Southwest Boardin

[happybaby]

We are flying Pgh to Orlando with SW Airlines and I also booked online. What is the difference between A and B boarding.

Curious, just so I get on the flight. Any other flights I have taken they have boarded with kids first, maybe elderly or ones who need help and from the back rows to the front.

WOW have to watch so I don't over pack. I never know what my luggage weighs.
Was reading the below info on trip advisor

We flew Southwest which was very pleasant. The only downfall of Southwest was that we were always category "B" to fly being that people who went on the internet received all the "A" boarding. On this flight they served peanuts, trail mix, juices, tea or coffee, pop and mixed drinks (at an additional cost). Remember your luggage cannot exceed 50pds each. This is really reenforced.

 

[Terpy]

Children and people with special needs board first.

If you look near the gate, you will see aisles A, B and C.

The A's board next, then the B's then the C's.

Thank goodness you didn't get "C" because that's when you sit in the middle seat between to fat guys!

I got nailed by the 50 lb rule and had to buy an extra piece of luggage. The good news is Southwest lets you check up to three pieces of luggage.

 

[riverdees05]

What age are your children?

You can get on their computer web site 24 hours or less before your plane is scheduled to leave and print your own boarding passes.

Yes, at most airports, SW does weight your bags and will charge for overweights. I do think that they allow for 3 checked bags, however, if I am not mistaken.

Other airlines are starting to weight bags, too. It is probably an OSHA (if they cover the travel industry), worker comp and Liability issue.

 

[snowlady]

Delta Song made me open my luggage and shift things to other bags when I had a suitcase weigh about 53 lbs a couple of years ago. This was ridiculously hard as I tried to watch 2 young children and my other belongings while people were milling around me. Now we travel with smaller suitcases...one for each of us...I'd have to pack rocks to go over the pound limit.

I've never had a problem finding our family seats together on Southwest with an A or B boarding pass. I don't think we ever ended up with C as we usually arrive at the airport early.

 

[happybaby]

SW Boarding

Oh thanks for the info

I'm not familiar with the seats on SW. I did hear they are smaller then some of the other planes. And we will have a toddler with us, still debating if we should take the car seat on the plane or just check it in. If we decide on a booster seat, that has to be checked in cause not air craft approved. We will also be checking in her stroller. Cheaper then renting a car seat or booster and a stroller at Disney (I need the stroller to throw my stuff in it instead of carrying everyting) She won't be in it much.

Would like her to see out the window so the seat may be an advantage to her. She is tall for her age 42 in. but weight wise slightly over 30 lbs.

thanks

My gr d is 4 yrs old Well almost 5 when we leave And we will be arriving at the airport at least 1/2 hrs prior to departure . Also I will be checking in on line the day before we leave

 

[Luanne]

I think at Southwest in order to pre-board you need to have a special boarding pass. I could be wrong though because when we checked my mom in I printed out her boarding pass on the internet and when we got to the airport we asked for wheelchair assistance, which guarantees her to be boarded first. I don't know if they gave her a new boarding pass, or because she was in a wheelchair allowed her on first. I just think I remember hearing during boarding announcements that those who were pre-boarding needed some kind of indication.

 

[riverdees05]

"And we will be arriving at the airport at least 1/2 hrs prior to departure." Is this what you meant to say? Not sure what Airports you are flying out of, but personally, I would never cut it that close, even with curb check. I have been at airports that it can take you that much time to get through security.

 

[happybaby]

arrival time

Whoops meant to say at least 1 1/2 hr prior to departure Probably be more like 2 hrs I would never cut it that close

 

[sylcro]

Southwest boarding

We just flew Southwest from Manchester to MCO last week and we had booked online; however we were on the road 24 hours before and had not been able to preprint our boarding passes. We got there lots early, about 1 1/2 hour early and we were given 'b' passes. This did get us a seat together but just next to one 'very ''big boy'' as the gentleman himself referred to it.!

