NWA777

We've never flown Southwest before. We're planning a trip for July 2017 in a few weeks. I'm doing the "Wanna get away" fare. Can you please explain to us how exactly Southwest does their seating. I do notice first come, First Serve. If we do the cheap fare from what I've read we are the last to board and may not be able to sit next to each other. Is this correct?
(Sorry for the stupid question, but we usually fly DL and board in Zones)

rsteinmetz70112

That is not correct. Boarding order is basically pre boarders, Business Select (A 1-15), A-List Preferred, A-List, EBCI then passengers in the order they check-in with random A-Listers and family boarding between the A and B groups. If you check in exactly at T-24 you stand a good chance of getting a high A or low B number.

Peoriaman1

Actually, you won't be alone; I've long suspected the vast majority of the other passengers also bought the cheap fares (Wanna get Away). Just be sure to check in right at 24 hours before the flight. Be quick though; a delay of a couple minutes might set you back a bunch of places. Or, jump ahead of most of the others at 24 hours by buying EBCI and have the system check you in automatically at 36 hours ahead of the flight.

Of course, there are the dark clouds here who suggest there will be 100 through passengers already on board, or there will be some horrible other reason why you'll get a bad boarding position, but those are usually unlikely worries. You'll do fine.

awayIgo

There is one time when ever with a good boarding number you won't have a good seat. Many of NW aircraft stop to take on new passengers, with passengers already on board. THEY can move before new passengers are let on. So, if the aircraft you are boarding came from somewhere else...

BTW, I too have problems with "saved" seats and will sit. People will little kids board earlier (between A and B, if I remember correctly) No one is saving seats for little kids.

MrMan

As long as you are in the first group you will be fine. You need to spend less energy looking for problems. This is not that big of a deal. You will be fine. Also be kind to people, they most likely are saving a middle seat you don't want for their companion. Good Karma dictates take the next seat. Flight is most likely short anyway.

MrMan

[Personal attack redacted by nsx]

NWA777

Thank you everyone. I did sign up for the EBCI when I made our reservations for my wife and I.
Will this EBCI help and will I need to do anything?
We're flying from FLL - TPA on July 07 will we need to do anything such as checking in also 24 hours before our flight?
Even though I did this EBCI
Sorry for the questions. We are newbies to SW. All tips will be helpful to us re our first experience with SW.

joshua362

Absolutely. Outside of the exit rows, especially if traveling solo and lots of seats are available of your preference, who really cares? I go out of my way to help out my fellow passengers and hope the few times a year I need to save a (middle) seat, I get the courtesy back.

Unworkable solutions and confrontations are rare yet people just stress about it endlessly - which I guess works to WN's benefit selling BS, gate upgrades and EBCI...

MrMan

You are good to go. You most likely will get an A boarding group. Once they call A group you line up next to the pole with your number. Very civilized, no rushing to gate. You can get a boarding pass online or at a kiosk at the airport. Very simple.

I think you will be happy

Critterlynn

For such a short flight, I would have taken my chances without the EBCI. Checking in at T24 would most likely given you decent seats close together. Worst case scenario you would be sitting apart for probably 40 minutes.

redleader74

I'm flying Southwest this Friday and also bought the EBCI, and hope for a window seat, but I'm realizing I don't really care which row I'm in as long as I get window seat because what I find even more annoying than seat savers, is that moment when the plane stops and the doors are about to open and everyone stands up and there's this passive aggressive rush/race to get off the plane, to where everyone, even if there's no room overhead, are standing, heads bent, and pushing you got to get off (if you're in the middle/aisle or anywhere where you've got someone behind you). I never understood this, regardless of what the flight it is, even those at the back of the plane are standing, heads bent under the overhead bins, when it's obvious they're not going anywhere for at least another 5-10 minutes, maybe more. So yeah, window seat for me hopefully....but row number not as important I guess.

camaross

Thank god we don't have 389243 threads on seat saving yet.

joshua362

Perhaps it needs a wiki where we can direct panicky new WN flyers to?

Juanefny

Look... I started a thread about this topic like a month ago after I decided to start flying southwest. So far, I've flown four segments. I've never seen any issues. I think the problems are blown up bc this is social media. Just be nice and it will all workout. I got great seats all four times. One of them, an entire row to myself. I think it's better than some people make it out to be.

rsteinmetz70112

I've flown Southwest a lot for years and haven't seen many problems. Occasionally someone will be a jerk and try to save a large number of seats but, I've never seen anything like the mostly imagined confrontations people here talk about.

I think saving a middle seat for someone boarding later is generally OK. Unfortunately that doesn't come up for me since I'm A-list and have sworn off exit rows in favor of going for an empty middle seat. When I travel with my wife she boards first since she's A-List Preferred. I follow a long a few spaces back. She likes the LUV seats when we fly together so that's where we usually end up.