Southwest Air

[Flower]

I have heard good reviews about them, but I don't like that I can't pre-book my seats. I will be travelling with my husband and 2 boys ages 3 and 6 - will they split us up or will we get to sit together? I don't want to book until I am sure.

[PopPhan]

I have heard good reviews about them, but I don't like that I can't pre-book my seats. I will be travelling with my husband and 2 boys ages 3 and 6 - will they split us up or will we get to sit together? I don't want to book until I am sure.

The trick with Southwest is to either get online at the 24 hour mark before your flight, or pay $10 per seat for the "Early Bird" option, which will assign your group boarding positions at the 36 hour mark. NOTE: You MUST purchase the "Early Bird" option for each seat, rather than only one passenger, otherwise only the person(s) paying for the option get the priority seating - and there is NO seat saving on Southwest. They are getting pretty adamant about that point.

If you do not purchase the "Early Bird" option, your boarding positions will be assigned based on when you 'sign in' online and your entire group will be given sequential positions.

If you purchase the "Early Bird" option, your boarding positions will be assigned based on when you purchased the option -- if you purchased your tickets and the early bird option on the first day tickets became available for your flight, you would get some of the earliest boarding positions available.

[SorcererJim]

I wouldn't worry too much about it... even if you don't get in the "A" group... since you are traveling with a child under 4, you can board in the Family boarding group which takes place between "A" and "B" boarding group... at that point you should have no trouble finding 4 seats together... Southwest planes are all 3 on one side and 3 on the other, so you will have to decide how you want to divide your group.

[DizneyRox]

We did early bird on our last trip and got A19 and A16. That's fourth to board on the way down and first to board on the way back. We had pick of the plane, and of course grabbed the front seats for the extra leg room.

I will do early bird again, BUT make sure you book far enough in adance to get a good number. If you do early bird on week before your trip, chances are many others did the same.

If was worth not having to check in at 24 hours, we got great seats, and have no trouble suporting SWA as they are great to fly with.

Keep in mind, A1-15 are for Business Select and frequent fliers I beleie, so if you lie where that may be common, your A16 may not get you on the plane first.

In my years of travelling SWA, I've never NOT sat with my SO. It did happen once on another airline that didn't assign seats until we checked in (I think it was Delta at the time) but some folks moved to make room once we were on board.

[Rosemickey68]

We have never had a problem not being able to sit together. If you don't want to pay the extra $10 for each person to get the "early bird" seating (my DH doesn't want to pay the extra $$$), make sure you do online check in at your 24 hr mark to try to obtain an "A" boarding pass, make sure you show up plenty of time ahead of your scheduled flight time, make sure you are there to board when everyone starts lining up.

They board the "A" people first, then call for families with small children, then they board "B" and then "C".

You will be fine if you don't get "A" boarding passes and have to board when they call for families. If you get "A" boarding passes, board when they call for "A" and don't wait for when they call for families of small children.

We are a family of 5 and have gotten "B" boarding passes before and never had any problem getting seats together.
Where it gets tricky is if you were to get "C" boarding passes, by then the seats are getting pretty filled up.

I can tell you the only time I have seen anyone have a problem seating their family together was last July on our trip home from WDW, a group of 10 people came on board towards the last few minutes before take off, and they made an announcement that a family of 10 was wanting to try to sit together if anyone could trade seats. The plane was pretty full when they came on, There were only single seats throughout the plane. There were several kids that were under the age of 10, and they all looked stressed out like they had been running to make it to the plane and then of course not being able to sit with people they knew. Being that most of the passengers looked like family leaving WDW for home, it was most difficult for that family to get seats together. There were a few people that traded so the younger ones could sit by a family member.

[Flower]

Thanks, that's what I am worried about, if we do go the return flight I would be ooking at will be for Aug 13th - not much time between now and then!

I will think about the options! Thanks for everyones help!

[jcshiff]

Another vote in favor of Southwest! Sign in online and you won't have any problems. If you have internet on your phone, you can even sign in early for your return flight and get boarding passes at the airport.

