Southwest boarding advice

[sam_gordon]

Originally Posted by Mkrop

For some reason we have had this happen to us a lot, two of us get A59 and A60 and two of us get B1 and B2. For every flight I have asked where we should line up and they always tell me to go with the end of the As....always!

Aren't those four numbers consecutive? There's A1-60 then B1-60, right? So it SHOULD be A59, A60, B1, B2, right?

[sam_gordon]

Originally Posted by Princess on the Run

The real kicker is that no matter how many sob stories you post about why you shouldn't, can't or won't move, the system is what it is. So as long as you fly SWA, you're probably going to have to learn to live with people asking others to move. I love SWA and fly often, so I choose to not let it bother me. It's a means to get where I am going and not worth getting in a tizzy.

So people have to understand "the system is what it is" and should accept people asking them to move (which I don't remember anyone actually complaining about), but you don't accept "the system is what it is" and realize those that board before you pick their seats before you do?

I have no problem with people asking to switch seats. Go for it. Just don't EXPECT someone to move for you, and that doesn't mean they're "jerks".

[Princess on the Run]

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

So people have to understand "the system is what it is" and should accept people asking them to move (which I don't remember anyone actually complaining about), but you don't accept "the system is what it is" and realize those that board before you pick their seats before you do?

Basically, yes. The plane wont take off if Susie and her 6 special snowflakes are still standing in the aisle. If people don't move on their own FAs will make it happen so the plane can go. We've now seen countless stories of this happening just in this thread alone so obviously SWA is okay with this.

And please don't make this about my seat. I don't care what seat I sit in, frequently move to accommodate others, and fly enough that one flight is just not that big of a deal for me to worry about. My kids fly enough that I don't even worry if they had to sit with someone else (though I'd feel badly for that person who would likely have their ear talked off-lol!). I've never asked anyone to switch seats but I do switch when asked. All I care about is getting there.

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by Mkrop

For some reason we have had this happen to us a lot, two of us get A59 and A60 and two of us get B1 and B2. For every flight I have asked where we should line up and they always tell me to go with the end of the As....always!



You really can not ecpect the whole plane to move just for you and your kids, you have to plan. You may luck out and find people that will move but as been stated all over this thread, many people need the seats they have chosen and their reasons are just as valid as you needing to sit with your child.






Are you kidding me? People are jerks bc they might have a legitmate reason to stay put You dont know someone's story. We usually sit 3 and 1 bc both of my boys have horrible ear pain, and one suffers from anxiety. I cant tell you how many times my DH has been asked to move and has to accomodate families, and I also cant tell you how many times he has gotten stuck next to the worst family on the plane, bc he was kind enough to move. The last time he moved, the family he was near was downright awful, obnoxious and smelly. He even got nailed in the head by one of the kiddos getting stuff from the overhead bin, it cut his ear. But he would be a jerk in your book if the next flight he says no to switching bc he would prefer to be near us.

Or I guess my perfectly healthy looking brother, age 29, would be a jerk when he would not give us his aisle seat that he paid extra for so he could be near the bathroom, bc he has a bladder condition since he was a teen.

Dont judge people for not moving you dont know their story, I think it is more jerky to judge complete strangers who you dont even know.

And I have no problem with that!! These are pretty much sequential numbers. I do have a problem though, when two people are, say, A20, A21 and the other 4 people in their group are B34, B37, B40 and B44!!!


People....this is an argument that is not going to be won. Everyone feels their thoughts are spot on. So, let's move along now.

[Mkrop]

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

Aren't those four numbers consecutive? There's A1-60 then B1-60, right? So it SHOULD be A59, A60, B1, B2, right?

But if they do family boarding in between, we dont qualify and would have to wait for them to board for the final two of my family to board, so I am guessing that is why the gate agents have told us to just get at the end of the As so we can all board together.

Originally Posted by goofy4tink

And I have no problem with that!! These are pretty much sequential numbers. I do have a problem though, when two people are, say, A20, A21 and the other 4 people in their group are B34, B37, B40 and B44!!!


People....this is an argument that is not going to be won. Everyone feels their thoughts are spot on. So, let's move along now.

Yeah that shouldn't be happening!

[kamik86]

Originally Posted by Mkrop

Yeah that shouldn't be happening!

The reason you get numbers separated in a group is if people bought tickets separately or used rapid rewards. My DH and I have separate confirmation numbers to MCO on Saturday. However we will check in at 24 hours on a plane that won't have anyone continuing on it so we will probably still manage to sit together.

