Confused ~ Southwest check in ?

[stacyinpa]

I know this must have been mentioned alot lately, but I dont think I quite 'get it'.

 

SW allows checkin online 24 hours prior to your flight - correct?

 

OK, so then if I have a 1:55 PM flight on Dec 17th....and I sit at my computer on Dec 16 at 1:55 PM I can check in and pick my seat? Or I dont pick seats, just get to be the FIRST to pick once on the flight?

 

Do I have this right?

 

I appologize if this has been repeated, but I just wanna understand it right.

 

Thanks a bunch :)

Stacy

[usha]

Southwest doesn't have assigned seating. They have group A, group B and group C. The first 1/3 to check in are given "A" boarding passes, and when the plane is being boarded, they'll have first crack at choosing seats. This is after those who need help boarding and those with small children are "pre-boarded". If you really want to have a chance to sit together, it would pay to do online check in and print out your boarding passes with the A on them. You'll still have a line of people holding A's to deal with, but at least you won't be walking on the plane last, looking for seats wherever you can find them.

[parody]

SW allows checkin online 24 hours prior to your flight - correct?

 

Correct

 

And while this is more than what you probably want to know, it adds to what usha said: The first 45 people to check in get an "A", although a customer of size counts as two. The next 45 get a "B". The rest get a "C". Each boarding pass shows your check-in sequence number, up to 137 (the number of seats on all but the oldest Southwest airplanes) in addition to the letter. If someone is removed from the flight (e.g., catches an earlier flight), their sequence number is put back in the pool. If you happen to check in immediately afterwards, you may draw an "A" or "B" even though the person ahead of you got a "C".

[stacyinpa]

Thank You for your explanations! I appreciate them very much. My cruise critic buddies always pull me through!

 

I just thought the cruise line woudl assign seats because if we are all 'A's' and get first crack at choosing, wouldnt that let seats open sparadically (sp) all over the flight for those coming in line after us....therefore the likelyhood of those sitting together is scarce?

 

There are 5 of us traveling. The flight dont appear to be sold out since I check alot to compare prices from what its at now.

 

Thanks again,

Stacy

[finoky]

At some point over an hour before boarding someone will plop themself down at the beginning of the "A" boarding line. That usully leads to a lot of others doing the same thing. First ones on the plane get the first choice as to where they want to sit. If everyone wants to sit together then be prepared to stand/sit in line for over an hour before boarding.

[Coolmama_1]

At some point over an hour before boarding someone will plop themself down at the beginning of the "A" boarding line. That usully leads to a lot of others doing the same thing. First ones on the plane get the first choice as to where they want to sit. If everyone wants to sit together then be prepared to stand/sit in line for over an hour before boarding.

 

That is so true. I love to sit back and watch the peer pressure!:D Seriously, only 30% will be in the A group so you still have a good chance of sitting together. It seems that those who get in line first want to sit in the front of the plane so they can escape quickly. Note that these will be the same people who jump up and turn on their cell phones as soon as possible:D

[CruisinMatt]

Air travel tends to be stressful enough, but this method sounds awful! I heard that many people praise SW (never have flown them myself). What are the "pros" to this??

[Bequia]

Air travel tends to be stressful enough, but this method sounds awful! I heard that many people praise SW (never have flown them myself). What are the "pros" to this??

 

It's not as awful as it sounds. The A, B, C lines work. It actually speeds up the loading process and helps to insure that the plane takes off on time. The choose your own seat aspect is wonderful. It's frustrating standing in a que when inexperienced travelers are looking for their seats. Being able to sit anywhere cuts down on the wait.

Other airlines have already begun copying SW's efficient loading practices.

[parody]

this method sounds awful!

 

Here is the collective response to many people on that question (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3943272&postcount=3)

 

2. Why doesn't Southwest offer assigned seats?

 

a. Gate agents at legacy carriers seem to spend most of their time dealing with seat assignments, first-class upgrades, and standby requests. Southwest eliminates the first two and gets extra revenue for doing the third one (full-fare only). Eliminating assigned seats also provides an incentive to show up early rather than crush the gate counter at the last minute.

 

b. The main check-in lines (for passengers with baggage) move MUCH faster because there is no need to choose a seat. Southwest's lines move at least twice as fast as any other airline's. Curbside check-in lines may look shorter but the longer lines inside are likely to serve you more quickly.

