Southwest checkin for seats
 

I have party of 3 flying on SW. Our flight is scheduled to depart at 6:50PM Central Time. So how do I need to make sure that we get to sit by each other? We fly 2 or 3 times per year, but this is our first time to fly SW.

SW seats are not assigned. Make sure you check in 24 hours before departure, this way you'll get into boarding group A and sit together.

exactly 24 hrs or just the day before or what time the day before?

They open the check-in on the website exactly 24 hours before the flight. Try to check in early to get a pass with lower number - they let people in by the numbers on the boarding passes.

Check in at 6:50 pm central time the day before your flight. IF you made/bought all 3 reservations at the same time and have the same confirmation #, it will allow you to check in all 3 at once. If you bought the tickets at differing times and have different confirmation #'s, you will need to check in each one.

When you check in, you will be able to view your boarding pass. It will say A, B or C on it. Depending on which airport you are departing, it may also have a number [eg A33]. You can print the passes at home or using kiosk when you get to airport.

When you get to airport you will form a line under the sign that says A, and if you also got a #, there will be markers every 5 numbers.

If you are flying on connecting flights, the second flight will be automatically given the same boarding group, even if they don't give you an online pass. You will be able to get pass at airport using kiosk.

If you get just a letter, arrive early and all 3 of you should be able to sit together.

If you have numbers as well as letters, you can arrive a bit later as they will board by letter/number combo.

Have a great trip!
Deb

24 hours. Set your alarm so you don't forget. Have your confirmation code at hand when you do your check-in. If you each have a different confirmation code, then have theirs with you too.

If you get an A or B seating, you should all be able to find seats together.

The closer to the minute you check-in at 24 hours, the better chance for getting A seating.

If by some chance you are not near a printer you can still check in at 6:50 AM day of flight and get printed boarding pass at airport kiosk.

Why 6:50a the day of the flight?

The OP needs to check in as close to 24 hours before flight time as possible. Period. Doesn't matter if one has printer or not.

You are correct - I misread - 6:50 PM it is.

The issue of printer is that some people think if they can not print boarding passes when they check in on-line, they can not check in.

Thanks.

OK,

So i Got A33, A26, and A30. Now What? What seats should I go for? not exactly sure what type of 757 it is, so seatguru was no help.

You'll be among the first passengers to get on the plane. Choose seats in front of the wing - it's quieter. Other than that, just sit back and relax.

Southwest flies 737's, fwiw.

You will board almost together - the person with 26 will be a bit ahead. They can simply walk on ahead of you and pick the row and sit down; you and the other person will only be a few persons back, so you should have no problem sitting in the same row. IF by some chance someone sits in the row with the first person, the first person could move back or forward a row or nicely ask the person if they would move so the rest of your party can sit together. Since you are almost all boarding together, it shouldn't be a big issue that early in the game.

I would also suggest in the first few rows. It is easier to find overhead storage, get settled and sit down.

Since there are 3 of you, I would offer this: one of you sits window, the second sits aisle and the third sits across in the other aisle seat. IF the plane is full, the third person can switch over to the middle if you prefer not to have a stranger sit between you. That wouldn't happen until towards the end of seating; the third person could scoot over and some very happy person coming on late will get an aisle seat.

[I hate being in the middle or having someone in the middle so this works for us.]

Have a great time!
Deb

Just do what everybody else does---anybody who wants to sit in the row Number One selects, tell em "It's Reserved"..Happens every time I board a WN flight.

Whoever got the 26 pass will go in first of the group, and toss a sweater on the other 2 seats to save them for 30 and 33 :)

Just relax - you have such low numbers you won't have any problem. The sweater/handbag on the next seat is a good ploy - but even that won't likely be necessary.

Oops just noticed that was more than 24 hrs ago so you are already on your trip . . . .