How strict is Southwest with family boarding?

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. There should be enough open seats to enable the child to sit next to at least one accompanying adult.



People Also Ask

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.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest offers Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding.

MORE DETAILS

You're more likely to be caught if you try to board with the first group or two. Unless the gate agent is a real jerk, or you are, the worst that can happen is that you'll be told to wait for your own group.

MORE DETAILS

All Customers traveling on a multi-passenger reservation with a Tier Member (A-List or A-List Preferred) booked on the same reservation will receive reserved sequential boarding positions directly behind the Tier Member.

MORE DETAILS

Most U.S. airlines will permit children who have reached their fifth birthday to travel unaccompanied. Kids ages 5 through 11 who are flying alone must usually travel pursuant to special “unaccompanied minor” procedures. On some airlines, these procedures are required for unaccompanied children as old as 14.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest assigns boarding positions rather than seats
  • You'll either be in group A, B, or C, with A being allowed to board first, B being allowed to board second, and C being allowed to board last.
  • You'll be given a specific number within that range, which determines the order in which you can board within each group.


MORE DETAILS

Travel Companions Can Now Board With Southwest A-List and A-List Preferred Members. Anyone on the SAME RESERVATION (that means you'll have the same confirmation number) on Southwest Airlines as someone who holds elite status with Southwest (called A-List or A-List Preferred) can now board with the elite status member.

MORE DETAILS

Speak with an agent If you don't heed our advice and find yourself at the airport with a less-than-desirable boarding group, Southwest advises that you speak with a gate agent or flight attendant. They will see if any passengers are willing to move to accommodate your family if you aren't able to get seats together.

MORE DETAILS

A parent who purchases airline tickets for a family should receive a guarantee from the airline that it will seat the parent and child together without fees or a last-minute scramble at the gate or having to ask other passengers to give up their seat to allow the parent and child to sit together.

MORE DETAILS

Depending on their ages and which airline you have chosen, some airlines invite families to board in front of everybody else, while others allow those with kids to slide in somewhere between elite passengers and regular coach-flying folk.

MORE DETAILS

Preboarding If you do, you'll receive a boarding pass with a specific preboarding designation, and you'll be allowed to preboard with one companion. If you're traveling with more than one other person, they'll typically have to board with their original group.

MORE DETAILS

One child over 14 days old and under two (2) years of age not occupying a seat may be carried free of charge when traveling with someone 12 years of age or older. If you plan to travel with an infant as a Lap Child, you must pay the taxes and fees that apply to the international portion of the infant's itinerary.

MORE DETAILS

B boarding group: This is the next best boarding group to be in if you want the chance to select a seat you can live with. However, being near the beginning of the B group is a lot better than the end.

MORE DETAILS

At Southwest, we let you sit where you like. We don't assign seats on our flights, so feel free to sit in any available seat once you board the plane. We have a quick, easy, and efficient boarding process. Look at your boarding pass to find your assigned boarding group (A, B, or C) and boarding position (1 - 60).

MORE DETAILS

Officially, Southwest has no policy for or against seat saving, and in practice actively allows it. Reps will even suggest that passengers save seats for later boarding companions.

MORE DETAILS

Our Unaccompanied Minor program is only for children ages five through 11 years old. Children 12 and older are allowed to travel independently as Young Travelers. However, you should decide whether a Young Traveler is capable of and comfortable with doing all of the following independently: Navigating all airports.

MORE DETAILS

Most U.S. airlines will permit children who have reached their fifth birthday to travel unaccompanied. Kids ages 5 through 11 who are flying alone must usually travel pursuant to special “unaccompanied minor” procedures. On some airlines, these procedures are required for unaccompanied children as old as 14.

MORE DETAILS

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).

MORE DETAILS