Your opinion needed!!!!

A family of 6, ready to fly on Southwest Airlines, where open seating is the rule. Boarding passes are issued in groups of 30. Everyone is anxious to get the seats they want and keep their group together. The family had 6 boarding passes in the first boarding group. So......10 minutes prior to boarding, the line started forming. Two people from the family were second in line. The remaining members of the family chose to stay seated, assuming they would join the two at the front, once boarding begins. QUESTION: Should the remaining 4 people go to the end of the line for the first 30 to board, or join the other two family members at the front of the line? If you've ever flown Southwest Airlines, you understand the situation. Please reply with your opinion, as the 6 of us are having a major family argument, and need unbiased opinions before dinner tonight.

I am a frequent flyer on SWA and think I can make sense of your question. YOu don't say whether any of your group are children. SWA has recently changed their policy so that those PREBOARDING ie, before the first 30 people, in that the ,have to sit behind row 14 to avoid congestion getting on the plane (most of these people have strollers, baby seats etc.). If none of you is a child, then I think that the other 4 members of the group should join the first 2 assuming that their numbers are also under 30. Now, here was an even worse situation for us. My husband has two slipped discs in his back and was on pain medication and steroids, unable to stand in line. They offered us preboarding, but the only seat he could be comfortable in was the first row on the right side of the plane where he could elevate his legs on a plastic console. But, if we preboarded, he couldn't have that seat!! Consequently, I stood in line for 30 min to be the first person on the plane and he joined me in the line when the first 30 people were called (we were # 15 and 16) I have met Herb Kelleher, the CEO of SWA, and he's a great businessman with good ideas and lots of charisma, but I truly think he blew it with this policy. I think if it's a medical condition, the passenger should be able to sit wherever he needs to and be able to preboard. (we did have a note from his MD as well as a copy of his MRI scan to prove he was legitimate, but it didn't help) I instend to write to SWA and hope they will revise the policy. Interestingly, children flying alone were preboarded and put in the 1st and 2nd rows, thus violating the preboarding policies. Tell you family member to feel free to step up to the front with you and consider flying Reno Air which allows advanced seat rreservations. I hate to make that suggestion because SWA has been so good to us, but this was a great disappointment. One more caveat----SWA is rigorously enforcing its one carry-on that MUST fit inside their very small bin. Otherwise, they will literally take your bag away from you and check it at the gate. I'm not sure this is good or bad--it's just something to be aware of so your cosmetics and pills and jewelry don't get checked with all the other stuff.

I've never flown SWA but I think that the other 4 family members should join the other 2 in the front of the line. Why is it necessary for all of you to stand in line? I think this would apply to any line. People get in and out of line all the time for the bathroom, buy drinks, eats, just to walk around etc. Does that mean once they leave the line, they can't rejoin their family? That would be ludicrous!

If a family wants to sit together that badly, why don't they want to stand together too?

I too am a SWA frequent flyer and thus have a few opinions and observations. First of all, I have just stepped off of a full flight from Reno and our carry-on baggage was limited to two items- the industry wide standard. The attendents went out of their way to help each passanger and did in fact allow preboarding passangers first choice seating so I am assuming this policy is somewhat flexible. To qualify for preboarding you must fit one of four conditions: be a child traveling alone (whom by the way are always seated in the front), have a medical condition, be boarding in groups of five or more, or have small children. Generally there are five or more groups of thirty to board. That leaves plenty of seats for those in the first thirty. Is it really that important to get on first. I personally find that rather childish. As for standing in line, how would you feel? There will be 24 very angry people behind you if you allow this. With bathrooms and such, it is very rude to leave a line and then expect people to let you back in. If you need to let a few members of your party remain seated, kindly mention that to the people behind you and offer them your spot in line!

What would the last two posters say to my husband who had a medical condition, couldn't physically stand in line for 20 minutes and needed to be in that first seat on the right??? You are also assuming the the original poster's group does not include any elderly people who can't stand in line for that length of time, but don't have an official "medical condition". You must be a very fit young person, but you need to have some understanding for some groups who don't fit into SWAs rules.I love SWA and fly it exclusively around California, but generally I feel good and have no problem with the boarding policy. I wrote them a letter, we'll see what Herb has to say.

I work for another airline that offers preassigned
seating, yet I fly SWA every weekend. I can see both sides of the coin clearly. SWA focuses on short groud time...you make money only when your planes are flying. There is no way to board quickly with assigned seats. Even when our flights are late and people know we must board quickly to make up time, it takes forever. SWA realizes this and thus instilled boarding by numbers. When people don't have assigned seats and want a good one, they show up early. At my airline (NWA) passengers KNOW that because they have a seat reserved, they can show up
anytime up until 10 minutes before departure and "it's ok". They don't understand that we have to have everyone seated and the door shut 5 minutes early to get that flight out of the gate on time.
With SWA, I know they open their gate 1 hour before departure and I AM THERE when they do. It is a reward for showing up like a good little passenger,
that I can have any seat I want. It is a "punishment" to those late comers to have to take whatever center seat they want. SWA knows how to make money and Herb hit it on the head with the board by numbers concept. I can't tell you how many delays we take because of late passengers. Back to the original question, it is common courtesy in any line at any place (including amusements). If you're in a group of six and plan to stay that way~then WAIT IN LINE TOGETHER!! This is only polite to
everyone else. "Save my spot" just doesn't cut it.