[kaytieeldr]

Originally Posted by Princess on the Run

Basically, yes. The plane wont take off if Susie and her 6 special snowflakes are still standing in the aisle. If people don't move on their own FAs will make it happen so the plane can go. We've now seen countless stories of this happening just in this thread alone so obviously SWA is okay with this.

Early Bird Check In (not a scam, by the way, if this is the thread in which that was mentioned, but merely Southwest's response to individuals selling the service/convenience of checking in passengers at exactly T-24) provides the purchaser a better boarding position. That generally allows the passenger to select a specific seat ahead of those who didn't get EBCI.

When Susie chooses to not purchase EBCI for herself and her six children, she and they get to select from among the sears that are empty when it's their turn to board.

Her failure or refusal to be proactive, to take responsibility for her needs, doesn't trump anybody else's choice TO plan ahead - to do whatever necessary to get the seat/s they need. By refusing to put their butts in seats, Susie and her brood - not any already-seated passengers - are causing the delay.

[NJRRK]

BTW, I'm an apparently well-bodied adult male, but trust me you don't want to be next to me on a plane if I'm not in a window seat. There aren't enough barf bags on the plane.

[Princess on the Run]

Originally Posted by kaytieeldr

By refusing to put their butts in seats, Susie and her brood - not any already-seated passengers - are causing the delay.

Believe it or not, I do not disagree with you one bit here. But pointing fingers and assessing blame does not get the plane off the ground which really should be everyone's primary interest . FAs will do whatever they can (including handing out drink tickets left and right) to get people to move to accommodate Susie and her snowflakes so we can all get where we're going.

[Mkrop]

Originally Posted by Princess on the Run

Believe it or not, I do not disagree with you one bit here. But pointing fingers and assessing blame does not get the plane off the ground which really should be everyone's primary interest . FAs will do whatever they can (including handing out drink tickets left and right) to get people to move to accommodate Susie and her snowflakes so we can all get where we're going.

Well then Susie is the jerk if she did not have a legitmate reason(like late connection) for being the last on the plane, not passengers who paid, got there on time and are already seated. They did what they needed to do, why didnt Susie do what she needed to to get seating next to her kiddos, if that was necessary?????

[kamik86]

Originally Posted by Princess on the Run

Believe it or not, I do not disagree with you one bit here. But pointing fingers and assessing blame does not get the plane off the ground which really should be everyone's primary interest . FAs will do whatever they can (including handing out drink tickets left and right) to get people to move to accommodate Susie and her snowflakes so we can all get where we're going.

See personally I think Susie and her snowflakes should be escorted off the plane for refusing to sit down, not given what they want.

[tjmw2727]

Originally Posted by Princess on the Run

Believe it or not, I do not disagree with you one bit here. But pointing fingers and assessing blame does not get the plane off the ground which really should be everyone's primary interest . FAs will do whatever they can (including handing out drink tickets left and right) to get people to move to accommodate Susie and her snowflakes so we can all get where we're going.

In my experience this depends on how old the snoflakes are. Generally the FA will work pretty hard to seat a child 4 and under next to a parent. After that they don't always address it - the parent has a choice of taking the seats available or waiting for the next flight. If "Suzie" needs to sit next to her snowflakes that badly is she willing to wait for the next flight to do so?

I have seen children as young as 6 seated apart from parents on SWA and other airlines as well.

All I am trying to say is the finger pointing goes both ways! If "we" are going to give Suzie and her snoflakes a slide and assume they have a good reason to be late we should give a passenger who can't move the same consideration.

[Princess on the Run]

Originally Posted by kamik86

See personally I think Susie and her snowflakes should be escorted off the plane for refusing to sit down, not given what they want.

I'm okay with that too so long as it gets the plane off the ground.

[kamik86]

Originally Posted by Princess on the Run

I'm okay with that too so long as it gets the plane off the ground.

Yeah I will say depending on where I am going I may be more likely to give in if I didn't think the FA would kick them out and leave... If its a vacation I probably want to get there so I'll move, however if its say the flight to a meeting the next day and I'm not going to arrive too late. Or a flight home after the meeting yesterday so I'm only going back to the office when I get in (and I'm paid for all the time I have to spend in the airport) then I might not be in so much of a hurry.

[EMAW_KSU]

Originally Posted by goofy4tink

People....this is an argument that is not going to be won. Everyone feels their thoughts are spot on. So, let's move along now.

But it continues to go on and on