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Clarification on Southwest Boarding Procedure

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Clarification on Southwest Boarding Procedure

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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 04:57 AM
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Clarification on Southwest Boarding Procedure

I just checked in for my flight tomorrow morning. Got A-50. Does this mean I will be the 50th person in line?

What are the odds of me getting an aisle seat with this high of a number in A?
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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 05:31 AM
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This means that when the gate agent tells the passengers to line up, you will stand behind the person with A-49 and in front of the person with A-51.

If you're specifically wanting an aisle seat (instead of a window seat), you won't have a problem, since many (maybe most?) of those in front of you will grab the window seats.

Happy travels!
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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 05:51 AM
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There may not be 49 people in front of you -- they block out several "spots"/numbers for last-minute "business selects." I don't know how many but you might be able to tell by seeing how many people are actually standing under the first couple of signs in the A line.
 
Old Jun 26th, 2008, 06:07 AM
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Cassandra, thats the part that was puzzling. How could 49 people get in front of me when I checked in 24 hrs in advance. Was wondering how many they block out.
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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 06:35 AM
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tchoiniere,

I've heard they block out 20 for the Business Selects, but maybe the number is more or less depending on the flight.

Your flight is probably a connecting flight for some other passengers. So when they checked in 24 hours in advance of their first flight, they checked in before you did.
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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 06:45 AM
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Its definitely the original destination for the flight. Hartford to Baltimore to Ft Myers.

Who knows? Not a big deal unless I don't get a window seat.
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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 06:49 AM
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Oops, meant to say not a big deal unless I don't get an aisle seat
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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 07:06 AM
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I suspect you also came in behind those who paid the just-plain-business fare who also checked in 24 hrs. ahead. In my experience, you have to check in 23 hrs. 59 1/2 minutes ahead of departure.
 
Old Jun 26th, 2008, 04:49 PM
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We flew SW yesterday .....our first time using the new boarding procedure.

It went just fine....but DH and couldn't help laughing at the thought of a boarding procedure like this being tried in places like Cairo!!! What a hoot that would be!
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Old Jun 26th, 2008, 07:58 PM
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tchoiniere, presumably other people may connect <i>to</i> your flight. Say your flight departs at 1PM. Their first flight may have departed at 10AM <i>their time</i> so they checked in at 10AM, hours before you did. When you check-in with Southwest, you check in for <i>all</i> your flights, so you may well wind up checking in more than 24 hours any connecting flight you will be on.

I have never had a problem getting an aisle seat being anywhere in the A group. Actually, I've gotten an aisle row exit a few times being way back at A-25. There aren't always people given A1 to A19. As noted, Southwest holds a few back for business travelers who don't always book the flight to use them.

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Old Jun 27th, 2008, 11:44 AM
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You will not be #50 in line.

You will be behind business class passengers and disabled.

But to make you feel better, you won't be behind families with small children. Those will get on between groups A and B.
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Old Jun 27th, 2008, 02:08 PM
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I flew Business Select on Wed from PHL to MDW. I was awarded A-1 and I booked and checked in 12 hours before flight. I also got a free drink!
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Old Jun 28th, 2008, 09:35 PM
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SWA blocks out 15 seats for Business Select pax. You will definitely get an aisle seat.

As was said before, they have the preboarding group, then Business Select A1-15, then the rest of the A's.
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