[epceddie]

We have flown Southwest out of Providence in the past and they've always been great, but Jet Blue in Boston has been offering MUCH better prices than SW lately and you can pick your seat when you buy the tickets, Plus, every seat has its own tv screen and you can pay for extra leg room if you want it.

[Fangorn]

This question comes up fairly frequently. The following is something I put together during a particularly intense period of travel for my staff - most of whom had little travel experience. I've almost posted it a time or two before, but always opted not to since it is pretty long. Below is a somewhat abbreviated version, although still long. I hope it helps.

Steve


Traveling on Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is unlike the rest of the major airlines both in the way it operates and in its profitability. From its inception, it has not followed the “normal” practices of the airline industry. Consequently, flying on Southwest for the first time can be unnerving for customers of other airlines. Some people will find the experience too unstructured for them. For most people, though, the efficiency, friendliness and customer service more than makes up for the differences in operation.

The Basics -

Southwest does things differently from the other airlines. This isn’t necessarily bad, just different from what you may be used to on other airlines.

The most obvious difference is that you are not assigned a seat. The basic concept on Southwest is that you can sit in any vacant seat you want when you get on the plane. Of course, if you want that favorite exit row seat (about 8 inches extra leg room) you’re going to have to be one of the first ones on the plane.

In November of 2007, Southwest modified how they board the plane. They now board in numeric order based on when you checked in for your flight. So the first person to check in is the first one in line. You can check in on-line or at the airport. Obviously, if being in the front of the line is important to you, you’ll want to check in on-line.

To check in on-line, go to the Southwest website (www. Southwest.com) and click on the Check In On-line button on the right-hand side of the screen. Type in your confirmation number and your name and click on the Retrieve Reservation button. At this point, follow the instructions and you’re checked in. Once you’ve checked in, you can print your boarding pass at home, or wait until you get to the airport and print it out there.

On your boarding pass you’ll see a letter A, B or C and a number 1-60. You will board based on this letter/number combination. A1 boards first and C60 would be the last.

You can check-in for your flight starting 24 hours before the flight time. The closer you are to that 24 hour point, the lower your boarding number will be. If you don’t check in until you get to the airport, be prepared to sit in one of those lovely middle seats.

If you can’t be on a computer at the 24 hour mark, there is another option. If your cell phone is capable of Internet access, you can use it to check in. Southwest has a mobile version of its website just for this purpose. Go to mobile.southwest.com and follow the easy instructions to check in. Don’t worry about printing your boarding pass, you can do that at the airport. Checking in is what matters, not when you print your boarding pass.

When you get to your gate, just have a seat. The gate agents will let you know when to line up. They’ll have A1 thru A60 line up by the numbered signs. After the A group is on the plane, they’ll do the same for the B group and then the C group.

If you have to change planes, you’ll get two boarding passes when you check in – one for each flight.

Southwest does do snacks and drinks on the planes, but if you want actual food, you’ll need to bring that onboard yourself. A bottle of water is a good idea as well.

Checking In

On-line check in for your flight opens exactly 24 hours prior to your flight time. If your plane departs at 8:25am on Tuesday, then you can check-in anytime after 8:25am on Monday. Southwest does not assign seats, but allows you to choose any open seat when you get on the plane. Consequently, you get the best choice of seats the closer you are to the front of the boarding line. Your place in the boarding line is determined by the relative position of your check-in (with a couple of significant exceptions). So the sooner you check-in, the closer to the front of the line you'll be and the better your seat selection will be.

If your trip requires you to change planes, you only have to worry about checking in for the initial flight. When you check in for that first flight, you will automatically be checked-in for any subsequent flights on that itinerary. This usually works to your advantage, since in most cases (but not all) the check-in time of the first leg will be prior to the 24-hour window being opened for the second leg. You’ll usually get a lower boarding pass number for that second leg than you will for the first. For example, from Portland, OR there are no non-stop flights to Orlando. One of the current options is to go through Denver leaving Portland at 6:15am Pacific Time. That’s 7:15am in Denver, but the Denver to Orlando flight doesn’t depart until 10:30am. So when I check in 24 hours before my initial flight, the system automatically checks me in for the second flight 27 hours 15 min before the second flight. Going west, it’s even better – check-in for the Denver to Portland leg is at nearly 30 hours prior to departure of the flight.

