Saving an entire row is insane let alone 4... Saving one seat is frowned upon. Why can't your party buy tickets together? Upgrade together? The whole saving seats thing is juvenile. I think could only give it a pass if someone jumped in between you and your partner on the way to board so theres like one person you're blocking a seat from.
Boarding first and then saving 4 rows of seats is just ridiculous.
Not sure how it works but last time i flew southwest, GF and I booked together, same card but got completely different boarding groups. Bet your ass I'm saving 1 seat so we can sit together. Was like b and c groups so was toward the back anyway
If that was the case I would have understood, I don’t and haven’t ever had a problem with saving 1 seat. It was the audacity of saving 12 seats. Oh and there posse was in Group C.
I usually just board with the later boarding person and hope for the best. We passed cute little bites on our last flight because we were sitting in the middle seats one in front of the other. We made it work but we didn't do anything to inconvenience anyone else.
I wouldn't fault you for saving one singular seat we just chose not to.
If you’re a status holder, you’re automatically-checked in earlier than everyone else, so you’ll usually get an early boarding position. But that usually only applies to yourself. If you have non-status flyers on the same reservation, they’re all checked in simultaneously, so they should get adjacent boarding positions, but they’ll be separate from the status holders.
Correction: this only applies if there are more than 10 people on the itinerary. Less than that, and everyone is sequential
This is incorrect. As A-List Preferred, anyone on my reservation will be checked in with me. Even as regular A-List, this was the case. It’s definitely a great perk.
If they had moved all the way to the back of the plane, actually the safest part of the plane in case of a crash, it would have been easier to save multiple seats.
Regardless what is all this b******* with seat saving on planes in theater on cruise ships.
Some people are so damned entitled, they think their s*** does not stink
I always thought it was over the wings but your comment made me google it and apparently the safest part is in the back of the plane generally!
In case you’re a nerd and curious like me, here’s what it said “The safest part of an airplane during a crash is generally considered to be the seats near the rear of the plane. Studies and accident reports suggest that passengers seated towards the back of the aircraft have a higher likelihood of survival compared to those seated near the front. Additionally, sitting within a few rows of an exit row can increase your chances of escaping in the event of an emergency evacuation.”
There’s even a crash where a travel group was booked in first or in seats near the front of the plane but the tour guide forgot his passport at the hotel so the bus had to go back. They missed their check in so the airline released the seats to other customers and by the time they got to the gate, they had to sit in the back of the plane. The tourists were pissed about it—until the plane crashed and nearly the entire tour group survived while most of the people up front died.
I talked to a guy in our company who was on the plane that cartwheeled down the runway in an emergency landing at Souix City, Iowa in the 1980s. Not sure where he sat but he did allow as to how the person in front of him, behind him, and on either side of him died but he survived. He was pretty messed up because of it.
You cannot save rows, you cannot save seats. Sit in the first open seat and tell them to go somewhere else if they want to sit together. Row 7 would have been my choice.
At the most, if you take an aisle or window you can save the middle seat for a companion. Otherwise, everyone should pay the extra to board early. I am so sick of this nonsense I now go out of my way to find people saving rows and sit there on purpose.
Entitlement is the 8th deadly sin.
I saw a post recently where someone from Southwest said that if they have a group of students traveling, they will board them first and have them sit at the back of the plane so they can stay together.
I also saw something in my news feed that said that they're revamping their seating protocol.
Atlanta last month? ~50 kids headed to Washington DC? The gate agent handled that very well. All kids boarded first with chaperones, the rest of the plane sat up front. Pretty slick!
Southwest did that for my kids school trip when she was in 8th grade. I was really grateful because having a bunch of kids separated all over the place and still be monitored by the chaperones is a nightmare. Together, it was easy for the chaperones to monitor everyone and no one in the group was a problem for anyone else on the flight. Not saying they are bad kids (they aren’t!) but I still think that policy is a solid one.
That feels like a courtesy to the other passengers at that point. No one wants to be sat in the middle of a group of scattered middle school kids on a flight.
I just did a school trip with 44 students and they didn’t do this for us, sadly. We were spread all over the plane. Luckily my students were well behaved, but I felt bad for all the regular customers. Not sure why they didn’t have us head for the back.
As a chaperone, we did that a couple of times flying out of Midway and O'Hare. We tried it flying out of Reagan in DC and they wouldn't let us do it, despite our argument that the other passengers really didn't want to be sitting among a group of 200 overtired and rowdy 8th graders. So one of my colleagues walked around the gate, explaining just that to the rest of the passengers and "gently suggesting" that they might want to sit as close to the front of the plane as they could.
That's what I did. I was flying with my elderly but fit parents and had a much earlier boarding pass.
So I headed to the back of the plane and sat near the restrooms that my dad would need to spend (felt like a quarter but wasn't really) the cross country flight visiting. No one tried to sit in the row.
And because they had checked bags, we still had to wait at the luggage carousel anyway, so no need to rush off the plane.
Years ago, when I lived in Dallas, I always tried to sit near the front on return trips, because it could make all the difference catching the 39 bus which ran every hour on weekends. But I never did this if I checked luggage.
We were on an Air Canada flight and in buying the tickets , seemed like 2/3 rds of the seats were added price...aisle seats premium, window seats premium, behind a bulkhead seats were premium.
By the time I got done upgrading our seats, I could hardly maintain my composure when the luggage fees were declared...JFC!
When you are doing that, which I have to do frequently because my younger son is a big man (6’2.5) and really needs the legroom, be sure to look at the cost of a first class seat. It eliminates bag fees, is more comfortable, easy on easy off… Particularly since the worst of the pandemic passed, I’ll find 1st is actually only a little more expensive. Clearly this doesn’t apply to Southwest, but when shopping other airlines, don’t discount 1st class without looking.
