Southwest Airlines Community

That's only the beginning. You forgot to mention that there is no fee to change your flight. So if you book something and 10 minutes later you find out you need to fly a few hours earler... that change costs you exactly $0.   The only time you end up paying to make a change is if you bought a cheap fare (wanna getaway), and then want to change it at the last minute to a flight that only has the higher (anytime) fare available. In that case, you only pay the difference in the fares plus no additional fee. I think it's fair. ... View more

I'm not compltely sure, but I have an idea to share. Each airport in the US is operated by the local municipality or its delegate. For example, LAX is operated by Los Angeles Word Airports. Without any form of consistent operations and/or standards for all airports to follow, inconsistencies result. My guess is that SWA is not in direct control of the ticket counter facility at BDL. They probably hold some form of a lease with the airport, but don't have unrestricted freedom to set up the baggage counter exactly the way they want it (until that lease expires and is re-negotiated). If I'm wrong, maybe you can suggest to SWA customer relations that they should consider this change. ... View more

Good response from Lindsey. In addition to what she advised, you can also gate check your stroller for free so that you get it back at the jet bridge upon arrival. It's free too, so that does not count toward what you checked in for collection at baggage claim.   At boarding time listen for the announcement for family boarding (between the A and B groups) so you can board the plane while there is still plenty of free seating.   I suggest picking a seat near the back of the plane so you are close to the aft lavatory. This way you can change junior there without a trip all the way up to the front, where you are not allowed to form a line to wait for it to become available. At the back, you can hang out there without restrictions. One year olds (especially boys) can get ansy and it's nice to be able to let them stand up a bit during flight while you're still close to your stuff at your seats.   Also be sure you have something for your son to drink. Maybe if he still uses a bottle at all, that woudl be a good way for him to clear his ears, which can be a problem at that age, as he might not know how to do it yet. I always carry candy with me as well as a tool to distract what might otherwise be a miserable kid.   Finally, recognize that there is no video entertainment on SWA, besides what you bring with you. You can use their wifi to watch TV, but wifi does not always work on all flights. As long as you bring plenty of activities to keep your little guy busy the whole time, and whatever he needs to sleep, you should be in good shape. ... View more

Your other questions were all answered, but I wanted to add an additional answer about family security lines. A previous reply was correct about this depending on the airport. Many airports will have someone monitoring the security line, usually at the point where you choose where to go to line up. If there is a family option, they will direct you to it at that point. Usually you will be allowed to skip most of the long wait for the TSA agent to check your identification and boarding passes. Your children will not need to take off their shoes.   Note also that if you do plan on travelling internationally with your kids at any point, you might consider getting a Global Entry card for the whole family. This automatically gives you TSA pre-check as well, which speeds you through security. Even at the largest airports, I rarely spend more than 10 minutes getting through security, even travelling as a family of 6. Re-entry to the USA with Global Entry cards shaves off what might otherwise be an hour of waiting as well. For us, it was well worth the $75/each expense for that. It lasts 5 years before it needs renewal. ... View more

Yes, you can check the carseat for free, in addition to any other checked bags. You can bring the stroller to the gate, and gate check that so you have it when you arrive at your destination to wheel your loved one up the jet bridge there. ... View more

I don't see any text in your post. I can guess what you are thinking, but I'm not sure. If I had 2 car seats a lap child and a ticketed child, I would gate check one of my carseats (so I get it back again on the jet bridge upon arrival, or worst case get it at baggage claim), and bring the other carseat on the plane. Head toward the back of the plane. Latch the carseat in a window seat, and sit next to it in the middle seat. Hold the lap child on your lap. Unless the plane is full, nobody is going to sit next to you.   If you would rather not have the carseats in the terminal or on the plane with you, you can check them in addition to your free bags, and there is no charge. Checking the carseats as free baggage has been my preference once my (4) kids were about 4 years old.   If you had a different question, let me know. I travel with my kids on SWA regularly. ... View more

Virgin America offers WIFI, as well as a power plug for your computer. I'd like to see the same from Southwest on all flights. Can you comment on your disposition on power plugs? Also, satellite internet connections tend to have rather high latency compared to air-to-ground solutions. Does this mean we should expect slower interactive response times and slower TCP/IP throughput from the Row 44 system than what we get on other airlines? ... View more