Southwest Airlines seating is first-come, first-served. The earlier you board, the better your seat selection. The earlier you check in, the earlier you’re allowed to board. But some passengers get to jump the queue.
- Those who buy the most expensive tickets
- The airline’s frequent flyers
- Anyone in a wheelchair
- Families with young children
- People who pay extra
One man checked in for his family of six 23 hours prior to departure (check-in opens 24 hours in advance), figuring that would get him the best possible boarding number, and help his family get the best seats. He was disappointed. A group boards first, B group second, C group third. He wound up in C group. But he had a plan:
There was still availability to spend extra money for an earlier boarding position. With few having paid up, he had an offer of $40 and took it and got “A3” meaning he’d be the third person to board as long as he lined up before the doors opened. The second part of his plan? He was going to “lay across 6 seats and get into it with anyone that challenges my 6 seat sprawl.”
He didn’t have any bags of donuts to spread across the seats so it was going to be tough for one person to save six seats. Fortunately his wife stepped up to do her part:
Update. Made it all together. I was sprawlin’ but Melissa got on with the family boarding just confidently walked on like a boss.
At Southwest Airlines, “up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board …after the “A” group has boarded” and before group B. But boarding is a busy time and agents rarely stop to question the people that are taking advantage of this. Just get on “confidently” and walk “on like a boss.” And if you have one child that’s actually under six, bring on extra passengers with them? Anchor babies!
While Southwest has raised the cost to upgrade your boarding position to as much as $149 per passenger this dad got an offer of $40. Instead of paying $40 x 6 or $240 extra one-way ($480 roundtrip!) he just paid it once. He guarded seats. And his wife marched on “like a boss” skipping the queue, without paying extra or even requesting a wheelchair.
At Southwest Airlines, the price of early boarding is really up to you.
The Southwest system is broken. I hate it, and only fly it when a family member insists (and I’m willing to risk an IRROPs disaster like Christmas 2022). And they aren’t usually that cheap any more. If they did not have DAL and HOU locked up, they’d be in trouble.
So, he cheated the system and we’re supposed to be impressed? As a frequent flyer, I’d surely not hesitate to engage him if I wanted one of those seats.
Maybe if his whole family was in wheelchairs, it would be more “legit.” Ha.
Hope he reads your post – and realizes he’s nothing special – just another person who thinks he deserves more than he pays for.
He’s going to lay across a bunch of seats and “get into it” with anyone who complains? And he is asking people to “wish [him] luck”? Seriously?
Personally, I wish he’d go to Hell.
Oh, and by the way dad, don’t complain when junior gets busted shoplifting or being rude to you, mom, or teachers at school. Or is an ass in the neighborhood and “gets into it” with some kids bigger than him.
He’s just modeling your excellent parental behavior.
I am hopeful Southwest will change their boarding policy. I think it’s time for them to start assigning seats. Paying for earlybird isn’t worth it anymore when entire families are boarding with pre-board because one family member has some undisclosed, nonapparent disability. I don’t understand why a group of eight needs to pre-board. So tired of paying for early bird and the first 12 rows of the aircraft are occupied. When I walk in as an A-20.
Southwest is losing my business because of this. I’d rather fly a different airline that allows me to have assigned seats that airline that continues to allow people to game/cheat the system.
You guys hate the “family boarding hacks” but you’re not taking into consideration the alternatives. This dude waits til C42 or whatever to board with his family of 6, they’re going to be split up and it’s going to be who knows how long while they work that out and potentially make everybody miserable around them.
We are also a family of 6 with all 4 kids too young to sit alone without it being a situation where all involved would have said “I’d rather they just figured out a way to sit together”. I’ve done the math, and securing the seats for the family is *by a mile* better for everybody on the plane. I get why you don’t like people gaming the system, but I’m telling you, “the cure is worse than the disease”.
Some may say “well just don’t fly”. That’s just lazy, families are going to fly and virtually every person reading this blog is involved in gaming the system *cough* *cough* Travel hacking *Cough* in some way LOL. Some dads out there are gaming a different system than the one you game, in a way you don’t realize may be benefitting you and the rest of the people on the plane. You can keep complaining about them. When my kids are old enough we don’t need to sit together anymore you won’t mind me whining about some dad trying to keep his 6 together, I’ll give him a nod and tip my hat and maybe even slide him a drink coupon as a thank you for keeping his crew together.
