What say you? Re Southwest boarding

[Anonymous]

Flying tomorrow AM just me with 6yo and 9yo. Forgot to check in early so now I'm in boarding group C. Should we try to do family boarding, even though the kids are too old, or just hope we can get middle seats in the same vicinity? The kids will be well behaved, though they will be freaked out to sit alone.

[Anonymous]

Just flew SW..family boarding is under 5 but maybe a 6 year old would pass enough not to be asked. I think someone will get up for you with a 6 year old too. You also might be able to pay for advanced boarding at this point. They were still pushing it even at the airport when I flew. GL

[Anonymous]

You'll probably find someone who is willing to swap so you can have two seats together for you and 6 year old. I'd have 9 year old sit in the middle seat in the row in front of wherever we could get two seats together. If you can't find anyone who volunteers to move, then just do you in the middle middle, 6 year old in middle in front of you, 9 year old in middle of back of you. The second someone has a 6 year old sit next to them without a parent, they will probably volunteer to move.

Or you can pay for priority boarding if it isn't already sold out.

[Anonymous]

Your kids won't be sitting alone - there will be people all around them.

[Anonymous]

The 9 yr old, especially, is a little old to be freaked-out about sitting alone. But if your children are going to freak out, well, yes, that's what 'family boarding' is for. Us it. It's for your situation.

[Anonymous]

This happened to me on my last flight-- I was honest with the gate agent, and she told me to join family boarding. They don't want unsupervised kids either!

[Anonymous]

Someone will switch with you / kids. Look for college kids. They're always agreeable.

[Anonymous]

LOL, on our last SW flight two high school girls on a dance team trip sitting in the middle seats in two rows asked my DH to give up his aisle seat across the aisle from me and our two kids and take the middle seat in the row in front so they could sit together. Uh, no...

[Anonymous]

I really think there should be a rule that if a kid is too young to fly unaccompanied then the airline needs to provide a free guarantee that you'll be able to sit with that kid.

[Anonymous]

I thought they stuck to the rule and was worried as my child turned five on the trip. I saw another mom with kids about your age go up so I asked her. She always did it no problem. I would try it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really think there should be a rule that if a kid is too young to fly unaccompanied then the airline needs to provide a free guarantee that you'll be able to sit with that kid.

On some airlines, kids can fly unaccompanied at 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really think there should be a rule that if a kid is too young to fly unaccompanied then the airline needs to provide a free guarantee that you'll be able to sit with that kid.

SW offers family boarding for kids 4 and under, and allows 5 year olds to fly unaccompanied. So they do provide this.

A 6 year old is old enough to ride on a school bus without a parent on the same vehicle. They're old enough to sit a row ahead of mom. Chances are someone will give up seats, but if not they'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

I can't image that there would be any issues with a single adult (mom or dad) with 2 kids younger than 10 trying to use family boarding.

But even if there were, I can't imagine that some one wouldn't be willing to switch with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think there should be a rule that if a kid is too young to fly unaccompanied then the airline needs to provide a free guarantee that you'll be able to sit with that kid.

SW offers family boarding for kids 4 and under, and allows 5 year olds to fly unaccompanied. So they do provide this.

A 6 year old is old enough to ride on a school bus without a parent on the same vehicle. They're old enough to sit a row ahead of mom. Chances are someone will give up seats, but if not they'll be fine.

No, not all. Yours may be ok but mine would not be. And, my child does not ride a school bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think there should be a rule that if a kid is too young to fly unaccompanied then the airline needs to provide a free guarantee that you'll be able to sit with that kid.

SW offers family boarding for kids 4 and under, and allows 5 year olds to fly unaccompanied. So they do provide this.

A 6 year old is old enough to ride on a school bus without a parent on the same vehicle. They're old enough to sit a row ahead of mom. Chances are someone will give up seats, but if not they'll be fine.

No, not all. Yours may be ok but mine would not be. And, my child does not ride a school bus.

Then pay for early boarding.