What are the rules for family boarding on Southwest?
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.
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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. There should be enough open seats to enable the child to sit next to at least one accompanying adult.
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.
Re: Preboarding with FamilyIt's technically limited to one adult traveling with a child six years old or younger, but some agents allow multiple family members to board together at that time.
PreboardingIf 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.
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.
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).
Group Passengers can check in on Southwest.com and reserve their boarding positions beginning 24 hours prior to departure. The online check-in process for Group travel is slightly different than you may be used to for non-Group travel. Go to Southwest.com and click Check In to reserve your boarding positions.
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.
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.
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.
All passengers flying in a premium cabin get priority boarding. But the group you'll be assigned to depends on which class of service you're flying. Passengers in the front cabin board with Group 1.
C 1-60: This is the group you will most likely get if you don't check in right on time. While the C group isn't a guaranteed middle seat, the chances are pretty high that you won't be sitting in the ideal spot.
Children traveling with grandparents, cousins, other relatives, or school groups will need to have a signed document, such as a Child Travel Consent, allowing them to travel without a parent or legal guardian.
Children traveling with grandparents, cousins, other relatives, or school groups will need to have a signed document, such as a Child Travel Consent, allowing them to travel without a parent or legal guardian.
A Southwest boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60) will be assigned to you at check-in and it'll be printed on your boarding pass. Group A boards first, then group B, and afterwards group C. If you end up with A1, then it's your lucky day — you'll likely get to be the first passenger on the plane.
A-List positions are automatically assigned beginning 36 hours prior to departure. If an A-Lister receives a position in the B or C group (happens when a flight change is made less than 36 hours before departure) they can board after the A group. Business Select fares guarantee an A1-15 boarding position.