Southwest Airlines Community

Since Southwest does such a poor job enforcing their own seating policy, that is certainly a consideration I have already planned. Is inviting someone with a legitimate complaint to consider another airline characteristic of Southwest, or just you ? ... View more

I think boarding would not be much different. I DO think though that passengers without carry-ons should be able to deplane as a group, before the group of passengers with carry-on baggage. They have to wait on everybody digging around for their carry-ons. They would speed things up just standing up and walking out. I understand why people take carry-ons, but if it were up to me( and it's not ) I would not allow them on any flight. Those bins can't possibly contain those bags and boxes in the case of a serious incident. Purposely putting things in the cabin that would end up as projectiles dropping on people's heads and flying about the cabin is not too logical I think, but that's just me. ... View more

You refer to "Open Seating". Open seating STOPS when an unoccupied seat is saved. Guess what ? Those seats are not open. There are some situations that can be obvious exceptions, however, MOST of the time it is a lack of consideration for the rules and other passengers, and simply an easy way for someone inconsiderate to get what they want. Those people need to be told they have 2 choices, either get out of that seat and find the person(s) they are intending to sit by, and they can all board together, or they can stay in that seat and no other seats will be "saved". And rules about saving seats ? Saving seats violates Southwest's own policy. I would think anyone that is bright and courteous would understand that Southwest does not need a "RULE" regarding saving seats Their open seat policy IS the rule. Their policy is not: Open seating with the exception of someone saving a seat(s). seat(s) so people they know can cut in front of you. Trying to justify having it both ways is MORE B.S.  ... View more

The OP never had any expectation of moving to  a higher priority group. That is irrelevant. You can certainly avoid a confrontation with a passenger if you so choose. That's what they are counting on, and you obliged them. I will not. I treat others fairly, and expect the same. When you avoid a problem with someone, you further enable, embolden, and reward that behavior whether you care to admit that or not. I do not reward bad behavior. ... View more

Agreed, but let's call, it what it is: Cheating the people who purchased early boarding passes. People with high boarding pass numbers line up knowing there's a good chance that they will be able to board earlier that they would have if they had to go by their number, since many times they just let the whole line go. Next time I will ask the boarding agent if people have boarded that have a higher number than I do. If the answer is yes, I will walk past in  front of the people standing in line. If the answer is no, I will ask him to let me know when I can board. I am going to email Southwest and request a $40 refund, since it happened on both legs of my last flight. If I had not purchased the earlier boarding passes, it would not be an issue, but since I did, they owe me $40 for services I paid for, but did not receive due their actions. ... View more

It's kind of like a television channel. If you don't like it, then don't get involved in the discussion. Don't read them, or respond to them, kind of like an adult would. ... View more

It's not about the customers "living with the process", it's about Southwest adhering to their own process. The last time I flew, the boarding agent just let the whole block I was in, board without regard to the numbers on the boarding passes.. If they observed the numerical assignments on the boarding pass within a block, people would stop crowding the line early and getting on before people who should have been in front of them. As far a saving seats,, it is just plain wrong to hold a seat, especially since people pay a $20 fee to for an earlier boarding pass number. I guess you can get away with only buying ONE early boarding pass, and save seats for others who can all save the $20, and get their seats ahead of people that should have been on before they are. Any and all unoccupied regular seats should be available, period.  ... View more

Southwest's seating policy IS poor.  If the  seat saving is allowed, then ONE person can save multiple seats for people who have a later boarding numbers, or did not even purchase the early boarding pass, cutting in front of others who paid $20 to board early. That should absolutely not  be allowed. The other problem they have is letting people board by block, without regard to the number on the barding pass within that group. This is what always happens: People get in a line according to their assigned range, knowing that even though they have a high number on their boarding pass, they will very likely be let on the plane ahead of people with a lower number, since the Southwest employee performing the boarding will let that whole block of people board without regard to the order WITHIN that group. They should at least call boarders with SOME regard as to the number. The last time I flew out of Phoenix, I was boarding pass B28. I was at the airport in plenty of time, but people got in line very early to gain an advantage  over  people who paid for the right to board ahead of them. Because of that mob of people trying to get on early, my choice was to interrogate people as to what their number is, or just let it go. I boarded at the end of that "B" group, but I SHOULD have been near the front. Once again, people were allowed to cut in front of others, who have a valid lower number boarding pass. The boarding pass has a number for a reason. It doesn't take a genius to see the problem with how the board people , and how "seat saving" cheats people who have a legitimate right in most case to any seat that is unoccupied. Actually, Southwest's seating policy is worse than poor, it's B.S. ... View more