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SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

blackbeard6
Explorer C

When is SWA going to implement a policy relative to people saving seats. I can understand saving seats for parents with younger children. I have no issue with that. I had an issue with a lady who saved six seat (two rows for her friends) on SWA flight number #1598 OGG to Oakland on 10-28. My sister and I paid Early Bird so we could get checked in early and have a better boarding position (A40 and A41) for a 5 hour flight. This lady boarded the plane prior to us, and saved seats across the aisle from her as well as the seats next to her. When I asked her if someone was sitting there, she said well they are for my friends, then the flight attendant told us well we don't have a full flight and there are plenty of seats in the back. My response to her, is I wanted to sit in front of the wings. I also voiced my displeasure to her that we paid extra money to board early and it wasn't right that people can reserve seats for others that have boarding positions in other groups. The flight attendant told me SWA doesn't have a policy about people reserving seats for others. WHAT IS THE POINT OF PAYING EARLY BIRD!!! and as quoted from SWA's website for EARLY BIRD " Better boarding position. We'll automatically check you in and assign your boarding position within 36 hours of your flight's departure - that's 12 hours before general boarding positions become available. While EarlyBird Check-In® doesn't guarantee an A boarding position, it improves your seat selection options to help you get your favorite seat. Earlier access to overhead bins Got bags? We've got room. By boarding earlier you'll get your pick of available overhead bin space. If there is no policy for reserving seats...why should I pay extra money for Early Bird or pay $40 for upgrade when others are allowed to reserve seats for people in the B & C boarding groups. Not only did this lady save seats for her friends, but a couple that wanted to sit next to her in her row....she told them..."well there's plenty of seats in the back of the plane"...REALLY...and the flight attendant allowed her to do that so she ended up with a row of seats all by herself. I have been a loyal SWA customer for a long time and have the SWA Rewards credit card, and this literally STINKS....perhaps I need to rethink my loyalty to SWA airlines.

7 REPLIES 7

Re: SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

1. The current policy, or lack there of means you could have sat in those empty seats despite them being saved if you wanted.

2. EBCI provided you with a good boarding position and you were the one who decided that you would only sit in front of the wings.  If you had not made that arbitrary decision there surely were plenty of aisle and window seats further back.

 

You're really complaining about someone saving 6 seats out of 140+ seats while you had an A40 boarding position which means there were still close to 100 seats empty to choose from?

 

--TheMiddleSeat

 

 

Re: SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

blackbeard6
Explorer C

You are right, I should have been as inconsiderate and disrepectful as the other person and sat in those seats.  It's a lesson learned, and I can guarantee you it won't happen again.  I fly SWA all the time, and BECAUSE it was going to be a 5 hour flight I was particular in where I wanted to sit...thus paying extra money to bump up my boarding position.  Which I don't mind at all doing, but apparently others don't play by the rules.  The flight attendant very well could have told the lady that if she wanted to reserve seats for her friends, then they could have moved to the back of plane since they were in a later boarding group.  Or better, she had two empty seats next to her...they could have all sat in the same row. 

Re: SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

I wouldn’t have seen it as inconsiderate to sit in the seats you wanted. I’m easy going and I will happily let people save seats for spouses, children, newlyweds, etc. but friends or co-workers? Sorry you can save the three seats but I’m not honoring someone trying to save across the aisle or rows in front or behind if it was important to me. (It’s usually not that important.)

 

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

Re: SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

bwallet
Frequent Flyer A

@blackbeard6 I've flown approximately 200 times on Southwest since I switched to them about 3 years ago. I've never really seen seat saving as a problem. Once or twice, I've seen something that is a bit egregious, but it doesn't seem to me to be anything too major.

Re: SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

jksobonya
Aviator A

The whole "saving seats" thing is a non-issue to me as a solo flier. I can almost always get a window or aisle seat somewhere in the first 10-15 rows even with a B or C boarding position (once I was in the late Cs and got a row 2 seat) - I typically like to sit around the wing, but it's OK if I don't. 

 

--Jessica

Re: SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

floridaguy
Aviator C

It happened to me as well.  My response to the large bald guy who was "saving" a seat is as follows:

 

You know, that's a great topic for a book.  But on Southwest, I can sit in any open seat.

 

And yes, I did sit where I wanted.  If they want to save seats, buy the tickets together.  

 

I'm not going to inconvenience myself by the whim of others who one buys the early check in and the other doesn't only to have the first one save a seat.

 

Now I preboard anyway so they can save whatever seat they want unless I want to sit there.  If I do, I will.

Re: SWA needs to implement a SAVING SEATS POLICY

JosephMeyer
Explorer C

I don't quite understand the joy some people get out of preventing travel companions from sitting together.