Well, I'm amused that some of you thought I was a bit over the top in sarcasm in my comments about shopping bags on Christmas Day. I get it, but apparently I, and the rest of the passengers on the plane understand the one carry-on rule, and yes, maybe some of us (there goes that sarcasm again) did pack some of our gifts in our checked luggage. I will confess that I also had a shopping bag, but that was my only carry-on. 4 shopping bags, a purse and a computer case (whoops, forgot to mention that) does stretch the rules a bit, don't you think? There was also a guy who carried on a very large comforter in a plastic bag, bigger than a roll aboard, so so it seemed.

My advice still stands: "If you don't like Southwest's policy, then you can try to get them to change it or take your business to another airline."

There is a route I fly fairly often where the only nonstop is on an airline whose service I don't like. My choice is clear: I can complain about their service, of fly another airline that isn't non-stop. Actually, I suppose there's another option: realize that I don't like their service, suck it up, and fly non-stop.

Yes - and although it was Christmas night and UPS probably wasn't open at that time, it isn't like Christmas came as a surprise. These people could have shipped their gifts ahead of time if they didn't want to put them in checked baggage.

And you are, once again, assuming everyone has access to a printer wherever they're staying.

FWIW, you don't need to print your boarding pass in advance. You can check-in 24 hours in advance and then print it at the airport (however, I don't know if you can check-in by phone, or only on-line....I have done it from my car on my Blackberry, though).

I used to love the "perk" of boarding in advance when my children were young, but I definitely considered it a perk for me, not for anyone else. If it was just meant to alleviate chaos, they could just as easily have had a rule that all families with small children board AFTER everyone else.

Lastly, don't be so sure that "everyone prefers assigned seats". I certainly prefer them when I can get the ones I want, but if I'm not able to get an assigned aisle seat, because all of them are already assigned, then I'd just as soon line up at Southwest.

Also, please note that you don't need a printer to check in online. You can print your boarding pass when you get to the airport.

I have to say I don't often fly Southwest because they are only cheaper for me on certain routes, but when I have flown SW, even once getting a C, I have always gotten a perfectly fine (aisle) seat.

These people could have shipped their gifts ahead of time if they didn't want to put them in checked baggage.

Actually, I assumed they were on their way home with gifts they had just received.

Then they could have done the same thing I did and ship a package home.

I hate the fact about how much people carry on. This isnt just on Southwest either. It is absurd how much people try to carry on. The overheads usually fill up too quick and then people getting on later don't even have room near them. It ends up causing late departures / slow de-boarding. It feels that is random for how much people are allowed to carry on. I usually bring my backpack that fits under the seat easily. Anything else is in my checked bag. Sometimes I think it would be easier to not allow anything other than 1 plastic bag to be carried on.

I like Southwest for short flights but try to avoid them for flights with layovers. I do agree that there need to be provisions for people with kids

<<Well, sorry, your party is over.

My husband's been a FFer for about 10 years now, and it's never been a party for him. He's seen devaluation of his FF benefits, but business travel has never been a picnic - on any airline.

He's the type of business traveler who books his own stuff and does shop around for best fares. He would drive me crazy -- once he actually drove to an airport 2.5 hours away to get a cheaper SW flight. He's flown SW several times to save $$, but he's stopped doing that.

As you can probably tell, my husband's not an entitled, picky business traveler. But after being stuck in an aisle seat several times on SW he went back to his perks on USAir: guaranteed seat assignment, FF mileage bonus, (sometimes) upgrades to first class, etc. We can also use our FF miles to go to Europe and the Caribbean on USAir and you can't do that on SW.

(And yes, I realize how totally surreal it is to actually be speaking positively about USAir!!)

But after being stuck in an aisle seat several times on SW

I've heard people talk about being "stuck" in a middle seat, but never about being "stuck" in an aisle seat (my always-preferred location).

karens, I'm the same way about US Airways.

I've paid as much as $100 more to fly with them than take a direct flight on Spirit Airlines. It was like being on a Grayhound bus.

