Southwest Airlines seating nightmare

[KenMo]

Some of the "elements" I've sat next to on SWA are doctors, ministers, teachers, military personnel, pilots, mechanics.....etc.

 

Same "elements" as on any other airline I've flown.

[sandyj55]

We had the same problem. We had checked in 24 hours earlier but there was a group of cheerleaders that took up about half the plane that had all the A's. Since they were a group we always wondered if they didn't get to check in before the rest of us. My DD and I wanted to sit next to each other and a woman had a bunch of seats saved. We asked to sit in them and she said that they were for people coming later. When we complained to the stewardess he threatened to throw US off the plane for complaining(and no we were not making a scene). So apparently they say no seat saving but like Carnival not enforced. I guess this is the price we pay for the cheaper fares but it is very frustrating. We tend to fly airtran now more often because at least we get seats that no one can take and lately they have been cheaper. Cindy

 

I wish we could check in a group early but we can't do an online check in for a group reservation. A group has to be checked in at the airport. Now..you can go to the airport 24 hours in advance and do your boarding passes but we live 2 hours from the airport so when I travel with a group, I can't do that. But I love southwest...I will take the chances with the boarding because we can take 2 suitcases and some of the FA are just so funny. I love their jokes and free snacks versus the airlines that charge now. They are usually right on time...i feel safe and well taken care of with southwest. And NO...I don't work for them!!!

[tatay]

We fly SWA almost exclusively and never had a problem. Our last flight (2 weeks ago) we had "B" but still managed 4 seats in the same aisle about 6 rows from the front. Most of the time we get "A" as I am always online at 24 hr. before.

[VABeach]

Has anyone else experienced the seating nightmare on Southwest? We thought that "chair hogs" were a problem until we experienced this air carrier. Upon boarding, we were "shot gunned" to fend for a seat. They specifically state that there's no assigned seats. One lady had 8 seats with packages on each of them. When trying to sit down, she stated that "these seats are mine and they're saved"! The stewardess commented that there's "No reserved seating"! At this time, the lady started all kinds of indignant comments and the stewardess turned and walked away (thus avoiding the confrontation). Another stewardess, when asked for assistance, ignored the passengers pleas. Just curious if anyone else experienced this "cattle car" seating dysfunction by Southwest Airlines!

 

Never had that problem, but you do get what you pay for.... :cool:

[letsgocruz1]

Personally I like SWA. No checked luggage fees, free snacks and a nice crew. Yes the way they board passengers & do unassigned seating isn't ideal, but I've never had an issue with finding a decent seat.

 

Here is a funny video of a SW FA rapping the usual safety info. I always find them to be funny & that helps put nervous flyers at ease IMO.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/24/rapping-flight-attendant_n_191000.html

[Shewuf]

This is why we never fly Southwest. Life is too short to be treated this way.

[Sargent_Schultz]

This is why we never fly Southwest. Life is too short to be treated this way.

 

I agree. Southwest is only ranked #3 in on time performance. But #2 Pinnacle and #1 Hawaiian don't fly most places I go.

 

And no charge for the first two pieces of luggage and free snacks, what are they thinking?

 

Southwest did try assigned seats and it slowed boarding DOWN.

 

Where does your airline rank?

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/americas-best-and-worst-airlines-2009/17

[goldenfarm]

I have flown on SW at least 40 times in the past decade and have not had a problem with people saving seats. I fly them for the lower cost and the friendliness of the flight attendants. I have had more problems with American Airlines than any other airline. But never SW. It's not perfect, but it's better than most of the air carriers out there.

[karenh1127]

I havent flown in awhile so I have a question.....do they still let pax with children or special needs board first? One of my sons is autistic and is overwhelmed at long lines with lots of people, cattle calls if you will. He is 12 and appears normal. Would I be allowed to board with him prior to the crowds? Also he would have to have a front row seat because he is nervous in unfamiliar situations and places and I am sure he would fidget and kick the seat in front of him to the horror of the person sitting there. Just curious as we may be flying in the next year.:confused:

[jayesouthworth]

Has anyone else experienced the seating nightmare on Southwest? We thought that "chair hogs" were a problem until we experienced this air carrier. Upon boarding, we were "shot gunned" to fend for a seat. They specifically state that there's no assigned seats. One lady had 8 seats with packages on each of them. When trying to sit down, she stated that "these seats are mine and they're saved"! The stewardess commented that there's "No reserved seating"! At this time, the lady started all kinds of indignant comments and the stewardess turned and walked away (thus avoiding the confrontation). Another stewardess, when asked for assistance, ignored the passengers pleas. Just curious if anyone else experienced this "cattle car" seating dysfunction by Southwest Airlines!

