Southwest Airlines is known for the games people play to secure the best seats, because the airline doesn’t assign seats – it’s first-board, first-served. They do assign your boarding order, but passengers save seats for each other, and there’s no rule against it.
We regret any disappointment during the boarding process today. As you may know, all Southwest flights are open seating, and we don't have a specific policy for or against saving seats. We apologize for any frustration, and hope for smoother sailing in the future. -Hannah
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) March 28, 2022
Woman saving an entire row of plane seats behind her with donut bags.
byu/Hog_Fan inmildlyinfuriating
And once people grab a seat, they’ll scheme to keep anyone else from sitting next to them so they get the empty seat. Strategies include crumpling up tissues and place it on the seat next to them, spreading out onto that seat, or just being intentionally creepy.
@mikewdavis How to keep seats open next to you on a flight 😂
But there’s another angle some people are trying, that I hadn’t even seen before. Southwest Airlines passengers aren’t just saving seats for other passengers, they’re saving overhead bin space, too by laying their bags horizontally in the bins to take up more space and then turning the bags on their sides to free up space once their travel companions board.
Pre-board overhead bin savers. MSY-ATL probably 20 pre-boards most had their roller bags sideways. As always went to move them properly and toss my bag up there. Then I heard it….
They were sideways saving space for the rest of our family. Guess the joke I made with the lead flight attendant what I boarded saying damn I didn’t know C group got on first today before A1-30, not only made her laugh but worked to my advantage. I then hear, there is no saving bin space!
This is a little bit surprising because on other airlines you see passengers being required to gate check bags on nearly every flight – even when the airline has installed larger overhead bins to accommodate one bag per passenger (if loaded into the bin correctly).
On Southwest Airlines, though, this doesn’t happen as often because passengers can check two bags free so they don’t try to carry on all of their belongings. It shouldn’t be necessary to save overhead bin space.
However if you want bin space directly above your seat, I suppose there’s a chance that might not happen if you’re a late boarding. Still, this seems like a lot of effort to go through for very little game, and a lot of selfish strategizing with little purpose.
@Jack – it’s not a scam BY SOUTHWEST it is a Southwest Airlines scam (a scam run on Southwest Airlines flights)
I get so sick of hearing about Southwest and seating issues. Thst is a crappy airline and they need to do away with open seating. It’s just crsp.
@bob McKay, nope FAs are not the bin police. This BS happens at Delta too, and gate agents expect the FAs to control who puts what in the bins, so they can close the doors at D5 and have a perfect D0 departure. We make the announcements. If we can even see down the aisle, we can give direct instructions, and help during boarding. But we cannot stand in the aisle and help every person load their bags correctly. We’d never leave on time and our injury rate would be even higher than it already is (highest for any workgroup of an airline, btw).
We’re all adults. Figure it out and help each other. And have a little patience for those new flyers and the ones who really are just lost when traveling. And feel free to point out who is being an obnoxious and selfish turd to your flight attendant. We’ll take it from there. 🙂
Flying has become a three ring circus, S/W, Spirit and as couple of others has seen the lowest denominator of human form known to man enter airplanes. I would rather spend three days in the car than get inside that flying cigar tube than sitting next to some bimbo clipping their toenails.
Nothing stopping anyone from reorienting a few bags to make space!
If I see a bag as described I’m turning it so my bag fits
Tho I’ll probably never be on a Southwest aircraft
The number of phony compression sock wearing “pre boarders” on SW faking some type of disability is disgusting. The only worse airlines is Spirit.
I’d rather ride on the wing of a United flight than fly that trash airlines.
Southwest was recently named the worst airline in America. Imagine that! All because they serve the low life pajama group and flight attendants sing crazy crap no regular human wants to hear. Southwest gets the rating THEY choose……enjoy your flights on Delta everyone else!! A real airline!!
I keep reading articles and articles about different topics etc on airlines seating, bags, wheel chairs. IM DONE READING!! All its about people is treating your neighbors with respect. The American society has forgotten that, PERIOD. Quit acting like a bunch of stuck up, materialistic snobs and remember the Golden Rule and manners. EVERYBODY. Ya wanna know why this country’s gone to shit? Cause everyone treats each other like shit!! Remember it’s not just your aircraft. You want your own aircraft,.fly private. I had someone today about run over me 4 rows back coming off the aircraft when I was obviously before them.to de-plane. I looked back and said “Really?? Really??” For God sakes people, respect another and quit pushing people to the limits. The traveling public are acting like little snobbish children and honestly, I’m sure you don’t or wouldn’t approve it if your children acted that way. So grow up, get some manners. And if you can’t do that, ? STAY AT HOME. So sick of how people are treating each other these days. And don’t even think about using CoVid as an excuse.
WalletHub is a personal finance company. I prefer ratings by Skytrax over WalletHub.
No one can save seats on a Southwest flight. If you want, take it, they cannot stop you. This entire article is ridiculous.
Yeah if I see luggage spread out in a bin above my seats, it’s getting shifted to accommodate. I pay to board early because I’m slightly claustrophobic…so usually not a issue but if it ever was, your stuff is getting moved so mine fits. If I think it’s yours I’ll probably verbally warn you, but that bin is being shared.
Thanks for reminding me why I don’t fly Southwest!
@jns that’s the SkyTrax’s that awarded Lufthansa 5 stars for a seat that’s only just started showing up in planes 7 years later.
Yeah they’re trustworthy
I’ve lost faith in humanity! Also, you Americans are destroying the world.
I hate flying southwest for these reasons. People are jerks. Flying is stressful enough when you have assigned seats.
Nothing stopping anyone from adjusting the bag and adding yours. Just like there is nothing stopping you from sitting in a “saved” space. I probably would at least hand back the bag of donuts because I am nice like that…
Solution? Just don’t fly on Southwest Airlines. Problem solved.
It’s not a SW problem, it’s the usual American passengers taking advantage, if it’s not sneaking bags on board it’s this type of crap. The American passenger what’s everything and the kitchen sink brought on board but does not want to pay for it, then plays victim when they get caught. In all my travels around the world you don’t see this type of circus anywhere else in the world. #facts
I love flying Southwest. Thanks for this entertaining and informative article. I have to admit that I blew my nose a couple extra times while sitting on the aisle seat hoping no one would take the middle seat next to me. And it worked!