I really dislike flying with SWA due to their boarding process

[bbak30]

Gonna vent for a minute here...

We usually drive to WDW since its only 10 hours. However, we flew this trip. The flight down was fine, but on the way back our boarding numbers were B12, B15, B55 and C1. I went to ask if my DD6 who was B55 could board with me and they told me to do family boarding. So I get in the line and was denied. Even though that's what they told me to do. They did let us all board in the first B group. Frustrating, but I was ok with it since I knew family boarding was ages 4 and below with ONE adult.

We get on the plane and practically everyone is holding seats. And it's obvious. Passed rows with bags tossed on seats to "hold" them. Very frustrating. We boarded in the first B group and are all the way in the back. I chose to follow the rules and not to buy one EBCI and save seats for my family. This entire experience was extremely frustrating. I won't be flying SWA again. They need to do a better job of enforcing me all of their rules. This is not a process, it's chaos.
Just a vent.

We did have a great trip though.

 

[Disneylover99]

Gonna vent for a minute here...

We usually drive to WDW since its only 10 hours. However, we flew this trip. The flight down was fine, but on the way back our boarding numbers were B12, B15, B55 and C1. I went to ask if my DD6 who was B55 could board with me and they told me to do family boarding. So I get in the line and was denied. Even though that's what they told me to do. They did let us all board in the first B group. Frustrating, but I was ok with it since I knew family boarding was ages 4 and below with ONE adult.

We get on the plane and practically everyone is holding seats. And it's obvious. Passed rows with bags tossed on seats to "hold" them. Very frustrating. We boarded in the first B group and are all the way in the back. I chose to follow the rules and not to buy one EBCI and save seats for my family. This entire experience was extremely frustrating. I won't be flying SWA again. They need to do a better job of enforcing me all of their rules. This is not a process, it's chaos.
Just a vent.

We did have a great trip though.

Next time, buy EBCI for everyone.

 

[Allison]

I like flying Southwest.

 

[leebee]

I like flying SW, and we've never run into overt seat-saving. I suppose there'll eventually be a "first time," but I'm not opposed to moving people's stuff to sit where I want. I also don't mind the back of the plane, so this wouldn't be too big of a deal for us. Prices and flying on reward points are what tips us to SW.

 

[FreeTime]

I always buy EBCI. However as that doesn't guarantee that I will always get a seat I prefer, I have no issues with saying to someone who has stuff strewn across seats, "hi how are you? I am going to take this seat." The seat savers know the rules. I have never had another passenger become rude. They move their stuff. If I don't want to sit in the back or a middle and that is all that is available, I will take a saved seat with no problem.

OP, it was great of SW to let you all board with the early B's. Technically if you wanted to board together you should have been in the C's.

 

[supersnoop]

Gonna vent for a minute here...

We usually drive to WDW since its only 10 hours. However, we flew this trip. The flight down was fine, but on the way back our boarding numbers were B12, B15, B55 and C1. I went to ask if my DD6 who was B55 could board with me and they told me to do family boarding. So I get in the line and was denied. Even though that's what they told me to do. They did let us all board in the first B group. Frustrating, but I was ok with it since I knew family boarding was ages 4 and below with ONE adult.

We get on the plane and practically everyone is holding seats. And it's obvious. Passed rows with bags tossed on seats to "hold" them. Very frustrating. We boarded in the first B group and are all the way in the back. I chose to follow the rules and not to buy one EBCI and save seats for my family. This entire experience was extremely frustrating. I won't be flying SWA again. They need to do a better job of enforcing me all of their rules. This is not a process, it's chaos.
Just a vent.

We did have a great trip though.

Just to be clear, you didn't "follow the rules" if your B55 boarded with the early B's. You're always welcome to move back and board with the later numbers, but you don't get to move someone up to board earlier.

And, there's no rules against saving seats. But there's no rule allowing the saving of seats. So there's no rule there for them to "enforce."

It just sounds like Southwest didn't work for you, and that's okay. But don't go blaming them for it.

 

[disney world dreamer]

you don't know that everyone else did EBCI to save a seat for the rest of their group.

personally i love SWA and i'm fine with their boarding procedures.

even with boarding positions in the high B's i have not had an issue finding whole rows empty.

and i've found that other passengers are quite accomodating to those that come on last that have children.
i as well as others have offered to change seats so that people can sit with their children.

i much rather find my own seat once i get on than be assigned a seat or have to pay X amount to choose my own seat.

 

[Baklava]

So you got a perk. People who were not entitled to board in the first B group did so anyway. That's a bonus for you.

While it is frustrating to find the seats you want are being held, I have to ask- if part of your party had gotten on before the others, would you not also have held seats? It sounds like you got seats together, so while they're not exactly where you wanted them, that's kind of a fact of open boarding.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy SW. There are other airlines that will let you pay for the things you want that you didn't get, and I hope you are happier on one of them next trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

They need to do a better job of enforcing me all of their rules.

