SW If you want to sit with your kids

[leahgoogle]

We fly out of Midway in Chicago and we have always bought EBCI since we have three kids and like to sit one row behind another (two kids with DH and one with me). We have always been late A boarding, but we have flown in Sept and Oct. We have a flight booked for June with EBCI and I am hoping for a similar boarding position, but since school is out I am not sure we will get it. We will see. I am not opposed to moving, but I agree that I don't feel obligated to do so if we have our ideal seats first since we purchased EBCI.

 

[Disneypro1]

Its never an issue sitting with anyone you fly with on Southwest. If you check in right at the 24 hour mark...you will at worst be in group B and a low number. We always fly southwest...nothing else the last 10 years. Never been split up and never worse boarding than a low B...IE B 1-12
I usually sit across the isle from wife and two children. I like to be in the row just slightly behind them. Almost always..we end up mid way back. I have not ever been ask to move..we also have not had to ask someone too.

 

[Disneypro1]

EBCI does not guarantee that you all can sit together. Being at the gate on time is pretty much the only way to do that. I've flown SWA probably 100 times and never bought EBCI for my family of 4. I simply check in on the app at the 24 hour mark and usually get the last of the A boarding or the first of the B. Even coming from a cruise. I check in as soon as we get to port of Miami and still get awesome boarding position.

Yep, Easy as can be. Love Southwest!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Its never an issue sitting with anyone you fly with on Southwest. If you check in right at the 24 hour mark...you will at worst be in group B and a low number. We always fly southwest...nothing else the last 10 years. Never been split up and never worse boarding than a low B...IE B 1-12
I usually sit across the isle from wife and two children. I like to be in the row just slightly behind them. Almost always..we end up mid way back. I have not ever been ask to move..we also have not had to ask someone too.

I suspect that this is very airport dependent. We fly SW out of Midway, purchase tickets on or very close to release day, and always do EBCI. Although we mostly get A boarding numbers, we have had mid- to high-B boarding numbers on a couple of occasions, so all those who checked in 24 hours in advance would presumably have been behind us, so certainly not a “low-B” number. Last time this happened, when we arrived at the gate a full 45 minutes prior to scheduled boarding, that is a full hour and 15 minutes prior to departure, the number of people already lined up in the family boarding area, to board between A and B, led me to bite the bullet and purchase A1-15 boarding for both of us even though I had already paid for EBCIs (I refuse to purchase only one and then save a seat while DW boards later, although I see families do this frequently).

 

[bumbershoot]

I suspect that this is very airport dependent.

Yes. Airport you're starting from and going to.

I have been on a flight with my son where we checked in immediately at 24 and were NOT in early Bs. We were most definitely further back than that.

So despite SOME people's extreme doses of pixie dust that they think happens to everyone, it's not an absolute that 24 hours will give you at worst a low B number.

 

[bumbershoot]

SW, the cattle call airline, is what my travel agent called it once

Your TA is behind the times. It hasn't been like that in ages.

Legacy airlines, however, are absolutely a cattle call, complete with chutes at some airports for the various boarding pass indicators you have. People line up, or hover, almost an hour before boarding with Alaska, Delta, and United (the ones I've flown more than once over the last few years).

With SW I've been there when they've told people to sit back down if they start lining up early.

Assigned seats allows you to board minutes before push back, 10 minutes or so before your flight time. You have your seats and can sit with family members.

With Delta I can sit in the airport lounge until minutes before last boarding call

You two might not be aware of something that sometimes happens (weirdly often in my own personal flying experience). It's this magical thing when the plane is there and available early, and they are trying to take off EARLY. They hurry everyone up and say that if they can get everyone settled, they'll head out early.

While it has actually worked a few times, it has other times been utterly ruined by one or two people who aren't yet at the gate.

So you might, possibly, be ruining an EARLY departure that you would have NO idea about, by sleeping in or sauntering or sitting at a restaurant in the airport...

Worth thinking about!

 

[bumbershoot]

For those couples who want an aisle and a window on a full flight why not sit a row apart. That allows for two other parties parties of two to sit together.

I see very little wrong with that. Good idea. Although it then ruins the tiny chance that they'll have no one in between... (though I've gotten that more on Alaska than SW)

But if I sit in a different row than my spouse, who will poke him in the ribs when he starts snoring the roof off of the plane???

I think you missed the part where they were referring to people sitting aisle and window. If you're sitting aisle and window, please don't poke your companion unless you lucked out and don't have anyone sitting between you.

Nobody said that. Where did that assumption come from?

I think it's also referring to people sitting aisle and window. That they don't feel the need to sit together or they like different seats; not that they don't want to be with them (or married to them), etc.

I guess I am the odd one out on this thread. I can’t imagine sitting on an airplane with random strangers while my other family members are elsewhere with other randos. I think it’s ridiculous to have to pay extra for something called EBCI in order to be able to sit together with my loved ones.