As a SWA frequent flier, I would be angry (though silent) if four passengers proceeded in front of me because someone "saved" their place in line, family or not. If sitting together is important, then standing together is an inconvenience that you must endure, just as those in front and behind you have done. But I also don't think your options are so limited. On those occasions when I was in the first group of thirty, rarely was there a lack of two vacant rows after the first group was seated. Granted, those seats are generally toward the back, but you have accomplished your objective without being inconsiderate of your fellow passengers.

Maybe I'm reading this incorrectly or maybe we're beating a dead horse here, but my understanding was that all 6 of the original family had numbers under 30! Was this not the case?? If they had higher numbers then they shouldn't board in the first group---that's only fair. However, as long as my husband has his disc problem and is on pain pills, we will fly United Express or Reno and give our SWA freebies to our 22 year old very fit and healthy son(we can even include the drink certificates now!!) True, Herb knows how to run a money making airline, but he won't get more of mine under the circumstances. I'm still waiting for a nice reply to my letter, by the way, and if I get it, I'll be sure to post the results for all of you to share!

Only your family truly knows what the situation was. If some family members were elderly or physically unable to stand their place in line, then I believe everyone (even those in the line) would have been tolerant of the situation. If your whole family had been in line and one had to leave to use the facilities or some such thing, I believe you would have been tolerated. However, I think you may be asking the question because you KNOW that this was not the case and you're all feeling a bit guilty for "butting in" line ahead of others who had stood. I agree that it is extremely rude to place one person in line and then herd in an entire family reunion at the last minute. It also sounds to me like you wanted the best of both worlds - to all sit together AND to sit in the best seats. Sometimes you just can't have it all. The only question here is; how would YOU feel if another family did this to YOU?

Family members seated CAN join family members already in line. I agree why should you all stand in line. People who get bothered by this should fly an airline with assigned seats.

Ok, Guys---------I did hear from SWA!!! The answer to my question was that the gate attendant was misinformed. If someone has a medical condition, they are entitled to preboard and select any seat in the aircraft that will accomodate them---in front of or behind row 14. Families with children etc are preboarded and must go behind row 14. Children who are unaccompanied become the responsibility of the flight attendant in the front cabin and therefore are seated there.Groups of 15 or more may request to be preboarded and sit together. If your family all had boarding passes under the number 30, I don't see what difference it would make if only one of you stood in line. There wouldn't be that many other people with low numbers to compete with you for seats, and there are plenty of seats in the first 30 people boardiing. I want all of you who fly SWA to know that I heard from the airliine promptly with a reasonable response---in our case it was that the gate attendant was misinformed and that they would try to correct that, but that we should know that that was their policy for future reference. I appreciate that and still support Herb Kelliher-----on time take offs certainlly do make a difference!

I'm glad Herb sent a reply! Our daughter works for SWA - I agree children travelling alone are put in the front seats so they can be tended to. When we flew last week, I overheard several with medical conditions allowed to preboard and saw a FA move a girl with brace on her leg up front so she could have an aisle seat and be more comfortable. They will try to honor reasonable requests. Unreasonable requests are a different story - my daughter filled my ears Mon. night with stories of rude passengers she dealt with that day - unbelievable. I've heard her say people check their brains with their baggage - they think they'll never see those people again, so RUDE reigns!
Preboarding changes were made to get the airplane off and flying - my sister works for United. I've watched them spend 65 minutes on the ground at Tulsa and leave with maybe 50 passengers. SWA flies in, empties their plane, fills it back up with 137 and takes off - all within 20 min! Herb has the right idea!

I'm glad Herb sent a reply! Our daughter works for SWA - I agree children travelling alone are put in the front seats so they can be tended to. When we flew last week, I overheard several with medical conditions allowed to preboard and saw a FA move a girl with brace on her leg up front so she could have an aisle seat and be more comfortable. They will try to honor reasonable requests. Unreasonable requests are a different story - my daughter filled my ears Mon. night with stories of rude passengers she dealt with that day - unbelievable. I've heard her say people check their brains with their baggage - they think they'll never see those people again, so RUDE reigns!
Preboarding changes were made to get the airplane off and flying - my sister works for United. I've watched them spend 65 minutes on the ground at Tulsa and leave with maybe 50 passengers. SWA flies in, empties their plane, fills it back up with 137 and takes off - all within 20 min! Herb has the right idea!

I'm glad Herb sent a reply! Our daughter works for SWA - I agree children travelling alone are put in the front seats so they can be tended to. When we flew last week, I overheard several with medical conditions allowed to preboard and saw a FA move a girl with brace on her leg up front so she could have an aisle seat and be more comfortable. They will try to honor reasonable requests. Unreasonable requests are a different story - my daughter filled my ears Mon. night with stories of rude passengers she dealt with that day - unbelievable. I've heard her say people check their brains with their baggage - they think they'll never see those people again, so RUDE reigns!
Preboarding changes were made to get the airplane off and flying - my sister works for United. I've watched them spend 65 minutes on the ground at Tulsa and leave with maybe 50 passengers. SWA flies in, empties their plane, fills it back up with 137 and takes off - all within 20 min! Herb has the right idea!