Sitting with child on Southwest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would check if you have early bird checkin— I think it comes automatically with some fare classes so some award tickets get it.

If you don’t have it and are worried, you can spend like $20 pp to get it. Early bird checkin has southwest check you in before anyone not paying for it so it will guarantee you boarding numbers low enough to sit together.

That said if you just set an alarm on your phone for 24 hrs before your flight and check in as close to 24 hours as possible it is highly likely you will be able to get a low enough number to sit together.

I wouldn’t rely on this if it’s really important that you sit together. Last few times I flew with Southwest, even with exactly 24 hour check in, my number was so high there were only middle seats left on the flights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretend to be disabled and pre-board like every other lying jerk who flies Southwest. It’s free and no one asks any questions.

I've been flying SW a lot recently and was wondering how all these people got pre-boarding! No visible disability and they walked onto the plane no problem. I also saw one individual in a wheelchair but they were brining 5-6 family members with them. It was really out of control. What's the point of the number system if so many people cut the line.

The last time I flew SW I was amazed that there were 50? HS aged kids that were all boarded even before the A's. I guess it was because they were a group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretend to be disabled and pre-board like every other lying jerk who flies Southwest. It’s free and no one asks any questions.

I've been flying SW a lot recently and was wondering how all these people got pre-boarding! No visible disability and they walked onto the plane no problem. I also saw one individual in a wheelchair but they were brining 5-6 family members with them. It was really out of control. What's the point of the number system if so many people cut the line.

The last time I flew SW I was amazed that there were 50? HS aged kids that were all boarded even before the A's. I guess it was because they were a group?

It sounds like the plane came from some other destination and the group was already on there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't normally fly Southwest and I have no kind of status with them. A relative used points to buy tickets for me and my 10 year old to fly from BWI to Raleigh (and back) for a visit. These will be weekday flights in August so hopefully not crowded, but I'm still a little worried about seating. Is there anything I can or should do to ensure we have no trouble sitting together on the flights?

Before I had kids, I never liked to fly Southwest. I always thought it was somehow a lesser airline. However, after having kids it’s the only airline I fly unless I cannot because of the route, or some other reason. I love Southwest because there are lots of kids and babies on board who are crying etc. and it makes me feel very very comfortable if my children aren’t being perfectl. And that’s in stark contrast to something like United where you have eye rollers who think because they paid for premium economy, or something like that that they’re entitled to complete silence.

All the negative attention about children and parents sitting together is disturbing, but quite frankly I’ve never experienced it. I’ve never known anyone who has personally experienced it, and I have never had a problem sleeping with my kids, even when they were babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretend to be disabled and pre-board like every other lying jerk who flies Southwest. It’s free and no one asks any questions.

One time I had thrown my back out while traveling for work and I couldn't even stand up straight. I asked if i could preboard so that I didn't have to stand in line for any period of time, I was in such pain I was literally in tears when I was asking, but they said no, I had to do standard boarding. So at least in some cases you can't just pretend to be disabled and preboard.

That said, I still love Southwest and fly them often. I have gotten high Bs when checking in right at 24 hours, but have still always been able to sit with my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretend to be disabled and pre-board like every other lying jerk who flies Southwest. It’s free and no one asks any questions.

I've been flying SW a lot recently and was wondering how all these people got pre-boarding! No visible disability and they walked onto the plane no problem. I also saw one individual in a wheelchair but they were brining 5-6 family members with them. It was really out of control. What's the point of the number system if so many people cut the line.

The last time I flew SW I was amazed that there were 50? HS aged kids that were all boarded even before the A's. I guess it was because they were a group?

Our private school flys Southwest on field trips. Yes they board first as a large group. They usually take the back section but I don’t know if that’s standard policy. There were about 100 of them for his 7th grade trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretend to be disabled and pre-board like every other lying jerk who flies Southwest. It’s free and no one asks any questions.

I've been flying SW a lot recently and was wondering how all these people got pre-boarding! No visible disability and they walked onto the plane no problem. I also saw one individual in a wheelchair but they were brining 5-6 family members with them. It was really out of control. What's the point of the number system if so many people cut the line.

This- I have no problem taking my 8yo in family boarding because many times I have seen large groups of adults boarding with 1 disabled member.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Your 10 yr old can't sit without you for a couple of hours??? This shouldn't be an issue.

I’m not the OP but it’s not about not sitting with me. It’s about sitting next to complete strangers in a somewhat confined space. Where else would you force an young child to sit a few inches from a stranger with no parent present? It’s asinine.

School buses. Kids all over the country do it every single day.
-not the pp you quoted.

guess I should have been more specific… strange adults. With no background checks.

Exactly what do you think will happen? They will also be surrounded by other adults. If you were sitting on a plane and saw a small child being harmed by a stranger, would you just mind your own business? Or would you speak up/intervene?

Who is going to see or hear something on a loud plane where people are squished together? See it at all, or see it with enough confidence that they'd make a stink on the plane when they dont even know the adult isnt the kid's parent? Plus once it's happening the harm has already started, even if the kid yells and stands up.

ES kids shouldn't be seated away from parents, and I'm actually surprised airlines even allow the potential for in-flight drama over it. I think flying an unaccompanied minor is kinda nuts too but at least there the airline takes charge of the kid. That's not what's happening in open seating.

When I was 10, I was in 5th grade which was middle school, not elementary school.

So you're not familiar with the school systems in the DMV? Kids go to middle school in 6th grade.

Not everyone is in the DMV.

Yes but you said "when I was 10" not, my 10yo goes to middle school....if you are outside the DMV you probably have no idea when middle school starts in your district either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last flight they announced any MINOR could do family boarding. I don’t think you’ll have any problem. Set an alarm to check in right at 24 hours in advance to be absolutely sure.

