Q: Can I use family boarding if I am traveling with a 7-year-old? A: No, technically, you won't be eligible for family boarding if your child is 7. However, it definitely happens and you probably won't be turned down at the gate.
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Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding.
And yes, you may feel a bit like cattle. Southwest offers Family Boarding after the A group but before the B group, for up to two adults traveling with children 6 and younger. This essentially allows families to skip the line if they were otherwise assigned a B or C boarding position.
Passengers board the aircraft by group, based on their seat number, beginning at the plane's rear toward the front until everyone is seated. Rear-to-front block boarding seems logical at first blush. Ideally, passengers get seated quickly without impeding the progress of those in the preceding rows.
To keep flights orderly and boarding smooth, airlines calculate that it makes sense for small children to board early with a parent and get settled before the anxious masses wanting an on-time or early departure.
The most common reason for denied boarding is overbooking. This is when airlines sell more tickets than there are seats on the aircraft. The reason for this common practice is so-called 'no-shows'.
The gate agent that was boarding the other flight had said that anyone with a FB which stood for family boarding could board, so we lined up. The agent at our gate was very rude, and told us that we could not board because we were not FB.
Other family members such as grandparents can board with family boarding but they have to be the only adults. So for example you could not have both parents and a set of grandparents boarding in the family boarding group. Instead, Southwest would likely limit you to only two parents (along with the kids).
Southwest Airlines has the fastest boarding process of any major airline by simply allowing people to claim the first available seat. It works because passengers spend less time waiting in the aisle, and have more freedom to sit where it's least crowded.