I am conflicted about this story, but I am gonna start with Arthur’s ridiculous comment as if SW is the only airline to have had meltdowns. Arthur, they have all had them. As of the last update i saw about airline reliability, SW was still holding their own. Even Delta has experienced a meltdown. It happens.
As far as story guy, I travel with family frequently, and I think it is extremely entitled to pay 1 upgrade fee in a. Attempt to save six seats. Come on man!
At the very least, pay 1 per row. Even then, upon being challenged, you are gonna argue while saving 2 extra seats.
In the Southwest world, I am honestly ok with saving a seat for your 1 partner, but a whole family?! Let it go!
BTW, I don’t think I am for the proposed changes to SW. I guess their “democratize the skies” slogan is on its last leg as well.
@Gary – Just last week I saw a grandmother get turned away for trying to board with 2 parents + grandkid under 6. Obviously this is gate-agent specific, but those rules are certainly enforced regularly. I imagine she got away with it because she had at least one kid who looks vaguely 6-ish, possibly one under, and who’s going to split up a family boarding during the family boarding time?
@Jeff, gaming the system is something that miles and points gamers love to do, but you have to keep in mind that it is about me individually getting free, or reduced travel.
The problem with this particular hack is that it is potentially making other people waste money.
There are 143 seats +/-, there are only so many people that can go at the front.
I pay for the upgraded 1-15 on longer flights to to my very best to get more leg room. I am 6’4” so it is not just for me to have more legroom. It is for me to be semi comfortable.
I often times see very short people sitting in the rows with extra legroom with a certain level of disgust, but hey, they got the earlier number. To have 1 person sitting on an exit row saying, I have two people coming is frustrating because I know exactly what they have done. I paid $50, but am faced with confrontation, or moving on.
Southwest’s boarding process and open seating is why I generally don’t fly them. Which is a shame, the service has always been great. It’s the behavior of the rest of the passengers that turns me away from choosing to fly them unless I absolutely have to.
@Jeff – easy answer. Don’t fly SW, pick an airline with assigned seats and pay for 6 together. God I hate cheap people that want to make everyone else’s life difficult. It is all about you – you self centered, entitled creature!
Hey here’s a photo of me stealing from other people and the airline.
Like many others, I dread the Southwest boarding process. I avoid them unless they are the ONLY non stop carrier, which unfortunately, they sometimes are. I realize many SW supporters love the cattle call mentality and have ruses to game the system, but it’s just dreadful to have to lower one’s ethics to secure a seat and overhead space. I have paid early bird and have still boarded in Section B. This is disappointing since I have paid to board early, but nevertheless, I board after families who have paid nothing extra. I
SWA boarding is ideal if you’re traveling single. I always get the middle seat up front despite being in the C group. For families they really need to pick and airline with assigned seats.
@WhereTo2Next you make good points. I’m 6’3″ and have similar perspective as you’ve pointed out. However, part of the reason it doesn’t cause me hesitation with the family is it’s not taking great seats away from anybody. Kids can’t sit in the exit row, and the family is going to board after the A’s. For the most part we could just as easily scoop up all aisle seats. This way it’s a guaranteed distribution of seats and we’re going to take 2 middles, 2 aisles, 2 windows. I genuinely believe most if not all people on our plane are better off than without the extra effort, but I also get where you’re coming from.
@AC I could say the same to you. If you don’t like SW’s lack of official policy for holding seats don’t fly Southwest. You’ll save yourself the righteous anger and maybe be nicer to people 🙂
As a side-note, I’d love to see this magical airport where all of the airlines fly to the same destinations and Southwest is entirely interchangeable with all the other airlines. It definitely isn’t mine.
What a laugh! That is why I never fly this ghetto airline.
Another sign of civilization being chopped away. When people get their 5 minutes of fame for cheating, which makes it then ok for others to do (if he can do it, I should be able to do it.) We only think of ourselves, not of others. We don’t even care the lessons we show our kids. Noone should be ok with what Mom and Dad did. Least of all them. May karma have at them! And Gary, shame on you for seemingly ok’ing this ‘hack’.
Firstly, this guy is Father of the Year (sarcasm!). If my father did that, my mother would be horrified and purposely avoid sitting anywhere near him on the plane. I do understand that sometimes SWA is the only choice from cost to destination but c’mon. This is the type of lesson you should not teach your children.
Secondarily, why SWA hasn’t gone to assigned seating is beyond me. With the airport travel experience being so rotten already, they continue to add misery by pitting passengers against passengers making for more unfriendly skies.
