Companion Boarding

[SandySarge]

So you’ve reached a Companion status and boy are you (and your lucky Companion) thrilled!!  You book your first adventure together and are all ready to go. You jump right online 23:59 hours ahead to checkin and it all starts to unravel. You get A-22 (whoop) but your pal gets C-48. Yikes, now you have to be that jerk who saves that seat on the exit row or the one who never quite makes eye contact.  You hope it works but ya never know.  not the best way to start a new level after it takes so long to get to Companion. 

So - here’s my idea - have Companion tickets on the same reservation (not a separate one), and have them board together.  We’ve earned that coveted level and we want to have our Companion feel as special as we do. After all, most of them are stuck at home while we are always off flying.  

Just a thought

[DancingDavidE]

There was a pilot program taking this approach but we haven't heard on this community yet if that would be rolled out system-wide or not. I'm hopeful as well!

As far as saving a seat, I say if you are holding a middle seat next to you for your spouse, go for it.

I wouldn't ever frown on someone when I asked them if they were saving a seat if it was for their spouse. (companion or not)

[TheMiddleSeat]

Also worth mentioning having a Companion Pass does not mean you are A-List so it's possible for both passengers to get B or C boarding positions or the Companion could be A-List while the pass holder is not. Lots of different variations. In this example, with a C48 position, it sounds like the Companion didn't check in at all until arriving at the airport. Companions do need to check-in separately from the Companion Pass holder. If one passenger is A-List and the other is not, purchasing EarlyBird Check-In would also help reduce the amount of time you'd be stuck saving a seat by helping you get a better boarding position.

--TheMiddleSeat

[ZevSupport]

Congratulations!

I think these are all great ideas to share with the broader term (calling, social media). Hopefully, until any program is rolled out, you and your companion can sit next to each other.

[chgoflyer]

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@SandySarge wrote:

So you’ve reached a Companion status and boy are you (and your lucky Companion) thrilled!!  You book your first adventure together and are all ready to go. You jump right online 23:59 hours ahead to checkin and it all starts to unravel. You get A-22 (whoop) but your pal gets C-48. Yikes, now you have to be that jerk who saves that seat on the exit row or the one who never quite makes eye contact.  You hope it works but ya never know.  not the best way to start a new level after it takes so long to get to Companion. 

So - here’s my idea - have Companion tickets on the same reservation (not a separate one), and have them board together.  We’ve earned that coveted level and we want to have our Companion feel as special as we do. After all, most of them are stuck at home while we are always off flying.  

Just a thought

It's pretty unlikely that checking in right at t-24 would generate a C-48 boarding position. 😉 But your point is valid, and has been raised before. Southwest had tested a procedure that would allow Companions to board with the Companion Pass holder, but it hasn't been officially accepted as policy. Hopefully, some day.