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Re: Saving Seats

SeniorNotso
Explorer A

Geeeeez, Really?

 

I hope to be the one that sits in the middle of you 2!!

Re: Saving Seats

SeniorNotso
Explorer A

So a follow-up,  as we "fell" for the seat saving crap from cheap customers. We had "A45-46 and saw two open-with purse and blanket covered seats. I asked the person who is sitting there, reply was they're coming later. I asked FA, Karen, to inform customer there is no seat saving, "first come, first taken".  Lazy Karen declined. Being civil, we went further down the aisle. Next time, NOT! If the cheap customers don't want to pay the extra$ for "early board, well I/we are going to sit in the empty seats!  Too bad, cheapskate......move over, here we come! Tired of "being nice!!" Merry Christmas!

Re: Saving Seats

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@SeniorNotso wrote:

So a follow-up,  as we "fell" for the seat saving crap from cheap customers. We had "A45-46 and saw two open-with purse and blanket covered seats. I asked the person who is sitting there, reply was they're coming later. I asked FA, Karen, to inform customer there is no seat saving, "first come, first taken".  Lazy Karen declined. Being civil, we went further down the aisle. Next time, NOT! If the cheap customers don't want to pay the extra$ for "early board, well I/we are going to sit in the empty seats!  Too bad, cheapskate......move over, here we come! Tired of "being nice!!" Merry Christmas!


Karen wasn't being "lazy," Karen was following Southwest policy. Southwest allows seat saving, as they have no policy for or against it, and FAs are instructed not to get involved.

 

I have to laugh every time someone here gets all sanctimonious about confronting seat savers, but isn't mad at Southwest for allowing it to happen in the first place.

Re: Saving Seats

Challenger
Explorer C

You do know that there are reserved seats that have been paid for as reserved empty seats, right? 

Re: Saving Seats

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@Challenger wrote:

You do know that there are reserved seats that have been paid for as reserved empty seats, right? 


 

I'm not sure who you're replying to, or what exactly you mean...

 

If you're referring to the 2nd seat for a Customer of Size, be aware that in those cases a "seat reserved" document is used, to clearly indicate that the seat is not available. (The large person in the adjacent seat is a clue as well.) 😉 

 

FYI: Southwest's policy allows for a full refund of those 2nd seats, and now they don't even need to be paid for in advance. 

 

In any case, these are quite different than a seat that is simply being "saved."

 

Re: Saving Seats

johnnywishbones
Explorer C

So how hard would it be for Southwest to allow us as customers to at least call in or set up seating assignment charts on their web site?  Then at least we could select seating assignments by two's.  I get the hassle for the airline for group seating, but a husband and wife or a mother and child.  One adult with a child.  There sould be some type of override available to the agent in certain situations.  Yes that would include the next level of customers, A Husband and wife and their one, two or etc children.  I do feel those types of groups should be allowed a special consideration.  Rules they say?  Lol it's more like no rules free for all lol.  Which I see is the easiest way.  Not to leave out, i clicked at exaclty 24 hours before my boarding and my wife and I's boarding assignment was from A to B.  No way everyone else or 60 even other passangers where sitting at their PC or on the phone with SW at that exact moment.  So that tells me the system did a generated placement of said assignments.  You would think it would acknowlege that the two of us were together and placed us within the same group.  Having said all that, I will say, I have enjoyed my experience with SW thus far but this would be the one thing they should look into.  🙂 Other than that, the employess, i've spoken with couldn't have been nicer.   We'll see what tomorrow brings, lol when we try and check in and cross our fingers for two seats next to each other 😉 .   Just felt SW should know,  That keeps them from being Americas Number one airline.  I'm not a tech person so who knows, it might be a virtual nightmare in the computer programing, but is something SW should look into heavily.  Thanks 😉 John

Re: Saving Seats

dfwskier
Aviator A
Solution

@johnnywishbones wrote:

So how hard would it be for Southwest to allow us as customers to at least call in or set up seating assignment charts on their web site?  Then at least we could select seating assignments by two's.  I get the hassle for the airline for group seating, but a husband and wife or a mother and child.  One adult with a child.  There sould be some type of override available to the agent in certain situations.  Yes that would include the next level of customers, A Husband and wife and their one, two or etc children.  I do feel those types of groups should be allowed a special consideration.  Rules they say?  Lol it's more like no rules free for all lol.  Which I see is the easiest way.  Not to leave out, i clicked at exaclty 24 hours before my boarding and my wife and I's boarding assignment was from A to B.  No way everyone else or 60 even other passangers where sitting at their PC or on the phone with SW at that exact moment.  So that tells me the system did a generated placement of said assignments.  You would think it would acknowlege that the two of us were together and placed us within the same group.  Having said all that, I will say, I have enjoyed my experience with SW thus far but this would be the one thing they should look into.  🙂 Other than that, the employess, i've spoken with couldn't have been nicer.   We'll see what tomorrow brings, lol when we try and check in and cross our fingers for two seats next to each other 😉 .   Just felt SW should know,  That keeps them from being Americas Number one airline.  I'm not a tech person so who knows, it might be a virtual nightmare in the computer programing, but is something SW should look into heavily.  Thanks 😉 John


You need to understand something about how Southwest assigns boarding positions. The airline automatically assigns spots to three groups of travelers at 36 hours before flight time:

 A-List Preferred, & A-lst (it's most frequent flyers), and people who buy Early Bird Check in. It is entirely possible that there could be 30, 40, 50, 60 or more of there people. Those that check themselves in get what's left.

 

As far as your suggestion, this is a customer to customer forum. Perhaps you should send your suggestion to the airline. To do so click on "contact us" below and then pick your preferred contact method from thos listed on the top left of the ensuing page.

Re: No assigned seat

rowit09
Explorer C

No assigned seating is probably ok if you’re an Aor B but if you’re a C it’s terrible. I don’t really know how they decide what letter you are. On the first flight we got a B and sat together but on our way back we got C and it was terrible. I think it’s a really bad idea and won’t fly this way again 

Re: No assigned seat

DancingDavidE
Aviator A
Solution

@rowit09 wrote:

No assigned seating is probably ok if you’re an Aor B but if you’re a C it’s terrible. I don’t really know how they decide what letter you are. On the first flight we got a B and sat together but on our way back we got C and it was terrible. I think it’s a really bad idea and won’t fly this way again 


  • Preboarders who need a specific seat
  • Business Select tickets A1-15
  • A-list and A-list preferred are automatically assigned boarding positions at T-36 hours prior to departure.
  • Early-bird checkin at T-36 hours prior to departure (This will often use up all of the A positions, and usually be well into the B positions)

During boarding, A-list members who didn't get an A-number, family boarding, and pre-boarders who need extra time may board after A60 and before B1. Military in uniform may also board at this time although this one seems spotty in practice.

 

  • Those that check-in at 24-hours prior to departure and later are assigned remaining positions, which might rarely be A-positions and are often B or C positions, assigned in order. If a position is vacated due to cancelation it will be available for this group to claim.

I hope that helps explain the system. If two people are traveling together and also want to sit together, and don't include a child six and under, then you should consider adding Early Bird Check-In (EBCI) to move up in position which should allow you to find two spots to sit together, although the row that you find this may be towards the back.

 

Also if you find yourself boarding in the C's and there aren't two spots together, you may want to ask the flight attendant who can help find someone willing to move. i.e. someone already in a middle seat might relocate to a different middle seat enabling you to sit together...buy them a beverage as a thank-you ($8), or the FA may comp them for moving spots.

 

Otherwise, hopefully the flight isn't that long - on the other airlines with assigned seating you may have had to pay extra to select seats in advance anyway, consider this in the comparison vs buying EBCI when you are shopping for flights.

 

One other caveat to the position assignments - if you have conneccting flights, you get to check in for all of your legs at once, even if the second leg is more than 24-hours out.

 

Also the time of day could matter if the flight was filled with A-list business people who are leaving early as opposed to a different time of day when there were more infrequent customers? That could vary a lot by destination and time of day though.

 

 

Anyway, I hope this helps explain why there could be different results, and hopefully you give Southwest another try knowing the background of how the positions are assigned.

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: No assigned seat

mvsopen
Explorer C

Sorry, SWA, but it doesn't work this way. I've flown on your airline perhaps 300 times in the past 30 years, and I frequently see people "saving seats" by placing luggage, bags or clothing on the empty seat next to them, especially on a connecting flight, when they have a chance to de-board for a while. When I ask the flight attendant if I can move their luggage, they always recite "SWA can't get involved in any issues involving saving of seats". Corporate says exactly the same when I write to them. Yet if someone moved someone else's luggage, couldn't they be rightfully accused of possibly attempting to steal something from it? Either you have reserved seating, or you don't, but right now, SWA appears to be "playing both sides". You charge people $15 for priority boarding, but often most every seat in front of the wings has been "reserved" by someone. This isn't customer service!