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Annoying people saving seats

Tombriggsjr
Explorer C

As someone that flys every week on SW its getting very annoying to see those that are not preferred board early and then save seats for all their friends/family

If you are not A preferred you should only be able to save seats after the first 6 or 8 rows

SW- this needs to change this as those of us that fly a lot have earned the front rows

 

9 REPLIES 9

Re: Annoying people saving seats

dfwskier
Aviator A

If you really weant your suggesrtion heard, then I suggest you conact the company with your suggestion. To do so click on contact us at the bottom of this page, and then pick your preferred method of communication from those listed on the top left of the ensuing page.

 

Since this is a customer forum, your suggestion is not likely to be resolved here.x

Re: Annoying people saving seats

ZevSupport
Frequent Flyer A

Easiest way to share this is to tweet it at the team (@SouthwestAir). Safe travels!


Community Champion | PHL based | ex-Companion Pass Holder | Southwest Passenger

Re: Annoying people saving seats

RSH_Houston
Adventurer C

Yes, I have to concur. This is becoming more and more of a problem. Another problem is cheap seat 'through" passengers jumping seats on direct flights between flight legs (segments).

 

I too, fly quite often and early in the year on Business Select and then once the A-List Preferred is met, on Wanna Get Away or Points, buying a $30 or $40 upgrade at the gate. It's not just the front aisles, those usually get consumed by the pre-boarders (I've seen as many as 40, and as many wheel chairs as 11, REALLY... this two has become a problem).

 

The more prized wing seats have become a haven for this. I was just on a flight Friday, a guy bought either a Business Select (which I doubt) or a $30/$40 bump at the gate, boarded at the end of the Business Select, and then proceeded to take Seat 12B (the two seat aisle over the wing on the port side), flipped down the trays on seats 11A, B, C, D, E, F and the adjacent to him seat, 12C. His kids (4 of them) took the entire Aisle 11, leaving the center seats empty, and his significant other took the one next to him. Anybody tried to sit in them, he instructed they were saved. ALL of his brood boarded way down the A or into the B Group. Cheap seats, no doubt. The flight had about 30 empty seats, a guy boarding way late, wanted one of the aisle seats he had held (his kid was up running around with the rest of his very large group), was told it was saved for his kid, and he ended up in "my" middle seat, which otherwise would have been unoccupied. Here I sit, $600+/- seat, with an armrest buddy and his kids are flying with no middle passenger on a $100 or so ticket. WTF, Bulltickie! THey could have ALL boarded together, regardless of their boarding group position, after the A Group and still all sat together.

 

There is no SWA policy regarding this, although in their boarding announcement they make the comment if your group is separated, you may move back and board with them, but they may not move up and board with you. Makes sense, another way of saying "no seat saving"! 

 

I had a brief discussion with the Flight Attendent about this during my regular banter with them while everyone else is diddle-effing around looking for an aisle or window seat andstowing their 3 suiters. She reaffirmed, "no policy", but "write the airlines", which I will be doing.

 

In hindsight, and I thought about this during the flight, I should have raised hell about his inability to deal with an emergency, in the wing exit row, as he and his significant would have been more concerned about their kids than getting ALL the passengers out. Most people who take exit row seats don't realize part of their obligation is to get everyone else out first, an then themselves.

 

As they had boarded late enough that their luggage was all over the plane, they exited, making themselves obnoxious once again, moving the wrong way during the deplaning process while they collected their luggage from all over the plane, instead of simply waiting until everyone else was off, as they should have.

 

Not one to be quiet, I had quite an exchange of words with Dad, while we were being held up by the children. He was absolutely indignent.

 

There has been lots of discussion over the years among SWA people regarding these issues, but no one has come up with a solution. 

 

WRITE THE AIRLINES! 

Re: Annoying people saving seats

NicoleAshley
Employee
Employee
Solution

We're sorry to learn of your disappointment. As this is a peer to peer support forum, we aren't equipped to address your concerns here, but we encourage you to contact us via the options in the link below. We hope to have the opportunity to serve your air travel needs in the near future as your patronage means the world to us.

 

Submitting a Suggestion and/or Complaint

 

 

Nicole
Community Manager

Re: Annoying people saving seats

spacecoastbill
Frequent Flyer B

@RSH_Houston wrote:

Yes, I have to concur. This is becoming more and more of a problem. Another problem is cheap seat 'through" passengers jumping seats on direct flights between flight legs (segments).

