Southwest Boarding

[AirlineGuy07]

My DW and I have two seperate reservations and had to check in seperately on SW. Have have B31 and B36 on our boarding card for our flight today. Do you think we will be able to sit together?? How many go in the A group and how many go in to B group? I still don't like their boarding process. Thanks!

[DizneyRox]

I do early bird checkin, so it's been a long time since I've been anything other than one of the first on. I think there are numbers 1-60 in each group. So, some 90 people will be on the plane before you guys. That's about 1/2 full.

There shouldn't be a problem.

In the past, the number wasn't important, but a few years back, they did start lining up in the number order as well.

I'm willing to bet there will only be a few in A 1-15 (business class) but there might be quite a few people between A and B for those with small children.

[2Epcot]

There are no assigned seats on SWA so sitting together will not be a problem. The person who gets on first can easily save a seat for the other person until they can get on the plane. Being that your numbers are so close, you will be almost next to each other anyway.

I've fly SWA most of the time for about the last 20 years. I like the boarding process. The key to getting in the "A" group, without paying, is being ready to check-in the moment you are allowed to do so. I've checked in many times from my smartphone, then just print the boarding passes out when I get to the airport.

[MinnieMommie]

We always sit together even with different numbers. The first one on saves the seat for others. An yes it is very important to do your online check in the minute you are able to (24 hrs before departure). That will be your best chance of getting an A section number. It always has worked for us.

[DisneyGirl85]

Whenever I go to Disney I fly Southwest. I love them! Especially because "bags fly free." I use my Southwest app on my Iphone to check in as soon as I can if I'm not near a computer. I love the number idea next to "A, B or C". Before then, you would have people sitting in the boarding lines way before it was time. I think you will be able to sit next to each other. I know anytime I go to Orlando, the flight usually seems to be family oriented meaning that groups will want to sit next to each other as opposed to people flying alone which causes seats to be spaced all over the place.

[wdwaggie]

You'll be fine, SWA is the friendliest airline in the sky, when this happens to my DW and I, we usually stack one pass on top of the other and give them both to the gate attendant. Being that they are in the same group but only off by a number or too will not be a problem for you. And as previous poster mentions, just let her save you a seat or vice versa, you will not be far apart anyway! Enjoy the trip!!! You're now free to move around the WORLD!!

[RBrooksC]

There sixty people per each boarding group. Each boarding group boards in two groups, 1-30 and 31-60.

The "A" boarding group has boarding passes number 1-15 held in reserve for those purchasing the "Business select" tickets. There could be a flight where the first boarding pass is sixteen.

[Rosemickey68]

You should be fine, especially since it is just the 2 of you.
I think the problem lies when you have a bigger group of people trying to sit together the further letter/# your boarding pass is.

I don't suggest doing what wdwaggie suggests above, everyone is suppose to line up according to their number. I have seen the gate attendant make someone wait until it was time for their number, which in all fairness they should do as it is the rule. It happened to a girl that "cut" in front of us in January.....she almost cried and looked embarrassed...but she still got to sit with her friend.

If you don't see 2 seats together, ask the stewardess, they will usually ask if someone can move so you guys can sit together. I have seen it happen alot, even when there is only 1 empty seat. There is always at least one good samaritan on the flight.

Have a great trip!

[RBrooksC]

You should be fine, especially since it is just the 2 of you.
I think the problem lies when you have a bigger group of people trying to sit together the further letter/# your boarding pass is.

I don't suggest doing what wdwaggie suggests above, everyone is suppose to line up according to their number. I have seen the gate attendant make someone wait until it was time for their number, which in all fairness they should do as it is the rule. It happened to a girl that "cut" in front of us in January.....she almost cried and looked embarrassed...but she still got to sit with her friend.

If you don't see 2 seats together, ask the stewardess, they will usually ask if someone can move so you guys can sit together. I have seen it happen alot, even when there is only 1 empty seat. There is always at least one good samaritan on the flight.

Have a great trip!

The only time the FA will ask people to move so people may sit together is when it is a parent with a child. They will not ask people to move so an adult couple may sit together.

[Disney-4-Me]

We just ask other people politely to switch with one of us. Usually one of us will have an aisle seat and we give that one up.

I've found that if you ask politely, usually someone will trade.

[Rosemickey68]

RBrooksC.... I personally have seen it happen on several SW flights I have been on and they were not children.


When we went in January a man & women were some of the last people to board and there were only 2 single seats left. The stewardess asked if anyone would be kind enough to move so they could sit together.

When we went July 2009...there were 2 adults trying to get seats together and there was only 2 single seats left, one of them looked very scared, the stewardess asked if anyone would be kind enough to move so they could sit together.

So, maybe it isn't the "NORM"...but I have personally seen it happen many times. I guess it may depend on the flight attendant working.