Family sitting together

[parpitt1]

I can empathize with your rant to a point. Using the adjective, "Horrifying," to describe your boarding experience, is to put it bluntly, over the top. It's pretty clear who "gets it" (understands) the boarding rules at Southwest and who does not "get it," based on the adjective used in your post. 

I "get it" that you will not be flying SWA and I wish you safe travels on Spirit Airlines(?)  

[BNAteacher]

I fly with my kids all the time. Southwest is consistently the best airline, in my experience, for flying with kids if you don't want to be nickeled and dimed. The OP was a little confusing (he stated that he was ticketed at the airport which suggests a ticket purchased under 24 hours before the flight, but he might have meant check in), but most airlines don't guarantee travel companions seated together without additional buy-ups (and for these purposes, a 12 year old is considered an adult as they can travel unaccompanied). Right or wrong, it is the fact of travelling today.

[floridaguy]

I don't believe that a Southwest agent told her anything like that.  I believe that people often hear what they want to hear.

With a history of open, unassigned seating, there is absolutely NO WAY anyone on Southwest is going to guarantee that you will "sit together".  Simply not gonna happen.

[floridaguy]

You don't go to a restaurant to have your son seated at a table with a group of people, your wife seated on the patio and you seated at the bar. You don't go to a movie and your wife seated in the front, you in the middle and your son in the back. 

In those examples that you mentioned, you do get to choose your seat.  Although in the restaurant you have to wait until there is enough seating to accommodate your party, and the larger, the longer the wait.

Southwest is not going to switch to assigned seating despite how horrified, mortified and appalled you might be.  When you bought the tickets you knew that there was no seat assignment and no matter what, there is no way to guarantee that you will sit together.

My suggestion is to choose an airline with assigned seating.  Of course, that's probably double the price of Southwest so you need to make an informed decision.

[ffflyer]

You knew this when you bought the tickets, right? If you care where or with whom you sit, why would you buy tickets where you can’t reserve your seats?

[floridaguy]

Well said!!!