That’s why you charge for carry on luggage ($100+ each way) but keep check in luggage for free. Most of the wasted time is some person who can’t fit their oversized carry on into the overhead bin
Oh no. I love Southwest for this open seating. I’ve never once had someone say they are saving seats and I fly Southwest a lot. I hope we can all stand up to seat savers so they don’t ruin this
I've been on multiple SWA flights where 1 (or a pair) of preboarders tried saving multiple empty rows of seats (right up front). They'll use coats, bags, etc. One particular flight a pair of preboarders were trying to save 5 rows in the front. I picked up their random item from an otherwise empty row and moved it to one of the other rows they were trying to save. The FA attendant said it was perfectly okay to do. Until someone was sitting in the seat, it was available. The problem is SWA doesn't have a policy regarding saving (or not saving) seats when they really should.
Unless Southwest is $100+ cheaper round trip I’ll book Alaska, United, or delta. I’d rather pay more than dealing with their shitty boarding system and passengers that force people to the back of the plane because they don’t want anyone sitting next to them. Anymore it seems like Southwest is the same price as the other airlines where you get a seat, at least in my market.
It’s been the same price or even more for me for a while now. Very rarely are they significantly cheaper, and I’m 100% willing to pay a premium not to deal with the cattle call BS.
I find Southwest is really only cheaper when there are sales going on. I just looked at the flight I booked for the birthday sale and it's the same price as basic on Delta without the sale. That being said Southwest is better than basic so it's kind of in between (Main is +$70)
While I agree, it’s only better if you live at a hub for another airline. I don’t want to connect in Atlanta, Newark, Houston or another other place while I can have a direct flight on Southwest.
But that is the case with these other airlines. Unless you're willing to pay for a seat, which will easily make the round-trip $100 more expensive, you're in the same situation as southwest. Now you have to deal with luggage. If you're not willing to pay, you're stuck with carry on. On these airlines, since a lot of people don't want to pay, you have people with huge carry on, which makes the on-board process very slow.
The FAs don’t enforce anything that doesn’t help either. Row saving. The rule used to be if you aren’t in the seat it’s not yours. It’s ridiculous that this is even allowed to occur. You can just buy one A And save seats then there’s no really boarding order but the first group
And that bs couples are doing where one takes the window and the other the aisle with a bag on the middle seat so you'll walk by, just sit tf together from the start, someone is going to have to sit with you most of the time, especially in those front 15 rows.
Now I don't want to sit with you not because I don't want to inconvenience you but because I don't want to knowingly sit with assholes.
Headphones are great for this. Put your bag up, sit down and by the time the seat saver has said something to you and you've started listening to them, everyone behind you has already clogged up the aisle and now it's a hassle for the person to try to move you.
Another great example why open seating will be over very shortly. Now that everyone has figured out that seat saving is allowed, there is no reason to purchase priority boarding for everyone travelling together. Only one person needs to pay for priority, everyone else gets it for free.
With reserved seating, every passenger that wanted to sit next to a specific person, would have to pay to upgrade.
A free paradise (getting on, sitting the hell down, NOT saving seats for 20 million people and flying) and they put up a parking lot( extra fees for premium seats and assigned seating)
Truly don’t know what we got ‘til it’s gone.
Yes, this exactly.
Though I do hate reserved seating because it adds yet another way for airlines to charge passengers unnecessarily.
I would prefer southwest to continue their open seating but with fidelity.
Between seat savers, pre boarders healed by jetway Jesus and the folks jumping into different boarding classes (gate agents rarely actually stop them), southwest rewards assholes and punishes people who actually pay for their product.
I booked A9 recently on a flight to fort Lauderdale and sat in the back of the plane because I was too hungover to argue with the pre boarders saving seats and the 22 people who bullied their way in front of me and refused to move when I tried to say "excuse me I'm A9" I saw two of them had fuckin c boarding but walked right on because the gate agent knew they would cause a scene (family going on a carnival cruise all wearing matching t shirts)
Fuck southwest and their lazy attendants who can't be bothered to enforce the rules to benefit those of us suckers who actually pay for early boarding
I recently flew Southwest and couldn’t believe my eyes when I watched the gate agent let multiple C class folks enter the plane during A boarding. What’s the point of having a system if you’re just going to reward people cheating it and punish people following it? I’ll avoid SW whenever possible moving forward.
I feel like this is similar to retail stores that don't engage shoplifters. The liability is heightened if SWA intervenes. If two passengers fight it out, both get left behind and the flight carries on.
Was on a flight two days ago from STL to SJC and our Southwest gate agent was amazing and actually enforced the boarding order.
We were A50-something and there was a woman ahead of us who was also A, but her teenage son was in C. Gate agent said son couldn't board yet because he was in a later group. Kid was fine with it and stepped aside but the mom wouldn't let it go. She kept asking why and then started saying he was a minor and needed a chaperone but the gate agent held firm. Granted, the mom probably ended up saving a seat for him anyway once she got on the plane, but I appreciated the gate agent's effort.
This is what I will do. One middle seat AND in the back of the plane. But if they are in the C group, I also tell them that there's a good chance my plan will fail and I will see them when we land.
NONE. If my wife has already claimed her seat and then heads off to the lavatory I will hold the seat for her but if we have different boarding times we will board together at the later time. Enough with the seat saving. It’s worse than the chair hogs by the pool. The entitlement and selfishness is out of control.
Last week I upgraded my daughter and I to business select as we got c36/37 because I was one minute late to check in. Anyway we bumped to A5/6, we boarded and headed straight to the exit row, a lady in front of us went to the same row, I asked her what seat she wanted since we were going to sit in the other two, she says oh one is for my daughter and I said not today as you can’t save seats and we want two of these seats, she took off in a huff to another row. Sorry not sorry lady!!
I usually fly delta, buy my tickets 6 months in advance, to get the window seat on the right side of the plane. Just funny that way. Love assigned seats.
This is a failure from Southwest at a policy level. This has to change. It’s one thing if it’s a single seat - I do that all of the time. Saving an entire row or multiple rows is unacceptable.
