Southwest Airlines boarding gets a lot of criticism, because instead of having assigned seats their passengers line up based on their ‘boarding number’ and it’s first board, first pick. Some people cheat and board before it’s their turn. Others fake a disability to get on early. And then those who want a free seat next to them try to be as unpleasant a potential seatmate as possible so nobody sits down next to them. My personal favorite technique is placing crumpled up tissues down on the seat next to you.
Underappreciated, though, is the way that passengers boarding later in the process are strategizing whom to sit next to – not just whom to avoid.
- If I’m going to be stuck sitting next to someone for sure, I’d like it to be the smallest person possible.
- Some people are just looking for a passenger they find cute.
If two people sit together on a plane and hit it off, and they wind up together in the end, then it’s an adorable story – like the couple who met on a Southwest Airlines flight, had the pastor from their row officiate at their wedding, and made it all airline-themed.
Credit: Southwest Airlines
Usually, though, it’s just a little bit creepy. But women, knowing men are on the hunt for a more attractive seatmate, are using this knowledge to their advantage in the hunt for seats at the end of boarding.
Got catfished during boarding yesterday
I was in 4D (aisle) with another passenger already in 4F (window) during boarding for what I knew was going to be a pretty full flight – i.e. I expected the middle seat to be taken so I hadn’t put my seatbelt on yet.
A petite woman (5′, 100 lbs or so) asks whether someone was sitting in the middle seat and I said “no – you’re welcome to join us” and I start getting up. She then turns around to her boyfriend/companion (6’2″, 220#) and says “sit here, I’ll go back to this one.”
Sold a total bill of goods on that one.
The seat is open, anyone can sit there, but an attractive woman frequently makes those open seats more available. The crumpled tissues magically disappear. And when it turns out she’s doing the asking for someone else? What are you going to say!
Here’s another one where the Southwest seating preferences seem suspect. A man chose to sit next to a young mother, when the entire row behind her was completely empty?
i noticed that they were in row 7, mom+baby in carrier in aisle seat and grandma in the window. there had to have been at least half the plane empty behind them. full rows, seats at ur heart’s desire! FA’s were encouraging people to space out since the flight was pretty empty. then the man in front of me stops at the row with the 2 women and the baby and asks for their middle seat. the mom holding the baby kinda looked at him like “really?” and the people sitting in the rows around had the same expressions. but he insisted and she ended up asking if he’d be “okay” with the aisle seat so she could at least be next to her mother. HE had the audacity to be like “yeah fine” over an aisle seat in a row he really didn’t need to sit in.
i’d understand if it was a full flight and he wanted to be close to the front but the row behind them was completely empty. it was so strange and i felt bad for the 2 women; the “younger” mom clearly had been stressed and overwhelmed with flying w a newborn and finally seemed settled in their seats until he came along. plus this whole ordeal held up the rest of the boarding.
I’ve had young women that I’ve worked with tell me that when they fly, they often see the men sitting next to them take off their wedding bands. Who they were sitting next to is just happenstance. On almost any airline, you don’t know in advance who will be next to you. But on Southwest Airlines, you actually choose it.
guflyer and Mary Smitty have it right, imo.
I love SWA and believe if more companies were like them we’d all be in a better place.
I value the efficiency of their boarding and seat selection, the general good attitudes of the employees, AND their boarding priorities. Last summer I was injured pretty bad, and got to experience the whole process of wheelchair assistance. It blew me away. It was incredibly efficient and opened my eyes to the immense service wheelchair assistance provides.
BOTH the current boarding process AND the Disability pre-boarding should Not be changed, imho.
Keep valuing your solidly good (and thankfully abundant) employees , Southwest.
I love you enough to stay patient during these remarkably tough years. I say you too deserve it – at the very least!
I so appreciate the pleasant staff, (AND passengers) who make Southwest great.
Thanks for your care
Keep the formula working
Maureen
To PATTY D..
If you want seats without recline, Frontier and Spirit are waiting.. don’t ruin Southwest and or give the other airlines any ideas
Other people’s prejudice often leaves me with an open middle seat.
I love Southwest Airlines. They offer friendly service along with some humor. I love that I get two bags that fly for free and a carry on for free.