When my stepson passed away, I had just gotten off a long US Airways flight from Charlotte to Boston. I literally picked up my luggage from baggage claim, talked to my husband, and went right back upstairs to book a return flight home.

I told the gate agent my dilemma and they immediately rebooked my on the next flight to Charlotte that was leaving in 45 minutes and actually bumped another person on the Charlotte to Myrtle Beach just so I could get home.

When I asked the US Airways gate agent how much I owed them, she said "not one penny".

One final thought..Be thankful that for the majority of travellers that fly today there are as many airline choices that we have today, as we will all rue the day when the mergers over take the airline world and there are only two airlines left flying.. WorseAir and and Not Muchbetter Air.

Yikes, yes, I meant he was stuck in a MIDDLE seat on SW. On a long flight. Not such a big deal, but he is 6 ft. tall and that would never happen to him on USAir on a regularly scheduled flight.

Here's another advantage to us for USAir: it is the predominant carrier out of our airport. If we fly them, we very often fly direct. That's a great perk, too.

joethekay -- it's the mergers that have already happened that mean large numbers of would-be flyers DON'T have the choices. Your assumption about the "majority" is based on thinking that only those who live and work in the major cities need or want to fly very much. There are a lot of underserved and even unserved markets.

As for Skybus -- what a joke! They claim to be serving major cities but they're just using minor "apron" airports, trying to cash in on the same well-served routes already covered. You think you're going Chicago to Boston, but you're going Gary to Manchester, plus a commute. It's just creating a shadow-hub system for the existing hubs.

The rest of us either take SW or crowd into the one 7 am flight on USAir (or whichever).

There's something unreal about being told to be "grateful" for a deteriorating system. And no, I don't look forward to the mergers, either, but they're ALL already "WorseAir."

A number of years ago I was flying Southwest to FL with small children when someone teased me (jokingly) about my being able to get on the plane ahead of him because of my children. I told him he could borrow my children for the flight and board ahead of me. He smiled and declined.

We booked our Disneyland trip thru Southwest travel. We're 2 families w all our children 5 & 6 years old. Last yrs Disney trip we boarded first o/a that rules hadnt changed yet & since kids were young, we were all able to pre-board..but now travel thru Southwest Vacations does NOT allow you to check in online. You must do it at the airport. Yes you can do it 24 hrs before BUT all members of party must be present. Ive asked different people at Southwest & at Southwest vacations why they don't allow online checkin & no one has gievn me an answer that makes any sense (to me). Its such balogna!!! Try getting 6 kids & 4 parents on the plane sitting near ea other when we all will be getting our boarding passes when we arrive at the airport. On another note, like in some of the other posts I travel alone alot & always see flight attendants asking for volunteers to switch seats. Young kids are not going to sit alone. The new 4 & under rule is too young. havent they figured that out yet?

Hi everyone,

I'm curious about everyone saying that you can get the A boarding group by checking in 24 hours in advance. My BF and I have taken SW several times over the years and there have been occasions when we've checked in at the same time, but one of us gets A and the other gets C. I could understand if one of us got A and the other B (just happen to check in at the cutoff of A?), but I don't understand how we could jump an entire group when we're checking in at the same time.

Luckily our SW trips have all been pretty short, so we're not that picky about where we sit or if we're even sitting together. But, I just wonder if anyone has any thoughts about why this would happen to us.

Thanks.

jlaughs, I am not an employee, but until someone more knowledgeable replies, here's what I think might happen: assuming that you guys checked in later in the day (i.e., not 24 hours ahead) after many passes had been assigned and the C boarding passes were being given, right before the first one checked in, there had been within a few moments a cancellation of a ticket with an A boarding pass. Perhaps that A goes back into the pool, where it is assigned to you. After it's assigned, the next available boarding pass is a C.

Also, Southwest holds back A 1-15 for its business class select or whatever they call their highest fare. If there are no takers for that fare then SOME of the numbers go back into the pool.

If you don't have access to a printer when you are travelling, you can still check in online and print out the boarding passes at the terminal.

Oops sorry should have read all the threads, gave up towards the end.