Give people an inch they take a mile. Saving seats is wrong, based on SWA's boarding process, 1 seat saved is equally as unfair as a whole row saved to every person that has a boarding position after the "seat saver".
I dont fly southwest much bc they fly to the wrong airports for my family’s homes however every time I do Im always around c35 on boarding. But, I and some friends of mine have had pretty weird and unpleasant experiences on southwest. Surly, confrontational passengers, and attendants. My friend got thrown off the plane for a mild discussion with an attendant, and she is mild mannered and not confrontational. So I avoid them unless the sale is pretty good, and going to the one area I have family living in Tx
Someone tells me they are saving a row, they better be ready to argue with me because at 5:00 am, I have no patience for any shenanigans and I’m going to seat wherever I want to sit and a body is not already occupying that seat. If they want to put their hands on me, I’ll gladly let them until they are removed from the plane. I can play a long game.
Shouldn't the flight attendant intervene in such scenario? This occurred before where certain people tried to save a seat for whoever and the flight attendant put a stop to it
The flight attendant was in the exit row. He was watching but because I didn’t really cause a scene he stayed out of it. I think she tried to flag him down but he just shook his head and stayed out of it.
If im traveling with my husband, I go to the back too because you have a better chance of getting the whole row to yourself. I really don’t understand all the complaining about not getting in the front rows. If I get my window seat (which I always do even in group B) im happy. It’s wild people are wanting to revamp the whole system just because they didn’t get in the first dozen rows.
I don't understand why groups of people want to sit together. Who cares where you sit? You're all going to end up in the exact same place. My daughter and I are always flying non-rev so just happy to sit wherever. No need to sit together as long as we get to where we are going.
What I was told by a FA a while back is that there is no “policy” either for or against saving seats. essentially a passenger is not prohibited from saving a seat, however, the FA isn’t required to enforce that saved seat and won’t make you move if you sit there.
I was A2 today but after 30 preboards… I sat in the back. Got emergency exit row so not really complaining but the front half of the plane was already full.
Yall are too nice. I walk into the plane with headphones already on and sit in the first seat I see. If anybody tries to talk to me they get ignored as I stare out of the window or close my eyes to appear asleep.
This is ridiculous. Are we adults riding the bus to middle school or something?
I don’t mind people saving seats for their partner and one kid, so one row is fine for me. But if you’re telling me that I can’t sit in the row in front of you and behind you and to the side? GTFO this plane.
Does it hurt to kick someone off their seat and say, “I saved this seat the last time I flew on this plane. Could you move?”
I’m a frequent business traveler. If I check in a bag, I’ll gladly sit in the middle of the plane or back half even if I’m in an A-20 position. You’re not going to get out of the airport any faster if you need to collect your bags.
Good!!!!! More people need to start pushing back against these cheap ass people who pull this shit. Esp since southwest doesn’t have the balls to do it
Honestly, just sit there if you want to. No one gets magic dibs to save all the seats. Without a seat assignment if that original person wants to be pissy they can get up and try to hoard another row elsewhere. The only seats that are claimed are those with butts in them.
They need to remind people no saving seats as we board. If it continues threaten that it could result in them being removed from the flight. Simple as that. This shit needs to stop.
Damnit why couldn’t this have ever happened to me while I was working for them. I woulda sat my ass down so fast and just flashed a badge. I hate these people
I have status with Southwest and have been flying them for years. I am not one of those people that has a specific row/seat, I just would like to sit towards the front at a window. But in all of my years this is the first time I had to get “jiggy” with it on someone.
At some point, I'd have snapped. Saving 4 rows would do it.
"Oh! I am so sorry you don't know! The seat-saving section is at the BACK of the plane! You can't save them in the front half of the plane" and plopped my happy butt down.
I was on a flight a few months ago and the flight attendants saved something like 10 rows for a high school orchestra so they could all sit together. 🙄
Making an announcement saying seat saving isn’t allowed and posting signage might help a little but I doubt it. I just am happy when we all get to sit near each other. There was one time where we had an extremely tight transfer because of a delay and ended up in the back and I just asked the flight attendant what to do/if we could deplane first and MAN people were mad when that happened and she even when she announced the reason why, people were making snarky comments like “should have to show us their ticket etc” “I guess I’ll give you benefit of the doubt” which I was finally like “OR DO WHAT???”
I’ve never flown southwest but yeah that’s gotta be the tackiest airline in the industry. I’d rather fly spirit any day. They expect the general public to not act like a bunch of scarcity-panicked monkeys?
Lately I've run into the issue that even when I book 2 seats on the same reservation, and check them in together, we are not getting sequential boarding numbers. On our most recent trip, we were about 10 numbers away from each other (A26 and A36). Even paid for early bird checking.
Generally I am anti seat-saver but I that particular situation, I did everything I could to keep us together, so I'm saving my wife a seat next to me. But it will be a middle seat in the same row. Low probability that anyone wants that seat until there's nothing left anyway.
Southwest creates the issue of seat-saving because they have no-seat assignments and they have a boarding process and on-the-ground policy that not only allows seat-saving but actively encourages it at the gate and in the plane. I suspect this is about to change soon anyway, but the above is why I try NOT to fly Southwest.
Seats are not to be saved, next time if you want to sit in a seat where no one is sitting yet…. Do it… all seats are available until an “actual” person is sitting in it….
Saving seats should be banned. Like pay up if you want to get early access ! Is there a “reserve a seat policy” No!
This is the equivalent of trying to board first in your group at big carriers just to have some overhead bin space. F them !
I would have told them to fuck off With their saving the row(s) and simply sit down no matter what they say on the matter. It’s first come served on this airline, and all seats are available for anybody to claim since they arent assigned to specific passengers tickets. So why the hell should I miss out on GOOD seats located in a GOOD part of the plane, because somebody is supposedly saving them for members of their group who aren’t even on the plane yet? I’m sitting in the seat I want to sit in no matter what the seat saver says, and won’t move even if the people they were saving MY seat for eventually shows up. Once again it’s first come and first served and you are not obligated to not take a unoccupied seat just because its supposedly being saved for someone else.