Of course, this can work against you if you’re starting your journey from a hub location i.e. Denver. While I and everyone coming from the West Coast check-in more than 24 hours prior to departure, someone beginning their trip to Orlando from Denver has to wait until the 24 hour point. I’ve been on flights from Las Vegas to points east where the local passengers started somewhere after B40 because of all us folks connecting in Las Vegas and having started hours earlier.

The Exceptions Mentioned Earlier

Three conditions that cause people to scratch their heads when they see the number on their boarding pass are Business Select , the “A”-List and the new Early Bird Check-in. Business Select passengers pay a bit more than full-fare and get to board the plane first. There are, at most, 15 Business Select seats on any given flight. Consequently, the first 15 boarding pass numbers – A1 thru A15 are reserved for Business Select, even though there may not be anyone paying this fare on any given flight. So, even if you were the absolute very first non-Business Select passenger to check-in at the 24 hour mark, and there were no Business Select passengers, the very best boarding pass you could get would be A-16.

But that would require that there were no “A”-list members on your flight, and that isn’t likely to happen. “A”-list members are Southwest customers that fly 32 or more one-way trips within a year period. These folks (and I’m one of them) are automatically checked-in for their flights 36 hours prior to departure. What that means is that if there are 10 “A”-list members on a flight, they will have already been assigned A16-A25 and the first boarding pass available to the general population will be A26. I was on a flight once where the first general population number was A42. Usually, though, there are only 5 or so “A”-list members on a given flight.

In the summer of 2009, Southwest added an additional wrinkle to the mix. For an additional $10 per person each way, you can effectively buy your way onto the “A” list for that flight with the Early Bird option. As with the “A” list members, your boarding pass will be automatically assigned 36 hours before your flight. Travelers purchasing this option will be assigned boarding numbers AFTER the “A” list members. This option can be very useful if you know that you will not be available to check –in right at the 24 hour mark. It’s especially helpful for that return trip from Walt Disney World since you won’t have to stress about remembering to check in at the 24 hour mark. You don’t have to pay the fee each way if you don’t want to.

Families

Families with small children (typically kiddos 4 and under – but this can vary by airport) are allowed to board after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group boards.

One of the biggest fears people have when flying Southwest is that their family will be split up and the 6 year old will have to sit by themselves between two total strangers. While it’s theoretically possible (and probably has happened at least once), it’s really unlikely. First of all, there are 137 seats on every SWA plane; 45 rows of 3 and 1 row of 2. In the worst case, where everyone is traveling alone and no middle seats are being used, you would have to be the 91st person on the plane to be forced into a middle seat. Since the “A” group will have a max of 60 people (but usually less than 50), any families boarding during “family boarding” are assured of keeping their family together to some degree at least. You pretty much would have to have a boarding pass of B-31 or higher before things start to get iffy. My experience though is that the flight attendants will do everything they possibly can to save a couple of rows in the back on the off chance that there is a mom with two kids at the very end of the line (and I’ve seen it happen). Worst case, they ask someone to move (usually with a couple of free drinks thrown in and a round of applause for the good sport) so the kids can sit with a parent. While I have read the on-line stories about surly individuals who refused to accommodate a family, I’ve never actually experienced anything other than courtesy. I was once on a completely full flight and the last passengers to board were a mom with 3 kids under 6. The gate agent saw it coming, notified the flight attendants and by the time the mom stepped onto the plane, people had already been shuffled around so that there were four seats together for them.

[DisneyorBust]

Thanks for the very informative post Fangorn!
You have done a great service for those flying Southwest and not just for first time flyers. Thanks again.

[NewDVCowner]

If you've already purchased your tickets how do you about about adding the $10 early bird check in to it? And, when you purchase that, does Southwest automatically check you in at the 36 hour mark, or do you need to go online at the 36 hour mark and check in then?

Thanks!

[faline]

If you've already purchased your tickets how do you about about adding the $10 early bird check in to it? And, when you purchase that, does Southwest automatically check you in at the 36 hour mark, or do you need to go online at the 36 hour mark and check in then?

Thanks!

