Family Boarding Age Change?

[drgwright]

I'm aware of the A group additional purchase, but as a flying family, we cannot afford the additional costs like this, especially per person, which is why we fly SWA. There just has to be a better way, even being able to potentially link all People within your travel group so when it's check-in time, you get consecutive numbers, or even have all families wishing to partake in family boarding be required to board the back of the plane instead of scattered.

[bballflyer]

I do try to get on single reservation when I can but do agree about linking an entire party; I frequently purchase different fare types for family members (dollars, points, IWG bs IWG+) and you can only link the minors,  I have sent many requests to SW to be able to either book different fare types on one reservation or to link reservations other than minors 

[dfwskier]

Southwest reservations system does not allow passenger to mix points and $ payments on one reservation . Maybe the recently announced points plus dollars program would help you.

 if not, then pay all $ or all points when you want everyone on one reservation.

[DancingDavidE]

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@bballflyer wrote:

I do try to get on single reservation when I can but do agree about linking an entire party; I frequently purchase different fare types for family members (dollars, points, IWG bs IWG+) and you can only link the minors,  I have sent many requests to SW to be able to either book different fare types on one reservation or to link reservations other than minors 

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Yes, would love this capability, the idea for us is booking mine with cash, wife with companion, and then kids with points. But we end up with three confirmation numbers in that scenario and now that my oldest child is out of the family boarding range she'll have to start being on the same reservation with me to get sequential. Then wife and little guy can follow up at Family Boarding.

[DancingDavidE]

Also wanted to follow up on this thread - the gate agent at DEN this weekend announced "two adults per family" for the family boarding, so that's an interesting variation on the theme that at this gate it wouldn't be two adults per kid.

[bballflyer]

Don't you have to link the reservations to an adult or put them on a single reservation?  Are the boarding numbers still a big gap?  When I have had to link a child to an adult (even at 16) they were sequential.  I haven't done it in a bit so not sure if that is still the same.

[dfwskier]

Yes , all people on a single reservation should receive sequential boarding positions.

[drgwright]

Yes, they should, however, I've had at least 3 instances where we did not get sequential boarding numbers.

[floridaguy]

Again, you are trying to reformat Southwest into United or Delta.  You want to sit together and have assigned seats, yet you want to enjoy the price that goes along with Southwest.

Leave the current policy in place and my recommendation is to issue written warnings to gate agents who fail to enforce Southwest policy.