Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Family boarding with big kids

Btea
Explorer B

Why are families with big kids allowed to go after the A group. This early boarding should be only for families with toddlers and below but I constantly see them allowed to go in when their kids are school age. This is never enforced. I've also seen one child that may be 4 with a group of 8 others that all think they should be able to go in before everyone else. One young child- one adult- that should be the rule

1 REPLY 1

Re: Family boarding with big kids

elijahbrantley
Aviator A
Solution

According to SW's site:

 

"Two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If the child and the adult are both holding an “A” boarding pass, they should board in their assigned boarding position."

 

The challenge lies in the fact that families often do not fit this mold. Ex: What happens if you have a three year old, an 8 year old, and two parents? Most gate agents are not going to separate the family to board separately; they will allow them to board together during family boarding.

 

I do get where you are coming from. If you have a family of seven, for example, where most of the kids are beyond the family boarding age, it can be frustrating. Ultimately, it is up to the gate agent who is boarding the plane.

 

If you would like to share your concerns directly with SW, you can use one of the Contact Us methods below.

 

-A List, Companion Pass holder