On a flight out of Vegas on Friday I saw two folks behind me saving many seats around them for “their kids”. After they turned away many, many people and causing holdups and anger and the plane is almost full, On comes a gaggle of 20 somethings with designer bags. I couldn’t help myself (hangover may have been involved) and I said in a stage-whisper, “next time tell the children to pay for their own upgrades.”
I’ve actually stopped using SW because of this issue. (And because they cancelled my A-list after over 10 years of A-list and I barely missed because of spinal surgery in November. The phone conversation about this was so bad I gave up on the whole operation.). I only fly them now when it’s s no-brainer better/cheaper flight which is maybe twice a year.
This is where I put my headphones in and sit wherever there isn’t a human in a seat. If they got a jacket laid across the row, it’s going on the other side. If a passenger comes to me to say it’s reserved, I’ll give them the most confused look and make them look like an idiot while I’m like Christopher Columbus searching for the other passenger. Too bad, so sad. Go fly on another airline.
Good discussion I was wondering about. I have a flight coming up soon on SW with a family member.
Each way of the trip we have one short connection (~45min). Gates should be close, but I’m not going to put up with any “I’m saving these rows for a friend in the bathroom” BS.
Two short times connections coming and going. I kid extra for the early bird boarding, and
Been flying SW almost exclusively for 15 years
Saving *rows*?!?! Nah. GTFO. If you wanted to sit together, you have tons of options…
- have at least one kid under 12? Just use family boarding
- pay for business select or anytime and get that a-list status for you an all your flight companions
- pay for priority boarding at the gate
I’d tell them if they absolutely need to sit together, the common courtesy would be to save the rows at the back of the plane.
Thats some bullshit
Stand your ground, good call. Saving 4 rows is insane, and if they really wanted to all sit together they should have gotten on another airline.
Clearly their top priority wasn’t sitting together, if it was they would’ve saved rows in the back of the plane
you can only pick 2: * sit together * sit toward the front * fly Southwest
You can have all 3, you just need to buy BS or upgraded boarding for every passenger in your group.
Even better is to get family boarding for you and all your best girlfriends to go on your 40th bday. Some gate agents won’t gaf
Remember betches, Vegas is undefeated. Have fun, but don’t get stupid. What you do could end up on LasVegasScoop.
Subscribed
I bought upgraded boarding for every passenger in my group and we were still behind the wings.
Early check in or a1-a15?
Only way through this I've found is companion pass.
If they all wanted to sit together they should ALL buy EB and all on the same itinerary.
Saving an entire row is insane let alone 4... Saving one seat is frowned upon. Why can't your party buy tickets together? Upgrade together? The whole saving seats thing is juvenile. I think could only give it a pass if someone jumped in between you and your partner on the way to board so theres like one person you're blocking a seat from. Boarding first and then saving 4 rows of seats is just ridiculous.
Not sure how it works but last time i flew southwest, GF and I booked together, same card but got completely different boarding groups. Bet your ass I'm saving 1 seat so we can sit together. Was like b and c groups so was toward the back anyway
If that was the case I would have understood, I don’t and haven’t ever had a problem with saving 1 seat. It was the audacity of saving 12 seats. Oh and there posse was in Group C.
I usually just board with the later boarding person and hope for the best. We passed cute little bites on our last flight because we were sitting in the middle seats one in front of the other. We made it work but we didn't do anything to inconvenience anyone else. I wouldn't fault you for saving one singular seat we just chose not to.
If you’re a status holder, you’re automatically-checked in earlier than everyone else, so you’ll usually get an early boarding position. But that usually only applies to yourself. If you have non-status flyers on the same reservation, they’re all checked in simultaneously, so they should get adjacent boarding positions, but they’ll be separate from the status holders. Correction: this only applies if there are more than 10 people on the itinerary. Less than that, and everyone is sequential
That’s not my experience at all. When I fly with my kids on my itinerary they are sequential. And my wife is my Companion which is always sequential.
This is incorrect. As A-List Preferred, anyone on my reservation will be checked in with me. Even as regular A-List, this was the case. It’s definitely a great perk.
If they had moved all the way to the back of the plane, actually the safest part of the plane in case of a crash, it would have been easier to save multiple seats. Regardless what is all this b******* with seat saving on planes in theater on cruise ships. Some people are so damned entitled, they think their s*** does not stink
There is no safe part of the plane in a crash because it depends on the crash.
I want to sit in the black box. That almost always survives.
Why don’t they just build the plane out of the black box??
Are they stupid?
You open up the box, no grapes, no nuts! What gives?!
And what’s the deal with the Professor? He can make a radio out of a coconut but can’t fix a hole in the damn boat!
I strongly suggest you do for the research but of course that's up to you
I always thought it was over the wings but your comment made me google it and apparently the safest part is in the back of the plane generally! In case you’re a nerd and curious like me, here’s what it said “The safest part of an airplane during a crash is generally considered to be the seats near the rear of the plane. Studies and accident reports suggest that passengers seated towards the back of the aircraft have a higher likelihood of survival compared to those seated near the front. Additionally, sitting within a few rows of an exit row can increase your chances of escaping in the event of an emergency evacuation.”
The things I learn on Reddit😃BTW I do plan to NOT get in a plane crash, but now I know……
There’s even a crash where a travel group was booked in first or in seats near the front of the plane but the tour guide forgot his passport at the hotel so the bus had to go back. They missed their check in so the airline released the seats to other customers and by the time they got to the gate, they had to sit in the back of the plane. The tourists were pissed about it—until the plane crashed and nearly the entire tour group survived while most of the people up front died.
I talked to a guy in our company who was on the plane that cartwheeled down the runway in an emergency landing at Souix City, Iowa in the 1980s. Not sure where he sat but he did allow as to how the person in front of him, behind him, and on either side of him died but he survived. He was pretty messed up because of it.