I agree with another commenter that the worst part about all of this is the example this guy is setting for his kids. In a sense he’s teaching them “Your wants and comfort are all that matters. You are entitled.”
The Golden Rule has all but disappeared.
Wheelchair users are not the only disabled folk who are legally allowed to preboard. SW knows this but harasses disabled people without equipment. They also split up a family (only one parent could board) and the autistic child was terrified he is dad would be left. I have been harassed by SW gate agents. Publicly humiliated. This process hurts disabled folk.
Sorry bud. I would have confidently sat on your prone body.
I refuse to fly SW, Spirit, Frontier & any other “cheap” airline. I know it costs more but assigned seats, WiFi, video screen, carry on, free refreshments make the extra cost worth it. Fly cheap get cheap service!
I will gladly pay more to fly airlines that have seat assignments. I haven’t flown SW in the last decade and hope to never have the need to in the future. If your airline operates like a circus, prepare to have clowns onboard.
So we are applauding cheating?
I’m still trying to figure out how he was going to “lay across six seats”.
Other useful hacks:
• Head to the airport later than others, but drive in the turn lanes and merged back at the very end. Also drive on the shoulder as needed.
• If you need to stop for a snack or gas, just use the handicap spot. They are usually close to the door and will save you valuable minutes.
• Just walk up to the front of the security line “confidently… like a boss.” “Get into it with anyone that challenges” it. This really can be a time saver.
Unfortunately society has changed over the years for the worst
While Southwest had its day in the sun with cattle car push shove boarding the party is over.
If they don’t fix the broken boarding process then they will eventually be forced to
Hopefully it won’t take violence or losing a massive amount of revenue to other carriers because they are too slow for change.Only during their collosal melt down a few year ago did I see them rise to the occasion for improvement.They paid a severe price for it too besides ruining their passengers holidays
For the past 20 years I have tried to avoid them as well as frontier and spirit which are even worse.
I hope he was saving seats at the back of the plane. If he was saving near the front, I have my own “hack” – just ignore them and take the aisle seats that everyone else passed up. I might say “thanks for the seat.”
That’s not a hack. It’s just called being an asshole.
Another travel hack to save tons of money, use a stolen credit card.
Hope somebody castrates him.
I guess ‘cheap, arrogant, and smug’ are the family values he’s passing on to that brood. Congratulations?
I despise SW and never fly them because of this idiotic boarding system (“self-loading cargo”, as someone recently called it). I did it once, just after they just bought AirTran and tried to compete w/DL in ATL. No more. I’d rather pay a bit more and not have to deal with hacks like this “Dad of the Year” ahole. Travel is stressful enough w/o having to deal with morons.
Fortunately, with DL being dominant in ATL, SW never has better price or connections, so they’re not an alternative. And they just announced reduced schedule from ATL….
That is the reason I quit flying southwest, use delta now
Later in the thread some folks point out they’ve been able to ask agents if they can board with family boarding even if the kids are above 6. They all said agents have accommodated.
He then decided he would try that first next time, and resort to the A buyup if they say no.
Where i disagree is where he / others say it’s a ‘matter of survival’ for a big family. No it’s not. Kids are 9 years old and up. It’s a matter of convenience, not survival.
@ Gary — Southwest is the worst airline in the US right now. I would choose Frontier over Southwest.
Needs new headline:
Entitled Sociopath is proud of screwing over other passengers.
“Dad” is not a job title or a degree. It’s just somebody who had a kid. It’s as useless as “Daughter screams at flight attendant.” Any girl is a daughter.
“Hacks” suggests he figured out a way to bypass the system. He did not. He jumped over the velvet rope, cut across everyone in line (including those who HAD paid for legit upgrades) and did nothing “hackish” there.
Don’t reward sociopaths. And I agree with the previous FF who said he’d have a talking to with sprawled-out-guy and take any of the 2 other seats he’s not entitled to.
You get what you pay for… freakin trash hauler airline. Bet WN wasn’t even the cheapest ticket to his destination, either.
I would have sat where is laying down so he couldn’t get up.
I hate this man for many reasons.
1. He’s a cheater, and WN should kick him off for that.
2. He’s an egotistical jerk ( “plans to get into it”? I wish some street fighter was on the plane and would beat him up right there)
3. He brags about it but writing on social media, and this is the one the bothers me the most. I wish Gary wouldn’t amplify these types of people. WN should ban the family for life, for bragging about how he cheated them.
If only SW had a policy that the pre-boarders and family boarding were required to fill the seats starting in the back.
