I changed my flight from a non-stop to one with a lay-over/plane change. When I check-in 24 hours before, do I need to check in to EACH leg of the trip, or just the first one?
Also - a co-worked told me that when they flew SWA last month, after the A passengers boarded, any family with children younger than six boarded as a whole family unit. I had understood that just the child/ren under 6 and one adult was permitted to board. Does anyone have any recent experiences one way or another?
When you check in, it will check you in for both parts of the trip. I traveled with a friend and her two year old daughter to Orlando in January and they let all 3 of on during family boarding.
Just flew back from MCO on Southwest today and the airline personnel specified during the boarding process that up to two adults could board with children under 6. So, a family but not their extended related adults.
What about a parent traveling alone with multiple kids, but only one is under six?
My girls are 15, 13, 9, 6. I’m trying to figure out what boarding might look like. Thank you.
I bet they would let you all board together since they are all minors.
The entire family to include no more than 2 Adults
I’m glad someone on here knew the rules! I’ve never seen anyone turned away, but I’ve also never seen anyone try to be just ridiculous about who they try to bring along for family boarding either.
If you booked the whole family under one reservation, it should check everyone in at once. It’s gotten iffy the last few years, but I’ve always been able to get a late A-group boarding spot when I am ready to check-in right at T-24hrs. If you pull that off, you’ll be in even better shape. Sometimes MCO bound flights have a lot of family boarding, for some reason. 
All kids will board with you as long as at least one is under 6.
I am so relieved. My mom and sister are also traveling with us, but I’m not worried about where they sit. I do want my daughters to be seated near/with me and not strewn out all over the plane sitting between strangers. I’m SO happy to read of all these experiences. 
Thank you!
I’d even be happy with a late-B. At least we’d still have a chance.
January 2018 when a friend of mine and I flew to Fort Lauderdale together for a Mom-cruise, neither of us had any idea how boarding worked. We were literally the last two people on the plane and, of course, sat nowhere near one another.
My experience with family boarding is that they let my whole family on at the same time. That was 2 adults and 3 kids and only one kid was the right age.
Yay!!! I just checked in at exactly the 24 hour mark. We got B1-B6 for my party. My sister had her own reservation and got A41.
We should be able to sit together!
That is wonderful!!