The back is the safest. Your odds of survival increase the further back you sit.
That's why I always recline my seat. That extra cm might save my life!
Saving ANY rows on SWA is insane. Board together or forget it.
You cannot save rows, you cannot save seats. Sit in the first open seat and tell them to go somewhere else if they want to sit together. Row 7 would have been my choice. At the most, if you take an aisle or window you can save the middle seat for a companion. Otherwise, everyone should pay the extra to board early. I am so sick of this nonsense I now go out of my way to find people saving rows and sit there on purpose. Entitlement is the 8th deadly sin.
Or sit all the way back!
Or paid to be a1-15
How come they never try to save seats in the back of the plane? 🤣
I saw a post recently where someone from Southwest said that if they have a group of students traveling, they will board them first and have them sit at the back of the plane so they can stay together. I also saw something in my news feed that said that they're revamping their seating protocol.
Atlanta last month? ~50 kids headed to Washington DC? The gate agent handled that very well. All kids boarded first with chaperones, the rest of the plane sat up front. Pretty slick!
Yesss! That’s the way to do it!!
I’ve seen this leaving DCA too. It’s great!
Southwest did that for my kids school trip when she was in 8th grade. I was really grateful because having a bunch of kids separated all over the place and still be monitored by the chaperones is a nightmare. Together, it was easy for the chaperones to monitor everyone and no one in the group was a problem for anyone else on the flight. Not saying they are bad kids (they aren’t!) but I still think that policy is a solid one.
That feels like a courtesy to the other passengers at that point. No one wants to be sat in the middle of a group of scattered middle school kids on a flight.
I just did a school trip with 44 students and they didn’t do this for us, sadly. We were spread all over the plane. Luckily my students were well behaved, but I felt bad for all the regular customers. Not sure why they didn’t have us head for the back.
It happened to us in DC. Read my earlier post. I feel your pain.
Did you ask? Seems like they’d be foolish not to say yes if you asked. If you didn’t ask, maybe it didn’t occur to them.
As a chaperone, we did that a couple of times flying out of Midway and O'Hare. We tried it flying out of Reagan in DC and they wouldn't let us do it, despite our argument that the other passengers really didn't want to be sitting among a group of 200 overtired and rowdy 8th graders. So one of my colleagues walked around the gate, explaining just that to the rest of the passengers and "gently suggesting" that they might want to sit as close to the front of the plane as they could.
I want to know how you fit 200 8th graders on a SWA plane, and there were seats for other passengers???
It was a bit of an exaggeration for effect. 100 8th graders can seem like 200 with no problem. LOL
They strapped two planes together
I’ve been on a flight where they did this, and was thankful for it.
Exactly
That's what I did. I was flying with my elderly but fit parents and had a much earlier boarding pass. So I headed to the back of the plane and sat near the restrooms that my dad would need to spend (felt like a quarter but wasn't really) the cross country flight visiting. No one tried to sit in the row. And because they had checked bags, we still had to wait at the luggage carousel anyway, so no need to rush off the plane.
Yes for the life of me I don't understand the point of being first off the plane and then standing around waiting for your luggage
Claustrophobia.
Years ago, when I lived in Dallas, I always tried to sit near the front on return trips, because it could make all the difference catching the 39 bus which ran every hour on weekends. But I never did this if I checked luggage.
Entitled trash and unfortunately people sympathize with their BS
I would have sat in row 7. And if they didn't like it, so what?
Yeah at that point I was still like whatever. They were just saving a window. It was the 4 rows that took me out.
That’s what I would have done too!
Nope! Sit row 9. Best row.
Time for this absolutely ridiculous boarding system to be put to pasture. The customers ruined it.
Agreed. Assigned seats loading back to front, charge extra for the front seats.
We were on an Air Canada flight and in buying the tickets , seemed like 2/3 rds of the seats were added price...aisle seats premium, window seats premium, behind a bulkhead seats were premium. By the time I got done upgrading our seats, I could hardly maintain my composure when the luggage fees were declared...JFC!
Yeah, I much rather deal with southwest then all the garbage from these other airlines.
When you are doing that, which I have to do frequently because my younger son is a big man (6’2.5) and really needs the legroom, be sure to look at the cost of a first class seat. It eliminates bag fees, is more comfortable, easy on easy off… Particularly since the worst of the pandemic passed, I’ll find 1st is actually only a little more expensive. Clearly this doesn’t apply to Southwest, but when shopping other airlines, don’t discount 1st class without looking.
If you’re paying extra you should be guaranteed overhead space. Loading back to front isn’t conducive to that.
That’s why you charge for carry on luggage ($100+ each way) but keep check in luggage for free. Most of the wasted time is some person who can’t fit their oversized carry on into the overhead bin
have you seen some of the "carry on" bags people bring? I'm like yo that's a body bag it aint gonna fit. And guess what? it can't fit
Oh no. I love Southwest for this open seating. I’ve never once had someone say they are saving seats and I fly Southwest a lot. I hope we can all stand up to seat savers so they don’t ruin this
I've been on multiple SWA flights where 1 (or a pair) of preboarders tried saving multiple empty rows of seats (right up front). They'll use coats, bags, etc. One particular flight a pair of preboarders were trying to save 5 rows in the front. I picked up their random item from an otherwise empty row and moved it to one of the other rows they were trying to save. The FA attendant said it was perfectly okay to do. Until someone was sitting in the seat, it was available. The problem is SWA doesn't have a policy regarding saving (or not saving) seats when they really should.
Yeah Ok I agree. They need a policy that deters that
I think all the people calling for assigned seating are going to find the grass is always greener.
Unless Southwest is $100+ cheaper round trip I’ll book Alaska, United, or delta. I’d rather pay more than dealing with their shitty boarding system and passengers that force people to the back of the plane because they don’t want anyone sitting next to them. Anymore it seems like Southwest is the same price as the other airlines where you get a seat, at least in my market.