That’s the beauty of the Internet and social media. You are free to show the entire world what an idiot or jackass you are.
@Jeff or, alternatively, he could have just paid $240 total and all 6 of them could have boarded early.
What an a*hole. He’s basically stealing from everybody else who paid for early boarding. If I were on that flight, I’d take one of the seats just to piss him off
That’s why I don’t fly southwest. What a cheap ass douche move.
SWA, Please go to assigned seating!!! Please!! I think the people who scam the system should be ashamed of themselves.
I wouldn’t be bragging about cheating but many do. Be nice when Southwest goes to assigned seating.
Good article, even better comments. I’m with those who refuse to fly Southwest until the Boarding issue is fixed. It would seem that they have two choices: 1) Go with Reserved Seating like every other airline on the planet; or 2) Outlaw “Seat Saving” as well as early open boarding for Disabilities. Of course, both Seat Savers and the truly Disabled could still purchase advanced boarding rights for everyone in their party. Also regarding Disabilities, they could require early non-open boarding for Disabilities, but make it mandatory that they sit in “undesirable” rows. One example might be the rows behind the Exit Aisle (the plausible reason that in the case of an emergency, they would be able to get them evacuated), but that may involve the risk of slowing everyone else. I’m sure that the lawyers could figure it out.
These same scumbags tried this at my uncles all u can eat buffet. Crazy part is they had 5 kids now they have only 4. Lil guy wasn’t fast enough to get away.
Nice lessons the father is teaching his young son. Aren’t you proud of yourself?
PLEASE – this is the seats he saved? Not the exit row or bulkhead? Who cares! Regular pedestrian seats that all arrive at the same time? No one here has families or was a child at one time? The family was entitled to board after 60 entries , there probably would be tons of rows open anyway.
Get over yourselves people and help a fellow traveler fly his family and be a Dad. Its not first class you were denied…
I won’t fly Southwest under any circumstances. Flying is stressful enough without adding a ridiculous boarding process. Would not ever consider them.
WN is the preferred carrier of national idiots like this jackwagon and his clueless wife and kids. I avoid WN unless it is the last and final option.
What an ahole. I can’t believe that you posted this in a positive manner.
I would have no issues getting into with over the seats. Proud dad teaching his kids the wrong thing. He was too cheap to cheap to pay for all early boarding.
Southwest has sunk way down on the list, just above Spirit and Frontier of carriers I avoid. I used to have a Companion Pass for several years in a row, but theres too much of this sort of thing going on now, I can’t be bothered.
Just took one look at Mr Father Chuck’s Facebook… yeah, he bought a Tesla truck and tows a jetski with it. He isn’t just a douche bag… he’s the applicator, instructions, and whole Summer’s Eve box.
I would have banned the entire family from flying Southwest. There being selfish and rude not to mention breaking Southwest boarding rules. Maybe it is time to fly a more suitable airlines with confirmed seats.
My Southwest boarding “hack”…..
Buy and learn to fly your own Gulfstream Jet. Problem solved! Helps if you have 20,000+ hours of jet Pilot In Command time. See you at Signature Flight Support. Buh Bye!
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Here is an idea adults….. how about following the rules !! I personally only fly Southwest Airlines for numerous reasons sooo if you are unable to follow the rules then fly another congested airline. Pretty simple actually.
This is why I and everyone I work with avoids WN even when they are the only nonstop option. If you have status and do not check a bag, a legacy carrier that gives you a free assigned extra legroom seat is better than paying extra for a good boarding spot, then all the good seats are taken by “families” and people who “need” a wheelchair, and the seats they are “saving”
How do you lay across SIX seats?
I’m sick and tired of everything being a “hack” … this is just some slob who didn’t check in right at 24 hours so now HE figures out a way to scam the system … and I can just imagine what that Karen looks like (about 100 lbs overweight, shorts, flip-flops, tattoos, etc…) while she “acts like a boss” parading her posse to the front of the line … and I’m right there with you JRG, I’d engage his entitled ar$e if I wanted one of those 6 saved seats … to quote the great George Costanza … “and if you think I’m kidding, just try me. Try me. Because I would love it!”
I have to say most, if not all these comments are right on the money. Southwest was once the best discount airline in the industry. Unfortunately Society helped changed that over the years to where they are now. I personally been thinking about dropping my Southwest CC, because the value of flying with them isn’t worth keeping the card. And I’ve had there card for years, used for business only. So points were no problem.. I will say, if I didn’t. it will be because Southwest adapted assigned seating.. I’m tired of the feeling like a heard of cattle.. … and seeing everyone saving seats for their friends.. and then sitting way in the back. With an A boarding number at times..
