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.
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.