FAMILY FRIENDLY SEATING

[wnbubbleboy]

Southwest tries to speed family boarding process
By TREBOR BANSTETTER
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Southwest Airlines is exploring different ways of boarding families, in an attempt to speed up aircraft departures and avoid delays.

In recent weeks, the Dallas-based airline has been testing various methods of family boarding in San Antonio, spokeswoman Brandy King said.

The goal is to get travelers with children on the plane early, so flight attendants don't have to move passengers around to ensure that parents and children sit together.

"The goal here is to speed up the boarding process," she said.

It's a problem for Southwest because the airline doesn't have assigned seats.

Passengers board by groups, which are assigned one a first-come, first-served basis according to when customers check in.

Families that board with the last groups often are unable find adjacent seats. So flight attendants have to move some passengers around so that families can sit together.

It's a time-consuming process, King said, but it's necessary.

"The last thing you want is a small child that can't sit by their parent," she said.

One method being tested allows families to board immediately after the first group, if they're not already seated.

The airline has also experimented with reserving rows of seats for parents with children.

King stressed that the reserved seats are meant to allow families to board quickly and aren't intended to separate families from other passengers.

"This is not a case of having families separated from the other passengers," she said. "That's not our intention at all."

Southwest executives have promised to announce new seating initiatives soon, and analysts have speculated that it could include assigned seats for the first time.

Travel analyst Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research said families are a major component of Southwest's customer base, because of the airline's cheap fares.

"Southwest is kind of the unofficial airline of families," he said.

Southwest shares (ticker: LUV) fell 64 cents to close at $15.65 Thursday.

Trebor Banstetter, 817-390-7064
tbanstetter@star-telegram.com

 

[JS]

Interesting. I hope Southwest comes up with a good method other than plain old assigned seats.

Last week my kids and I flew on Delta, and despite having bought the tickets two weeks earlier, we sat in different rows. It wasn't too bad -- 14F, 16F, 17F and 19F, but boarding in a "group A" would have been better.

The current system gives families an incentive to check in early so they get an A boarding pass and get in the A line early. Admittedly it's a different story when you have a connecting flight and the inbound is late and arrives 20-30 minutes before the connection leaves.

One time on Southwest I saw a flight attendant "reserve" two seats in the back for a mother and child; this was probably a late connection and the gate agent communicated the need to the flight attendant. But that wouldn't work for families who simply want to show up at the airport 30 minutes before departure.

Maybe reserving the last X rows for families (where X is the number of people traveling in groups divided by 6) would work. Most people don't want to sit in the back, so you're not going to make it look preferential, and if a family wants to sit in the front, fine, just follow the same rules as everyone else and check in early enough to get your pick.

 

[wnbubbleboy]

Maybe reserving the last X rows for families (where X is the number of people traveling in groups divided by 6) would work. Most people don't want to sit in the back, so you're not going to make it look preferential, and if a family wants to sit in the front, fine, just follow the same rules as everyone else and check in early enough to get your pick.

Thats a good idea.

I think may have the overhead bins placarded "Family Sitting Area" for the last few rows. So the business man who prefers to stay away from the baby with the ear infection can sit as far to the front as possilbe.

Just a thought.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Thats a good idea.

I think may have the overhead bins placarded "Family Sitting Area" for the last few rows. So the business man who prefers to stay away from the baby with the ear infection can sit as far to the front as possilbe.

Just a thought.

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Overhead bins/last few rows ???
Get REAL. WN has those last 4 bins(2 on each side) tied upwith those crappy catering snack boxes !

I know. I'm speaking from experience.
As some one who traveled TPA/MHT often(NOT by choice either), the ONLY good place to sit on a jammed full 137 seat sardine can, is the aisle seat(s) in the NEXT to last rows.(Last row does'nt recline)
Very quick access to the "john", and an area(in the rear galley) to defeat a good case of leg DVT!

NH/BB's

 

[JS]

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Overhead bins/last few rows ???
Get REAL. WN has those last 4 bins(2 on each side) tied upwith those crappy catering snack boxes !

I know. I'm speaking from experience.
As some one who traveled TPA/MHT often(NOT by choice either), the ONLY good place to sit on a jammed full 137 seat sardine can, is the aisle seat(s) in the NEXT to last rows.(Last row does'nt recline)
Very quick access to the "john", and an area(in the rear galley) to defeat a good case of leg DVT!

NH/BB's

So what? A family of four doesn't bring four huge rolling suitcases that barely fit in the overhead.

In First Class on other airlines, the F overheads are more jammed than coach despite there being half as many seats per overhead.

 

[wnbubbleboy]

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Overhead bins/last few rows ???
Get REAL. WN has those last 4 bins(2 on each side) tied upwith those crappy catering snack boxes !

I know. I'm speaking from experience.
As some one who traveled TPA/MHT often(NOT by choice either), the ONLY good place to sit on a jammed full 137 seat sardine can, is the aisle seat(s) in the NEXT to last rows.(Last row does'nt recline)
Very quick access to the "john", and an area(in the rear galley) to defeat a good case of leg DVT!

