Southwest airlines??? About This Page:

[forever_amber]

are you really allowed 3 checke bags per person? do they have to be smaller than other airlines? or does the 3 it lists on the website include your carry-on? ok I KNOW I don't need to know that as the chances of us needing even 10 bags for a week (there are 5 of us) is nuts I just wondered if I am reading stuff wrong.

Also how exactly does boarding work? I heard it is not assigned seats and you just hope for the best and people with kids go 1st... is it the WHOLE group that has a kid or would I have to go on with the 2 kids (age 4 and 7) and DH have to stay and board later with the kid who is over age 10 or if I would take the 4 year old and DH take the 7 year old do they make the 11 year old wait alone? ANd finally do you have to get a special pass to board early with the kids or do they just see the kids and say go on... when we bought tickets they did not have us enter their ages anywhere. The thing is my 11 year old would be most bothered by having to not sit with me on the plane so I want to get her a seat beside me... the 7 year old would sit with anyone if it came down to it can we save a seat for the 11 year old or trade seats with her and the younger one when she is allowed on


THANKS

[DopeyGirl]

Here are the baggage policies for Southwest, including the allowance, weights and dimensions . . .

Southwest Airlines - Baggage

Each ticketed passenger is allowed 3 checked pieces (no heavier than 50 pounds) and one carry-on.

The way the boarding works is . . . when you check in, you get either an A, B or C on your boarding pass. When you get to your gate, there will be 3 lilnes labeled with those letters and you join the line of whatever letter you have.

I recommend checking in online 24 hours in advance and printing your boarding passes at home, as then you are almost assured of getting an A group boarding pass, which means that you will be allowed to board in the first group.

The first people to board are the people who need assistance and the families with babies/toddlers . . . then they call Group A. When you get on the plane, you choose your seats. There are no assigned seats. Once the entire A group line has gone through, they call Group B and once they've gone, they call group C.

The reason I recommend checking in as early as possible to get an A boarding pass is that if you are in group C (or even, sometimes with larger groups, group B) you may not be able to sit together as you basically just take whatever seats are left.

It sounds like a pain, but really, it isn't bad!

Hope this helps!


ETA: When we recently flew on Southwest, I asked about pre-boarding with my 6 y/o because she takes FOREVER to get settled and I didn't want to hold up the boarding process and they told me she was "too old" for us to pre-board. I also saw families with 4-5 year olds and no other children being turned away from pre-boarding and put into their group's lines.

[forever_amber]

Originally Posted by DopeyGirl

Here are the baggage policies for Southwest, including the allowance, weights and dimensions . . .

Southwest Airlines - Baggage

Each ticketed passenger is allowed 3 checked pieces (no heavier than 50 pounds) and one carry-on.

The way the boarding works is . . . when you check in, you get either an A, B or C on your boarding pass. When you get to your gate, there will be 3 lilnes labeled with those letters and you join the line of whatever letter you have.




I recommend checking in online 24 hours in advance and printing your boarding passes at home, as then you are almost assured of getting an A group boarding pass, which means that you will be allowed to board in the first group.

The first people to board are the people who need assistance and the families with babies/toddlers . . . then they call Group A. When you get on the plane, you choose your seats. There are no assigned seats. Once the entire A group line has gone through, they call Group B and once they've gone, they call group C.

The reason I recommend checking in as early as possible to get an A boarding pass is that if you are in group C (or even, sometimes with larger groups, group B) you may not be able to sit together as you basically just take whatever seats are left.

It sounds like a pain, but really, it isn't bad!

Hope this helps!


ETA: When we recently flew on Southwest, I asked about pre-boarding with my 6 y/o because she takes FOREVER to get settled and I didn't want to hold up the boarding process and they told me she was "too old" for us to pre-board. I also saw families with 4-5 year olds and no other children being turned away from pre-boarding and put into their group's lines.

ok wait I reread in in less of a panic... check in 24 hours ahead and all should be ok... can I send DH to teh airport to check in 24 hours ahead? we are flying out of KC as Omaha has no direct flights so we are going to DH's old lady aunts house the day before and will not be around any computers can he go check us in but not check our bags until we go back the day of the flight? I KNOW nobody would want to sit by my 4 year old on a flight... he's ummm active? is a nice way to put it ... I'd say bordering on Hyper and he is one of those kids who will talk your ear off. 11 YO would obviously be ABLE to sit without a parent but she has a fear of airplanes so I always just keep her close by


if we CAN go to the airport 24 hours ahead to check in would we have to check our bags at that time? I know there is going to be a better option here I'm not sure where the closest Library is to where she lives are there other places you can go have them let you online and print things?

[CRCrazy]

Don't worry - Southwest is very easy to deal with.

First of all - you don't check in at the airport 24 hours before - as long as you have ticketless travel (just an itinerary with a confirmation number) which is the bulk of Southwest's business. The only time they use tickets is for some group sales, I believe.

24 hours before your flight takes off - just go to this section of Southwest's website Southwest Airlines - Check In and Print Boarding Pass (you just go to southwest.com - and the check in online button is right on the front page.)
Type in your confirmation number, and your name - and it pulls up your reservation - then you just check off the names - and hit send. It will then bring you to a screen to print off your boarding passes - and you will see a big letter A, B or C depending on your boarding group.

Then, the next day when you get to the airport - you can check your bags - either at the counter or at curbside check in. At that time, they will tell you what your gate number is, and if you need to - they will reprint your boarding pass.

I couldn't find a link to Southwest's preboard policy - but as long as I've been around - medical preboards go on first, followed by children aged 4 and under accompanied by their immediate family. So - you should be able to preboard with your whole family - check in with the gate agent when you arrive at the gate. Just be aware - this is not a guarantee - they sometimes suspend preboards for children on flights to/from Orlando - since it is often half the plane! Their reason for the preboard is to give you a little extra time to settle your child in - and buckle in their FAA certified car seat, if you bring one.

When you are 24 hours from your return flight - guest services at any Disney park or hotel will let you check in for your flight - they understand the value of that A pass!

Good luck, and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

[mgilmer]

Here is the SWA boarding policy clipped from their website:

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 E-Ticket 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." General-boarding Customers who choose an emergency exit seat must meet all requirements set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and Southwest Airlines.

[bradk]

alternatively if you have nothing but a web-enabled cell phone at your disposal, you can check in with it by pointing it to mobile.southwest.com. you'll be able to print your boarding pass at the airport, but you'll retain the group assigned to you when you check-in

from what i've gathered, preboarding rules actually vary based on airport. for example, i think orlando is one the more restrictive ones if i'm not mistaken. there have been complaints about large families preboarding because of one child.

[forever_amber]

Awesome... I talked to the girls and warned them that you never know where you will sit. and they are ok with it as long as I get them fun stuff to do. We are not going to Orlando but from Kansas City to LAX it is also during the school year so maybe there will not be tons of kids.. so Ryan and DH can get on early

[DrDolphin]

Your whole family should be allowed to board together - if your son is less than 5 years in age (not 5). They tend to not allow extended family to board at the same time (grandparents, aunts, etc).

[forever_amber]

Originally Posted by DrDolphin

Your whole family should be allowed to board together - if your son is less than 5 years in age (not 5). They tend to not allow extended family to board at the same time (grandparents, aunts, etc).

Cool he is 4 not 5 until next April

[snoozy]

Here's a tip for the A, B, C boarding. Get in line as early as possible, everybody else will so if you want your group to sit together or just get a good seat line up early. The Disneyland experience continues even on the way there or on the way home.