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Re: Saving Seats

timothy987
Explorer C

Your birthday should not give any special  boarding privileges on a Southwest flight.   You can have spouse buy you all the Tropical drinks you want in Costa Rica.   Southwest has (or at least should have)  a 1st come, 1st serve policy in regards to seat assignments.   

 

If this was an empty flight with open seats, I would have some sympathy.  

 

However, if this flight was close to full or full, they had every right to take those 2 seats.  I had the unfortunate privilege of having a late layover on a Southwest flight and being forced to find one of those least desirable middle seats on a full connecting flight.  You will likely be sitting next to strangers on a Southwest flight-you aren't entitled to your own row so you can snuggle next to your man.  Recommend that you bring an iPAD or surf the web.

Re: Saving Seats

Dukestr
Explorer B

Easy solution....don't save seats.

Re: Saving Seats

TravelGal
Explorer C

Well the big deal about a saved seat is that you are not suppose to do it.  

Re: Saving Seats

judymccaff
Explorer C

I was recently on a SWA flight that the boarding agent announced " We are happy to have friends and families board together and said that if you would like to do this then those with the better letter should just wait with the friend or family member with the latter boarding letter.  

I thought finally SWA is doing something about the cheaters. HOWEVER,  I was on a flight this afternoon #1510 from Portland to Denver (July13, 2018), where a man sat on the aisle and lowered the trays next to him and told people he was saving for his friends......a young mother with her 7'ish son saw the open window seat, which the little fellow was hoping to get, only to be told they could not have the middle and window seats because he was holding them for his friends ....come on Southwest, this is shameful!

It appears that you cater to those who cannot follow the directions and punish those who are doing the right thing. When will you start training your flight attendants to handle these situations or make an announcement before boarding begins so that everyone on the flight is clear about the right way/correct way/respectful way to board your flights.

Re: Saving Seats

timothy987
Explorer C

Overall, my experience with Southwest was pretty good.  The prices are reasonable, staff was courteous, and the company seems to be generous when compensating people for lost goods and baggage. 

 

However, the seat sharing issue really needs to be clarified by the corporate office via official policy.   This is a recent experience that highlights the need for change. 

 

I was flying on Southwest from Nashville to Chicago for work.  Three women (I'll call them Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3) were on the same flight and serving as chaperones for a group of teen girls heading to a sports tournament in Chicago-this was during summer break for the kids.   It should be noted that the flight was full.  Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3 were normal adult females, not young kids or adults with special needs or disabilities.

 

Thing 1 and Thing 2 both had "B" boarding priorities, but Thing 3 had a "C" boarding ticket.  Thing 1's strategy to aviod having a seatmate in her row of 3 was loudly talk to Thing 2 about her Body Odor and how sweaty she was.  I found a seat 2 rows from her, and was observing her behavior.

 

Thing 1 and Thing 2 attempted to hold the middle seat for Thing 3, but a gentlemen with a "B" ticket wanted to sit in the row.  Thing 1 said no and that she was saving for her friend. The gentlemen said that there was no reserved seating, especially in a full flight.  He called the flight attendant and had her intervene.  The flight attendant threatened to kick Thing 1 off flight if she didn't let the guy sit in the row.   The captain even said over intercom that it was only a 40 minute flight, and that you may have to sit next to a stranger. 

 

Resolution; Thing 1 stayed in the window seat, Thing 2 moved to middle seat, and Thing 3 found one of the last remaining seats.  I bet that the daughter of Thing 1 received some grief from her girlfriends for her Mom's behavior.

 

The flight crew did a good job resolving the situation, but Southwest's corporate should step up to keep things like this from happening across the company.

 

Re: Saving Seats

coletrent
Explorer C

Everyone who flys Southwest should ASAP start complaining to Southwest concerning,"SAVING SEATS". Southwest shows total disregard to the honest individual who is paying, the increased prices, for early bird seating. A simple policy concerning this would solve the problem. Or, everyone should just buy one early bird ticket, and save seats for the entire family!. I don't understand Southwest total disregard for thier honest paying customer.

Re: Saving Seats

spacecoastbill
Frequent Flyer B

@coletrent wrote:

Everyone who flys Southwest should ASAP start complaining to Southwest concerning,"SAVING SEATS". Southwest shows total disregard to the honest individual who is paying, the increased prices, for early bird seating. A simple policy concerning this would solve the problem. Or, everyone should just buy one early bird ticket, and save seats for the entire family!. I don't understand Southwest total disregard for thier honest paying customer.


I dont have a problem with those trying to save a seat.  If its where I want to sit.... I do.

Re: Saving Seats

mardanlub
Explorer C

I agree.  My husband and I both pay extra for early bird seating.  Yet when we get on the plane people in front of us have many many seats  "saved"  So wrong !!!!

Re: Saving Seats

spacecoastbill
Frequent Flyer B

@coletrent wrote:

Everyone who flys Southwest should ASAP start complaining to Southwest concerning,"SAVING SEATS". Southwest shows total disregard to the honest individual who is paying, the increased prices, for early bird seating. A simple policy concerning this would solve the problem. Or, everyone should just buy one early bird ticket, and save seats for the entire family!. I don't understand Southwest total disregard for thier honest paying customer.


Then the preboard fakers would get even worse and try to save more seats.

 

There really is not problem.  The only thing that will stop the seat savers is if you just sit there.  Let them try to get an FA to force you to leave.  That wont happen.

 

Re: Saving Seats

BlueInKansas
Explorer C

Traveling during the holidays is stressful at best.  Having just completed a 4 segment round trip via Southwest and encountering the saved seat syndrome on each and every segment, we're thinking that we're just done with Southwest.  Better to pay the price for a reserved seat and avoid the irritation of row after row of cheaters who paid for one EB boarding, but are saving as many additional seats as they want.  Southwest takes the cowardly position of not backing up their customers who paid the extra fee for the privilege of early boarding.  Seat saving is a form of on-board bullying.