 

Well as best as I can put it, "F" off to the lady saving the seats as there's no assigned seats. Sit your butt some where else...every man for himself, I'm a paying passenger just as well as you. If you want assigned seats, next time CHARTER....

[TahoeBob]

Southwest is a cheap airline, and as such you're going to get a certain "element" when flying with them.

 

People say the same thing about carnival, and its not true there either.

[Sargent_Schultz]

I havent flown in awhile so I have a question.....do they still let pax with children or special needs board first? One of my sons is autistic and is overwhelmed at long lines with lots of people, cattle calls if you will. He is 12 and appears normal. Would I be allowed to board with him prior to the crowds? Also he would have to have a front row seat because he is nervous in unfamiliar situations and places and I am sure he would fidget and kick the seat in front of him to the horror of the person sitting there. Just curious as we may be flying in the next year.:confused:

 

Southwest does have pre-boarding. You would have to contact Southwest about the front row. That would be a case by case and flight by flight arrangement.

Please refer to here:

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/disability.html

 

 

On the pre-boarding thing on a different note - I was so delighted when Southwest started enforcing that those requiring pre-boarding are NOT allowed to sit in the emergency rows.

[nrdsb4]

I havent flown in awhile so I have a question.....do they still let pax with children or special needs board first? One of my sons is autistic and is overwhelmed at long lines with lots of people, cattle calls if you will. He is 12 and appears normal. Would I be allowed to board with him prior to the crowds? Also he would have to have a front row seat because he is nervous in unfamiliar situations and places and I am sure he would fidget and kick the seat in front of him to the horror of the person sitting there. Just curious as we may be flying in the next year.:confused:

 

Families with young children are allowed to board with the B group, not A. However, as your child has special needs, I have no doubt you would qualify to board first. You get a special "blue" boarding pass, I believe.

[SheriNtexas]

Nope, must have gone on SW at least 20 times, sometimes with our 3 grandkids and have never had a problem and have always sat together. The only airline I like to fly on.

 

Same here. I don't like flying, but when I HAVE to, I alway fly SW. To the OP, sorry you had that problem! I've never had OR seen that problem on any of my flights! I can't STAND rude people, OR chair hogs, no matter WHERE they are hogging! :mad:

[Mego0427]

I love Southwest. I just check in 24 hours before and I always get A group. I will go without an assigned seat in order to be able to change my flights without paying those crazy fees. Southwest has saved my fiance and I over 1000 dollars in the last 2 years. The Military is always changing when he can leave to come home.

The last time I had an assigned seat was when I flew to Ireland last year. I sat next to a girl who apparently did not believe and showers and wrote I love toes on notebook paper for the whole 6 hour flight. I was wishing I could change my seat the whole time lol

[Clarkk W Griswald]

We're one of those couples who take an aisle seat and a window seat. DH happens to prefer aisle, I prefer window. We always book these seats whenever we fly, even choosing them on airlines that allowed choosing seats. So, for those of you think we're doing this so someone won't sit between us, you are so wrong. If we really didn't want someone sitting between us, I would sit in my window seat, then get out the air sickness bag and act like I was going to throw up. Doubt anyone would want to sit next to me.:D

 

I don't understand those saying they are saving seats for their spouses or family members. You can book up to eight people on one confirmation #, so when checking in, those passes will all print out in numerical order. We did that in January on our family trip to Disney. Eight of us on one confirmation #, all had boarding passes in numerical order.

 

And for those saying they are saving seats for someone in the restroom? What idiot waits until boarding to use the airplane lavatory? What, the restrooms in the airport were all closed? C'mon, that's just crazy.

 

I prefer flying SW. They've always been on time, (sometimes even early!), cheerful, helpful attendants, and you can't beat some of their "ding" fares. Not charging for 1st 2 checked bags a plus too. US Air just raised their 1st check bags to $25 each! That's just ridiculous.

[salty dingo]

US Air just raised their 1st check bags to $25 each! That's just ridiculous.

I know - people are going to travel with even more carry-on baggage.

 

They should also get very strict with the amount of carry-on that is allowed.

 

I have seen people with a rolling suitcase at maxumum carryon size, and sitting on top is a laptop bag big enough for five laptops, packed full. Like the 20 lbs you stuffed in that bag are your "personal item"? And then they carry a newspaper, cup of coffee, umbrella, coat, and a sack from the fast-food place.