 

c. Seat assignments on multiple-stop flights are a pain to deal with. If you assign seats based on seats open for both flights, very quickly all the seats are "taken", even though there are seats open for both flights, just not the same ones. If you have different seat assignments, you have to get up and move to the other seat during the layover. With a 25 or 30 minute turn, there isn't much time for a bunch of people to play musical chairs between deplaning and boarding.

 

d. People who don't know the system tend to line up as soon as the first one or two start a line. Lines have a psychological attraction "If those people think it's worth lining up for, they must know something I don't know!" The boarding process uses human nature (both herd instinct and competitive behavior) to shorten the turnaround time. The mildly competitive boarding process saves me a total of at least 10 hours per year.

 

e. A few more advantages of open seating: Not having assigned seats in the computer and the IT people to support the software and hardware $$$$;, No seat dupes for the ops agent to resolve; Imagine how long it would take to check bags outside at LAS!: Easier airplane swaps such as 500 or 200 for a 300/700; If a seat is out of service, no problem . Also, the passengers feel like "we are all in this together".

 

f. What I -do- have a problem with is other airlines that have decreed that, one month in advance, the seats are under "airport control", and that you have a very little chance of getting an aisle seat. At least on the Big Orange Bus I always have a chance. That's why I prefer SW over the Little Six for long hauls.

 

g. The WN quick turn around system is better for WN. That impacts us indirectly with costs, etc. For a long time this boarding process was an undesirable experience. However, WN has made improvements that negate the need to stand in lines if you know them. Now, if one is savvy, the experience is not undesirable. Thanks to many at this board, I have become educated and no longer deal with hassles I used to hate. I do however, look at most of the WN flyers and think, "why do you stand in that stupid line at the gate for 45+ minutes when you have an A boarding pass." These savvy insights you all have passed on to me have made me an unofficial elite WN flyer. I hardly stand in line at all now, even if there is a huge one. I get my required aisle seat every time. I get over head storage for both my roll board and suitcase every time.

[CruisinMatt]

Thanks Parody, it sounds very interesting. I guess not having experienced it, I have no idea. All I can envision is a mad rush to get the best seats and those who have the "C" cards that are travelling in a group not being able to sit together.

 

I'm sure it saves time, that seems to be the "modern disease". Everyone wants it faster and cheaper. People carry everything but the kitchen sink on the plane in order to avoid an extra 30 minutes at the baggage claim. Like another poster stated - cell phones come at first possible moment. How did those people function before cell phones? Now some people have them hooked on their ear 10 hours a day. Incredible

[CruisinMatt]

Duplicate

[Bequia]

Parody, thanks for sharing the link.

[quiltingandcruising]

I would like to add - if for some reason one or more of you can not check in on-line before the flight do not panic. This happened to a friend when we were leaving Chicago. All it means is that your name has been pulled for some sort of random check and you must talk to an airline employee and check it. If this happens the rest of your group can always get on the plane first and save your seat if you don't get the same group letter.

[alexspepaw]

My wife and I drive to Raleigh from Charlotte to fly Southwest...fares (especially last minute) justify a 3 hour drive sometimes.

 

I love Southwest's approach to boarding, it rewards people who get to the airport early, and they can turn a plane around in under 20 minutes, plus their employees are free to concentrate on more important things than seat assignments.

 

We grab a window and aisle seat, and if the plane is full we try and entice a small person boarding late to sit in the middle.

[joelmarj]

Quite frankly I hate the whole SW experience. I travel a ton for business and I can honestly say I see no difference in the boarding time. You get the same amateur travelers that stand in the aisle trying to put their 4 bags in the overhead then proceed to take off their coats and do the same. (yes, I know the carry-ons are limited, but they really don't check that thoroughly)

 

As for the "cattle call", it is a pain. Frankly, the reasons about agents time spent assigning seats is really not as relative anymore with online booking and seat assignments. Now that you can check in online, every airline I've flown on has allowed me to pick my seat at the same time. You can also go to the check in Kioske to get a boarding pass with seat assignments. I've even changed my seat this way.

 

I've also found that consistently Song and JetBlue have been cheaper fares, planes are newer and nicer, you get TV screens and assigned seats. When given the option, I always pick those two.