I believe there is a place on their web site where you can add this option, even after the fact.

They do the on-line check in for you. You just go to the web site within the 24 hour window to print your actual boarding passes.

[DizneyRox]

Seat assignments are done based on when you book the early bird option, so people who buy it first, will get closer to the A16 assignment than those that book it a couple of days before flying.

If you do early bird, all you need to do is just show up at the airport and pick up your boarding pass (or RAC at the resort even). Don't worry about the 24 or 36 hour mark, it's not going to change your assignment anyway. If you want to know, you can of course look online at the 24 hour mark, but like I said, it's not going to change anything, so we just picked it up at RAC and off we went for breakfast.

[Goofster]

I'm probably in the minority, but I can't stand the way Southwest seats everyone. Its very stressful and when the plane is full...chaotic. I've flown many airlines and only flew SW once...I will never use them again. It was a terrible start to a family vacation and flying home was equally stressful. There were many families on our way home who were divided and separated primarily because they did not have children under the age 4 to get them the early entry or whatever its called. The whole process is stupid IMHO.

[PopPhan]

I'm probably in the minority, but I can't stand the way Southwest seats everyone. Its very stressful and when the plane is full...chaotic. I've flown many airlines and only flew SW once...I will never use them again. It was a terrible start to a family vacation and flying home was equally stressful. There were many families on our way home who were divided and separated primarily because they did not have children under the age 4 to get them the early entry or whatever its called. The whole process is stupid IMHO.

I can see your point IF you do not go online and check in at the 24 hour mark. THAT is the big difference between Southwest and other airlines - the need to check yourself in at the 24 hour mark.

Since they started the Early Bird option, I just pay the extra $10 per seat and I no longer have to worry about it! I still pay less for our flights than any other airline that flies out of BWI!!!

[DizneyRox]

I'm probably in the minority...

Definitely... They are constantly rated one of the best airlines, although the boarding process does seems to be the most complained about aspects of travelling with SWA.


I woudln't shed a tear if they got rid of it and went to a "normal" boarding process, but I don't mind the current system either.

It was worse when ALL A's were treated the same, instead of going in numerical order. It was almost comical as the "magic time" would get closer everyone would hover around the gate, then finally someone would just make the move and EVERYONE converged on the spot jockeying for better position.

Kindof makes me chuckle thinking about it now...

[TinaT]

Is the Business Select a separate section on the plane with larger seats and/or other benefits or does is just give you first choice of seats?

[DizneyRox]

Choice of seats...

[bjb1124]

Is the Business Select a separate section on the plane with larger seats and/or other benefits or does is just give you first choice of seats?

No all seats are the same. You just are able to get on first so you have your pick of seats and get a couple for free drinks. Business Select also gets more points toward the frequent flyer program.

Oh, and I think their seats are actually bigger than coach in other airlines. Not much, but I'm always surprised when I fly another airline that the seat seems smaller.

[Fangorn]

The whole process is stupid IMHO

I understand the sentiment. I don't share it, but I do understand it. Like most systems, if you understand how the SW process works, it doesn't have to be stressful. It's also terribly efficient and is one of the reasons that SW is profitable even when other airlines aren't.

An airline makes its money by keeping it's airplanes in the air - not sitting on the ground. The SW boarding process plays into the human desire to be first and causes virtually everyone to be at the gate and anxious to get on the plane. So despite the relative chaos of the process, the outcome is 137 people on the plane and ready to go in less than 10 minutes if necessary - but they usually plan on 20. (Side note: this is also why SW doesn't charge for baggage. They'd much prefer they dealt with the luggage than have 100 passengers spending precious time trying to squeeze their worldly possessions into the overhead compartments.) The point is to be able to turn the planes around quickly. SW can do it in 15-20 minutes if they have to. Other airlines require 60-90 minutes at a minimum - if they're lucky.

I know that SW isn't for everyone. All I know is that Southwest has been a great airline for us. Last month I had to fly another airline and while it was nice to have my seat assignment already, I certainly can't say that made up for the gate delays, surly staff and getting bonked in the head 3 times by people trying to stuff a bodybag into the compartment above me.

Steve