[valancy1]

Families can board between A and B (unless they already have an "A" pass). Pre-board is for people that have little kids (SWA specifies the age and I believe it is around 5 years old or under) or have some other reason to get on board early... elderly passengers, UMs (unaccompanied minors), etc.

 

Several airlines are keeping their bag fees discounted if you check in on line.

 

SWA doesn't offer a bag fee, but I'd rather fly my regular airline. Lucky for me, I have status with another airline and so I don't have to pay for luggage, but I would still pay it if I had to (and have) in order not to fly on SWA.

[sharonny]

If there's a crash, they will ID people based on other methods (ID they are carrying, dental records, DNA if necessary). I don't think they'd ever use seat assignment as a positive form of ID. Even with assigned seats, people do switch seats for a variety of reasons.

 

True! But as recently was reported regarding a recent airline disaster, assigned seating was used to try and help determine what might have happened. They used the locations of the recovered items/bodies.

 

I've flown SW with no seating problems. I've been in A, B & C group but do prefer assigned seating.

[rootbear]

First of all let me say that SW is my favorite airline and I fly about once a month on them BUT I have seen the seat saving on almost every flight. Usually someone is just saving one seat but on my last flight I happened to stay on the plane when it stopped ( I was continuing on the flight) and I moved to the front of the plane and the first two priority boarding passengers came in and wanted to save about 8 seats. At first they were shocked because there were passengers alreading on the plane so they they started saving seats a little further back than they wanted. Flight attendants saw them and didn't intevene at all.

[Homosassa]

Now if SWA (and other airlines) can do something about those idiots who want to sit in the back of the plane but leave their bags in the overhead compartments in the front so they don't have to carry the bags to the rear. Nothing is more frustrating than finding the overhead compartment of your chosen or assigned seat filled with the large carry-on suitcase, lap top and coat of a person who boarded before you and usurped the front storage area while heading to the rear.

 

As far as those "fluffy" persons who cruise the aisle looking for a smaller person to sit next to so that they have room to expand, I have developed the ability to stare them straight in the eye and say "Don't even think about it unless you can stay on your side of the arm rest." This approach has eliminated the flights where I am squeezed to the side of my seat by Two Ton Tessie choosing the seat next to me.

 

As someone who used to live by the Baltimore airport (a major web point for SWA) and still flies frequently into BWI and back into Tampa, I was thrilled when SWA changed their pre-boarding policy for families. It eliminated the abuse of the system where the one small child allowed the family groups of parents, older siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, close personal friends, etc, to board first. It certainly leveled the boarding field to put them after the A group. Now if someone would wise up and tighten the policy to only small children and one parent (both parents if the group doesn't include older siblings). Actually this restriction should apply to all preboarding situations - the one passenger needing preboarding and a companion. I have watched groups as large as 12 passengers to preboard with the one handicapped passenger.

[buckirj1]

I haven't experienced this (yet), but fear we all may as more and more people are travelling in what seems like herds. It helps to fly during the week, as early or as late as possible. I also avoid weekends and flights between 10 and 6 whenever I can. I also make a point out of ignoring the bleats of the entitlement-minded.

 

I routinely buy two seats to cover my fat a$$, but one of these days I'm going to hit a real good sale. Then I'll buy the whole dang row, and be hanged with 'em all!

[sandyj55]

Personally I like SWA. No checked luggage fees, free snacks and a nice crew. Yes the way they board passengers & do unassigned seating isn't ideal, but I've never had an issue with finding a decent seat.

 

Here is a funny video of a SW FA rapping the usual safety info. I always find them to be funny & that helps put nervous flyers at ease IMO.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/24/rapping-flight-attendant_n_191000.html

 

That utube clip was the cutest thing i've seen in a long time. I've been on with some real cool FA in the past couple years but he's the best!! Thanks for sharing

[nancyfancy40]

I have had that happen to me on SW. People do go ahead and save seats for others. I just sit down anyway. When the person came and said that was her seat, she called the flight attendent and we campared boarding passes. She was a C, I was an A. So sorry, said the flight attendent, the A takes precedent to the C. That is the whole premise of SW, check in first, get better seating. However, I am also the kind of stickler for rules. I will watch the clock on Chair Hogs on a cruise ship. I even give you 40 minutes to show up. Then you stuff is neatly on the ground in front of my now chair.

 

I wonder why from cutting in line in supermarket, to movie theathers, to chair hogs, society has lost its ability to follow simple common rules.:eek: So many people think the rules are for eveyone else but them, drives me crazy.:mad:

 

Nancy

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

All i can say i think thay are the best , I have used them on average 4 times a year