If I wanted assigned seating, I would fly any of the other airlines that would charge me extra money for the seat of my choice and extra money for baggage and even carry on. Those that complain about the boarding process can go to those other airlines and leave Southwest alone. There are many people that enjoy flying Southwest as is.
When they had their computer meltdown on christmas eve of 2022, they owned it and provided the passengers with 25,000 frequent flyer miles…good enough for at least a roundtrip ticket. What other airline would do ?
I flew Southwest prior to becoming disabled and have only appreciated them more since then. They provide the best disability service of
any airline period. If people are abusing the disability service, they can take their handicapped plac…that’s what I do… I also, wait until everyone has gotten off the plane before I try to get off…
I was recently on a Southwest flight and took the aisle and another woman took the window. She put the urn her father’s ashes were in in the seat between us to help keep it open. Then she said to lean in and just laugh obnoxiously so no one would want to sit there. It worked and she was a really pleasant person to sit near.
Y’all are thinking about this way too much. If you don’t like the process, don’t fly Southwest, it’s that easy.
Clowing of Authority
During my recent trip home, I have seating B. I felt lucky, but as I entered the plane door, the flight attendance inform those of cat B, to sit to the end of plane. I responded, “Oh, the butt of the plane.” I’m fishing for a seat and the butt are pretty much full, but then I noticed a lady in a isle seat, the other 2 are vacant, except there are Bugger King bags sitting on them. I asked, “Are those seats available?” She says, while gesturing her hand back and forth, “These are for my family.” My thoughts are, you don’t own them. Then I say, “I’m at the end of plane and it’s full.” At this point, she has the audacity to ask,”You can sit by the window.” I shook my head as to say, sure. Little did she know, I am a window person. Oh, from the interaction, her families were already seated in 3 rows.
I don’t mind the way Southwest boards. They have the best prices with luggage included and the friendliest staff. I have only encountered one unpleasant staff member and we all have bad days once in a while. I have had to sit a couple rows from my husband and it is no big deal. We always have plenty of time together when we get to where we are going.
They need to make the people who are in need of a wheel chair sit in the middle of the plane or make it MANDATORY if you get on with a wheelchair you have to wait till all get off before you can deplane – watch how this will go away!! Then deal with the fake “service” dogs! One woman got off a flight and at the baggage handed her dog to her mom took the “convenient service tag” off and started telling the dog it was ok grandmas got her now! Really? This is why this crap needs to stop
Gary, your obsession with SWA’s boarding process is really concerning. I sincerely hope you are working through this with your therapist.
Hot tip: You can fly other airlines and then you don’t have to be hurt by open seating.
Such.a weird thing to devote so much energy and so many posts to
I love flying southwest they are friendly airline I have ever flown with and this was my first time flying with them from Savannah to Indianapolis, Indiana and I enjoyed it very much. So please don’t fly Frontier airlines they charge you for everything and they have the rudest customer service and they are late at their hubs never again. I will take Southwest any time any day, keep on flying Southwest I will be your number one sales rep letting everyone knows to fly with Southwest airline and their hubs are nice n the good places to eat while waiting for your connecting flights. Love it very much.
MMMmmmmm 6’2″, 220lbs Sounds good to me!
Southwest also has the policy of having large people who don’t fit between the armrests buy a second seat in advance so they’re not spilling over into the person next to them. They issue an extra seat ticket that is placed on the purchased second seat to let others know the seat is reserved. This is much better than 3 people who are large crammed into a row. SW has the friendliest most helpful staff. SW got successful with their current policies. If people want traditional assigned seating and classes, they have other options.
I think that pre boarding should be after the A boarding passes get on. I once paid $100 more for “business class” tickets on SWA. I thought it was something new! A few rows of upgraded seats? …since there were only A1 -A15 available. NO. It was just paying extra for those places in line! They definitely need to let those people on before the fake pre-borders; you know the people traveling with brand new, never before used canes and their teenaged kids. I’ve continued to travel SW though but I’ll just check on on the app as early as possible to get a A-16 to B boarding card.
I ACTUALLY THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR ALL AIRLINES to board the planes back to front. Especially with assigned seating. Back rows go on first and walk to the back! No hold up loading people while someone takes off their jacket and gets their carry ons up loaded in the front seats.
