Check In Early For Your Southwest Flight

I recently took a celebratory, end-of-midterms trip to my friend’s beach house in Naples, FL and I had the pleasure of flying Southwest.

As many of you probably know, the biggest difference between Southwest Airlines and other commercial airlines is that Southwest offers mandatory open seating.  This has its positives and negatives.  If you are in group A, you are sitting wherever you please.  If you are in group C, god speed.

I found myself in group C coming home and I have to tell you, I was worried.  I didn’t check in for my flight early for obvious reasons.  I was sitting poolside at a beach house with my friends for days.  What on earth would compel me to get to a computer?

Anyways, I checked in for my flight about 4 hours before it was scheduled to depart and I found myself staring at the most evil letter/number combination known to man.
C53.

I got to the airport and began the waiting game that is scoping out the individuals who you would least like to sit with.  I thought this list was mostly comprised of children, but I would soon come to realize that it also included drunks who have flight anxiety.  But we’ll get to that later.

Finally it is time for the Cs to get in line.  What a sight we were.  The people flying in group C are essentially the lepers of Southwest flights.  All the A’s and B’s look at us like we are all a disgrace to society as they board early and take their comfortable isle and window seats. We are obviously the slackers of the flight.  The one’s too lazy to check in early. Us C’s know exactly where we are sitting.  Smack dab in the middle of two strangers.

For many of you who have never experienced the frustration of being placed in boarding group C here is a quick newsflash.  You are going to be sitting in a middle seat.  It’s that simple.  So as I am waiting to board, I am met with a bit of comic relief from a middle-aged couple who ask me: “What number are you?”

In my head I say to myself, “Are these people serious? I AM C53! At this point our numbers mean absolutely nothing! We are sitting in a middle seat!” But instead I give them a quick smile and say, “C53.” They reply with, “Oh we are C50 and 51!” Smiling all the while as they step right in front of me. I fight back the laughter.

Finally I get on the flight and pick my seat.  A nice elderly woman and a seemingly quiet 30-year-old man are my companions.  Of course, I am sitting in the middle seat.

The plane takes off and the man wakes up by shaking and apologizing over and over.  It is clear he is intoxicated by the smell of liquor on his breath.  He keeps twitching and badgering me about the turbulence. “Relax man.  We’re going to be fine,” I reassure him over and over.  ”This is going to be a long one,” I think to myself.

Finally we land and I could not be happier to be home after a nightmare of a flight.  If I learned one thing from my trip it is this.  CHECK IN EARLY FOR YOUR SOUTHWEST FLIGHT. It is DEFINITELY worth it.