seat saving
Oct 4, 2018, 7:37 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Folsom,CA
Posts: 408
I recently asked customer service for clarification regarding seat saving. In this case, an individual wanted a seat that I planned to save for a relative who was boarding later. She was adamant and blocked the aisle during boarding. At that time both the FA and pilot approached and told me that seat saving was not allowed on Southwest. I relented but asked for their identification to use in my inquiry since, as a very long time customer, I knew that there was no such policy. This is the response:
"We don’t have a specific policy regarding saving seats. Our Flight Attendants and Pilots typically don’t prevent Customers from saving seats unless it interferes with our boarding process. While we understand that Customers want to sit by their friends and family members and enjoy each other’s company, our hope is that early boarding Customers will not save too many seats for their traveling companions as it can be frustrating to a Customer when his/her seat of choice is being saved".
"We don’t have a specific policy regarding saving seats. Our Flight Attendants and Pilots typically don’t prevent Customers from saving seats unless it interferes with our boarding process. While we understand that Customers want to sit by their friends and family members and enjoy each other’s company, our hope is that early boarding Customers will not save too many seats for their traveling companions as it can be frustrating to a Customer when his/her seat of choice is being saved".
Oct 4, 2018, 8:08 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 921
Preboarding aside, who gets to board first? I.E. who is at the top of the list to board first? A1. So A1 is the highest number when it comes to boarding order. Certainly confusing and without context I would agree that I think most people think of 1 being lower than 2.
In the context of boarding order I think it makes sense that 1 is higher up the list then 2.
Curious how other folks think about it.
In the context of boarding order I think it makes sense that 1 is higher up the list then 2.
Curious how other folks think about it.
Oct 4, 2018, 1:59 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,605
I recently asked customer service for clarification regarding seat saving. In this case, an individual wanted a seat that I planned to save for a relative who was boarding later. She was adamant and blocked the aisle during boarding. At that time both the FA and pilot approached and told me that seat saving was not allowed on Southwest. I relented but asked for their identification to use in my inquiry since, as a very long time customer, I knew that there was no such policy. This is the response:
"We don’t have a specific policy regarding saving seats. Our Flight Attendants and Pilots typically don’t prevent Customers from saving seats unless it interferes with our boarding process. While we understand that Customers want to sit by their friends and family members and enjoy each other’s company, our hope is that early boarding Customers will not save too many seats for their traveling companions as it can be frustrating to a Customer when his/her seat of choice is being saved".
"We don’t have a specific policy regarding saving seats. Our Flight Attendants and Pilots typically don’t prevent Customers from saving seats unless it interferes with our boarding process. While we understand that Customers want to sit by their friends and family members and enjoy each other’s company, our hope is that early boarding Customers will not save too many seats for their traveling companions as it can be frustrating to a Customer when his/her seat of choice is being saved".
Oct 4, 2018, 5:23 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: Southwest A-List; Alaska MVPG; Hilton Diamond; Avis PreferredPlus; Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
Posts: 919
I have, on occasion pushed the issue for a middle seat in the bulkhead row (or in the first few rows if I had a tight connection).
I once pushed the issue in row 2 or 3 as I had a tight connection. Pax in the window seat was trying to save the middle seat for a travelling companion. I simply said “I’m sorry, but Southwest has an open seating policy, and I’d like this seat.” The pax knew the rules and quickly yielded (FA, I think). Turns out that the companion was a non-rev who ended up riding the jump seat in the cockpit because the flught was full. I have absolutely no regrets in insisting on sitting in a seat that was “being saved” for someone who wasn’t going to use it anyway.
Oct 4, 2018, 6:00 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
They were going to use it but you took it. Which is fine. They used the jumpseat because they could and because there were no other seats in the cabin.
Oct 4, 2018, 7:33 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: Southwest A-List; Alaska MVPG; Hilton Diamond; Avis PreferredPlus; Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
Posts: 919
He wasn’t riding in 2B, whether his companion was successful in saving or not.
Last edited by twitch76; Oct 4, 2018 at 9:02 pm
Oct 4, 2018, 8:45 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
There is no policy.
Do not quote calls to customer service.
Do not argue about what is fair, or right, or sensible.
There are 4,894 other threads and posts hashing this out.
Bottom line. There is no policy.
Do not quote calls to customer service.
Do not argue about what is fair, or right, or sensible.
There are 4,894 other threads and posts hashing this out.
Bottom line. There is no policy.
Oct 5, 2018, 1:05 am
#26
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
They used the jumpseat because there weren’t enough seats in the cabin. That had nothing to do with whether I took that seat or not. The non-rev, cockpit-cleared pax (who had hoped to sit in my seat) initially sat down two rows behind me. When the cabin filled and the last pax walked onboard, the FA who was working the flight moved him into the cockpit.
He wasn’t riding in 2B, whether his companion was successful in saving or not.
The point was that neither you nor the seat saver knew that the flight was 100% full at the time you took the seat. So to say they were saving a seat for someone who wasn't going to sit in it anyway is just hindsight and not relevant at the time you made the decision to sit in that seat. And as you said if it had nothing to do with whether you sat there or not, why mention it as if it was the relevant to the seat saving part of the story?
Last edited by justhere; Oct 5, 2018 at 1:10 am
Oct 5, 2018, 1:30 am
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,774
The point is that had twitch76 let the idiot non-rev -- who should have pass privileges revoked for doing this -- succeed in seat saving, some random passenger boarding later would have gotten that seat. Seat savers are basically picking out people in the front of the line and trying to push them to the back of the line. You want me to move back and I refuse.
Oct 5, 2018, 6:13 am
#28
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Long Island
Programs: Southwest Airlines, Marriot
Posts: 235
Does WN still have a policy that it neither permits nor prohibits saving seats? If so, what does that mean, in practice?
Let's say I board a flight, and someone is purporting to save a seat (or, perhaps, several seats). I say "I would like to sit in that seat, please." The seat-saving passenger responds "I am saving that seat for my friend who is in Boarding group C." I respond: "WN has an open-seating policy and I can select any seat I want, and I am sitting in this one" -- and I proceed to sit. What does WN flight attendant do?
I an NOT saying that I would ever actually do this. My question is just about how WN flight attendants actually handle these situations, when they arise.
Let's say I board a flight, and someone is purporting to save a seat (or, perhaps, several seats). I say "I would like to sit in that seat, please." The seat-saving passenger responds "I am saving that seat for my friend who is in Boarding group C." I respond: "WN has an open-seating policy and I can select any seat I want, and I am sitting in this one" -- and I proceed to sit. What does WN flight attendant do?
I an NOT saying that I would ever actually do this. My question is just about how WN flight attendants actually handle these situations, when they arise.
Oct 5, 2018, 6:38 am
#29
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
The point is that had twitch76 let the idiot non-rev -- who should have pass privileges revoked for doing this -- succeed in seat saving, some random passenger boarding later would have gotten that seat. Seat savers are basically picking out people in the front of the line and trying to push them to the back of the line. You want me to move back and I refuse.
And if twitch76 hadn't taken the seat they would have been 2 rows back at most. Apparently that mattered to twitch76 so they took the seat they wanted.
The point I was making was that twitch76 said the seat saver/savee want going to use the seat anyway. They were going to use the seat, however the flight ended up full so the non-rev used another option they had.
And no one is pushing people anywhere.
Oct 5, 2018, 8:19 am
#30
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Peoria
Programs: Southwest, Best Western Gold, La Quinta, Dollar
Posts: 819