11 years ago, my wife and I had to sit in between people who knew each other, but did not want to sit in the middle seat. We had to sit five rows apart from each other during a 4 1/2 hour flight. The guys that I was sitting in between we’re talking over me during the flight. I said if you want to talk since you seem to know each other, let’s switch seats. The immediately stopped talking to each other, the rest of the flight. Very strange. My wife had to sit next to someone who was very large, and it was uncomfortable for her the entire flight. The southwest Airlines stewardess would not help people get seated by people they were flying with. I then said that if I can help it, I will never fly southwest airlines again. Thankfully, the next year, they left our local airport. And we have not flown on Southwest Airlines since. We now have Breeze airlines, and they are so much better.
Gary, is making it very clear he is working for the other members of the board that want to make Southwest a copy cat of all the dreaded airlines that nickel and dime you every step you take. Southwest’s boarding is awesome. I can sit in the window seat for the same price.
I only fly southwest. I know how it goes when it’s a full flight. I’m cheap so I’m usually last to board. 100% of the time I can get a first row seat if it’s black men sitting there. The entire rest of the passengers will pass them by.
I am a regular southwest flyer. Probably over 50 years. I am 86 now and board from a wheel chair. Southwest is loosing business. Islip has many customs who go back and forth to Palm beach and ft lauderdale. Lately only one flight does this and most flights stop in Baltimore. Killing your business. Don’t want to stop in Baltimore. Your planes are better than others. More room, better people etc. need more flights not stopping in Baltimore.
Flight attendant should never allow passengers to hold seats for other people unless they all pay for early bird seating. Rules are applied to make it comfortable for everyone. Not fair to the passengers who paid extra to board the plane and end up in the back of it bc somebody else is to cheap to pay extra but want the same option without paying. Flight attendant has a responsibility to enforce this
If you like the exit rows, SWA is great for people like me that book months out. I get a great seat being A16 most of the time. I hope things never change. If I make a same day free change I still get an aisle boarding after the As. I have flown 1600 times on SWA and very seldom do I run into a problem. I had someone buy early bird and try to hog all the exit rows but sat down in one and ruined her plans. I just exert my rights if somebody rude. SWA the best for my needs.
I flew southwest airlines June 25th & 26th 2024 and it was a great flight. I was traveling alone with my tired 2 year old and our plane was full. We had too sit with another lady and I’m so blessed she was a mother also because she didn’t mind my tired baby. I will always fly southwest.
I fly Southwest with my wife multiple times a year, either she gets ” Early Bird’ or I do, anyway I’m 6’2″ and 219 pounds, I love the isle seats Always , easy to get up and stretch. I’m African American, retired sailor, and when I board first, I put my headphones on and sunglasses, look down and put a small bag by the windows for my wife, most people won’t want to sit next to me, I don’t know if it’s a race thing or I look menacing to some . This works for us 70% of the time , no middle seat occupied, Unless it’s a complete full flight .
Cracks me up, hiloarious, with the high divorce rate and dysfunctional families except on aircraft they insist on being smashed together.
Anyway, I admire free-wheeling capitalism flying and the fascinating social construct that WN has offered the choosy passenger.
My wife and I flew Southwest and paid for an upgrade so we could sit together. Several couples or groups would have one person upgrade, then throw a backpack on an adjoining seat. I started my concerns to a flight attendant who responded we have open seating and you need to work it out. She had no problem with saving seats. We did get seats together in the last row. We will avoid Southwest if another airline is competitive.
Article mostly FOS rare to find flights with empty seats at all
No issues. Just wish they only allow one person to board with those in wheelchairs, unless minors are involved. Saw on numerous occasions where a family of 6 or more were allowed to board with person in wheelchair taking all the front seats. Then like the story says, the person is later seen outside the airport with no conditions. But, not gonna stop flying SW.
I love SWA over American, United, or Delta. It seems like more people are faking disability though.
If you do have a disability I suggest flying SWA. It seems they serve miracle snacks and drinks enroute because it’s amazing that the passengers in need of a wheelchair are cured of their disability after they arrive at their destination. They practically run off the plane to the luggage carousel and grab huge suitcases and are on their way apparently cured…
We are devoted to South West Airlines,, WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED bad service. I have always thanked the Captain for the soft landing. We flew other airlines and the flight attendants were rude and wirh an attitude. You pretty much have to beg them for anything.