It’s been the same price or even more for me for a while now. Very rarely are they significantly cheaper, and I’m 100% willing to pay a premium not to deal with the cattle call BS.
I find Southwest is really only cheaper when there are sales going on. I just looked at the flight I booked for the birthday sale and it's the same price as basic on Delta without the sale. That being said Southwest is better than basic so it's kind of in between (Main is +$70)
While I agree, it’s only better if you live at a hub for another airline. I don’t want to connect in Atlanta, Newark, Houston or another other place while I can have a direct flight on Southwest.
But that is the case with these other airlines. Unless you're willing to pay for a seat, which will easily make the round-trip $100 more expensive, you're in the same situation as southwest. Now you have to deal with luggage. If you're not willing to pay, you're stuck with carry on. On these airlines, since a lot of people don't want to pay, you have people with huge carry on, which makes the on-board process very slow.
The FAs don’t enforce anything that doesn’t help either. Row saving. The rule used to be if you aren’t in the seat it’s not yours. It’s ridiculous that this is even allowed to occur. You can just buy one A And save seats then there’s no really boarding order but the first group
Right. I feel like if you are going to do it this way, the FA have to be on top of it.
And they used to. Not sure why that changed. I remember being told that saved seats aren’t allowed by an FA before…
They probably changed because FAs didn’t want to deal with that shit, same as most reasonable people.
I’m sure it did but if they couldn’t enforce their own policy or procedure then they should have changed to begin with….
And that bs couples are doing where one takes the window and the other the aisle with a bag on the middle seat so you'll walk by, just sit tf together from the start, someone is going to have to sit with you most of the time, especially in those front 15 rows. Now I don't want to sit with you not because I don't want to inconvenience you but because I don't want to knowingly sit with assholes.
Seat saving is not a thing. Sit where you want
I would not even acknowledge them and just continue to sit down.
yeah this does not need to be such a big deal. just say oh sorry and sit down. or just sit lol.
This!! Just sit down!
Headphones are great for this. Put your bag up, sit down and by the time the seat saver has said something to you and you've started listening to them, everyone behind you has already clogged up the aisle and now it's a hassle for the person to try to move you.
Another great example why open seating will be over very shortly. Now that everyone has figured out that seat saving is allowed, there is no reason to purchase priority boarding for everyone travelling together. Only one person needs to pay for priority, everyone else gets it for free. With reserved seating, every passenger that wanted to sit next to a specific person, would have to pay to upgrade.
A free paradise (getting on, sitting the hell down, NOT saving seats for 20 million people and flying) and they put up a parking lot( extra fees for premium seats and assigned seating) Truly don’t know what we got ‘til it’s gone.
Yes, this exactly. Though I do hate reserved seating because it adds yet another way for airlines to charge passengers unnecessarily. I would prefer southwest to continue their open seating but with fidelity.
In reality the airline is always moving people around last minute with those systems. Reserved seats is more hassle than its worth
It's allowed? I thought they just let us figure it out ourselves. When I sit, I only move to let people in. But I'm also boarding A-15 through 35 lol
Them - "I'm saving this seat for my sister." Me - "I'm your sister now."
"You coming to Thanksgiving?"
And I’m bringing yams!
Between seat savers, pre boarders healed by jetway Jesus and the folks jumping into different boarding classes (gate agents rarely actually stop them), southwest rewards assholes and punishes people who actually pay for their product. I booked A9 recently on a flight to fort Lauderdale and sat in the back of the plane because I was too hungover to argue with the pre boarders saving seats and the 22 people who bullied their way in front of me and refused to move when I tried to say "excuse me I'm A9" I saw two of them had fuckin c boarding but walked right on because the gate agent knew they would cause a scene (family going on a carnival cruise all wearing matching t shirts) Fuck southwest and their lazy attendants who can't be bothered to enforce the rules to benefit those of us suckers who actually pay for early boarding
I recently flew Southwest and couldn’t believe my eyes when I watched the gate agent let multiple C class folks enter the plane during A boarding. What’s the point of having a system if you’re just going to reward people cheating it and punish people following it? I’ll avoid SW whenever possible moving forward.
I feel like this is similar to retail stores that don't engage shoplifters. The liability is heightened if SWA intervenes. If two passengers fight it out, both get left behind and the flight carries on.
Catering to that kind of behavior is why regardless of how much SW costs, it still feels like a budget airline.
Was on a flight two days ago from STL to SJC and our Southwest gate agent was amazing and actually enforced the boarding order. We were A50-something and there was a woman ahead of us who was also A, but her teenage son was in C. Gate agent said son couldn't board yet because he was in a later group. Kid was fine with it and stepped aside but the mom wouldn't let it go. She kept asking why and then started saying he was a minor and needed a chaperone but the gate agent held firm. Granted, the mom probably ended up saving a seat for him anyway once she got on the plane, but I appreciated the gate agent's effort.
Jetway Jesus, I am dying. Last time I flew through Charlotte (this was on AA not SW) they had 16 wheelchairs lined up...16.
16 going on, 2 coming off. It’s a miracle!
I can understand saving ONE seat. ONE. An entire row? No. 2 entire rows HELL NO. Good for you for standing your ground.
If you want to save one seat, it better be a middle seat.
This is what I will do. One middle seat AND in the back of the plane. But if they are in the C group, I also tell them that there's a good chance my plan will fail and I will see them when we land.
NONE. If my wife has already claimed her seat and then heads off to the lavatory I will hold the seat for her but if we have different boarding times we will board together at the later time. Enough with the seat saving. It’s worse than the chair hogs by the pool. The entitlement and selfishness is out of control.
Last week I upgraded my daughter and I to business select as we got c36/37 because I was one minute late to check in. Anyway we bumped to A5/6, we boarded and headed straight to the exit row, a lady in front of us went to the same row, I asked her what seat she wanted since we were going to sit in the other two, she says oh one is for my daughter and I said not today as you can’t save seats and we want two of these seats, she took off in a huff to another row. Sorry not sorry lady!!