Call me horrible, but I think it should be limited to small kids. The Southwest policy is seven and under. I would not normally care, but I've had three flights recently where I paid for early check-in and wound up in the B group. I don't think it's fair that people who paid to board earlier should have to defer to those who did not pay and who don't fit the criteria for family boarding.

Seven is young and that's likely why Southwest employees choose not to enforce it. If it was a more common sense age, then sure, be more strict about it. But believe me, flight attendants would rather kids just be sitting with their parents and letting them board with family boarding is the surest way to guarantee that.

I flew SW recently with my 7 year old twins who are tiny and look 5. The gate agent stopped us and said only under 7 could board with family boarding. The idea of a 7 year old sitting between strangers on a plane, out of sight of her parents, is totally nuts. I said they were 6, which is not ideal! The system is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks! It sounds like I can choose to spend money to upgrade boarding if I don't get a good boarding group upon check-in? If so, that's what I'll do.

I know SW has many fans, but to me it's so needlessly inconvenient not to assign seats.

I agree, and it's rarely ever the cheapest anymore. I don't understand why they don't offer the option of paying for assigned seats. I hate having to hover over the computer at the 24-hour mark, the lining up and asking people what their number is, the rush onto the plane to grab seats together. Traveling is stressful enough without this hassle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't normally fly Southwest and I have no kind of status with them. A relative used points to buy tickets for me and my 10 year old to fly from BWI to Raleigh (and back) for a visit. These will be weekday flights in August so hopefully not crowded, but I'm still a little worried about seating. Is there anything I can or should do to ensure we have no trouble sitting together on the flights?

Before I had kids, I never liked to fly Southwest. I always thought it was somehow a lesser airline. However, after having kids it’s the only airline I fly unless I cannot because of the route, or some other reason. I love Southwest because there are lots of kids and babies on board who are crying etc. and it makes me feel very very comfortable if my children aren’t being perfectl. And that’s in stark contrast to something like United where you have eye rollers who think because they paid for premium economy, or something like that that they’re entitled to complete silence.

All the negative attention about children and parents sitting together is disturbing, but quite frankly I’ve never experienced it. I’ve never known anyone who has personally experienced it, and I have never had a problem sleeping with my kids, even when they were babies.

+1 and the free checked bags!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't normally fly Southwest and I have no kind of status with them. A relative used points to buy tickets for me and my 10 year old to fly from BWI to Raleigh (and back) for a visit. These will be weekday flights in August so hopefully not crowded, but I'm still a little worried about seating. Is there anything I can or should do to ensure we have no trouble sitting together on the flights?

Before I had kids, I never liked to fly Southwest. I always thought it was somehow a lesser airline. However, after having kids it’s the only airline I fly unless I cannot because of the route, or some other reason. I love Southwest because there are lots of kids and babies on board who are crying etc. and it makes me feel very very comfortable if my children aren’t being perfectl. And that’s in stark contrast to something like United where you have eye rollers who think because they paid for premium economy, or something like that that they’re entitled to complete silence.

All the negative attention about children and parents sitting together is disturbing, but quite frankly I’ve never experienced it. I’ve never known anyone who has personally experienced it, and I have never had a problem sleeping with my kids, even when they were babies.

+1

What is the big deal. Parents want to sit with their kids and people are freaking out. What if there was an emergency on the plan, are the strangers on the plane sitting near my child really going to look out for them or comfort them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't normally fly Southwest and I have no kind of status with them. A relative used points to buy tickets for me and my 10 year old to fly from BWI to Raleigh (and back) for a visit. These will be weekday flights in August so hopefully not crowded, but I'm still a little worried about seating. Is there anything I can or should do to ensure we have no trouble sitting together on the flights?

Before I had kids, I never liked to fly Southwest. I always thought it was somehow a lesser airline. However, after having kids it’s the only airline I fly unless I cannot because of the route, or some other reason. I love Southwest because there are lots of kids and babies on board who are crying etc. and it makes me feel very very comfortable if my children aren’t being perfectl. And that’s in stark contrast to something like United where you have eye rollers who think because they paid for premium economy, or something like that that they’re entitled to complete silence.

All the negative attention about children and parents sitting together is disturbing, but quite frankly I’ve never experienced it. I’ve never known anyone who has personally experienced it, and I have never had a problem sleeping with my kids, even when they were babies.

+1

What is the big deal. Parents want to sit with their kids and people are freaking out. What if there was an emergency on the plan, are the strangers on the plane sitting near my child really going to look out for them or comfort them?

I agree it rarely happens but it did on my most recent flight. Flight attendants made several announcements. Mom was basically refusing to sit down until they accommodated her. (This was Southwest.) When someone finally relented it turns out the “kid” mom was demanding to sit with was as tall as mom. The kid looked mortified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretend to be disabled and pre-board like every other lying jerk who flies Southwest. It’s free and no one asks any questions.

They call the flight from BWI to FLL "the miracle flight"

Half the people get on the plane early in wheelchairs, and amazingly, when they touchdown in FLL, they stand right up and walk off with no chair

[Anonymous]

I have also noticed with checking in right at the 24-hour mark, whether the flight is departing from a hub or spoke is the determining factor in boarding position. It makes total sense though. Back when I lived in Chicago and flew SW out of Midway a couple times a year, I would end up end up at the back of the Bs or even early Cs checking in religiously at the 24-hour mark because all of the connecting passengers already got an assignment for the MDW-spoke leg when checking in 24 hours before their first flight from spoke-MDW. On my return from a spoke, I would be towards the front of the B group.

Having said all that, BWI is a hub for Southwest. So if you aren’t taking a very early morning flight, you are more likely to be “cut” in line by connecting passengers who checked in right on time.