Lisa108

I purchased two tickets for flying to Las Vegas in September, along with extra ticket for my husband who stands over six foot and weighing around
250. He needs the extra space for turning slightly in his seat to ease pain in back from sitting for long periods of time due to surgery on his spine.
Also he carry's his extra weight in his upper body.

I understand from reading the rules for SW, is that he will get a document to put in the extra seat to keep someone from trying to sit there, but that
I won't be able to board early with him.

If he waits to board with me, will we have any problems getting three seats together? We don't care if we have to sit in the last
row of the plane, I rather prefer it to be closer to the restroom. Have no problem waiting until the plane is empty before getting off.
Or should he board early and save me a seat in the back of the plane. Won't have any carry on, only personal things that fit under the seat.

seat7a.speedbird2.030828

tell the gate agent you are your husband's service wolverine, and you have to board early with him.

lo2e

Welcome to FlyerTalk, Lisa108.

The chances of you and he getting to sit next to each other goes down (sometimes exponentially) the longer into the boarding process you go. If I were you, I would pay the extra fee for the Early Bird Check-In for yourself and have your husband board at the normal COS time. That would seem to give you the best chance of sitting together.

Another option, albeit more risky, would be to have your husband board at the normal COS time and have him sit in a middle seat, putting his document on the aisle seat until you board (at your normal boarding time). This is definitely not 100% guaranteed, but I think there's a good chance people will avoid wanting to get to the window seat in that aisle if they see him in the middle.

rsteinmetz70112

I wonder if the husband qualifies as a COS, I'm taller and heavier than he is and don't. He may qualify for a disability, due to the back issues, but I'm not sure how to get an extra seat that way.

lovefly88

satman40

Lisa108

Well now I'm nervous that I've bought the extra seat for my husband and Southwest saying he doesn't qualify because he might not be considered "Big enough". Sometimes needing the extra seat is not about being large, but for trying to keep pain management to a miminal. I'm sure that I will get ALOT of comments for this, but I PAID for the seat. If SW would give me a waiver to sign saying that I won't be requesting a refund, why can't I buy an extra seat.

Tanic

From what you describe, the extra seat is necessary to accommodate a medical condition, rather than meet WN's Customer of Size policy. That could be a reasonable accommodation that airlines are required to meet under the Air Carrier Access Act.

InkUnderNails

You can board with your husband. My wife always boards with me and it is not a problem.

When you check in for your flight, you will not get boarding passes. You will get a security document. At the airport check in, enter the confirmation at the kiosk and you will get boarding pass and the seat reserved card.

Lisa108

Thanks, do I need something from my husband's doctor stating he needs the extra seat?

WillCAD

I'm 6'-3" and about 300lb, so I buy the extra seat every time I fly WN. In my experience, you have an excellent chance of getting the seat next to your husband, unless your boarding position is really, really far down in the C group, especially if he chooses a row all the way in the back of the cabin.

When I board, I sit right on the hump between the two seats I've chosen (I always take a window and middle), and most people just pass me by. No one has ever sat down in that aisle seat with first asking if it's taken, which implies that if I said "Yes, it is", they'd move on. The third seat usually fills somewhere in the middle of the B boarding group, but I typically take a row toward the front of the plane around 5 or 6. I used to take a row farther back in the cabin, and the third seat would remain empty until well into the C boarding group.

I travel alone so I don't know what the policy is regarding additional pax preboarding with a COS. WN's web page on the subject doesn't mention companions to COS pax. I recommend that you pay for EBCI to get the best boarding position you can, and when your husband checks in at the gate (COS pax must check in at the gate to get their Seat Reserved document), you can ask if it's permissible to board with him.

Side note - check in at the gate as soon as possible. My BP always get messed up in the system, and it take 10-15 minutes to sort out and print the docs, so get to the airport EARLY and go directly to your gate. As soon as the customer service counter at the gate opens up, approach and get your husband's Seat Reserved document printed. I always just smile, hold out the BP I printed when I checked in at curbside, and say, "Good morning, I have two seats booked under the Customer of Size policy and need to check in and print my reservation document." the person at the counter knows immediately what I need. Once the docs are printed, you can relax, grab a bite, use the restroom, etc. until boarding begins.

COS's preboard after the handicapped folks, so when the lines start to form, your husband can just mosey over and queue up in the preboard area, behind the wheelchairs.

I'm 6'-3" and about 300lb. I definitely qualify for COS and book the extra seat every time I fly, whether the flight is an hour or six hours long. Nobody at WN bats an eye at me about my size. If you're taller and heavier than OP's husband at 6' and 250lb, I think you very well may qualify for the COS seat. The rule is pretty simple - if you "encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)", you can purchase a second seat. There is no reason to either a) encroach on another traveler's seat, or b) travel in discomfort or pain, when WN has made it so simple and easy (and even affordable) to book the second seat.

I recommend that you start booking the second seat so you're guaranteed to have it. Your strategy only works if the flight is not sold out, which so many flights are these days, and if you are on a sold out flight, then you're guaranteed to have someone sitting between you and your wife. At 6' and 300lb, you may well encroach on that person's seat (notice that I don't say definitely, because even large bodies like ours come in many different shapes, but at 300lb I know I encroach on the next seat). WN's COS policy makes it so simple, easy, and affordable to get that guaranteed second seat, there really isn't any reason not to book it.

NoStressHere

I am thinking asking for COS because your husbands back might hurt is not going to go far. If you did a survey of flyers, you are going to find a high percent of people that say their back hurts when the fly. Keep in mind, I am NOT downplaying your husbands issue... but they hear people complaining all day long about small seats, stiff seats, no leg room, crowded planes, etc.

Often1

To answer the question, anytime you are relying on a disability such as a medical condition, e.g. "bad back" it is a good idea to have a letter on his doc's stationery which expressly recommends that he have the extra seat.

Don't offer up the letter. But, if there is an issue, it is a lot easier for him to pull it out than to argue about the underlying issue.

Your husband is a pre-board due to a medical condition and that means you may board with him to assist. A lot of people here hate that, but it's the way it is and you will have your row.

Seat Amigo

Hi,

This is a tough call. all the seat are the same so honestly, he's going to be uncomfortable in any of them. You might try to see if he can get on and get the row that only has two seats - the row just in front of the exit. At least those seats are like two "aisle seats" and he might find it bearable. This is one reason we invented the Seat Amigo app, so people with particular issues can know ahead of time who they will sit next to - in this instance you could use the app to find a smaller person on one side, with you on the other. Then in flight, if he wanted to switch to your seat he could do that - whatever works.

LegalTender

And you sell a one-year subscription for about $70.

Who pays if someone lies in their "desired seat mate profile?"