The saddest part of this story is that the mother and father felt comfortable scamming and role modeled selfishness and “cheating” for their children. The kids will mimic this approach in how they live their lives. For members of society who play by the rules and think of others, hope for the next generation is diminished. (Parents proud of cheating the other people boarding that flight).
I am A list preferred and usually get A 16. If somebody tries that crap on me I sit down and good luck moving me. I know the rules having flown 1600+ flights on SWA. You CANNOT save seats. Buy 6 seats 1 thru 15 or I sit there.
What a self-entitled prick. He’s what is wrong with Southwest, they need to either prohibit “seat saving” officially rather than their current policy of “strategic ambiguity” or start assigning seats. It was never this chaotic before the Karen’s of the world started with this crap. And to those people (like this guy saving 6 seats) who dislike and probably actively complain about open seating on Southwest, FLY A DIFFERENT AIRLINE and leave the good seats to the rest of us…
It’s called theft by taking. Entitled putz.
We have seen it my dear friends; this is the end of SWA’s seating plan. It was teetering, but now they have no choice. This is so over the top, and SWA will realize they are now just a joke.
Exactly why I stopped flying SWA. Good job Mr entitlement
Just flew from Omaha to houston,a day late. Since the storms came thru but lost my priority boarding, but did get low B seats
But there had to have been 20 individuals with wheelchairs. 5 or 6 large family’s with children, then came the military, and then came the business group
By the.time we boarded. Flight was 30 minutes late and we sat in the back
Now the kicker,
After landing, the captain came on to tell all the wheelchair folks to stay in their seats until all other passengers had deplained and wheelchair helpers could be located
We finally got to the front of plane,where all the ” disabled “folks were , there were 3 folks. All the rest,had got up and left!
When we flew Southwest to MCO, I was a nervous wreck about keeping my three kids between my husband and I. They were 11,6, and 2. If my husband took one 6 and under and I took the other, that left an 11 year old by himself… I called and asked if I could make him my second adult (two adults per kid 6 and under) they acted like I couldn’t. I argued that he would then be an unaccompanied minor at that point…… they quickly changed their tune. I’ll never fly with them again with a family too stressful. I don’t want my kids alone next to a creep in the air for 2 hours for the sake of saving some cash.
I’d rather stand on the wing of a United flight that deal with SouthWorst. The boarding process is total scam with every dimwit claiming a disability to ore board.
Business travelers and frequent flyers avoid SW like the plague…
Gary – Is this how desperate you’ve become for clicks? Catering to the entitlement crowd by lauding this obnoxious behavior as a hack?
For the crowd defending this nonsense, Southwest already has a family boarding policy that allows parents traveling with kids 6 or younger to board after the A group. So the system has a process for this. If your kid is older than six and can’t sit alone in a confined environment for a few hours, then stay home. And if your kid has autism or some other condition, that also qualifies for early boarding.
But stop defending these rude and selfish opportunists.
A lot of people aren’t aware of this, but Southwest has no interline agreements with other airlines. If something goes wrong with your Southwest flight, you can get pushed to the next available flight – which could be days in the future – or get your money back. That’s it. On the other major 3 airlines, they will put you on connecting flights or even other carriers (especially if you are in F or J) to get you there sooner. Been saved that way many times.
Typical for an entitled Texas businessman/realtor/pilot. Oh, I left out bully. And yes, don’t be surprised when the kids start acting in the same obnoxius way. Teach your children well.
I know Southwest thinks they are being different and they’re being clever by using this boarding process with bypassing assigned seating. But I promise you, the day is coming where someone is going to get into it and there will be fisticuffs over seats. And maybe Southwest is thinking, “that’s the worst it could ever get because no one can bring weapons on board”. But the other issue with not allowing assigned seating and for families to reserve seats together is an incident that already happened on the Southwest flight. A young girl who was separated from her family because they didn’t have a sign seating. She sat by herself and she was SA’d by estranged man who sat next to her. Had Southwest allowed this family to assign seats, whether they paid to do it or not, it would have avoided this tragedy. PEDO’s love Southwest Airlines for this reason. I mostly fly spirit and I pay for my seat in advance or I do a seat bid for the large seats up front. I clearly know the rules and I’ve never had an issue. The last time I flew Southwest, I was in boarding group c, and the only seat that was left on the plane was one between two very large women. Their bodies were pressing against my arms and legs so severely that when I tried to get up to go to the bathroom, my circulation had been cut off in my legs for over an hour and I couldn’t walk. I actually fell in the aisle. There was nothing to fight attendants could do because the flight was full.
