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I like traveling with Southwest and pay the extra for priority seating. If I travel with other family members we buy it for them too because I don't believe in "saving" seats for others that haven't paid for priority seating. Now if someone was just using the restroom as we were boarding or it was a connecting flight and they were at a food kiosk during that time I have no problem with saving the seat because it was their seat first.
We do the same. I don’t mind S-W at all. I have never encountered someone saving a seat. In this situation, there is open boarding, which by definition means, first come, first served. If I were to encounter this, I don’t know how I would react, frankly. I don’t think saving seats in an open boarding situation is polite, to say the least.
After people have chosen seats, I think it is OK to ask if someone might be willing to trade.
I agree. I've only ever flown with an assigned seat. I don't think having to wrangle a seat would be something that I'd be willing to pay for, especially at the current prices.
I had honestly never heard of this practice. OP, is there a link or an example?
There is no free for all. You get assigned a boarding position, and that's the order in which you board the plane. Once on the plane, you can select any open seat you want. Yes, sometimes people save a seat next to them for a traveling companion. I think most people consider that fairly reasonable, and would assume a seat with a sweater or small bag on it isn't an open seat and would select another seat.
Some people abuse the system by trying to block off multiple seats - I personally would consider that rude and unacceptable and that might be a situation where I'd consider calling a flight attendant over.
Some people also think that they are free to take whatever seat they want even if there are indications it's occupied. I personally consider that on the rude side as well, esp. if there are lots of other open seats. There is no specific SWA policy prohibiting someone from saving a seat but some people feel that they are entitled to act as if there is. But at least anecdotally, I'd say this is pretty rare. I've flown Southwest many, many times and have never seen anyone make a huge fuss. They might ask if a seat is taken, and perhaps internally, they roll their eyes at the fact that it's being saved, but they just say ok and move on to a different seat if told it's not an open seat.
I like knowing I’m not stuck if a fat person or kid sits next to me.
Exactly. For traveling solo it's great, and I never pay for early bird. As long as I check in promptly I'm typically somewhere in the "B" group, which is good enough to get either an aisle seat or a window seat somewhere on the plane. By the time I board there are enough folks seated that I can pretty well vet my "neighbors".
I have flown Southwest quite frequently. Boarding takes much less time because people know when to get in line and when to get on. Also, since bags fly for free, people check their large bags and there is much less jockeying for overhead space. Also deboarding is quicker as staff is waiting to open the door.
And then there is no ticket changing fees which is helpful when the area you were planning to travel to last week is on fire.
Given the choice I won't fly anything except Southwest. For $15 you get the early boarding and can sit just about wherever you wish. NO CHARGE for canceling (moving) flights - that is unheard of on other airlines. Two pieces of luggage free.
I used to use JetBlue but they changed - higher prices, not even free baggage and a $100+ charge for a ticket change.
I know right? People acting like it's a mosh pit, it's quite orderly with the line number system they have. Everyone just files in, less jostling than with the "zone 4 now" you get with other airlines.
How do you feel about seat saving on first-come, first served open boarding? This has become problematic on many folks airline of choice which assigns seats based upon boarding group and entry when your 'letter' is called.
Is this fair or should a more stringent stance be taken to prevent passenger unrest? There is a wide divide between both camps on disputes that ensue and at our age, we don't encourage confrontation. Or do we?
It is rarely problematic. No, a more stringent stance should not be taken because it really isn't a problem.
In my 16 years of experience with the no assigned seating airlines, I have never seen it to be a huge problem.
No--why would you want to have confrontation? Have you watched the news lately?
How do you feel about seat saving on first-come, first served open boarding? This has become problematic on many folks airline of choice which assigns seats based upon boarding group and entry when your 'letter' is called. Is this fair or should a more stringent stance be taken to prevent passenger unrest? There is a wide divide between both camps on disputes that ensue and at our age, we don't encourage confrontation. Or do we?
The obvious answer is that there is no call for taking any stance on this other than to fly a different airline.
I have been flying for better than 50 years (since age 4) and times have changed.
I try to fly Southwest first and foremost due their prices, free baggage and the ability to cancel or change a flight for no charge, or bank my funds to use on a future flight.
I usually get on the computer at the required time and get my boarding passes. I have noticed I am slipping into the high digits in the B boarding which I attribute to those paying the extra fee to board early. I am clicking my passes at the precise time of the flight. I have to say I have only seen a few times where someone tried to save a seat and noticed they were successful or were easily talked into letting it go by the boarding passenger wanting it. I do believe Southwest should start enforcing this especially since the USA article was put out. Now I think a few are going to try to use this tactic.
Those days of courteous, compassionate and friendly flyers is fast disappearing. It is human nature for some flyers to game the system and try to work the rules to their advantage and this is happening a lot.
The past few years I have witnessed so many running to the front of the plane as we approach the gate, bringing bags on you know are not going to fit in the overhead, fights for the overhead with some people even moving others carry on's so that they can have theirs at their seat, pets including a woman on my last flight who open carried a cat.
Yup, I now book with long layovers and sit my butt on the plane until the last few passengers have gotten off then leisurely stroll to my connecting gate. With age comes wisdom, gone are the days where a thirty minute layover was a challenge
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