Sorry. I don’t get it.

I would rather fly on a traditional airline even if it means that fares are more expensive.

Let the flaming begin...

No one is going to flame you for what doing what you want to do. But we do reserve the right to tell you that you have a wrong knowledge base for an airline you haven't traveled.

Also, when I book on legacy airlines (like our Delta premium economy in 2 weeks) I book my son and I in aisles across from each other, just like we choose to sit on southwest. It's awesome. I get the easier access to bathroom breaks (I cannot stand asking others to move so I can get out of the aisle) and his long legs get access to the aisle. This isn't just a SW thing for me. I think the first flight I did it on was on Aer Lingus heading to Ireland. He had fun trying to watch a movie I would not have approved of LOL. Until I caught him 45 minutes later.

AND several years back we were on a multi-plane trip from SEA to LAX, and didn't have seats together. This was on United. There was "weather" on the east coast and a bunch of the planes couldn't get over to the west on time. So all our flights were messed up, and assigned seats were out the window. The closest I got to him was 3 rows in front of him. He was 8, I believe, at the time. Handled it like a pro. And the 3 rows apart were only because people heard me settling him in and offered me a closer seat than I'd been assigned. And YES I asked repeatedly to be closer to him when checking bags and at the gates.

Less likely to be an issue in first, but then again some First classes have only 2 seats on each side, so it's not like you're right there next to YOUR family.

And IMO it's not rude for someone to point out that to others we're all randos. To you I'm a rando. To me, you are. Nothing rude about seeing yourself from someone else's perspective.

 

[bumbershoot]

with SW you either have to pay more or line up early.

No lining up early with SW anymore.

It IS a thing with legacies, though. Painfully a thing.

Good to know. I won't be flying Delta either now.

They all change equipment (aka planes).
They ALL lose seating assignments for that reason or others.
As I said earlier in the thread, I started using SW after United lost my pre-chosen seat too many times.

Not for a number of years. You sit comfortably  in the a terminal until your boarding group is called.

Yep!!

Many are making decisions based on incorrect info though. There is no longer a 'cattle call' for SW boarding.

Yep!

I lost 145 lbs, the middle seat is kind of like a badge of pride for me now! 

It's such a good feeling.

When I was at goal I was happy to sit in the middle and make things more comfy for people. And my now-ex-husband is definitely a person of size, and he feels awful about it (genetics and a pituitary tumor make things very very difficult for him), so if I can smile at a person of size coming towards my aisle and be gracious about sitting with them, then I might have made their day brighter.

His days were certainly made darker by the reactions of jerks on planes, and I always hoped he would get someone like me to sit next to on his work trips.

The main time I remember we were three strangers sitting in a row, and the other two were bigger than I was. I offered to take the aisle rather than whatever seat I was in, to make things better for them. We were all so much happier and more comfortable. I shoulda parlayed that into a free drink.

 

[bumbershoot]

I understand the instinct to take a stand against rudeness and entitlement, but I don't think this is the right place to do so. Otherwise you're just contributing to an increase of rudeness and entitlement in the world.

You can use the word "entitlement" two different ways. One is the modern version where it's bad bad bad. The other is the longer-standing version that means you've paid for something and therefore have a right to expect it. Like dining plan entitlements. Or access to a Club lounge when you've paid for Club level. Or sitting in the seat you've chosen because you paid for access to it or you logged in early enough to board earlier than someone else. That's the "entitlement" the OP had, and it's not a bad word; it's actually something he's entitled to.

Yeah, I once switched from F1 to C1 so the man in that seat could be right with his family instead of across the aisle. Never again! Woman in B1 was up every freaking ten minutes, walking in place, doing knee bends, etc. Five hours! On the redeye!!I

Never again!

Shudder.

And I can see my now-ex MIL doing JUST that on a flight.

Back in '95, you know, the good old days of flying when everything was more spectacular , I was on a flight from JFK to Shannon. Redeye. Everyone's trying to sleep. Except for the woman across the aisle who was talking about what was going to happen when she saw her boyfriend again, drinking far too much, and *playing a guitar* the whole flight. (that's exactly how I looked when we landed and my companion said that even though she had been driven around in Ireland, she had never driven (unlike what she'd said months earlier when I booked the B&B/rentalcar package), and I would have to drive even though she had slept all night)

Why carry items around with you when you can check them for free?

Because I want my stuff with me. I'm often on a shorter trip and do not have the days available to wait for delayed luggage. Or I'm on a running trip where I want to have my gear with me. I will also check bags AND have carryons. I bring the stuff I need and want, and want to have those things as close as possible.

But honestly I've been on many flights with FAs who are claiming the bins are full WELL before they are full, or they'll close them with a bag and a coat in them rather than rearrange, etc. Frustrating beyond belief when they do that.

