Flying SW with a kid too old for family boarding

[Anonymous]

We fly Southwest back to my home town as it’s an easy hub to hub flight. We normally take advantage of family boarding as our 3 kids have been under six. My oldest is now 8 (haven’t flown in several years) and SW’s policy is two adults per kid under 6.

I have two under six and one over. I assume I just have my 8 year old stand with his group and board then? I totally understand why they allow boarding early for younger kids but I assume we no longer qualify for him. Is that your experience?

[Anonymous]

Ask the desk agent ahead of time and I would pay extra for A group boarding.

[Anonymous]

I think the whole family boards early.

[Anonymous]

The whole family boards early. You're talking about family boarding between groups A and B, correct? IME southwest is great about this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask the desk agent ahead of time and I would pay extra for A group boarding.

For the whole family or just the 8 year old?

[Anonymous]

They will let you board with family

[Anonymous]

I’m 90% sure that the whole parents-children family boards at the same time in alignment with status of the youngest family member. The adults per child thing is so that a family doesn’t have 1 baby and try to board early with aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. No reasonable person wants you to leave a minor child alone in an airport - even for 15 minutes.

[Anonymous]

You have the formula wrong, it not more than two adults per kid under 6. It prevents grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, adult cousin, creepy uncle’s trophy wife from all saying “but we’re family”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have the formula wrong, it not more than two adults per kid under 6. It prevents grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, adult cousin, creepy uncle’s trophy wife from all saying “but we’re family”.

This. Why is this so hard for people to understand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We fly Southwest back to my home town as it’s an easy hub to hub flight. We normally take advantage of family boarding as our 3 kids have been under six. My oldest is now 8 (haven’t flown in several years) and SW’s policy is two adults per kid under 6.

I have two under six and one over. I assume I just have my 8 year old stand with his group and board then? I totally understand why they allow boarding early for younger kids but I assume we no longer qualify for him. Is that your experience?

Your 8 year old can be one of the adults. They don’t mean adults, they mean each person who gets preboarding can bring two others who don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have the formula wrong, it not more than two adults per kid under 6. It prevents grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, adult cousin, creepy uncle’s trophy wife from all saying “but we’re family”.

This. Why is this so hard for people to understand?

Just because people breed doesn’t mean they get special status. There should be no kid boarding at all. Everyone waits in line or pays extra for group A.

I appreciate the OP having her child wait his turn. Kids aren’t special.

[Anonymous]

I doubt they will comment on your 8 year old bording with the group in family bording but if you can send one parent and younger kids first and then the other parent and 8 year old on line...saving seats of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they will comment on your 8 year old bording with the group in family bording but if you can send one parent and younger kids first and then the other parent and 8 year old on line...saving seats of course.

Please do not save seats. That is rude. And 8 year old is capable of sitting alone.

[Anonymous]

I’ve taken my 9yo on family boarding ( no younger kids) my spouse stayed in B group. We got on after A and saved spouse a seat with us. 9yo had middle seat in row of 3. You’ll be fine in family boarding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they will comment on your 8 year old bording with the group in family bording but if you can send one parent and younger kids first and then the other parent and 8 year old on line...saving seats of course.

Please do not save seats. That is rude. And 8 year old is capable of sitting alone.

it’s not rude if they’re saving middle seats or the seats in their row.