Southwest seating etiquette (location, allowed, agent, travelling)

[hertfordshire]

Originally Posted by emm74

So in other words, the second passenger being a spoiled brat is enough to countermand the established practice of allowing seat saving? I don't think so.

What if the other passenger is trying to get a seat as close to the front as possible, because they have a very short layover? Why is OP's desire to sit with his family more worthy than the other passenger's desire to make his next flight?

Bottom line, the OP wants permission to let his wife and child cut in line. Generally frowned upon. There's a reason lines exist.

[ClaraC]

I don't have a problem with it, although the OP didn't answer my question about how old the child is. If the child is 10 or so, it's not really a concern to be separated. If the child is a toddler, everyone will work to accommodate the toddler sitting with the parent.

I witnessed a jerk on a flight who saved the two other seats in his row for "imaginary" passengers. The flight wasn't completely full and he wanted the aisle to himself.

[ClaraC]

Originally Posted by hertfordshire

What if the other passenger is trying to get a seat as close to the front as possible, because they have a very short layover? Why is OP's desire to sit with his family more worthy than the other passenger's desire to make his next flight?

Bottom line, the OP wants permission to let his wife and child cut in line. Generally frowned upon. There's a reason lines exist.

The airline has said it's ok.

That's enough for me.

[emm74]

Originally Posted by hertfordshire

What if the other passenger is trying to get a seat as close to the front as possible, because they have a very short layover? Why is OP's desire to sit with his family more worthy than the other passenger's desire to make his next flight?

Bottom line, the OP wants permission to let his wife and child cut in line. Generally frowned upon. There's a reason lines exist.

Originally Posted by ClaraC

The airline has said it's ok.

That's enough for me.

Exactly to Clara's post. If Southwest said seat saving wasn't allowed, then by all means, enforce that rule strictly. But when the owner of the plane says it's ok to save seats for your travelling companions, then people who have a need or a desire for a particular seat or location should be the ones owning that and pay for their own early boarding to make sure they get the seat they want. It's not the responsibility of someone following the airline's own practices to have to yield a seat that the airline said they could save.

[hertfordshire]

Originally Posted by ClaraC

The airline has said it's ok.

That's enough for me.

They didn't say it's okay. They said they don't have a policy for or against, as long as the boarding process isn't slowed or other passengers aren't inconvenienced.

[blisterpeanuts]

Originally Posted by Moonlady

I understand. My husband has a bad hip and the only seat that's comfortable for him is an aisle seat on the left side of the plane. We used to fly SW and I'd pay extra for boarding early even though I was sitting in the middle seat next to him. Then I figured out that we could save a little by getting him the priority boarding and I would take my chances that the middle seat would be available - and if it wasn't, it was no big deal to sit apart.

SW used to be my favorite airline and the open seating concept didn't bother me but now that we're older and have "needs", I travel on airlines that allow me to pre-select a seat and avoid the whole SW boarding fiasco.

I'm glad to see you realize that while it may not be against the rules, it's not really fair to your fellow passengers. And yes, I doubt anyone would fight you for a seat in the back of the plane.

Thanks for your fair and respectful comment, refreshing after these angry, bitter responses. Coincidentally, I'm having a hip and back problem myself, and I really need to be in an aisle seat when possible.

[ClaraC]

Originally Posted by hertfordshire

They didn't say it's okay. They said they don't have a policy for or against, as long as the boarding process isn't slowed or other passengers aren't inconvenienced.

That just seems like a long way of saying "it's ok".

There are situations where saving room for someone is forbidden and they make it clear. Like in independent living places, they often have the policy that you can't save room at your lunch table for your friends - seating is first-come, first served, and they mean it.

That statement is basically Southwest saying "can't we all just get along?"

[BrianGC]

Originally Posted by hertfordshire

They didn't say it's okay. They said they don't have a policy for or against, as long as the boarding process isn't slowed or other passengers aren't inconvenienced.

Bingo. They probably won't bother to make a policy against it until more and more people start doing what OP did.
Sadly, people really and desperately want to convince themselves that their selfishness is cool.
Remember, just because a company doesn't make a policy against something, doesn't mean it's not rude/inconsiderate.

[hertfordshire]

Originally Posted by ClaraC

That just seems like a long way of saying "it's ok".

Only because that's the way you want to read it.

[ClaraC]

So this brings up another point.

My husband and I fly Southwest, and we don't pay the upgrade for priority seating, but we do sign in 24 hours ahead to try to get the best seats we can get.

He would always say "I hope we get an aisle seat". Meaning, he hopes HE can get an aisle seat. Which damns me to the middle seat.

I prefer 1. a window seat or, 2. an aisle seat. Everyone hates the middle.

So I've just stopped sitting next to him. I sit in a window seat. If the aisle seat he prefers has an open window that's not over the wing, all the better. At least we can briefly talk, if need be.

Because you know, all I'm going to do is sit and read for 3 hours. And look down below.