Don't the boarding passes indicate EBCI?

Another thread indicated that some paper passes do, but digital passes do not.

Family boarding is designed so families with young kids can sit together.

Hmm.. That might be easy to think, given that now it's after A, but I don't think that's what it's for. I think it's for what it was for when it was before others, and what it is on other airlines, and that means it's a chance to get the young children settled and calm, and to put carseats in place, etc.

We have seen Southwest say that two adults can board with children and everyone else has to wait. Then they allowed people to save seats, so what is the point?

Anyone can sit in those "saved" seats.

We sat towards the back of the plane on both flights due to seat savers. Most seat savers were saving two additional seats.

So sit there. You didn't *have to* go to the back. Though I like the back; fewer people to get up and get in front of me in line for a bathroom. And FAs seem to be nicer when you sit closer to them.

SW should have a firm policy on it.

They do. "Save it if you want, but anyone can sit there, so don't complain if someone takes your 'saved' seat."

As someone who has not flown in 15 years prior to April 11th, I was surprised to read about the way SW and some other airlines are now.

I've been flying that whole time you haven't been (plus before), and I've flown all the domestic airlines plus a couple of internationals in that time, and in my experience, SW is better and legacy airlines are worse.

 

[maxiesmom]

The legacy airlines are notorious for swapping out planes at the last minute and scattering families all over the plane. Boarding is more orderly than with a traditional boarding system where everyone hovers around waiting for their boarding group to be called. SW changed their boarding procedure years ago (maybe 8 or so) to eliminate the corals.

I would argue that the best way to guarantee your family sits together is ONLY on SW with EBCI.

We are flying Delta in July, and my sister (who purchased the tickets) has had to re-assign our seats multiple times. They keep moving us around for whatever reason.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

We fly out of Midway in Chicago and we have always bought EBCI since we have three kids and like to sit one row behind another (two kids with DH and one with me). We have always been late A boarding, but we have flown in Sept and Oct. We have a flight booked for June with EBCI and I am hoping for a similar boarding position, but since school is out I am not sure we will get it. We will see. I am not opposed to moving, but I agree that I don't feel obligated to do so if we have our ideal seats first since we purchased EBCI.

We fly MDW also. I’ve always gotten A with EBCI until this past February. But we switched flights about 10 days prior so that pushed us to B12(ish). It was the first flight of the day and large medical preboard parties and tons of family boarding put us in second to last row of plane in last full empty row of 3.

As long as you purchased tickets at least 2 months I’m sure you’ll get A. I suspect a lot of people traveling out of MDW don’t purchase EBCI (in my experience traveling at all times of year).

 

[delilah]

A couple of years ago, we had ebci for our family of three for a flight out of MCO. Our wants are pretty basic, just all three of us in a row of three. We chose our seat, and my husband immediately got up to go to the restroom. He had been sitting in the middle seat. We were actually in the early As, about A 27 or so. He took so long to get back to the seat, that the Cs were boarding. One woman came through, enquired about the seat. I told her it was taken, my husband was in the restroom, should be back momentarily. It was late enough in boarding that she went to the back of the plane, then came back to our row, and I told her again that the seat was taken. I must have sounded irritated because my son chided me on being "rude". I was a bit exasperated with my husband and told him in the future that he should try to use the restroom before boarding the plane. I guess my son and I looked like better seat partners than those further back in the plane

 

[Searc]

Yes. Airport you're starting from and going to.

I have been on a flight with my son where we checked in immediately at 24 and were NOT in early Bs. We were most definitely further back than that.

So despite SOME people's extreme doses of pixie dust that they think happens to everyone, it's not an absolute that 24 hours will give you at worst a low B number.

They are also conveniently ignoring B's board after Family Boarding, which going to MCO could be anywhere from 30-50 people.

 

[cruisin5]

We are flying Delta in July, and my sister (who purchased the tickets) has had to re-assign our seats multiple times. They keep moving us around for whatever reason.

American downsized our plane from Charleston to Charlotte and scattered us all around the plane. The only seats next to each other were "preferred". I paid the fee but wasn't happy about it (nervous flier!). It's not even an extra legroom seat! We're off to Hilton Head next month.

 

[MillauFr]

We won't ever fly Southwest because they don't fly non-stop to Orange County or Long Beach from Seattle. They make you connect in the Bay Area. Even if I got A1 and got to the connecting gate after the flight started boarding I would get screwed. I prefer to fly non-stop on Alaska.

 

[FCDub]

Not the point of the thread, but OK.

And you wouldn’t be “screwed.” There are like 200 seats on a plane. I’m sure you’d be able to find a satisfactory one.

 

[sam_gordon]

Even if I got A1 and got to the connecting gate after the flight started boarding I would get screwed.

So plan a long enough layover?

I rarely fly SW because the price isn't really much of a difference, even with the bags (I get a free bag on Delta). So why bother?