 

Having said all this, I still go on SW if the price is right and will ONLY fly direct flights. Until recently, SW wouldn't even give you your boarding pass for the second leg of a flight beforehand. Just too much hassle to enjoy.

[wrp96]

I love Southwest's approach to boarding, it rewards people who get to the airport early, and they can turn a plane around in under 20 minutes, plus their employees are free to concentrate on more important things than seat assignments.

 

 

Actually, it rewards people who have the ability to log onto their website 24 hours before the flight and snag seats.

 

Last time I flew Southwest, we ended up at the airport over 3 hours early. We were the first people from our flight to arrive. We were numbers 48 and 49 to check in - which meant we were in B group. Didn't really matter to us but for other people it might. And with the new services where you can pay for people to check you in when they open up the check in process, it really puts less internet savvy (or less internet accessible) people at a disadvantage.

 

That being said, from my area to Texas, Southwest usually has less expensive flights, especially to Dallas. To other areas, I can usually find less expensive flights on American, Delta, or Continental. Plus Southwest will not let you book from our airport to Ft. Lauderdale so that sort of leaves them out as an option for most of my cruises.

[VernaF7449]

I also have mixed feelings about Southwest.

 

What I like - fairly reasonable last-minute fares, also if you need to change flight you don't get hit with a huge fee ( a couple of times I got a CREDIT when I changed flights).

 

What I don't like - not having assigned seat and having to wait in line. I am very attached to aisle seats. Now that I can check in 24 hours ahead of time I can get my A (hopefully!).

 

If it is a short flight, I can deal with an window seat.

 

My next SWA flight is on February, Hartford to Salt Lake City (other airlines were charging $100 or more than SWA, since I am going during Presidents Day week). This will be my first long flight on SWA. I change planes in Las Vegas on the way out, and BWI on the way home.

 

My favorite Southwest story - in the early 1990s I was returning to Dallas from New Orleans. My scheduled plane was still in Houston due to thunderstorms, and there was a long delay. Fortunately I did not wander away from the gate, because there was another flight to Dallas that was ready to leave and had a few seats left. They called off boarding card numbers (this was before A, B and C) and I got on the plane - my luggage did not make it but I was going home. My scheduled flight was HOURS late.

[MandyGirl]

 

Other airlines have already begun copying SW's efficient loading practices.

I noticed this when flying American. Group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - even with seat assignments. That could also be referred to as "cattle call" because people begin congregating in one mass group waiting for their number (as opposed to three different lines with Southwest). Funny, though, when flying AA I always see someone turned away at the jetway because they tried boarding before their own group number was called.

So even with assigned seats, passengers in general seem eager to be the first on the plane, often times to grab the limited overhead bin space since many don't abide by the domestic carry-on limitations (such as number of pieces and size of each piece). Hmmm... to think of how much quicker boarding might be if the number of pieces was enforced, or even the length-width-height was enforced. Wouldn't see those huge rollerbags onboard anymore (like when you fly international - carry-on is definitely enforced).

[MRF777]

I flew Southwest once, and I hated it. Our plane was dirty and the standing in line for over an hour to get three seats to together is a joke. I could have flown on Continental non-stop, with seat assignments and a meal and movie for $25.00 more..

[MandyGirl]

the standing in line for over an hour to get three seats to together is a joke

Eeek :eek: - did you not have an 'A' boarding group? With 137 seats on the aircraft and 45 in the A group, I have never had a problem getting us all together. Even when we had 16 of us flying together for our wedding cruise out of FLL and 8 this past summer for Seattle, there was no problem getting us seated together. Did we have exit row or bulkhead? Nope, but we were still together.

I've never used this third-party company (or known anyone who has) but read about them recently for those passengers unable to be at their computer at the exact time to print boarding passes.

[greatam]

Quite frankly I hate the whole SW experience. I travel a ton for business and I can honestly say I see no difference in the boarding time. You get the same amateur travelers that stand in the aisle trying to put their 4 bags in the overhead then proceed to take off their coats and do the same. (yes, I know the carry-ons are limited, but they really don't check that thoroughly)

 

As for the "cattle call", it is a pain. Frankly, the reasons about agents time spent assigning seats is really not as relative anymore with online booking and seat assignments. Now that you can check in online, every airline I've flown on has allowed me to pick my seat at the same time. You can also go to the check in Kioske to get a boarding pass with seat assignments. I've even changed my seat this way.

