Southwest (SW) questions (preboarding and others) - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I have a few questions regaring SW Air. How does preboarding work with autism?
The phone rep at SW is telling me only one adult per child with disability. My husband takes meds to get on the plane (phobic flyer) and am not comfortable leaving him and the other kids out there for regular boarding. The rep said it would be up to the airport if we can all board together. We have 3 kids 11 and under and need to sit together. What would be the best course of action? Should I just buy early bird? I am just confused by the whole boarding thing and then add the disability and the phobic flyer and I am really getting confused and stressed.
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I wish I could help you but since there's only 3 of us - one a wheelchair uses, one with Autism - all 3 of us get to board together. All I can really suggest is to talk to the gate people and see what they say. As for boarding, the way it usually goes is this:
Disability
Business Class (I believe - at least that's what online says but they could also get the first few Group A numbers)
Group A
Families with children under 4 (it could be 6)
Group B
Group C
With 5 of you, it would be $60 for EBCI but even with that, it's become quite popluar and I've heard of people getting B boarding passes with it instead of A.
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Your best bet fir everyone's state of well-being is to all board together (in the families with kids under five? if you don't get A boarding) and go directly to the back end of the plane where most seats will still be open. Your chances of staying together are much better. Do the check-in at 24 hr in advance time for your flight down and buy EB for your flight home. Good luck.
Your best bet fir everyone's state of well-being is to all board together (in the families with kids under five? if you don't get A boarding) and go directly to the back end of the plane where most seats will still be open. Your chances of staying together are much better. Do the check-in at 24 hr in advance time for your flight down and buy EB for your flight home. Good luck.
Unfortunately my youngest is 6. What are the chances of getting A boarding?
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Pretty good if you hit the 24 hour time exactly. Let me say that even if you got early numbered B passes, my suggestion to go to the back still holds. The only people I've EVER seen split up were seated with C passes. You'll be fine. You can still talk to the airline personnel at the gate and let them know your situation so they'll be aware of it.
I have found some SW people to be ignorant about Autism. When my ASD girl was 2 I was able to get the blue card for preboard no problem but I needed my oldest daughter who was 17 at the time to help me because I had her carseat. The woman at the gate entrance gave me such a hard time about it and I ended up having to explain my daughter's disability out loud in front of everyone. I couldn't wrangle her and the carseat by myself. She ended up letting us all three go. Then when I got to the door of the plane, I tried to explain to the FA that I needed our family of 6 to be seated in rows one behind the other because my daughter who has Non Verbal Autism would most definitely kick the seat in front of her disturbing that passenger. Her response was what is Non Verbal Autism? REALLY?? I said, umm it means she has Autism and she doesn't speak. This was THREE years ago...she ended up dropping the tray tables down in the seats in front of us which were like 15 rows back or something. It was quite unnecessary hullabaloo. This was out of Long Island. We havent flown with her since so October should be interesting!
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Pretty good if you hit the 24 hour time exactly. Let me say that even if you got early numbered B passes, my suggestion to go to the back still holds. The only people I've EVER seen split up were seated with C passes.
This has been my experience as well (although I have gotten mid numbered B passes at 24 hours). The back of the plane is the last to fill up.
However, if this is causing you a lot of stress and worry, I would just go ahead and book EBCI.
I have a few questions regaring SW Air. How does preboarding work with autism?
The phone rep at SW is telling me only one adult per child with disability. My husband takes meds to get on the plane (phobic flyer) and am not comfortable leaving him and the other kids out there for regular boarding. The rep said it would be up to the airport if we can all board together. We have 3 kids 11 and under and need to sit together. What would be the best course of action? Should I just buy early bird? I am just confused by the whole boarding thing and then add the disability and the phobic flyer and I am really getting confused and stressed.
Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!!!
I would think the bolded part above should qualify your husband for disability pre-boarding on SW, which then leaves you as the parent responsible for all 3 kids. If one of the children also qualifies for disability pre-boarding (autism), then all of them should be allowed with you - the sole responsible parent. Please know I don't mean this to put down your husband, but if he gets that stressed out about flying that he needs to be medicated, SW should not consider him responsible for any of the children. Explain it all at the gate, and I believe you'll all board early.
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This has been my experience as well (although I have gotten mid numbered B passes at 24 hours). The back of the plane is the last to fill up. 
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