Southwest Airlines Increases Charge for Early-Boarding Fees

[cabanafrau]

I don't like to knuckle under to entitled bullies, but a plane isn't somewhere I'm likely to venture into any behaviors or conversations that in any way make people get testy.

 

[Marchand63]

And All these posts why I pay a little more and fly JetBlue with the seat assignment. At least you’re not treated like cattle

 

[magicmommy]

We've utilized EBCI since the beginning. I'll still pay for it since it is usually just DH and I. My biggest issue is paying for EBCI and getting a B boarding pass.
Family boarding should come after all EB's have boarded.

 

[gotomu212]

I hope less people will utilize it! I’m a 24-hour checker-inner (how’s that for grammar?) and I’m usually mid-B boarding group even though I check-in the second I can just because of all the early birds.

Some of the problem is that you’re checking in after the people who are connecting on your flight. If your flight is at 1:00, but someone is flying out from City A at 9 am and then connecting on your 1:00 flight, they actually get to check in at 9 the day before and you have to wait 4 hours (until 1) to get your number.

I learned this when 2 particular flights I took where always high numbers and found out it was a popular connect for early east coast people.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Our airport has a captive audience to Orlando so I am sure people will pay if they want the EBCI.

lots of flights are pretty full here to/from Orlando most of the time.

 

[bcla]

I still can't figure out why Southwest hasn't formed some official policy. They claim that they don't want to an take it on a case by case basis because they don't want the flight attendants to consistently have to enforce a policy that will take them away from their safety duties.

I've seen some fairly reasonable policies. One at at the general admission section of a baseball game, only one can be saved per person. An entire row seems just crazy, and takes good seats away from people who already paid for EBCI.

 

[dish rag]

As a very frequent flier this thread reminds me why I never have and hope to never fly on Southwest. Westjet, Air Canada, Delta and Allegiant and never deal with this silliness.

 

[Lsdolphin]

My issue with it is that 2 people bought EBCI. They proceeded to board in A group and each save an entire row. We were also in A group, but behind them.

People in C group then boarded and sat in those rows saved for them.

We were not prevented from sitting together. I just think it's a crappy thing to do.

This actually happened to me on a flight from BWI to MCO in June. I boarded a flight with an EB ticket and 19 position...the couple just in front of me boarded and sat in the aisle seats across from each other Proceeded to place hats/small bags on rows of seats in front of them and behind them saving 6 rows of seats! I ended up in row 16! The woman boarding just behind me was furious and asked the flight attendent to intervene. The flight attendent simply told her to "please take a seat ma'am the sooner everyone is seated the faster we can take off." She sat with me and complained the whole time. I was annoyed too as I expected a to be able to get a seat closer to front of plane and most irritating was the fact that I PAID for the EB and those seats were saved for those that did not.

 

[klacey1]

I’ve only flown Southwest a few times, as my SO used to use them as his secondary airline when Delta was too impractical. Every time, I remember an FA coming over the loudspeaker and telling everyone that no one can save seats, and if there isn’t a body in a seat, anyone can and should sit there.

I do think limiting the number of EBCIs sold (while increasing the price) makes the most sense.

Still though—I’ll take Delta as my number one and JetBlue as my backup instead!

 

[mnrose]

This actually happened to me on a flight from BWI to MCO in June. I boarded a flight with an EB ticket and 19 position...the couple just in front of me boarded and sat in the aisle seats across from each other Proceeded to place hats/small bags on rows of seats in front of them and behind them saving 6 rows of seats! I ended up in row 16! The woman boarding just behind me was furious and asked the flight attendent to intervene. The flight attendent simply told her to "please take a seat ma'am the sooner everyone is seated the faster we can take off." She sat with me and complained the whole time. I was annoyed too as I expected a to be able to get a seat closer to front of plane and most irritating was the fact that I PAID for the EB and those seats were saved for those that did not.

If that happened to me, the small bags and hats would have been on the floor, or returned to their rightful owner, and my butt applied to the seat I wanted. Period. Let the flight attendant deal with the seat savers. "Here's your stuff. You are not in this seat. I'm giving you your stuff back which apparently made it's way to a seat you are not occupying." That's infuriating.

I hate flying Southwest for precisely this reason. I'm flying to my niece's wedding next weekend, and Southwest was the only rational alternative (as my other option was Spirit, and uh NO WAY am I doing that....LOL). I bought Early Bird Checkin. I want an aisle seat. I do not care where it is at. The ticket was purchased almost two months ago, so hoping for decent position. But, if I get on the plane and find no aisle seats, I will without hesitation remove any "saving" items from an aisle seat, and hand them back to whoever owns them. I will be polite, but firm. I'm obeying the rules. People behind me do not have a superior right to a seat that I want and is unoccupied by an actual human.

 

[Hrhpd]

I am not even defending a price increase---I started off with agreeing that it is not for the benefit of customers or to limit use unless they actually place a hard limit on sales, which so far as I know, they have not. It is clearly a money grab.