 

I've also found that consistently Song and JetBlue have been cheaper fares, planes are newer and nicer, you get TV screens and assigned seats. When given the option, I always pick those two.

 

Having said all this, I still go on SW if the price is right and will ONLY fly direct flights. Until recently, SW wouldn't even give you your boarding pass for the second leg of a flight beforehand. Just too much hassle to enjoy.

 

I feel EXACTLY the same way about Southwest. The EXCESS amount of cabin luggage and rude and drunk passengers are two of the main reasons reasons I absolutely detest Southwest. It appears to me that people on the cheap Southwest tickets feel "entitled" to take everything but the kitchen sink and act however they choose.

 

Case in point-I HAD to fly Southwest from LAX/PHX three weeks ago. Lady in front of me had 1 kid (lap child-not ticket), a stroller, 2 carryon suitcases, a box of something, a purse and a shopping bag. She had all this piled on the stroller and was carrying the child. She had the entire plane backed up while she tried to put everything away. Then the kid gets loose and starts running down the aisle. The FA is freaking out, trying to corral the child and assist the lady with the luggage. FA states she would gate check the stroller, one of the suitcases and the box. This lady gets in her face, BIGTIME. Everyone is getting very antsy in line. I am waiting for the riot to start. It happens ALL the time on Southwest.

 

I will end 2005 with over 150,000 air miles. I have seen most of the weird stuff that goes on with airlines. Southwest does NOT have the cheapest fares to and from MOST places. Southwest has the rudest passengers. Southwest planes are dirty. Southwest has funny FA and pilots. I'll take clean planes, assigned seating, polite passengers and cheaper fares over comedy any day.

[MandyGirl]

It appears to me that people on the cheap Southwest tickets feel "entitled" to take everything but the kitchen sink

 

I would actually say it is on any domestic airline where many passengers take everything as a carryon regardless of "one carryon and one personal item". Same thing with the dimensions of the carryon bag. TSA agents let passengers through security with those items since they man the checkpoints. The security lines could also go faster if people abided by the dimensions and quantity. In the past eighteen months I have flown American, America West, Frontier, Southwest, and US Air in the domestic US (I go for the lowest fare with each trip which can vary based on the city-pair). All these carriers have the same "one plus one" rule for carryon and all have about the same length-width-height dimensions. It doesn't matter which airline, it is passengers in general taking everything but the kitchen sink. Not just the low-fare carrier passengers. (At least from my observations.)

 

Now overseas last summer we flew Virgin Atlantic and British Midland Express. They most definitely enforced the number of items, dimensions, and WEIGHT of each carryon. Even if you are carrying one backpack with everything in it and it fits the length-width-height dimensions... if it weighs too much it is checked. I think mine weighed 21 pounds and the limit was 6 kg, so I was definitely over and didn't hesitate checking it at the baggage counter when obtaining my ticket. Just made sure to keep my passport and meds in my pocket. :) Hubby had to check his too. Nothing like packing for a week in Europe in one backpack each! :)

 

Guess it all goes back to that old saying... rules are made to be broken. Some people will never abide by quantity/size of carryons regardless of which airline they are flying.

[MRF777]

Eeek :eek: - did you not have an 'A' boarding group? With 137 seats on the aircraft and 45 in the A group, I have never had a problem getting us all together. Even when we had 16 of us flying together for our wedding cruise out of FLL and 8 this past summer for Seattle, there was no problem getting us seated together. Did we have exit row or bulkhead? Nope, but we were still together.

We were on the Carnival Glory at Sea so I couldnt check in 24hrs in advance, I checked in at the airport, 5 hours early and got a "B" boarding pass. We barely got three seats together..I just think its too much of a hassle.

[MandyGirl]

We were on the Carnival Glory at Sea so I couldnt check in 24hrs in advance, I checked in at the airport, 5 hours early and got a "B" boarding pass. We barely got three seats together..I just think its too much of a hassle.

Makes sense. I forgot some ships don't have internet after a certain point in the cruise. We try to print them out the night before disembarking. But like you said - for $25 more on Continental including movie, meal, nonstop, and assigned seats - definitely worth the extra fare for all that. :) When I end up with a B on Southwest that's actually when I do stand in line to be the front of the B group. Then only 45 plus preboarders are onboard when we step on.