Southwest to have assigned seating

[Sparrow'sLady]

No, it counts towards your one personal item allotment. So, if you have a purse and a neck pillow, now that's two personal items. So, most people carrying a carry-on, a personal item, and a neck pillow have to stuff that neck pillow into something cuz they can only bring two items on board.

False.
Southwest clearly states: neck pillows do not count toward the carryon limit

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

lucky? Lenient FAs. Only carryon & the neck pillow as personal item?

No.
SWA clearly states on their website neck pillows do not count toward the carry-on limit. If a FA is adamant it is a carry-on, they do not know their own company policy.

 

[keishashadow]

If a FA is adamant it is a carry-on, they do not know their own company policy.

Be that as it may, I follow the gate & FA instructions

 

[EACarlson]

No.
SWA clearly states on their website neck pillows do not count toward the carry-on limit. If a FA is adamant it is a carry-on, they do not know their own company policy.

Are you willing to miss your flight to stand up for that position? That is without doubt what is going to happen if you flat refuse to comply. Quite possibly losing the money for the ticket. It's covered under the contract of carriage that you agree to when you buy the ticket. You agree to follow or obey the instructions of the crew. I'm not disagreeing that what happens at the gate isn't following the published policies of the airline. But there is no way for you to win at the moment. You may win a DOT complaint, but you're not going to be on that flight.

 

[pens4821]

False.
Southwest clearly states: neck pillows do not count toward the carryon limit

No.
SWA clearly states on their website neck pillows do not count toward the carry-on limit. If a FA is adamant it is a carry-on, they do not know their own company policy.

FYI (as I stated a few posts before yours) on my flight in the last couple weeks they distinctly said if you had a carryon, personal, and neck pillow you had to put the neck pillow in your bag. Each person was only allowed two items. I’m not sure if they actually stood by that or not, but it was mentioned. I’m pretty sure it was Pittsburgh I heard it, but it may have been Houston.

I have no knowledge if they follow through. I also have no knowledge if they say this at every airport/gate. Heck I don’t even know if they mentioned it at both airports we flew out of. I don’t really pay much attention to the preboard talking because it’s never usually new information. However I do know it was said at least once because it caught my attention because it was my first time traveling with a neck pillow (that was in my personal item so it really didn’t concern me).

 

[focusondisney]

We flew home from MCO last evening. I listened for anything about neck pillows but the agents didn’t specifically mention them. We were there as the flight before ours started boarding. I did see an early A passenger on that flight was made to step aside & consolidate her multiple small items as other passengers stepped past her & continued to board.

 

[Sykes]

Are you willing to miss your flight to stand up for that position? That is without doubt what is going to happen if you flat refuse to comply. Quite possibly losing the money for the ticket. It's covered under the contract of carriage that you agree to when you buy the ticket. You agree to follow or obey the instructions of the crew. I'm not disagreeing that what happens at the gate isn't following the published policies of the airline. But there is no way for you to win at the moment. You may win a DOT complaint, but you're not going to be on that flight.

Personally I am, but my travel is usually pretty flexible so it's usually not a big deal if I miss my flight. As a travel agent, I frequently find myself in a position where I have to inform an agent about the policies of their own airline. I'm never rude, dismissive, or aggressive, but I am assertive, and to date have been 100% successful in winning in the moment (and managed to not have missed any flights!).

 

[Dznypal]

This was quite a few years ago. We were coming back from wdw end of Jan when there was a cheer competition
The group Thst sat behind us won a very large trophy that took up one whole over head bin
So the girls just put their carryons wherever. I’m surprised they couldn’t do something else with this trophy instead of taking up
So much room.
I bet that wouldn’t fly now

 

[bluedolphin32]

Noticed since late Spring, SWA has been more diligent about carryon items…to point where they often insist people stuff blankets & neck pillows into their carry on or personal item.

Neck pillows are explicitly exempt from the Southwest carry on policy. They do not count towards either the carry on or personal item limits.