When I’m not talking my doctor into giving me a letter for handicapped license plates (Even though I walk just fine) I’m cutting in line a water fountains and saving seats on Southwest.
What a jerk. What more can I say? Even worse are the seniors who fabricate a disability to board first, and literally run off the plane when we land. Disgusting!
I fly all the time with SWA and I hate these a-holes. If you want to sit together pay for it you cheat piece of crap. I can’t wait until they go to assigned seating. Hurry up @#SWA.
Southwest’s boarding policy works just fine for ethical people with morals. Which obviously doesn’t apply to this man and his wife. It’s a shame that more than not these days, we’re witnessing abominable behavior. I see one of many solutions: reiterate “once aboard you get to choose any available open seat. YOU choose ONE available seat. ONE.” Then board the next passenger. Then station 3 flight attendants stationed in the aisle to enforce no seat saving.
I am a wheelchair person that doesn’t look like one. I broke my back some time ago and cannot walk the airport. At Southwest Airlines, one person, and one person only ,is allowed on with me. The airline allows wheelchairs to board first to keep them upfront, especially with carryons, to get settled and get out of the way. Yes we are a bother, but just remember the day will come, you hope, that you will make it to 76 and still be flying. Old age is not a tragedy but it is a hardship.
I fly regularly and if any passenger saved 6 seats by laying on them all chaos would break loose.during boarding. Families with children board between A and B…they usually have no trouble sitting together.
Let’s not forget that Southwest allows the practice of saving seats while at the same time charging for early boarding. Seems more than a slight conflict to me. Southwest needs to choose one or the other.
Southwest is great and their boarding process isn’t that bad IF you know how it works and IF other people are t trying to cheat it. This story is about a person who cheats and steals from others and makes other people suffer for his boorish behavior. If the gate agents were more strict, people might try to cheat less. Need to preboard? Fine, one extra person gets to go with you to help AND you have to wait for a wheelchair to get off.
I fly business and get early check-in every time. My last flight I was A-2. Imagine when I was able to get on the plane there was only 1 window seat. I and extremely clostrephobic and am more comfortable in a window seat, as I can look out and see space. The passenger standing i line with me had lots of comments as people were boarding, and wouldn’t you know it he sat with me, negative comments almost the entire trip. I kept my comments to myself. But seriously, the kids at their own windows and the people that boarded in wheelchairs walked all through the airport when we landed. Very frustrating.
Family Boarding should be in between groups B and C. Simple fix. And, seat-savers should be booted off, period.
He didn’t hack SW Airlines. He F’d all the other passengers that were following the rules….
Come to think of it, I fly Southwest almost exclusively. My husband and I fly often, 8to12 round trips. We can’t recall a Southwest plane ever having 6 seats where someone could lie down. There are 3 seats across a single aisle. Their International flights might have larger planes;that I don’t know..
Too complicated. Southeast invites selfish behavior. Not flying them.
What an asshole. I pay extra for A Boarding.. if you are saving seats that I want, bet your ass that I ( 5’3″ petite female) will remove anything you had placed on those seats! You have reached the age of parenthood and you still are dumb enough to steal from SW, screw other passengers who have the legal right to claim your saved seats. You are an arrogant, entitled, cheap, poor example of a father, and sorry example of a “man.”
This guy is king of the douche canoes and his wife is the queen.
I frequently fly Southwest and usually pay for Early Bird Check In. Unless someone is in a seat, I refuse to not take a desired seat if one is open and am willing to endure the wrath of someone trying to hold multiple seats. If they don’t like it, they can appeal to a flight crew member to make me move. Most of the time there is no conflict, as I prefer exit row and window seats — and a flight attendant usually stations themselves during boarding in the exit row area to shy away passengers (no kids) who would not be willing and able to lead the way out in a potential emergency.
I agree that entitled aggressive people (called bullies) are not to be rewarded by passivity. This guy is an ultimate jerk.
I want to say also that it Embarrasses me to board early with my chair. I am willing to follow the early group that paid for the privilege. Do remember though : allowing us to go first gets us out of your way. So keep that in mind. I didn’t ask to be treated any different.
You’re the kind of people that make boarding miserable. If I were boarding that flight I would have sat on top of you as you stretched across those seats. Especially since I usually pay for early bird boarding which costs me money. According to Southwest you can sit anywhere you want. Next time man up and pay for your family to get proper boarding positions. People like you make me sick.
