Two Crazy Things On Our Flight Today...

[kristenrice]

We just flew home from MCO and I saw a couple of things that I found annoying...

First, we bought EBCI and I was ecstatic to get A26-29...but that was short-lived. There were TWENTY-TWO people in wheelchairs that needed to preboard! When the time came to get off the plane, six of those folks jumped up, grabbed their bags from the overhead bins and headed off the plane. The FA's noticed this and reminded those "who needed assistance to board the plane" to stay in their seats until the other passengers could disembark. It was ridiculous!

The other thing that irked me a little was the fact that the last three people to board the plane was a mother and her two sons. The FA's said that they needed a row of three freed up (this was a 100% full flight) so that this family could sit together. Nobody moved since everyone was already seated and settled. Then, the FA announced that the flight (which was already delayed due to the excessive amount of wheelchair pre-boarders) would not be pushing back from the get until the family was seated together. Arrgghh! Seriously?! Finally, when the gate agent come on board and explained that it was an error on the part of SWA that resulted in this family boarding so late, three people vacated their seats near the back and took the remaining three scattered seats.

The pilot did a great job and despite leaving almost 20 minutes late, we landed on time. Overall, I am not complaining since none of it affected us at all. We don't fly much and the whole experience just didn't seem like "the norm".

 

[Jimsig]

There were TWENTY-TWO people in wheelchairs that needed to preboard! When the time came to get off the plane, six of those folks jumped up, grabbed their bags from the overhead bins and headed off the plane.

FA's have been know to call flights when wheelchair bound psgrs can walk off the plane "Miracle Flights"

 

[Madmother]

I believe Karma will "get them" in the end

 

[seashoreCM]

The FA's noticed this and reminded those "who needed assistance to board the plane" to stay in their seats until the other passengers could disembark. It was ridiculous!

IMHO if those six were willing to hustle and get off then staying in their seats need not apply to them. The reminder is to tell folks that no assistance for getting off would be forthcoming until most of the people were out of the way, that is, off of the plane.

 

[sam_gordon]

IMHO if those six were willing to hustle and get off then staying in their seats need not apply to them. The reminder is to tell folks that no assistance for getting off would be forthcoming until most of the people were out of the way, that is, off of the plane.

I think you missed the point. There were six people who needed a wheelchair to board (getting them on the plane quicker), but when it was time to disembark, they "magically" didn't need a wheelchair anymore.

Some people suck.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't think I would have paid attention enough to make sure the 6 people I saw leave were actually among the wheelchair users at the beginning of the flight. I likely would have just assumed they were different people, they were people who had swapped seats, etc.

I have enough that irritates me...don't need to track that sort of thing!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I've also been on a couple of flights with a late-boarding family where the FAs announced that we wouldn't leave until the family was seated together, so I don't think that's all that unusual. Were the children very young? I've seen it happen with children with very young families and also with children who are clearly special needs. In the cases I've seen, other passengers actually near the front of the plane have graciously moved.

I don't understand how with mid-A positions like you had why you'd worry about 22 people boarding before you. It's still a good boarding position and you're still going to get seats together near the front of the plane. If they're faking their conditions, that's between them and whatever higher power they believe in. Doesn't really affect me one way or another. I also thought that many times wheelchair-bound people might be able to get to their seats once they're on the plane because it's such a short distance to go (especially on Southwest with no assigned seat), but that they might need assistance up and down the jetway. Maybe some of them thought since they got to board first, they also got to deplane first?

 

[maxiesmom]

OP--I had practically the same experience yesterday flying home from Orlando. I was A 27. And I stopped counting at 20 wheelchairs lined up to pre-board. The gentleman in line behind me commented he flies frequently for work, and had never seen so many people needing assistance.

I have to admit, I did wonder how many really needed those wheelchairs, and how many thought they were a tool to use to board first.

 

[bunnyboo]

I'm a FA and the wheelchair thing is pretty common, especially on our Vegas flights. We typically have 10+ to 20+ wheelchairs during boarding, but once we land usually only around 5 or so need wheelchair assistance deplaning. Guess we're miracle workers inflight.

 

[seashoreCM]

The devil's advocate asks, if there are so many passengers needing assistance, would it be quicker to board everybody else first?

 

[maxiesmom]

The devil's advocate asks, if there are so many passengers needing assistance, would it be quicker to board everybody else first?

I don't think so. Only because they placed them all in the front 4 rows.

I think we were very lucky that the FAs were being so helpful We had a lot of older people on our flight. As in, they couldn't lift their bags into the overhead, they couldn't get them down, and they were confused as to where they were. The FAs helped them put up their bags and get them down again. Which is going above and beyond, but if they didn't, it would have taken even longer for that flight.

When boarding the gentleman ahead of me was probably late 70s to early 80s. He got so flustered trying to deal with his bags that he left one smack in the middle of the aisle, and took of with his other one, looking for a bin to put it in. His wife (I'm assuming) came back and picked it up so the rest of us could go forward to find seats.

 

[Ambear]

When I was younger, probably like 7 or 8, my mom and I were flying to Florida on probably delta, so assigned seats. For some reason when we checked in they had separated our seats and my mom was not having it. They couldn't rearrange people or anything so we got to sit in first class. That was pretty fun!

I'm taking my first southwest flight in a few weeks and I'm a bit nervous about this seating thing. I'm not picky about where I sit at all, but I'm afraid I'll have no idea what I'm doing and annoy someone cause I got in the wrong group or something. But I love the cost so I guess it's worth trying out!

 

[maxiesmom]

When I was younger, probably like 7 or 8, my mom and I were flying to Florida on probably delta, so assigned seats. For some reason when we checked in they had separated our seats and my mom was not having it. They couldn't rearrange people or anything so we got to sit in first class. That was pretty fun!

I'm taking my first southwest flight in a few weeks and I'm a bit nervous about this seating thing. I'm not picky about where I sit at all, but I'm afraid I'll have no idea what I'm doing and annoy someone cause I got in the wrong group or something. But I love the cost so I guess it's worth trying out!

Southwest has a video on their web site that goes over the whole boarding thing. I was nervous the first time I flew with them too. But it is really easy. You will do just fine.

 

[Ambear]

Southwest has a video on their web site that goes over the whole boarding thing. I was nervous the first time I flew with them too. But it is really easy. You will do just fine.

Oh thank you for telling me about the video! I didn't know that. I'd been doing Google searches trying to figure out how it all works haha. Probably overkill but I like being prepared for stuff!

 

[Nanajo1]

I remember FA telling people you are not buying furniture,just a seat for two hours! LOL

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

......

I'm taking my first southwest flight in a few weeks and I'm a bit nervous about this seating thing. I'm not picky about where I sit at all, but I'm afraid I'll have no idea what I'm doing and annoy someone cause I got in the wrong group or something. But I love the cost so I guess it's worth trying out!

You don't need to worry. Believe me, the other passengers will let you know if you're in the wrong place.