Saving Seats Problem - Here is what you can do

[CliffOnTheRoad]

because of our Community Manager's suggestion, I just sent an email to them requesting management read this forum's postings, the attendants being ill-prepared to handle conflict and the extra $15 fee paying customers NOT geting the value they paid for.

[Niki82]

Please just be careful when you do, Becaise you know they have some people worh issues where a certain points something can escalate especially if your putting your hands on people's personal belongings. I'm just asking you to please be extra careful when you try that approach that's all .Best of luck and let me know how you make out. 

[CateK]

On a flight just last week, 2 different families (who both had multiple folks pre-board) saved seats using canes across multiple rows in the front of the plane. When other passengers voiced their displeasure with this, the people who saved the seats got upset, and the flight attendants got involved. Ultimately the flight attendant stated that Southwest does NOT have a policy AGAINST saving seats…. Which was news to me. It seems inappropriate to save more than a single seat, unless perhaps you have small children with you, or a person who needs assistance throughout the flight. I don’t see how it is reasonable to save 5 rows of seats. I was flying by myself so I didn’t really care either way for this flight, but had I been flying with my kids and needed a seat together, I might have taken issue with this as well. 

[bwallet]

I once saved two seats for my wife and then 6 year old daughter. Honestly, once or twice, I've seen some egregious saving, but I really don't see that this is really that big of a deal. Citing a case where someone saved a seat at the front and you had to go way back doesn't mean you lost that seat...presumably, if someone hadn't saved that seat, someone else would have taken it well before you boarded.

The issue with "any available seat" is that "available" isn't defined. They don't say any seat without someone sitting in it. If I'm saving a seat, then I simply tell you that it isn't available. You are just going to sit there anyway? If I'm saving a seat, I'll be sitting in the aisle seat. Are you going to commit assault to get to that seat? If so, I'm pressing charges.

I have only flown domestically with someone else once in the past 3.5 years so this doesn't really apply to me. But, as I said, this is doesn't seem to be the major problem some want to make it out to be.

[SS555]

I have done exactly that for years on SWA.  If there’s a seat that I want, I take it.  I move items and if challenged, tell the person trying to save the seat there are no “saved seats” on SWA.  Generally folks comply without further argument, but once I had to ask the person if they wanted me to call a flight attendant.  They picked up their stuff and left. 

I’m obviously not trying to make friends, but I am trying to educate people. If SWA has a policy of no seat-saving, then people need to comply and SWA needs to enforce. It’s not fair to those that check-in on time to let latecomers get prime seats because their friend saved it for them.

[dfwskier]

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@SS555 wrote:

 . If SWA has a policy of no seat-saving, then people need to comply and SWA needs to enforce. It’s not fair to those that check-in on time to let latecomers get prime seats because their friend saved it for them.

But Southwest DOES NOT have a policy that prohibits seat saving. Seat saving allows families with different boarding positions to sit together. I suspect that is important to more than a handful of travelers.

You keep trying to force the issue and eventually someone will give you a black eye.

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[floridaguy]

If someone "saves" a seat, I ignore them.  I sit where I want.  The person trying to "save" the seat has a few options:

1.)  use another airline with assigned seating

2.)  pay for Early Bird Check-In and also for your companion

3.)  charter a private jet

4.)  stay home

5.)  follow the rules

[TheMiddleSeat]

@floridaguy I don't mind your 1-4, but there are no rules prohibiting saving seats.  There is also no rule saying you can't sit there.

--TheMiddleSeat

[floridaguy]

The rule being that you cannot save a seat since it conflicts with SW policy.

[TheMiddleSeat]

@floridaguy there is no policy against saving seats. No policy for or against. It's a policy black hole. 

--TheMiddleSeat