I was surprised to hear the announcements about consolidating neck pillows the last time we flew between Texas and DC at the end of our summer break. One of my kids brought one and we stuffed it into the backpack just in case it caused a problem. If that is their policy now, I hope they update the website soon to match. It seems silly to me, but I wouldn't dare to argue with the gate agent about it.

My mom carries a tote bag as her personal item now. She sticks her purse in there, plus any other small items or jackets she carries with her. I guess that would be a good solution for the neck pillows as well.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Southwest extended their schedule to next June today, and there was nothing in booking (yes, I was one of those people who pounced and booked the first day) about seating being any different from before. So do other people think that most likely that means there'll be no assigned seating before at least next June 4th?

 

[2010dvcfan]

Southwest extended their schedule to next June today, and there was nothing in booking (yes, I was one of those people who pounced and booked the first day) about seating being any different from before. So do other people think that most likely that means there'll be no assigned seating before at least next June 4th?

Me too, I got up at 5 AM MST to get the late April flights good thing I did they have already gone up from $275 to $413 one way today. I was hoping for assigned seats but nothing still same early bird option to board early.

 

[focusondisney]

So do other people think that most likely that means there'll be no assigned seating before at least next June 4th?

Absolutely. Before anything gets implemented, they’ll make announcements re: how things will work. There’s no way they’ll implement it with previously sold flights. Can you imagine the disaster if they sold tickets promising open seating & then switched & said…… no now you have to sit where we say??? There would be so many lawsuits & they’d be hauled into Congress before you could blink. They’re trying to increase their income, not spend money defending themselves in court. Not to even mention what a PR disaster it would be.

 

[FreeTime]

Absolutely. Before anything gets implemented, they’ll make announcements re: how things will work. There’s no way they’ll implement it with previously sold flights. Can you imagine the disaster if they sold tickets promising open seating & then switched & said…… no now you have to sit where we say??? There would be so many lawsuits & they’d be hauled into Congress before you could blink. They’re trying to increase their income, not spend money defending themselves in court. Not to even mention what a PR disaster it would be.

There are ways around it. They could off a better perceived option. “We will be moving to assigned seating for tickets purchased after X date. You have until XX/XX/XXXX to pick from any seat on the plane.” Then, they sell what is left.

 

[kwdw]

Deleted

 

[focusondisney]

There are ways around it. They could off a better perceived option. “We will be moving to assigned seating for tickets purchased after X date. You have until XX/XX/XXXX to pick from any seat on the plane.” Then, they sell what is left.

Disagree. And what you propose certainly isn’t a better option. If I buy business select on the first day fares are released, it should get me first choice of almost any seat on the plane. You think they’re gonna go customer by customer & let people pick in order of what boarding order they would have gotten?? Coz any other way wouldn’t be what they sold it as.

They’d also have to give full refund options. Not likely as they publicly admit they need revenue. If they wanted it to start with or before next June, they could easily have delayed this release by 2 days. But, I guess we’ll know tomorrow.

 

[Marrila]

Disagree. And what you propose certainly isn’t a better option. If I buy business select on the first day fares are released, it should get me first choice of almost any seat on the plane. You think they’re gonna go customer by customer & let people pick in order of what boarding order they would have gotten?? Coz any other way wouldn’t be what they sold it as.

They’d also have to give full refund options. Not likely as they publicly admit they need revenue.

I think business select will have their own reserved rows in the front of the plane.

 

[Best Guest]

But, I guess we’ll know tomorrow.

What will we know tomorrow?

 

[focusondisney]

I think business select will have their own reserved rows in the front of the plane.

Probably, it might become the extra leg room, premium seating they’ve mentioned.

 

[focusondisney]

What will we know tomorrow?

We’ll know more than we know now. They’re supposed to release more information at their investor meeting.

 

[Best Guest]

Probably, it might become the extra leg room, premium seating they’ve mentioned.

This is what I think too.

We’ll know more than we know now. They’re supposed to release more information at their investor meeting.

Okay. For some reason I thought that was on Friday.