They let two rules slide *for you*. 55 got on with the early Bs. The C in your group got on with the early Bs! Do you want those rules enforced?

And there were no other rules to enforce. They have no rule about seat saving. You are PERFECTLY allowed to walk up to a "saved" seat and sit there. I mean, if the person is in the bathroom on the plane, don't sit there, but if they are standing out in the Cs (where one of your party should have still been), then take it.

I went to ask if my DD6 who was B55 could board with me and they told me to do family boarding. So I get in the line and was denied. Even though that's what they told me to do.

Same gate agent? When denied, did you point to the gate agent (if it wasn't the same one) to explain that they told you to board at that time?

I also don't mind the back of the plane, so this wouldn't be too big of a deal for us.

Same.

 

[maxiesmom]

Buy Early Bird Check In if you want a better boarding position.

 

[bbak30]

Thanks for all of the replies. I don't think SWA is for us at all. I was under the impression that saving seats was against the rules.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Thanks for all of the replies. I don't think SWA is for us at all. I was under the impression that saving seats was against the rules.

Southwest doesn't have rules against saving seats. I imagine their FAs are sick and tired of dealing with this issue and I don't blame them.

I agree; fly another airline. I do.

 

[bbak30]

Southwest doesn't have rules against saving seats. I imagine their FAs are sick and tired of dealing with this issue and I don't blame them.

I agree; fly another airline. I do.

Good point. We don't fly often and Disney is only a 10 hour drive for us. That's why we usually drive. Lesson learned I suppose. The whole boarding process stressed me out

I will say that everyone was super nice and it was awesome to get home so quickly!

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

And you didn't mind breaking the rules but were upset that other people did? Even though, technically, the only ones breaking any rules were you and your party.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

Buy Early Bird Check In if you want a better boarding position.

Agreed. Even with the $100 for Early Bird round trip for my family of 4, SW is by far best deal for us. I typically book very early, so we have great boarding positions.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

Good point. We don't fly often and Disney is only a 10 hour drive for us. That's why we usually drive. Lesson learned I suppose. The whole boarding process stressed me out

I will say that everyone was super nice and it was awesome to get home so quickly!

I was stressed out the first time we flew SWA too. My youngest was also 6 and I hadn't purchased Early Bird. It worked out fine but I was worried about her having to sit alone.

 

[Judyat]

We like Southwest. If I didn't like their boarding process I would book their early bird boarding. Simple as that. I find their fares beat others so it's worth it to add it on. We usually do well as long as we check in 24 hours ahead.

 

[karly05]

OP, I'm turned off by SW's boarding process, too. I'm a solo, so don't have to worry about getting seats together - but I'm a milquetoast pushover and would end up sitting in the middle of the back row between 2 sumo wrestlers because I would be so distressed by anyone who gave me the stink-eye for being in a seat they wanted me to move from so they could have it. I feel better with a piece of paper that says "15A" or whatever is MY seat, the airline says so.

SW schedules from my home are so sparse and inconvenient, it's a non-issue for me, but I've just been too scared by the horror stories I read on the DIS.

 

[Yellowjj]

So let me get this right. You refused to pay for EBCI for any of your party. Was allowed to board in Family boarding, but only could find empty seating to the back of the plane? Yet this is a huge problem for you and Southwest deserves a venting for not enforcing non-existent policies out of Orlando (where everyone is in family boarding it seems)?


You do realize the back of the plane is the same as the front. Everybody arrives at the same time. If you prefer sitting up front in assigned seats, then your solution is Delta, American, United and Jet blue. Where you can select the seats you want; where-ever in the plane you want.

 

[yitbos96bb]

So let me get this right. You refused to pay for EBCI for any of your party. Was allowed to board in Family boarding, but only could find empty seating to the back of the plane? Yet this is a huge problem for you and Southwest deserves a venting for not enforcing non-existent policies out of Orlando (where everyone is in family boarding it seems)?


You do realize the back of the plane is the same as the front. Everybody arrives at the same time. If you prefer sitting up front in assigned seats, then your solution is Delta, American, United and Jet blue. Where you can select the seats you want; where-ever in the plane you want.

Back of the plane is not the same as the front for many people. I hate that false argument. But you are correct that if you want to guarantee you are close to front, SWA is not for you.


I do fly SWA and have the highest status level on the airline.

I will say that it is absolutely ridiculous that SWA doesn't take a stand, one way or the other, on the seat saving. Their only stance is essentially work it out on your own.

They really should post on their site either Seat Saving not allowed or Seat Saving is allowed for X places.

Otherwise, why could I legitimately save the first 3 rows of the plane? It's cowardly of them to not take a stance.

Worse than the ones saving a row, are the ones who try to save multiple rows... Of which I used to ignore and sit anyway.

We don't save seats on SWA. I'm against it. But if SWA actually adopted a policy for or against, then I'd at least respect it.