or otherwise earned an early chance at "any available seat" who takes an unoccupied "premium" seat someone is attempting to save for a late boarder or the passenger who took the last window or asile seat from someone saving multiple seats?

As many people have tried to explain the problem largely exists because Southwest has monitized the boarding process in ways that often split up groups traveling together.

Southwest is selling the sizzle of a low boarding number but not always delivering the steak of a good seat.

SANdyFlyer

You seem to be incrementally changing your recount of events. Earlier in this thread, you stated that you "sat down", and that you didn't care if there was a backpack on the seat or not; it was unoccupied. Now you are stating that you just "got out of the aisle"?

I also find it interesting that in your first post, you use caps (shouting) in your dialogue with the FA, and talk about how she subsequently "looks nervous and starts rambling". Then later in the thread, you comment that you were "never excessively hostile" and "always talked in a normal tone of voice". Sorry, but in my experience, FAs have never looked "nervous" and "started rambling" during normal conversation. IMO, that type of behavior is more inline with someone being completely taken back by her interaction with you. [/QUOTE]

What I find amazing is that after a mind-boggling 21 pages of discussion about how the seating-policy is unclear, ambiguous, and needs clarification from WN, you still continue to summarize this as "clearly stated and understood". Talk about selective hearing in an extremely selection biased audience!

jamesteroh

If WN wants to make money off of offering things like BS and EBCI, it seems like they would be better off just doing assigned seating and charging for premium seats.

If someone pays a premium and has an assigned seat they don't have to worry about getting a middle seat if their connection is tight or having to board early (If it's a rare occurance where I have to check a bag or if it's an RJ with planeside bag check, I try to be one of the last to board, I'd rather be enjoying another a drink or reading in a more comfortable sitting than sitting on a plane), and providing everyone in the party pays for premium seating they don't have to worry about sitting in different parts of the plane.

I'd rather pay $50 RT on a long flight for an exit row or bulkhead aisle on a carrier I don't have status with than pay $25 RT for EBCI on WN.

Last couple times I've flown DTW/LAS, I've also checked fares out of curiousity on WN and Delta is always cheaper on a first class (A, G or P fare) than WN is on a business select fare. You're getting an assigned seat with unlimited drinks and getting 50% bonus miles and a meal and free IFE. Only thing you are lacking is the flexibility of cancelling with no penalty, but if you know you are making the trip anyway, someone is foolish to not pay less for a real first class cabin over getting to board early.

john398

I thought open seating was to speed up the boarding process but sounds like lately it does not

top987

It does most of the time. It doesn't when people try to take advantage of the system and then those who follow the system get confused because their momentum is thrown off.

top987

It is wrong if the theater or Disney charges extra for early entry and you purposely only buy one early entry ticket to game the system.

And courtesy hasn't disappeared in America. Discourteous people have changed the definition to make it seem as though what THEY want is normal and everyone else is out of bounds.

PS - Beat Stanford

SANdyFlyer

We don't know in this situation that the family was 'gaming the system' by only paying for one upgrade and saving seats. The way boarding positions are recirculated by Southwest, there will ALWAYS be a good chance of a family getting varied boarding positions on any given flight.

For example, I'm A+, but flew with 2 non-elite relatives recently. I checked everyone in @ T-24, but to my surprise, even though I received A22 as A+, the non-elites received A17 and A19. This is because Southwest recirculates boarding positions in the event of cancellations. Recirculated boarding positions happen on virtually EVERY flight, and is a more than plausible explanation for what happened in this instance.

jamesteroh

Good point. A lot of amusement parks will sell line cut/fast track passes wher eyou can go to the front of the line on busier rides. If an individual buys a pass, it's only for him, not for the entire family.

cee33x

I'm a+ on WN and travel weekly. I almost always am before A30, and I almost always need to use the restroom when we load. The FA are always willing to tell folks I'm in the restroom after I've "claimed" my seat. So, I think it's "officially occupied" once it's claimed.

Anyhow, everyone knows on WN:

A=aisle
B=back
C=center

Don't like your letter, upgrade or fly one of the other options.

Heidelberg Barbie

This issue is sounding much like the Ryanair situation. When the pax begin to que up to receive a boarding number (first come first served) it will almost come to a shouting match and blows as people try to get those first BP cards.
Boarding and acquiring a seat can also be difficult even with an early entry to the craft.

IMO open seating in NOT a good system.