3 ms·

I just can't put up with the unassigned seating zoo, lack of premium class options, and other niceties.

vasco 2y ago
> unassigned seating zoo I never flew SW, can you or someone explain what the problem is with unassigned seats (what makes it a zoo)? I've used long distance trains and buses and it has been fine.
- lvspiff 2y ago
  If you board in later groups (i.e. not one of the first 100 or so people) you are essentially stuck waiting in a line in a cramped isle for people to put their bags up and are likely to be relegated to a middle seat.
  - aaomidi 2y ago
    Also it means if you're a family, you're going to get split apart. However, it does mean that boarding is done significantly faster.
    - hnburnsy 2y ago
      Families with young children board together 1/3 of the way through the boarding process on Southwest. They will be seated together.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - robotcapital 2y ago
        Though that does presume being ready to board at precisely that moment while traveling with small children. In my experience I can expect that to happen about half the time.
        secabeen 2y ago
        If you are clearly a family, and miss family boarding, I believe they'll let you board whenever you're ready. As long as you get on sometime in the "B" group, you should find an empty row or two at the back of the plane.
- Lendal 2y ago
  They don't charge extra for assigned seats. Instead, you pick your seat by sitting in it. Which means you need to board earlier. Boarding order is assigned by the order in which you check in. To do that, you get the Southwest app and check in the moment the notification pops up on your phone. If you do that, you board ahead of everyone else. Free of charge. If you believe paying paying extra fees for every little thing constitutes order over chaos, well then maybe you should fly another airline and pay their fees. Personally I prefer Southwest's up-front pricing model. I just tap the check-in button when it pops up on my phone and board ahead of everyone else, thus avoiding the so-called zoo of people at the back who haven't figured it out yet. The first time I flew Southwest I immediately saw that boarding first gets you a better seat. So I asked them, how do you board first? And they told me. I boarded first from then on.
  - zarzavat 2y ago
    How does that work for people traveling in groups such as couples or families? The reason that airlines have assigned seating is that people want to know before they get on the plane that they’ll be seated together. Especially for families you don’t want your kid sitting next to some random person because you missed a notification on an app and ended up boarding last when only middle seats are left
    - alexsereno 2y ago
      Pay a bit extra to board earlier.
    - svachalek 2y ago
      For younger children (5 and under I think?) you can listen for "family boarding" between the A and B passes.
  - AlotOfReading 2y ago
    You're already behind if you're hitting the check-in button because of how connecting flights work. Passengers can check in 24h ahead of the earliest flight on their ticket, which is >24h ahead of the flight you're on. It's usually not a problem being A20 vs A15, but it can be much worse if you're joining the last leg of a popular connection.
fshbbdssbbgdd 2y ago
I just pay for upgraded boarding ($30) which means that I have my pick of aisle/window seats before it gets crowded. Lack of premium class seating is real, Southwest is not the airline for you if you require >17 inch seat width or >31 inch legroom.
- silisili 2y ago
  I've read, but never tested, that if you buy two seats and tell them you're overweight, they'd refund you one. Obviously research yourself as needed, but remember seeing an article about that recently. Still, no relief for taller passengers.
  - pjot 2y ago
    > You may contact us for a refund of the cost of additional seating after travel. If you prefer not to purchase an additional seat in advance , you have the option of purchasing just one seat and then discussing your seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at the departure gate. If it’s determined that a second (or third) seat is needed, you’ll be accommodated with a complimentary additional seat. From their support page: https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-seat-policy https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-sea...
  - jabroni_salad 2y ago
    I have seen them doing that. They give the passenger a placard to put on the extra seat so nobody could sit in it.
mint2 2y ago
Interesting, I find it refreshingly egalitarian and not classist and extractive. It really bothers me how other airlines treat seating as a way to further bleed customers of money and create tiers.
- lxgr 2y ago
  Nothing forces them to charge extra for seat assignments! There are still a couple that include free seat assignments (within your booking class, and without introducing a fake "basic economy" class without assigned seats), and that's by far my preferred seating model.