South West Airlines you are the best.. please don’t change anything.
Love Southwest, I go out of my way to fly Southwest because they have great prices (most of the time), free baggage, fly most everywhere and DON’T NICKLE & DIME us. The boarding process is fine the way it is, SW please don’t change a thing!
Southwest=787 Max. If you want to increase your slim chances of an in flight emergency than fly it. But it is an old 737 engineered by accountants with little government oversight to try to as cheaply as possible compete with the Airbus A320. It is the shining showpiece of the collapse of engineering excellence Boeing once represented.
The years ahead will slowly reveal the rest of the shoddy engineering decisions and I prefer not to be in a flight that reveals one of them
My wife and I are both handicap and can walk with canes, but slowly. A wheelchair is more convenient for us to board. We have no problem waiting to deplane after everyone else. I hate the thought of losing our privilege because of the selfish people that fake a handicap.
I see discrimination against men here. We aren’t all scoundrels or sexist or deceitful. You can think what you want about us. Insinuate without knowing. Some people are disparaging of women. Is it now okay to disparage men? Why?
What if the man next to you wanted to talk with no evil intent except loneliness? I’d not assume anything about him based on where he sits. Looks can be deceiving.
Southwest Airlines is okay. It’s great from LAX. Still see disabled and people who aren’t really disabled. Also families pushing single flyers to move seats. Because my flights are under 3 hours I don’t complain but over 3 hours YES, I DO.
The last time I flew on Southwest airlines you had at a certain time that you could get online check off the seat you want if not selected. Do they not have that option anymore?
Bad news for you all. It’s going to be just like the other airlines soon. A hedge fund guy who bought up 11% on stock wants change. A quick Google search will give you the details.
I’d take the grouch FA’s on American over the chaotic seat scramble on SWA. It might save them some software, but the process is slower and they lose a source of revenue
It’ll disappear soon for sure
Please Please do NOT change what you are doing. I always try to fly Southwest….. I have no complaints and seemingly the other passengers I have flown with were satisfied too. I especially like having 2 pieces of luggage fly with me for free. Traveling through the airport with carry-ons can be cumbersome. I do not have any negative comments but wish there were more direct flights if that is doable.
Now you have done it. Reminded me of the time a cute Korean girl in a skirt just got up from the window seat and stepped right over my lap without even bothering to bother me to get up.
Oh and to the previous poster? Seven-Thirty-Seven-MAX.
Please don’t insult the glorious Dreamliner by messing up the nomenclature. That’s really what they should be flying on Domestics. And yes, I have but its rare.
Imagine being over 6″4 and the comfort.. can change your height.. should be better built and comfort for tall people in this world.. special seats for tall people.. idk just a thought..
First World Problems.
PHX-LAX, 73-8 Max and hardly half full. 2 people traveling and we sat near the front and left the aisle seat open. FAs kept telling people to come to the back and have a whole row. A guy sat next to us in the aisle seat. I looked at him and said “Really?” He said “ I just want to get off quick”. I made him get up and WE moved to the back and had the row to ourselves to stretch out. Unbelievable!
@American, Carolyn Doetzer, and others who say we can just “not fly” WN if we don’t like it:
That’s the issue WN is facing. More and more people higher-yielding pax are not flying them. They have a lower seat factor on more of their flights, and their revenue is taking a hit compared to rivals UA and DL, leaving them in the leagues of carriers like NK and F9.
Not only are they leaving revenue on the table, but scamming passengers make a questionable boarding system even worse.
For me, I’ll always choose UA over WN, as many other in Denver have done too.
Those faking disabilities are such low life people. Really disgusting.
I can’t stand Southwest Boarding process ie the open seating. It is time they allowed all passengers to pick their seats when purchasing a ticket. They should put a complete stop to allowing passengers to save seats, which is absolutely ridiculous. I refuse to fly Southwest because of the open seating.
This is purely disgusting behavior. In the business world in the business world, male or female predatory behavior is considered sexual harassment and is punishable.
