I really wish Southwest would give more flexibility to companion passengers traveling with a child. My daughter is 8, thus too old for Family Boarding. And too young to stand alone to wait and board with other "C" boarders. I have been fortunate to have many gate agents let her board with me, but recently in Houston, the agent was a stickler. Because of this possibility, I do buy $20-$25 Earlybird for her so if I have to wait, then at least we have a decent position. In this case was A58 (I was A16). I am A-List Preferred as well and often get A16. So is it really the idea that achieving Companion and Preferred status, that I possibly have to board at the end of the flight which risks not even sitting with my daughter. I think not. Incidentally, I once had an agent so pre-occupied with not allowing my daughter to board with my Bus Select position, that when I agreed to board and leave her to board later with my wife, the agent forgot to scan my boarding pass and had to track me down on the flight to scan such. I gladly welcomed her to walk all the way to the back of the plane to come and get it from my hand. I don't have the nerve to play the pre-board game where I routinely see college-age students jumping over chairs to get to their pre-board area. But a simple acknowledgment of the bigger picture and letting children between Family Boarding age and Under Age Minor status the ability to board with the parent. it should be automatic for any age as it's pretty unlikely the person won't have their seat saved, but its an annoyance that can be entirely avoided.
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