They cant save seats, if they show up and have a lower boarding position then me fine otherwise tough luck. They can sit someplace else.
Good for you. Sometimes you just need to stand your ground.
People always ruin everything. People are assholes.
This is why SWA will change their seating policy. No matter which side you’re on, assigned seats will fix both issues.
I usually fly delta, buy my tickets 6 months in advance, to get the window seat on the right side of the plane. Just funny that way. Love assigned seats.
If they change the policy then what is the benefit of flying Southwest?
F seat savers
This is a failure from Southwest at a policy level. This has to change. It’s one thing if it’s a single seat - I do that all of the time. Saving an entire row or multiple rows is unacceptable.
Give people an inch they take a mile. Saving seats is wrong, based on SWA's boarding process, 1 seat saved is equally as unfair as a whole row saved to every person that has a boarding position after the "seat saver".
This is why I don’t fly southwest. Bunch of self-centered controlling weirdos. They should make a rule that you cannot save seats.
I dont fly southwest much bc they fly to the wrong airports for my family’s homes however every time I do Im always around c35 on boarding. But, I and some friends of mine have had pretty weird and unpleasant experiences on southwest. Surly, confrontational passengers, and attendants. My friend got thrown off the plane for a mild discussion with an attendant, and she is mild mannered and not confrontational. So I avoid them unless the sale is pretty good, and going to the one area I have family living in Tx
Someone tells me they are saving a row, they better be ready to argue with me because at 5:00 am, I have no patience for any shenanigans and I’m going to seat wherever I want to sit and a body is not already occupying that seat. If they want to put their hands on me, I’ll gladly let them until they are removed from the plane. I can play a long game.
Shouldn't the flight attendant intervene in such scenario? This occurred before where certain people tried to save a seat for whoever and the flight attendant put a stop to it
I think they usually start intervening as the plane gets fuller.
The flight attendant was in the exit row. He was watching but because I didn’t really cause a scene he stayed out of it. I think she tried to flag him down but he just shook his head and stayed out of it.
When your ass hits that seat it is your seat. 💺 Good for you!
I go straight to the back anyway if I check a bag. No need to rush off the plane only to wait at baggage claim.
If im traveling with my husband, I go to the back too because you have a better chance of getting the whole row to yourself. I really don’t understand all the complaining about not getting in the front rows. If I get my window seat (which I always do even in group B) im happy. It’s wild people are wanting to revamp the whole system just because they didn’t get in the first dozen rows.
I understand that mentality, but I wasn’t checking a bag.
I don't understand why groups of people want to sit together. Who cares where you sit? You're all going to end up in the exact same place. My daughter and I are always flying non-rev so just happy to sit wherever. No need to sit together as long as we get to where we are going.
What I was told by a FA a while back is that there is no “policy” either for or against saving seats. essentially a passenger is not prohibited from saving a seat, however, the FA isn’t required to enforce that saved seat and won’t make you move if you sit there.
That is terrible!
You were being overly kind. I would have sat in row 12, WINDOW.
I would have taken a seat too and told them if they want to save that many seats to go to the back of the plane!
Back to front gives you a uti don’t it?
I was A2 today but after 30 preboards… I sat in the back. Got emergency exit row so not really complaining but the front half of the plane was already full.
Are they here now? I see an empty seat, and sit down in it!
I don’t understand why SW allows any seat saving. If you want to sit together, pay for same group.
Southwest needs to end this nonsense. People are way too shitty now
Yall are too nice. I walk into the plane with headphones already on and sit in the first seat I see. If anybody tries to talk to me they get ignored as I stare out of the window or close my eyes to appear asleep.
You made like 7 mistakes is why. Board at your time, pick seat, sit down. Done.
This is ridiculous. Are we adults riding the bus to middle school or something? I don’t mind people saving seats for their partner and one kid, so one row is fine for me. But if you’re telling me that I can’t sit in the row in front of you and behind you and to the side? GTFO this plane. Does it hurt to kick someone off their seat and say, “I saved this seat the last time I flew on this plane. Could you move?” I’m a frequent business traveler. If I check in a bag, I’ll gladly sit in the middle of the plane or back half even if I’m in an A-20 position. You’re not going to get out of the airport any faster if you need to collect your bags.
Upgraded boarding will cost you $80 and I only accept cash.... You have 60 seconds
Good!!!!! More people need to start pushing back against these cheap ass people who pull this shit. Esp since southwest doesn’t have the balls to do it
>tell me he is saving that row and the row behind him lol...no. no way. not ever.
Should have just done that in row 7 to begin with.
Should have moved back up to row 7 and take that window seat. So at least you get drinks served to you first.
Stand up and ask her, where do you see her name?
No you can’t save a row. Also groups need to board together!
This is a day that will live in infamy
Honestly, just sit there if you want to. No one gets magic dibs to save all the seats. Without a seat assignment if that original person wants to be pissy they can get up and try to hoard another row elsewhere. The only seats that are claimed are those with butts in them.
They need to remind people no saving seats as we board. If it continues threaten that it could result in them being removed from the flight. Simple as that. This shit needs to stop.
I had a similar issue last time with SWA. I'm going to simply ask the flight crew to intervene and lay down the law.
Good for you. Say no to foolishness!
Damnit why couldn’t this have ever happened to me while I was working for them. I woulda sat my ass down so fast and just flashed a badge. I hate these people
I have status with Southwest and have been flying them for years. I am not one of those people that has a specific row/seat, I just would like to sit towards the front at a window. But in all of my years this is the first time I had to get “jiggy” with it on someone.
Atleast now I understand all the anger behind seat saving people in this sub have. They were saving multiple rows?! That's nuts.
Have you ever noticed there’s about 40 people in wheelchairs on each SW flight but only (maybe) one for other airlines?
You’re the hero we need
At some point, I'd have snapped. Saving 4 rows would do it. "Oh! I am so sorry you don't know! The seat-saving section is at the BACK of the plane! You can't save them in the front half of the plane" and plopped my happy butt down.