This is like resort chair hoggers who leave towels on the lounge chairs as soon as the pool opens.
So he screwed the system and screwed other passengers too.
How is this acceptable.
This is a self entitled clown who thinks only of himself. What goes around comes around.
This is NOT A HACK, it’s an example of selfish -entitled behavior towards other families and parties travelling together. I’m pretty sure sprawling across an entire row is childish and simply RUDE!
He just sounds like an ahole to me.
I see the braggart in question (Clint Fiore) finally got shamed into removing his “look at me” Facebook post. What a piece of work.
Scumbag POS. I’d have no issue getting in to that trash. He’d lose.
Great role model for their kids .Learn how to cheat at an early age.
It is people like them that make it more difficult for others & why they are raising the cost of it. Just like people with fake mobility issues take up the wheelchairs from people who really need them. People who like to cheat the system like this & has the audacity to brag about are lower than scum.
6 seats?
Maybe 1 row for your wife and a kid but two rows? Wth.
I have flown SWA for many years.
This dad hack is easily defeated.
If any passenger wants a seat then they have a right to that seat. Flight attendant will tell dad to move. Most SWA flyers will understand saving s seat or maybe 2, but no more
Generally the SWA boarding process is fine and people in B group will usually get windowcor aisle.
SWA has great ticketing refund policy that no other airline can match.
I prefer SWA over all others.
If you don’t like their seating policy then please choose another airline.
Prime example of the world we live in. We all know this goes on, but to advertise and promote it is another. This is what is wrong today. Teach your children and others that cheating and scamming is just. You don’t have to have empathy, manners, dignity or just to be a human anymore. Yes, SWA needs to change their boarding, especially when they are the ones causing, creating and continuing to add to this behavior. SAD!
Not the hack he thinks it is.
A) rude to lay across and reserve 6 seats when it’s first come first serve, and B) you can literally ask for extra time boarding if you can come up with a valid reason (“I have a family of 6 and some of my children are difficult to travel with”), and then you can be the first ones on the plane even before A boarding group.
That’s not a hack, it’s breaking the rules and rude to fellow passengers.
I would sneak open ketchup packets in all their bags.
Lmao what is going on in America?
I must have gotten a gate agent that finally had enough of the people abusing the system. Legitimately disabled, I was pushed by my husband through the humongous terminal, only to arrive at the gate past preboards. The gate agent was insisting I had to move back because a wheelchair didn’t automatically qualify for preboard. There are questions you had to answer when requesting one on the website. I had done that. She finally saw the preboard on my ticket and let us on. I have never had a rude SW employee before. I felt humiliated. So I’m here to tell you, a wheelchair isn’t an automatic early on. And if you see us dragging our sorry asses up the jet bridge, it’s because there are no chairs waiting upon exit.
Trump would be proud of you.
Everyone is mad at the dad here. None finds anything wrong with airlines that fleece travelers with extra fees, restrictions and delays at every step of one’s travel. Why are airlines reluctant to offer the same simple way of travel we had several years ago? First, Business and economy class tickets with all inclusive prices. Let travelers chose available seats at the time of purchasing tickets and also start boarding from the back of the plane to the front. This get rid of unnecessary delays.
Your vocabulary is a bit off.
That’s not “beating the system”. That’s just “being an asshole.”
You need help TDS
@ Greg: AAAAAAA++++++ comment.
Bottom line is clearly, this guy is an entitled @ss who is proud of himself for thinking he is more important than everyone else. Congrats, Jerkwad! Perfect example of why I hate the general public. Like many others have already said, I would have taken one of the seats just to be an @ss right back to him. And just try to “get into it” with someone like me; that idea is laughable, I would have a little b!tch like you bauling like the baby you are in 5 seconds. Douche bag dickhead.
I am weary of the people always trying to do things cheaply and then further iterating their cheapness by trying to infringe on others by doing things like this. Pay for the class and the seat you want to fly.
The whole SW checking system is a scam to try to get Peopel who check in 24 hours in advance to upgrade…I checked in exactly 24 hours in advance 2 weeks ago and got B 53. I made small talk with lady in front of me at B51 and she said she just checked in several minutes ago right before she got in line.
Don’t forget who the real problem is I’m this story, the airline. They set customers up for problems like this and with pricing, boarding, and no assigned seats refuse to take a stance on whether seat saving is allowed or not and do not intervene unless it is to have the person or people fighting removed.
