People cringe when they see our family arrive at the airport. Two adults, three kids, five backpacks and five roller bags. Yeah we've got baggage. It's because we’ve been on an open-ended trip around the world for the last four years, blogging out our adventures for our site, www.awayishome.com, and a few other publications you may have heard about.
Most of our flights in the United States have been on Southwest, and as we quickly discovered, there’s a lot more to the experience than doting flight attendants and plastic wings they pin to the kids. Although, for the record, we do like both of those.
Mom (that’s me) loves Southwest’s open boarding policy. But do you know what I love almost as much? My iPhone’s alarm. I set it for 10 minutes before the 24-hour check in time and can usually get into the “B” boarding group. If I were flying solo, I’d probably spring for Early Bird boarding, but with kids ages 7, 9 and 11, the “B” group works just fine and it’s also in my budget.
Dad’s favorite part of flying on Southwest is curbside check-in. Oh, and the fact that all of our bags are included in our fare. Curbside lets you take a little shortcut to the check-in line, which, when you’re traveling with a family of five, can move things along really well. Just don’t forget to tip the skycaps.
Aren (11) digs the Wi-Fi on most Southwest planes. He’s our technology guy, so if he says it’s lightning-fast, we’ll take him at his word. For parents who won’t pay for a connection, he points out that you can still get live TV for no extra charge, streamed directly to your computer or tablet. Sometimes, it’s just fun to watch your in-flight progress on the Flight Tracker, as you move from state to state. He and Dad like to try to play the map game, guessing the landmarks they see below.
Our son Iden (9) is nuts about the … nuts. And the pretzels. He likes them so much, he sometimes asks his friendly flight attendant for a second package. But he also advises parents to consider stopping by a grocery store to stock up on in-flight snacks for longer flights. Because Iden, like his other siblings, never stops eating. I think he could finish a planeload of pretzels if he were given the opportunity. You go, son!
Our daughter Erysse (7) an avid collector of plastic wings, toys and coloring books that flight crews have given her, loves the people at Southwest. Specifically, the Pilots. The other day, I asked if she wanted to marry a pilot someday, and she said no. She wanted to become a pilot. Ah, that’s my girl. We’ve flown on a lot of other airlines, and our kids are always happy to be on Southwest because they’re treated so well.
Whether we're depositing our roller bags at the curbside check-in, cueing up for boarding or scrambling to find seats together on a plane, things always go much smoother when we follow these tips for a smarter Southwest flight. We'd be nuts if we didn't.
The Elliotts write about getting away together and are the official traveling family for AwayIsHome.com, part of the Travelers United blog network. Southwest Airlines provided travel in support of the family’s ‘round the world travel quest.
Mom (that’s me) loves Southwest’s open boarding policy. But do you know what I love almost as much? My iPhone’s alarm. I set it for 10 minutes before the 24-hour check in time and can usually get into the “B” boarding group. If I were flying solo, I’d probably spring for Early Bird boarding, but with kids ages 7, 9 and 11, the “B” group works just fine and it’s also in my budget.
Dad’s favorite part of flying on Southwest is curbside check-in. Oh, and the fact that all of our bags are included in our fare. Curbside lets you take a little shortcut to the check-in line, which, when you’re traveling with a family of five, can move things along really well. Just don’t forget to tip the skycaps.
Aren (11) digs the Wi-Fi on most Southwest planes. He’s our technology guy, so if he says it’s lightning-fast, we’ll take him at his word. For parents who won’t pay for a connection, he points out that you can still get live TV for no extra charge, streamed directly to your computer or tablet. Sometimes, it’s just fun to watch your in-flight progress on the Flight Tracker, as you move from state to state. He and Dad like to try to play the map game, guessing the landmarks they see below.
Our son Iden (9) is nuts about the … nuts. And the pretzels. He likes them so much, he sometimes asks his friendly flight attendant for a second package. But he also advises parents to consider stopping by a grocery store to stock up on in-flight snacks for longer flights. Because Iden, like his other siblings, never stops eating. I think he could finish a planeload of pretzels if he were given the opportunity. You go, son!
Our daughter Erysse (7) an avid collector of plastic wings, toys and coloring books that flight crews have given her, loves the people at Southwest. Specifically, the Pilots. The other day, I asked if she wanted to marry a pilot someday, and she said no. She wanted to become a pilot. Ah, that’s my girl. We’ve flown on a lot of other airlines, and our kids are always happy to be on Southwest because they’re treated so well.
Whether we're depositing our roller bags at the curbside check-in, cueing up for boarding or scrambling to find seats together on a plane, things always go much smoother when we follow these tips for a smarter Southwest flight. We'd be nuts if we didn't.
The Elliotts write about getting away together and are the official traveling family for AwayIsHome.com, part of the Travelers United blog network. Southwest Airlines provided travel in support of the family’s ‘round the world travel quest.