I consider this sexual gender-based predatory phishing behavior the same. Predatory behavior is a sociopathic behavior manipulating preying upon innocent, unsuspecting persons in a crowded environment. This has to be the lowest of low-lying behavior. These people are maladjusted and could become dangerous at some point, particularly after deplaning.
If you are subjected to this behavior, simply get up, leave your luggage where it is, take your personal belongings and go find another seat. I know that’s inconvenient, but I would rather spend my time on any length of flight feeling personally safe.
I always fly Southwest. But SWA cannot control the behavior the sociopaths. When I fly as an older very attractive woman, I go to the airport underdressed, unshowered (smelly), no jewelry or embellishments, and always wear my sunglasses so I don’t have to make eye contact with anyone as well as being able to sleep if the lights are on. Think about it like this, you’re camping in the woods, their bears, use bear spray to make yourself as appealing as possible. It’s only a plane flight, not a fashion show. Plus if you’re wearing flashy clothes and jewelry you just painted a Target on your back for someone to follow you after you’ve deplaned at your destination, is it possible robbery victim especially if they follow you to your car. You just can’t be too careful these days. As experienced policemen have told me if you don’t feel right about a situation, trust your gut and protect yourself. There are a lot of nasty people out there in this world today.
So the next time you get on a plane, Southwest or not, if you don’t want to sit next to the unattractive smelly old lady with the big sunglasses, then I’ve achieved my goal! LOL
You can always say no to someone whether they like it or not if you don’t feel the situation is right, this is not a popularity contest, it’s a flight on a plane, just like if you’re sitting on the city bus and you don’t like what you see, get up and move.
I love flying Southwest. I am temporarily disabled and the wheelchair service has been a godsend. Before that I’ve gladly paidvthe extra Early Bird fee to avoid middle seats ( and will in the future). If I’m in the mid-B or higher boarding order I just plan to check my carryon. It is so nice not to see a fee for every service – seat, carryon, checked bag(s). I always choose Southwest over other airlines. And I agree, the employees and flight attendants are always friendly, cheerful, and at times downright humorous.
@Todd. “special seats for tall people.. idk just a thought.” I like this idea. Maybe some smart airline will outfit planes with some rows with extra legroom. They’d have to charge more for those, as they lose seats on each plane. But, that’d be fair for the extra comfort, I think.
Oh my goodness! I did not know that you had to sit next to someone on a Southwest airlines flight!
Ewwwwww!
The activist investors and their social media team are absolutely correct about this. It would be so much better if SWA went to assigned seating just like all the other airlines, because that way I would have absolutely zero choice as to who I’m going to get to sit next to.
I hope they are successful so they can shake up SWA leadership and install their own team of vultures and turn SWA into another Frontier.
/s
I take great offense in you saying people fake disability, I always fly southwest and to look at me you would not think I was disabled, but if I stand more then 2 minutes in line for security or to board the plane they would have to pick me up off the floor, there have been many times when I get out of the chair and walk to board the plane myself and just as many that it takes two people to help me stand from the chair it all depends on the day..so unless you have lived with a invisible disability you have no right to assume anyone is faking anything!!!!! I love and appreciate that southwest accommodates people with disabilities without embarrassing questions, I fly myself and my small service dog (on my lap) at least 3 times a year and I pray shortsighted people like you do not cause them to change the way they serve the disabled community…
Thank you Southwest for accommodating the disabled with care and respect …,.
How do you know people are “faking” their disability. I do not look “disabled” but I am. I have spondylitis and fibromyalgia and need a wheelchair in Nashville because it is an extremely long walk to the last gate. I end up with excruciating back and hip pain when I walk it on my own. Standing for very long (line in the TSA or boarding line) also triggers the pain. You also don’t see that I have daily migraines and need a window seat to rest my head on a try to sleep otherwise a migraine will hit and I can get really sick.
But when we land and I have a short layover I will walk it so I make the next flight. Or when you land in San Diego it is a very short walk to the luggage so sometimes I walk that too. And if my meds are working I can pick up my suitcase myself. I am not “faking” my disability when I do that. Most of the time you won’t see me using my cane because I only do when my neuropathy gets worse and I fall a lot.
All my medical conditions are under multiple doctors care and they know I am disabled so it is not up to you to monitor me. So please stop judging people in wheelchairs; you don’t know their story or feel their pain or know what causes it.