Family boarding rules
Apr 26, 2022, 4:21 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 270
Family boarding rules
Hello, we are booked on the OAK-HNL flight in August, we are two adults and two children (aged 7 and 4).
It says on Southwest website, two adults can board with a child aged 6 or under during family boarding. In our case, would all of us be able to board at family boarding or one of us needs to board separately? Ie. One parent board with both children at family boarding and the other parent board according to his boarding position?
Thanks.
It says on Southwest website, two adults can board with a child aged 6 or under during family boarding. In our case, would all of us be able to board at family boarding or one of us needs to board separately? Ie. One parent board with both children at family boarding and the other parent board according to his boarding position?
Thanks.
Apr 26, 2022, 11:41 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA Silver, HHDmd, MBvLTPLT, PCAmb/Dmd, HYT Dis
Posts: 1,579
You can all board together between the A and B groups.
Our kids are currently 12 and 5. Most recent flight was 3 weeks ago LAX - BWI. Our boarding pass positions were 3 in the B50s and C1. But we all boarded after the A group. The other family taking advantage of family boarding that day was 4 adults and 2 kids (looked like grandma and grandpa with parents - one child was a baby).
In my 12 years flying with young kids, Southwest has generally been very good about accommodating families.
Our kids are currently 12 and 5. Most recent flight was 3 weeks ago LAX - BWI. Our boarding pass positions were 3 in the B50s and C1. But we all boarded after the A group. The other family taking advantage of family boarding that day was 4 adults and 2 kids (looked like grandma and grandpa with parents - one child was a baby).
In my 12 years flying with young kids, Southwest has generally been very good about accommodating families.
Apr 27, 2022, 9:05 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 402
You can all board together between the A and B groups.
Our kids are currently 12 and 5. Most recent flight was 3 weeks ago LAX - BWI. Our boarding pass positions were 3 in the B50s and C1. But we all boarded after the A group. The other family taking advantage of family boarding that day was 4 adults and 2 kids (looked like grandma and grandpa with parents - one child was a baby).
In my 12 years flying with young kids, Southwest has generally been very good about accommodating families.
Our kids are currently 12 and 5. Most recent flight was 3 weeks ago LAX - BWI. Our boarding pass positions were 3 in the B50s and C1. But we all boarded after the A group. The other family taking advantage of family boarding that day was 4 adults and 2 kids (looked like grandma and grandpa with parents - one child was a baby).
In my 12 years flying with young kids, Southwest has generally been very good about accommodating families.
This was the first time I heard this rule/announcement -- but with the very large number of kids coming back from spring break could see them trying to prevent a baby from being a free pass for a large party of adults.
That said -- I could see the 2 kids + grandparents scenario sliding through the gate attendant 99% of the time. And of course -- you could always just save seats -- but that's a whole other topic.
Apr 27, 2022, 9:54 am
#6
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
Coming back from Hawaii recently there was an announcement that family boarding was explicitly 2 adults per <6 year old, and that additional adults had to board according to their boarding number order.
This was the first time I heard this rule/announcement -- but with the very large number of kids coming back from spring break could see them trying to prevent a baby from being a free pass for a large party of adults.
This was the first time I heard this rule/announcement -- but with the very large number of kids coming back from spring break could see them trying to prevent a baby from being a free pass for a large party of adults.
Apr 27, 2022, 10:23 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
Coming back from Hawaii recently there was an announcement that family boarding was explicitly 2 adults per <6 year old, and that additional adults had to board according to their boarding number order.
This was the first time I heard this rule/announcement -- but with the very large number of kids coming back from spring break could see them trying to prevent a baby from being a free pass for a large party of adults.
That said -- I could see the 2 kids + grandparents scenario sliding through the gate attendant 99% of the time. And of course -- you could always just save seats -- but that's a whole other topic.
This was the first time I heard this rule/announcement -- but with the very large number of kids coming back from spring break could see them trying to prevent a baby from being a free pass for a large party of adults.
That said -- I could see the 2 kids + grandparents scenario sliding through the gate attendant 99% of the time. And of course -- you could always just save seats -- but that's a whole other topic.
Apr 27, 2022, 8:17 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,872
Agree. Glad this is being enforced. And also wish the FAs would stop the ridiculous “this is going to be a full flight” nonsense. I understand no-shows and misconnects, but this is just flat-out untruthful most of the time.
Apr 27, 2022, 9:40 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: The Event Horizon
Programs: Flying Colonels, Go-Getters, WorldPass, Amerikat Expositors, Ephemeralizers
Posts: 82
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luv FAs and denton drive together decided long ago the cabin crew would stand aside and allow boarding combat to unfold unabated and un-adjudicated because it goes faster that way. likewise, the management/FA ecosystem have reached confirmation bias on the topic of the "anxiety" announcement (i.e. 'were in crisis mode because there won't be an inch left to spare!). they believe that not making that announcement results an an increase in boarding time by 20%.
Apr 28, 2022, 5:10 am
#12
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SAT
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton and Wyndham Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Delta Plat, United Silver, Hertz PC
Posts: 724
luv FAs and denton drive together decided long ago the cabin crew would stand aside and allow boarding combat to unfold unabated and un-adjudicated because it goes faster that way. likewise, the management/FA ecosystem have reached confirmation bias on the topic of the "anxiety" announcement (i.e. 'were in crisis mode because there won't be an inch left to spare!). they believe that not making that announcement results an an increase in boarding time by 20%.
Apr 28, 2022, 7:36 am
#13
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,872
luv FAs and denton drive together decided long ago the cabin crew would stand aside and allow boarding combat to unfold unabated and un-adjudicated because it goes faster that way. likewise, the management/FA ecosystem have reached confirmation bias on the topic of the "anxiety" announcement (i.e. 'were in crisis mode because there won't be an inch left to spare!). they believe that not making that announcement results an an increase in boarding time by 20%.
Apr 28, 2022, 8:30 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
There are people here who from time to time have threatened all sorts of physical actions with people saving seats they want. I've never seen anyone actually do in in hundreds of flights on Southwest. I think it's mostly keyboard courage..
Apr 28, 2022, 12:21 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 200
I have a flight in July K.C. to Orlando round trip with my 14 year old son. I used the 2 free early bird check in that come with my Chase card. I bought my son early bird for the return trip. For the outbound, I didn’t, figuring that I could go onboard with early bird, take a seat in the back half , and set my coat on the adjoining seat. If I check my son in at exactly 24 hours, hopefully he gets no worst than B 35-40. If that doesn’t work, I’ll move further back.