@kjw023008 wrote:
Hello, I’m a first time Southwest flyer and first time flyer in general. I’m flying to California from the east coast soon and I'm bringing someone with me. I’m really anxious about flying and would prefer sitting with them on all my flights (we have a connecting flight as well). I’m aware that the seats are first come first serve and there is a possibility that we could get separated. Is there any way we could avoid that when reserving tickets? I’ve read forums saying boarding early is the only solution to guarantee you get seats together, and you can do this by checking in 24 hours earlier. But if so many people are saying that, then isn’t everyone just checking in 24 hours earlier? Would it be better to buy business select? And does buying business select guarantee that you board earlier on the connecting flight as well? Sorry for all the questions, but thank you for taking the time to read my post. I’m open to all of the tips and tricks you have to share!
Hello!
Welcome aboard the LUV airline!
When I first flew SW and got back into the air just under two years ago, I used SW's higher fares for my initial trips so that I had the added perks as my airline "training wheels".
A quick story: I'm currently now a SW frequent flyer and know the in's and out's of flying with SW. A few weeks ago, my middle niece was gifted a trip for later this spring with her sister and parents to a live concert in Northern California for her 18th birthday. She had never boarded an airplane. After I found out that the family booked SW WGA tickets from ONT, I surprise-gifted them all an Upgrade to Business Select and pre-paid their ONT Parking Toll for the trip as part of her 18th birthday present because I knew the niece was very nervous about the whole airport experience process. She doesn't like crowds and loves any kind of front-of-the-line-benefits. Now she's excited about the trip. Having all the Business Select benefits comforted her, especially having the dedicated lanes to check bags, TSA and having first access to the overhead bins thanks to the A1-A15 boarding.
Being a first-time flyer and since you're flying across the country, if you have the resources, I would go for Business Select for your party so that you have these extra perks to try out such as the A1-A15 Boarding, free inflight Wi-Fi, free premium drinks, Priority Express Lane access for the Check-In and TSA (if available). You'll also have the free Same Day Confirmed Flight Change benefit too.
Once it was time for my "training wheels" to come off, I eventually bought WGA+ tickets for my trips mainly to keep the Same Day Flight Change benefit and bought Upgraded Boarding whenever I got a "back-in-the-B" boarding position at check-in time. As an A-Lister, I now buy WGA.
Hope this helps!