 

I too, fly quite often and early in the year on Business Select and then once the A-List Preferred is met, on Wanna Get Away or Points, buying a $30 or $40 upgrade at the gate. It's not just the front aisles, those usually get consumed by the pre-boarders (I've seen as many as 40, and as many wheel chairs as 11, REALLY... this two has become a problem).

 

The more prized wing seats have become a haven for this. I was just on a flight Friday, a guy bought either a Business Select (which I doubt) or a $30/$40 bump at the gate, boarded at the end of the Business Select, and then proceeded to take Seat 12B (the two seat aisle over the wing on the port side), flipped down the trays on seats 11A, B, C, D, E, F and the adjacent to him seat, 12C. His kids (4 of them) took the entire Aisle 11, leaving the center seats empty, and his significant other took the one next to him. Anybody tried to sit in them, he instructed they were saved. ALL of his brood boarded way down the A or into the B Group. Cheap seats, no doubt. The flight had about 30 empty seats, a guy boarding way late, wanted one of the aisle seats he had held (his kid was up running around with the rest of his very large group), was told it was saved for his kid, and he ended up in "my" middle seat, which otherwise would have been unoccupied. Here I sit, $600+/- seat, with an armrest buddy and his kids are flying with no middle passenger on a $100 or so ticket. WTF, Bulltickie! THey could have ALL boarded together, regardless of their boarding group position, after the A Group and still all sat together.

 

There is no SWA policy regarding this, although in their boarding announcement they make the comment if your group is separated, you may move back and board with them, but they may not move up and board with you. Makes sense, another way of saying "no seat saving"! 

 

I had a brief discussion with the Flight Attendent about this during my regular banter with them while everyone else is diddle-effing around looking for an aisle or window seat andstowing their 3 suiters. She reaffirmed, "no policy", but "write the airlines", which I will be doing.

 

In hindsight, and I thought about this during the flight, I should have raised hell about his inability to deal with an emergency, in the wing exit row, as he and his significant would have been more concerned about their kids than getting ALL the passengers out. Most people who take exit row seats don't realize part of their obligation is to get everyone else out first, an then themselves.

 

As they had boarded late enough that their luggage was all over the plane, they exited, making themselves obnoxious once again, moving the wrong way during the deplaning process while they collected their luggage from all over the plane, instead of simply waiting until everyone else was off, as they should have.

 

Not one to be quiet, I had quite an exchange of words with Dad, while we were being held up by the children. He was absolutely indignent.

 

There has been lots of discussion over the years among SWA people regarding these issues, but no one has come up with a solution. 

 

WRITE THE AIRLINES! 


Ignore the seat savers.  If you want to sit there and a person is not in the seat.... then just sit.

Re: Annoying people saving seats

kholstrom
Explorer C

I am a huge SW fan but have started to encounter this problem more and more.  Our last flight my husband and I got B27 and in the past have never had a problem finding two seats together.  This flight we boarded the plane and went to the very last row before we could find two seats together.  As we walked the length of the plane any two seats together were saved.....I saw people talking while waiting to board and heard them say "remember the plan...we will save the seat for you." So one person in the group paid for early boarding and the rest didn't.  In fact two rows ahead of us a lady was saving two seats.  Her husband and two kids boarded and she got up and gave up all three seats.  She was an employee and she spent the airtime back with the flight attendants.  I said something to flight attendant about saving seats and she said they couldn't do anything as there wasn't a policy for it.  I wrote to SW and made a complaint and got a standard we are looking into this but at this time we want people to sit together.  My point is if they want to sit together then they should board together and all get the early boarding or not.  SW needs to take a stand so they don't alienate their loyal customers.  

Re: Annoying people saving seats

spacecoastbill
Frequent Flyer B

@Tombriggsjr wrote:

As someone that flys every week on SW its getting very annoying to see those that are not preferred board early and then save seats for all their friends/family

If you are not A preferred you should only be able to save seats after the first 6 or 8 rows

SW- this needs to change this as those of us that fly a lot have earned the front rows

 


The answer is a simple one.

 

Ignore them and sit where you want.

Re: Annoying people saving seats

PE7
Explorer B

I also fly almost weekly and am A-List every year. I would actually take that further and say NO SAVING SEATS PERIOD.

Saving seats completely circumvents the whole concept of A, B, C boarding.

Re: Annoying people saving seats

SWDigits
Aviator A
I've started an attempt on 3/11/2019 to put together a list of suggestions to address boarding as it seems to be the most common complaint I see on this site:

https://www.southwestaircommunity.com/t5/Boarding/Military-Boarding-Policy/m-p/87856#M2666

I'll add this thread as the source for a suggestion to prohibit seat saving.

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