I commented about the seat saving as a general thing, building on someone else's post---I am just not someone who caters to jerks who save seats when they are not supposed to. No, I do not intentionally choose seats that will annoy people for me to sit in them---but if it is the only bulkhead left, or one of 2 and i am with my tall husband, or it is the only aisle left---yeah, I prefer to sit next to someone annoyed with me that I played by the rules and didn't let them push me around than to sit in a window or middle.
The one time it happened one person was on and had sat in the bulkhead and placed a jacket also in bulkhead, leaving the middle empty. we asked who was sitting there---he said his wife, we asked where she was, um, well, she be on soon, we sat down. As it turned
out, we did not sit next to an annoyed jerk as he decided to move back to sit with his wife (I wouldn't have cared if he stayed and they sat apart).


I find it odd that we are discussing others are breaking the rules and circumventing the system saving seats and you think I am in the wrong for simply not catering to it. Why on earth am i the bad guy in that scenario?

You do realize that Southwest has no policy against seat saving? You are not "playing by the rules" because there are no rules.

Although I hate seat savers with the rest of them, blame Southwest for not having a seat saving policy.

We always buy EBCI and will continue. Still love the airline and do love the seating arrangements.

And yes, if somebody had an entire row in front of them saved, I would have no qualms sitting there. I would not sit in a row with someone if they were saving one seat for a spouse or someone else.

 

[mnrose]

In effect, Southwest DOES have a policy on seat saving. Their policy is VERY clear that if you want to board with your group, you need to all board with the highest numbered person. If it was OK for a lower number person to "save" seats for a higher number person, then their policy would be that it's ok to the group to board with the lower number person because the end result is the same. Since their written policy is exactly the opposite of that (that you board as a group with the highest number person), it's clear to me that seat saving is not allowed.

Here's the policy:

Can groups assigned to different boarding positions board together?

Yes. However, in order to maintain the integrity of the boarding process, we ask that earlier boarding positions board with the later positions. For example, if a passenger is assigned position A16 and wants to board with a passenger assigned position A45, the passenger holding the A16 boarding pass should board with the A45 passenger.

 

[Lsdolphin]

In effect, Southwest DOES have a policy on seat saving. Their policy is VERY clear that if you want to board with your group, you need to all board with the highest numbered person. If it was OK for a lower number person to "save" seats for a higher number person, then their policy would be that it's ok to the group to board with the lower number person because the end result is the same. Since their written policy is exactly the opposite of that (that you board as a group with the highest number person), it's clear to me that seat saving is not allowed.

Here's the policy:

Can groups assigned to different boarding positions board together?

Yes. However, in order to maintain the integrity of the boarding process, we ask that earlier boarding positions board with the later positions. For example, if a passenger is assigned position A16 and wants to board with a passenger assigned position A45, the passenger holding the A16 boarding pass should board with the A45 passenger.

So I fly out next week and I have copied your post and will be carrying several copies with me!!!!

 

[John VN]

In effect, Southwest DOES have a policy on seat saving. Their policy is VERY clear that if you want to board with your group, you need to all board with the highest numbered person. If it was OK for a lower number person to "save" seats for a higher number person, then their policy would be that it's ok to the group to board with the lower number person because the end result is the same. Since their written policy is exactly the opposite of that (that you board as a group with the highest number person), it's clear to me that seat saving is not allowed.

Here's the policy:

Can groups assigned to different boarding positions board together?

Yes. However, in order to maintain the integrity of the boarding process, we ask that earlier boarding positions board with the later positions. For example, if a passenger is assigned position A16 and wants to board with a passenger assigned position A45, the passenger holding the A16 boarding pass should board with the A45 passenger.

That's what they announce.

No issues here since I head for the last rows.

 

[morgan98]

Reading posts about Southwest and the seating fiasco is the reason I have never flown them and never have any intention of doing so.

 

[buzzrelly]

Some years ago, when we first started flying Southwest I was on the phone purchasing four tickets for me, my mom and my two kids who were maybe 9 and 11 years old at the time. I was on the fence about purchasing EBCI, and wasn’t really an experienced flyer at the time. The Southwest agent on the phone with me encouraged me to purchase EBCI for two of us and save seats for the other two. I ended up getting EBCI for myself and DS and my mom and DD waited and boarded after us.

I’m glad I didn’t run into any of you people on the plane because I would have been horrified. I really didn’t realize that it was so frowned upon at the time since the SW agent was the one who suggested it.

I have since flown SW many times and I now purchase EBCI for everyone, not only because I have read multiple threads about this, but mostly because my kids would argue about who gets to board first. I just get it for all of us to keep the peace.

I would never touch anyone’s personal items and move them so I could sit. I think that’s a recipe for disaster.

