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?