We had 'a' tickets coming home but there was only half a plane load anyway and we had our choice of seats.

I think Southwest is great, no fanfare, no waiting around/you book, you board and you fly, no fuss no muss and all very organized and efficient. I think other carriers should take a lesson from them!

Sylvia

 

[dgdbloe]

Have flown Southwest from Htfd CT to Orlando 2x. Love Southwest- great on time record. Maybe that has something to do with people boarding and just taking any seat rather than looking for seat #. You can not print boarding passes till midnight of flight date. I have printed even at 5am for a 9am flight and got A boarding passes. Some people think its a pain to get in line early before flight- never bothered the 4 of us. Got this from Southwest.com :
Boarding Procedure
Each Customer will be issued a boarding pass grouped by A, B, or C (in that order) based on when the Customer checked in online at southwest.com, at the Skycap Podium, Ticket Counter, Departure Gate, or RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk (where available).
Prior to general boarding, Customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children between the ages of five and 11, and adults traveling with a child under five years of age will preboard. Customers who choose to preboard cannot sit in an emergency exit seat.
Because Southwest Airlines maintains an open-seating policy, general-boarding Customers may sit in any open or unclaimed seat. Customers holding boarding pass "A" will begin general boarding, followed by Customers with boarding pass "B," and then "C."

Have a great flight and wonderful trip

 

[happybaby]

boarding SW

dgdbloe

I know I can print out boarding pass 24 hrs prior to departure. Maybe they just started that. According to what you said about kids under 5 with adults .......

I purchased 4 tickets on line at 77.00 one way Did not ask for children or ages. When I go to print out boarding pass, will it ask me? There are 3 adults and 1 child so we should get "A" I don't really care that much but would like 2 window seats being gr d. with window seat and with mom and me and gr. p either behind or in front of them (one of us having window seat)

 

[dgdbloe]

happybaby- great news that you can now print 24hrs in advance- must be new since July- thanks for the update.
When printing in past- there was no prompt for ages- age prompt was always when entering amount of tickets-prompt was always for over 65 and under age 2 - tickets always just printed by confirmation #. I called a friend that travels Southwest with child under 5. Answer I got is that when they get to airport-with printed boarding passes-they go to desk at terminal- advise they have youngster and regardless of A,B or C boarding they get in a diff line that boards first. She said sometime there are up to 20 people in that line,though. Give customer service a call @ Southwest- I always found them to be polite and helpful-then you'll know answer for sure and have one less stress issue. Thanks again for that 24 hr update

 

[happybaby]

boarding info

dgdbloe

thanks again for the info and you're welcome about my info on 24 hr check in

I have talked to SW Customer Service and they are very nice. I had ?'s about the car seat. If we decide to board with a car seat then we will have to be boarded as "A" Class The rep at SW said car seat is not mandatory, that I can check the car seat in as baggage along with the stroller (better then renting) Again 2 free baby items can be checked in

And if we decide on the booster seat, it definitely has to be checked in because it is not aircraft approved. She said we could just put the girl on pillows to raise her. She is excited and wants to be able to see out the window. Funny .... thinks she can touch the clouds. Wants to know why she can't open the windows.

 

[riverdees05]

If you have Senior Citizens and getting boarding passes early, need to read the information on the SW Website. This is what they have on their website:

Online Checkin or Kiosk Checkin - Age Verification Details for Customers Traveling on Senior Fares:
If you are traveling on a Senior Fare and do not have a Rapid Rewards or MySouthwest Account, you must create one in order to check in online or at a RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk.
You must make a copy of your driver’s license or another government-issued photo identification that indicates your date of birth.
Mail your verification information to: Southwest Airlines Customer Relations; PO Box 36662; Dallas, TX 75235. Please be sure to indicate your account number with your request.
The date of birth field in your account will be updated to reflect that you are verified. Please allow 4 - 6 weeks for processing.
You will receive a confirmation letter in the mail once your date of birth has been verified.
Once your date of birth has been verified, you may check in online or at a RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk and request a boarding pass as long as your account number is present in the reservation for which you are checking in.
Please remember to provide your account number when you make future reservations on southwest.com or through our toll-free Reservations number so that you can check in online or at a RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk.
Note: Though you must be age verified to check in for your Senior Fare reservations online, you do not have to be age verified to purchase Senior Fares online.
If you are traveling on a Senior Fare, and you are not age verified, you MUST provide valid proof of age (driver's license or other accepted identification) at the airport when exchanging your confirmation number for a boarding pass. You will not be able to check in online or at a RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk. A Medicare card is not considered valid proof of age.
If a wheelchair is required, request one at curbside checkin or at the "main lobby" ticket counter. If traveling with your own electrical wheelchair, you must notify Southwest at least 48 hours in advance.
If you are checking luggage, be sure to give your final destination (ending Southwest city) - not your connecting city - to the Agent handling your checkin process.
Make sure the city shown on your baggage claim ticket and luggage tag matches your final destination (ending city on your journey).
We recommend that you visit Checkin and Boarding Procedures for complete details on our travel polices.

 

[Carolinian]

I have never done the SW cattlecar boarding, but have done the same thing on several flights with EasyJet in Europe. If you check-in early enough, you get a decent seat. One of the other European LCC's with cattlecar boarding allows you an assigned seat for an extra fee of about 10 euros. Perhaps that's a revenue enhancer than SW should consider.

Personally, I will stick with airlines that have a real international presence and a decent ff program, so I'll pass on SW.

 

[JeffV]

Southwest may not please everyone but they are profitable, more than most of the other airlines can say. I am interested in getting from point A to point B at a good price and they provide that.

 

[riverdees05]

We like Southwest and for many of our trips, it is the best deal - time and cost. I don't like their boarding, but I did buy a portable printer for my laptop so that I could up our chances of getting in the 'A' group.

 

[Luanne]

I've been told, but haven't actually tried it out, that if you have computer access and can check in online but not print out your boarding pass, that you can print out the boarding pass at the airport and will get the boarding group you signed in for. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Judy999]

Online check in procedures at SW

There is a location in SW website which lists that only we cannot print boarding passes at home for children...only adult fare can be printed at home prior to arrival at the airport. Children boarding passes have to be done at the airport by SW so that they can confirm the ages.

I called SW and asked the following:

3 adults and 1 eight year old child in our party.

SW recommended that I print boarding passes for the adults for A boarding passes then obtain boarding pass for the child at the airport.

They said that they never bump the child holding a C boarding pass if the adults hold A boarding passes.

Very confusing.

 

[Luanne]

There is a location in SW website which lists that only we cannot print boarding passes at home for children...only adult fare can be printed at home prior to arrival at the airport. Children boarding passes have to be done at the airport by SW so that they can confirm the ages.

That's strange. I've printed boarding passes for my girls at home. But I didn't start doing that until recently and my younger dd was 13 or 14 by then. Maybe there's an age cut off?

 

[happybaby]

I called SW and she told me to print the boarding passes at home since I purchased 4 "adult" tickets. As long as I purchased a ticket for my gr. d that means she has a seat to sit in, not like having an infant without a ticket and if room can sit in a seat. On line it only asks for number of adults (ages 2+) or Seniors.

She told me if I don't get A boarding, when we get to the gate at SW to go to the desk and say I have a toddler under the age of 5 and we will be permitted A boarding. The rep also advised me to check in the stroller and the car seat (or booster if that's what we take) (booster not aircraft approved so would have to be checked in anyways). She said this way my gr d is not confined to sitting in the car seat the whole flight. After take off and seat belts removed, she will be on her knees or standing in seat looking out the window.

Pgh to MCO is just slightly over 2 hrs so even sitting in the car seat isn't bad. She's sat longer on her trips to the beach.