> unassigned seating zoo I never flew SW, can you or someone explain what the problem is with unassigned seats (what makes it a zoo)? I've used long distance trains and buses and it has been fine.

lvspiff 2y ago
If you board in later groups (i.e. not one of the first 100 or so people) you are essentially stuck waiting in a line in a cramped isle for people to put their bags up and are likely to be relegated to a middle seat.
- aaomidi 2y ago
  Also it means if you're a family, you're going to get split apart. However, it does mean that boarding is done significantly faster.
  - hnburnsy 2y ago
    Families with young children board together 1/3 of the way through the boarding process on Southwest. They will be seated together.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - robotcapital 2y ago
      Though that does presume being ready to board at precisely that moment while traveling with small children. In my experience I can expect that to happen about half the time.
      - secabeen 2y ago
        If you are clearly a family, and miss family boarding, I believe they'll let you board whenever you're ready. As long as you get on sometime in the "B" group, you should find an empty row or two at the back of the plane.
Lendal 2y ago
They don't charge extra for assigned seats. Instead, you pick your seat by sitting in it. Which means you need to board earlier. Boarding order is assigned by the order in which you check in. To do that, you get the Southwest app and check in the moment the notification pops up on your phone. If you do that, you board ahead of everyone else. Free of charge. If you believe paying paying extra fees for every little thing constitutes order over chaos, well then maybe you should fly another airline and pay their fees. Personally I prefer Southwest's up-front pricing model. I just tap the check-in button when it pops up on my phone and board ahead of everyone else, thus avoiding the so-called zoo of people at the back who haven't figured it out yet. The first time I flew Southwest I immediately saw that boarding first gets you a better seat. So I asked them, how do you board first? And they told me. I boarded first from then on.
- zarzavat 2y ago
  How does that work for people traveling in groups such as couples or families? The reason that airlines have assigned seating is that people want to know before they get on the plane that they’ll be seated together. Especially for families you don’t want your kid sitting next to some random person because you missed a notification on an app and ended up boarding last when only middle seats are left
  - alexsereno 2y ago
    Pay a bit extra to board earlier.
  - svachalek 2y ago
    For younger children (5 and under I think?) you can listen for "family boarding" between the A and B passes.
- AlotOfReading 2y ago
  You're already behind if you're hitting the check-in button because of how connecting flights work. Passengers can check in 24h ahead of the earliest flight on their ticket, which is >24h ahead of the flight you're on. It's usually not a problem being A20 vs A15, but it can be much worse if you're joining the last leg of a popular connection.

fshbbdssbbgdd 2y ago

I just pay for upgraded boarding ($30) which means that I have my pick of aisle/window seats before it gets crowded. Lack of premium class seating is real, Southwest is not the airline for you if you require >17 inch seat width or >31 inch legroom.

silisili 2y ago
I've read, but never tested, that if you buy two seats and tell them you're overweight, they'd refund you one. Obviously research yourself as needed, but remember seeing an article about that recently. Still, no relief for taller passengers.
- pjot 2y ago
  > You may contact us for a refund of the cost of additional seating after travel. If you prefer not to purchase an additional seat in advance , you have the option of purchasing just one seat and then discussing your seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at the departure gate. If it’s determined that a second (or third) seat is needed, you’ll be accommodated with a complimentary additional seat. From their support page: https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-seat-policy https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-sea...
- jabroni_salad 2y ago
  I have seen them doing that. They give the passenger a placard to put on the extra seat so nobody could sit in it.

mint2 2y ago

Interesting, I find it refreshingly egalitarian and not classist and extractive. It really bothers me how other airlines treat seating as a way to further bleed customers of money and create tiers.

lxgr 2y ago
Nothing forces them to charge extra for seat assignments! There are still a couple that include free seat assignments (within your booking class, and without introducing a fake "basic economy" class without assigned seats), and that's by far my preferred seating model.