NH/BB's

Having worked Provo in SLC if I remember correctly those boxes (snack boxes) would be for flights longer than two hours. There were pretzels that I think would be for an hour and a half flights as well. I am sure something could be worked out with stocking provisions. Say like having some style of box next to the Operations agent as you board the plane. Grab a snack if you want or don't. Also keep a box on the plane just in case.

Anyway I subscribe to your theroy of sitting in the back I do it every time I have to fly. With that being said for families the convience is being so close to the lav. and having the flight attendants close by for assistance is another plus.

 

[JS]

I like sitting in the back not for the lav, but on 2/3 full flights (the most common ones), you have plenty of space while the people up front are packed in. I also like watching the flaps go up and down (the kid in me that just won't go away).

 

[KCFlyer]

The one place I see this being problematic is MCO. There are already enough families with "small children" who also have a couple of decidedly "larger children" that preboard. Take the rest of the families with kids over 4 who will be next to board - even if they get their boarding card 5 minutes prior to the flight, then you might as well just give everybody that ISN'T a "family" a C card. It wouldn't be so bad if MCO was totally family flights, but it seems that there are more and more conventions and other business events in Orlando that it would penalize those folks who are there not to see Mickey, but to attend a conference.

 

[ramper_in_las]

Having worked Provo in SLC if I remember correctly those boxes (snack boxes) would be for flights longer than two hours. There were pretzels that I think would be for an hour and a half flights as well. I am sure something could be worked out with stocking provisions. Say like having some style of box next to the Operations agent as you board the plane. Grab a snack if you want or don't. Also keep a box on the plane just in case.

Anyway I subscribe to your theroy of sitting in the back I do it every time I have to fly. With that being said for families the convience is being so close to the lav. and having the flight attendants close by for assistance is another plus.

Since I am in Provo now in LAS let me answer a few questions. The snacks are now served based on mileage now. 800 mile flights get crackers and 1000 mile get snack packs, less than 800 of course get peanuts or pretzels. There was also a recent experiment that was just tested called "select a snack" which gives the customer the freedom to select from a plethora of different snacks. As far as families sitting at the rear of the aircraft i see an inherent problems with this. Families traveling with toddlers and jetway checked strollers generally sit towards the front of the planes. If they sit up front they can generally grab their strollers very quickly when the ramp brings them up. Verses sitting to the aft side of a full plane gives the the opportunity for ill mannered persons to steal a stroller. Also the lav shouldn't determine where families should sit for the fact there are two lavs on each of WN's 737's forward and aft.

 

[wnbubbleboy]

The one place I see this being problematic is MCO. There are already enough families with "small children" who also have a couple of decidedly "larger children" that preboard. Take the rest of the families with kids over 4 who will be next to board - even if they get their boarding card 5 minutes prior to the flight, then you might as well just give everybody that ISN'T a "family" a C card. It wouldn't be so bad if MCO was totally family flights, but it seems that there are more and more conventions and other business events in Orlando that it would penalize those folks who are there not to see Mickey, but to attend a conference.

This is where enforcement of what ever policy that will be in effect is key. I fly from PIT to BWI and share the next gate with an MCO flight that leaves 5 mins a head of us. You constantly hear the OPs agent stating Preboard in is for Immediate family, Mom, Dad and kids. Not GrandMa, Uncle Barry, and second cousin Joe.

 

[ramper_in_las]

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Overhead bins/last few rows ???
Get REAL. WN has those last 4 bins(2 on each side) tied upwith those crappy catering snack boxes !

NH/BB's

those crappy boxes are supposed to go is the overhead bins per the FAA. There is storage in the back galley big enough for the boxes and If i could put them there i would but the FAA says NO WAY!!!

 

[wnbubbleboy]

Since I am in Provo now in LAS let me answer a few questions. The snacks are now served based on mileage now. 800 mile flights get crackers and 1000 mile get snack packs, less than 800 of course get peanuts or pretzels. There was also a recent experiment that was just tested called "select a snack" which gives the customer the freedom to select from a plethora of different snacks. As far as families sitting at the rear of the aircraft i see an inherent problems with this. Families traveling with toddlers and jetway checked strollers generally sit towards the front of the planes. If they sit up front they can generally grab their strollers very quickly when the ramp brings them up. Verses sitting to the aft side of a full plane gives the the opportunity for ill mannered persons to steal a stroller. Also the lav shouldn't determine where families should sit for the fact there are two lavs on each of WN's 737's forward and aft.

Well the last time I was on the ramp/provo ROPA was the union. So my memory is spotty regarding snacks (remember when we handed out Grandma's Cookies, that was my era) other than time of flight.

Who knows what the company has in mind. Maybe a Family Freindly flight listed on the schedule with family's with small chidren up front for strollers. Families with older children can go to the back. Also if it's got a desiganation on the schedule as a family freindly flight Business men and women know what they are getting into if they list for that flight.

 

[I'mRayFlyMe]

So what? A family of four doesn't bring four huge rolling suitcases that barely fit in the overhead.

Hear, hear! Methinks it's high time the "Don't Be A Bin Hog" campaign is brought back.