You glorified a jerk. Selfish inconsiderate a**.
This is pure fiction. Southwest doesn’t fly planes with 6 seats across.
And that’s why I no longer fly Southwest. They let jerks abuse abiding fellow passengers and make them feel like chumps for following the rules and being civilized.
Teaching your kids to cheat and lie will bite you in the end.
Most people that use wheelchairs need to I use them because I walk with a cane and I have a bad back and knee and can’t walk those airports so I need a wheelchair maybe there are some that don’t need them but I haven’t met anyone I like flying SWA I like that they don’t have a signed sits it makes it a lot easier.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
I’m not sure if I’m more frustrated with the dad for cheating the process or with the author of this article for parading it around like he did something great.
@Traveler920 – each row on every Southwest Airlines plane has 6 seats (3 seats on each side of the aisle)
Aren’t you tired? Don’t you ever get tired of trying to beat the “man”? Is this what you’re life is about? Getting one over on someone else? I could understand the drama if you a single parent were traveling with five children, but that isn’t the case is it? So why the drama?
This isn’t a hack and can get you removed from the plane. His plan to get into it aka start an argument… do people forget airports absolutely have no problem dragging you off a plane? He only got away with this nonsense because no one felt like pressing it . Make it a habit and someone definitely will.
So this guy and his wife are proud to be cheap selfish jackasses? This isn’t a ‘hack’. It’s a violation of SW rules and human decency. For the record, the last few times I flew SW has called out the dickwads like him AND his wife. Hope your kids grow up with better manners than you.
Gary. Yes, SW has 6 seats in a row — 3 on each side of the aisle. Are we to believe that this individual stretched across all six seats, thereby blocking the aisle?
Yeah def not a strong move. Sorry but not sorry I’m making you give up those seats. I fly almost exclusively with SW. I set my alarm for 24hr check in. I’ve had one issue that has risen with something like this happening. The flight attendants help to discourage this type of behavior.
All I can say is follow the rules on any airline you fly with otherwise you are cheating those that do. Don’t like SW boarding procedures, fly the carrier you like!
A lady was allowed to board as one needing “extra time”, right before A-list preferred & military, between group A & B. She scurried down the ramp, boarded and went straight to the exit row, where 2 seats were still open. I asked the flight attendant how this is allowed and she said it was. If a person needs “extra time”, how are they capable of assisting others in an emergency?
We wouldn’t have been so mad had she boarded with her assigned numbered pass and taken this highly sought after row, fair & square.
We are over 6 foot and she was closer to 5 foot. What a selfish person that beat the system!
My husband is in a wheel and as we were boarding, a woman said to the gate agent that her husband was a pilot and she just wanted to board early to say ‘hi’. As we were exiting two hours later, I commented to her that her husband did a fine job and she replied that he wasn’t the pilot. Nor was he with her!! And don’t souses fly for free?
Two words: Assigned Seating
@Jeff (2) – That was my idea! Even before I had kids I came up with the idea that planes should have a “family section”! If you’re traveling with kids under a certain age, that’s where you sit. I always said I don’t care where on the plane it is, just make it clear where the “family area” is and then there are no surprises. Families can feel better about sitting where disruptions and “family noise” is expected, and people who choose to sit in that area (or buy the cheapest tickets and board last) know that some level of personal choice gave up their opportunity to avoid sitting in the family noise.
Just an fyi for those thinking he broke the rules. Newsflash: Southwest Airlines DOES NOT have a policy AGAINST saving seats. They do have an open seating policy which is basically if anyone wants to sit in an open seat they can. But people also have the right to try and save those seats. I know that sounds weird but it is what it is. -SWA employee
This is another example of why it is getting more and more difficult for legitimate handicapped people to travel. If we aren’t being accused of faking it to take advantage of preloading, assholes like this are being glorified for finding a way to make every passenger play dangerous games just to save a few minutes’ time and score better seats.
It won’t be so much fun when the whole flight gets delayed by passengers fighting over stupid stuff like this.
Makes me want to move to the UK, where they respect the queue.
I bring my own wheelchair, and I’ve had my chair stolen 3 times so far. Surprisingly, it’s been other passengers that don’t want to wait for an airport chair. We’ve only recovered one chair of mine that was left in front of the baggage carousel.
Please stop making travel harder for people, don’t be an asshole.
At times I have saved 3 seats though no small feat as it’s difficult to prevent someone from taking the opposite aisle. Saving 5 is definitely pushing your luck!