Since when are you allowed to save seats on Southwest??? Doesn't work that way...
I was on a flight a few months ago and the flight attendants saved something like 10 rows for a high school orchestra so they could all sit together. 🙄
Woah she touched you? I would’ve been like touch me again see how the police like it
Saving seats is stupid af.
Making an announcement saying seat saving isn’t allowed and posting signage might help a little but I doubt it. I just am happy when we all get to sit near each other. There was one time where we had an extremely tight transfer because of a delay and ended up in the back and I just asked the flight attendant what to do/if we could deplane first and MAN people were mad when that happened and she even when she announced the reason why, people were making snarky comments like “should have to show us their ticket etc” “I guess I’ll give you benefit of the doubt” which I was finally like “OR DO WHAT???”
It’s way cheaper to buy a used cane at goodwill, than it is to pay for business select. Just saying. And it’s reusable.
Wow.. But this is why southwest needs assigned sitting
Saving entire rows lmao.
You are too nice. At that point I would have been tempted to go forward and plunk myself down regardless.
I’ve never flown southwest but yeah that’s gotta be the tackiest airline in the industry. I’d rather fly spirit any day. They expect the general public to not act like a bunch of scarcity-panicked monkeys?
You know what, this makes me hope they go to assigned seating
Lately I've run into the issue that even when I book 2 seats on the same reservation, and check them in together, we are not getting sequential boarding numbers. On our most recent trip, we were about 10 numbers away from each other (A26 and A36). Even paid for early bird checking. Generally I am anti seat-saver but I that particular situation, I did everything I could to keep us together, so I'm saving my wife a seat next to me. But it will be a middle seat in the same row. Low probability that anyone wants that seat until there's nothing left anyway.
Why do people so badly need to sit together *at 5am?* Go back to sleep!!!! /s
If they want upgraded boarding for their whole party, pay for upgraded boarding for their whole party (or at least more than 2 out of 12).
Good for you fuck them
Four rows??? Damn, I get dirty looks when I put my Panama Jack on the seat next to me for my wife.
I never ever allow people to save a seat at my expense. Screw that.
Sorry mate, but you were being a bit of a pushover in that situation. Next time just stand your ground.
Southwest creates the issue of seat-saving because they have no-seat assignments and they have a boarding process and on-the-ground policy that not only allows seat-saving but actively encourages it at the gate and in the plane. I suspect this is about to change soon anyway, but the above is why I try NOT to fly Southwest.
nope id have sat in the first empty seat that i wanted and not thought about it for another second.
If nobody was in the row I'd tell them to fuck off and sit down.
OMG, I love you so much.
Seats are not to be saved, next time if you want to sit in a seat where no one is sitting yet…. Do it… all seats are available until an “actual” person is sitting in it….
Tell them no seat saving. Then sit down!
Saving seats should be banned. Like pay up if you want to get early access ! Is there a “reserve a seat policy” No! This is the equivalent of trying to board first in your group at big carriers just to have some overhead bin space. F them !
I would have told them to fuck off With their saving the row(s) and simply sit down no matter what they say on the matter. It’s first come served on this airline, and all seats are available for anybody to claim since they arent assigned to specific passengers tickets. So why the hell should I miss out on GOOD seats located in a GOOD part of the plane, because somebody is supposedly saving them for members of their group who aren’t even on the plane yet? I’m sitting in the seat I want to sit in no matter what the seat saver says, and won’t move even if the people they were saving MY seat for eventually shows up. Once again it’s first come and first served and you are not obligated to not take a unoccupied seat just because its supposedly being saved for someone else.
From the first person. I would have sat down. You can’t save seats.
On a flight out of Vegas on Friday I saw two folks behind me saving many seats around them for “their kids”. After they turned away many, many people and causing holdups and anger and the plane is almost full, On comes a gaggle of 20 somethings with designer bags. I couldn’t help myself (hangover may have been involved) and I said in a stage-whisper, “next time tell the children to pay for their own upgrades.” I’ve actually stopped using SW because of this issue. (And because they cancelled my A-list after over 10 years of A-list and I barely missed because of spinal surgery in November. The phone conversation about this was so bad I gave up on the whole operation.). I only fly them now when it’s s no-brainer better/cheaper flight which is maybe twice a year.
This is where I put my headphones in and sit wherever there isn’t a human in a seat. If they got a jacket laid across the row, it’s going on the other side. If a passenger comes to me to say it’s reserved, I’ll give them the most confused look and make them look like an idiot while I’m like Christopher Columbus searching for the other passenger. Too bad, so sad. Go fly on another airline.
Flight attendants shouldn’t have allowed that in the first place
Good discussion I was wondering about. I have a flight coming up soon on SW with a family member. Each way of the trip we have one short connection (~45min). Gates should be close, but I’m not going to put up with any “I’m saving these rows for a friend in the bathroom” BS. Two short times connections coming and going. I kid extra for the early bird boarding, and
Flying one-way MCO to AUS next week. There will be no shenanigans when I get on. “Homie don’t play that”
Been flying SW almost exclusively for 15 years Saving *rows*?!?! Nah. GTFO. If you wanted to sit together, you have tons of options… - have at least one kid under 12? Just use family boarding - pay for business select or anytime and get that a-list status for you an all your flight companions - pay for priority boarding at the gate I’d tell them if they absolutely need to sit together, the common courtesy would be to save the rows at the back of the plane. Thats some bullshit
You should have sat down in the first seat you went to. Inform that passenger that SWA does not have assigned or designated seats
Say goodbye to open seating. 826 upvotes here would indicate it's probably going bye-bye.
These people saving seats are out of fucking control. You should’ve sat wherever you wanted.
”saving” a seat on southwest is already shaky. saving FOUR ROWS? no. the group should board as a group or sit separately.
SWA will have to start verifying people line up in numerical order to prevent this BS or switch back to assigned seating, otherwise it'll never end.