 

[mnrose]

Some years ago, when we first started flying Southwest I was on the phone purchasing four tickets for me, my mom and my two kids who were maybe 9 and 11 years old at the time. I was on the fence about purchasing EBCI, and wasn’t really an experienced flyer at the time. The Southwest agent on the phone with me encouraged me to purchase EBCI for two of us and save seats for the other two. I ended up getting EBCI for myself and DS and my mom and DD waited and boarded after us.

I’m glad I didn’t run into any of you people on the plane because I would have been horrified. I really didn’t realize that it was so frowned upon at the time since the SW agent was the one who suggested it.

I have since flown SW many times and I now purchase EBCI for everyone, not only because I have read multiple threads about this, but mostly because my kids would argue about who gets to board first. I just get it for all of us to keep the peace.

I would never touch anyone’s personal items and move them so I could sit. I think that’s a recipe for disaster.

My take on it is that except for a brief period while you are getting settled in your seat, your personal belongings do not belong on any other seat. I would be polite, but firm. "If you are not sitting in this seat, I plan to sit here. Please remove your belongings." If they say "I'm saving it," I would again firmly (but politely) say "I'm here first. Under the boarding policies of this airline, if you wish to board and sit with someone else, you are supposed to board with the higher boarding position Sorry. You can't save for someone with a higher boarding position." It really makes no sense that one person can spend the money, and keep someone with a lower boarding number from getting the seat over someone with a higher boarding number. The logic is ridiculous and you have to twist yourself into pretzels to justify it (general you, not YOU in particular....LOL).

Personally, I'd love to see Southwest be very clear about this and outright stop seat savers. It takes very little effort to announce "No saving of seats is permitted" and then the earlier boarding passenger would be less likely to do it, and there would be less disagreements.

 

[bcla]

I’ve only flown Southwest a few times, as my SO used to use them as his secondary airline when Delta was too impractical. Every time, I remember an FA coming over the loudspeaker and telling everyone that no one can save seats, and if there isn’t a body in a seat, anyone can and should sit there.

They basically allow the crew to decide how to handle it. And the that leaves people angry since there’s no consistency.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I am not even defending a price increase---I started off with agreeing that it is not for the benefit of customers or to limit use unless they actually place a hard limit on sales, which so far as I know, they have not. It is clearly a money grab.

I commented about the seat saving as a general thing, building on someone else's post---I am just not someone who caters to jerks who save seats when they are not supposed to. No, I do not intentionally choose seats that will annoy people for me to sit in them---but if it is the only bulkhead left, or one of 2 and i am with my tall husband, or it is the only aisle left---yeah, I prefer to sit next to someone annoyed with me that I played by the rules and didn't let them push me around than to sit in a window or middle.
The one time it happened one person was on and had sat in the bulkhead and placed a jacket also in bulkhead, leaving the middle empty. we asked who was sitting there---he said his wife, we asked where she was, um, well, she be on soon, we sat down. As it turned
out, we did not sit next to an annoyed jerk as he decided to move back to sit with his wife (I wouldn't have cared if he stayed and they sat apart).


I find it odd that we are discussing others are breaking the rules and circumventing the system saving seats and you think I am in the wrong for simply not catering to it. Why on earth am i the bad guy in that scenario?

As other have mentioned SWA has a really odd no policy policy on seat saving. You’re just as likely to get scolded for moving somebody else’s things as you are to have the flight attendant side with you.

Reading posts about Southwest and the seating fiasco is the reason I have never flown them and never have any intention of doing so.

I honestly wouldn’t let it deter you. I’ve flown Southwest a fair amount and have had exactly one instance of seat issues. I find the boarding process on the legacy airlines way more tedious even with assigned seats and I usually fly 1st class because I’m fancy and awesome (lol not really, I’m willing to pay extra so my invaded space bubble anxiety is a little lower). Plus the flexibility of changing your tickets or cancelling on Southwest cannot be beat.

 

[DisneylandDarling]

poniting at seat with a bag or jacket on it: "is someone sitting there?"

"my wife"

"where is she?" looking around for her---if no actual person is already on the plane to be pointed out to me, I shrug, move the bag/jacket to the floor and sit down.

(OK, I only did that once---but I would again if someone were saving seat inappropriately. I'Ve done it in the theatre on ships many times. For a while there it was common to walk inn to find 1-2 people saving entire rows. )

"

I'm so glad that no one was that confrontational on my SWA flight. My mom and I were flying together and she wanted to use the restroom real quick before takeoff. When there was a break in the line of people coming in, she got up and used the cabin restroom in the front of the plane. Since we had paid for the tickets that automatically put us in 1-15, we were in the second row with boarding numbers #3 and #4 (or maybe #4 or #5, whatever). While she was gone, several people asked if the seat was taken even though she left her jacket and iPad on the seat. I responded, yes my mother is sitting there. They either said okay or shrugged and went to the multitude of seats available behind us. I would have been livid if someone moved her jacket and Ipad on the ground and sat in her seat simply because she was not in the seat at that very second. Personally, I would never make an assumption that I'm more entitled to an "open" seat that has stuff on it than someone who got there first.