If Southwest preboarding requested

[Simba's Mom]

I don't usually fly Southwest, but will this trip. So if I request preboarding, I think that I need a special preboarding sleeve. On the way down, I get that at the check-in counter. But on the way home, with the resort airline check-in, I'll be bypassing the airport counter. Do I request one at the RAC at the hotel when I bring my luggage? Or can I just request early boarding at the gate? I walk with a cane, and I'm VERY slow, so I think my limitations will be pretty obvious (not "Oh-she just wants to get on early to get a good seat")

 

[aaarcher86]

I always requested and received the card at the gate desk.

 

[wilkeliza]

I don't usually fly Southwest, but will this trip. So if I request preboarding, I think that I need a special preboarding sleeve. On the way down, I get that at the check-in counter. But on the way home, with the resort airline check-in, I'll be bypassing the airport counter. Do I request one at the RAC at the hotel when I bring my luggage? Or can I just request early boarding at the gate? I walk with a cane, and I'm VERY slow, so I think my limitations will be pretty obvious (not "Oh-she just wants to get on early to get a good seat")

You can get it at the gate. Just remember pre-boarding means you can't sit in an exit row seat which are usually the ones with more room. We learned this the hard way when my fiance asked for pre-boarding when he was having ankle problems. South West determined that any need for pre-boarding makes you ineligible to help in the event of an emergency.

 

[serenitynow]

Last month at the Orlando airport I asked at the gate for a pre-board card and the gate attendant sent me to the Southwest customer service desk, which happened to be right next to the gate. The customer service center sits towards the front of the Southwest gate areas, in the middle of their gate areas. Easy peasy.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thanks! And as far as not sitting in an exit row, every airline I've ever flown has that same requirement. Also, I saw someone moved from an exit row because the flight attendant didn't feel the customer understood the English language well enough.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Hi! Just an FYI, you and your party may not be able to pre-board together. They will likely need to send one other person along with you to pre-board and the other ppl will need to wait until their group gets called.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Update! I flew Southwest this morning. Since I was alone, there was no issue of anyone pre boarding with me. At my home airport, they automatically gave me the probed card. When I asked, they said "Oh, we already gave you one." I have no worries now of getting one on the way back. Everyone was very nice about pre boarding.

 

[DebbieB]

You can get it at the gate. Just remember pre-boarding means you can't sit in an exit row seat which are usually the ones with more room. We learned this the hard way when my fiance asked for pre-boarding when he was having ankle problems. South West determined that any need for pre-boarding makes you ineligible to help in the event of an emergency.

Since SW doesn't have assigned seats, they are really careful about this. A flight attendant stands in the exit row to be sure no pre-boards sit there, as well as those under 15. On other airlines, the gate agent gets a signal when they scan the boarding pass if someone is in an exit row and they can make a quick assessment or ask if they are willing & able.

 

[cattywampus]

Pre boarders often take the bulkhead seats (first row with no seats in front of you, just a wall divider), as these seats typically have more leg room but no exit row limitations (on most planes).

Be aware that there is no under seat storage or seat pockets and everything, including purses must be stowed in overhead bins for takeoff and landing. They are very serious about this and I had to put a very small cross bag that I wear strapped to my body (literally a 6"x8" wallet on a strap), in the overhead bin.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) For pre-board, get the envelope at the Southwest Gate Counter
2) With pre-board for disability,
. . . you cannot sit in the EXIT row (also, goes for kids under 14-years-old)
. . . you are not supposed to be seated in any aisle seat (in emergency, people can't crawl over you)

NOTE: I have personally had people ejected from an aisle seat when they were disabled. I would hate to se someone in the Center or Window seat not be able to get out because the disabled person could not get out of their seat and don the aisle. (With over 4½-million air miles, there are things I look for in the way of safety.)

 

[gwynne]

1) For pre-board, get the envelope at the Southwest Gate Counter
2) With pre-board for disability,
. . . you cannot sit in the EXIT row (also, goes for kids under 14-years-old)
. . . you are not supposed to be seated in any aisle seat (in emergency, people can't crawl over you)

NOTE: I have personally had people ejected from an aisle seat when they were disabled. I would hate to se someone in the Center or Window seat not be able to get out because the disabled person could not get out of their seat and don the aisle. (With over 4½-million air miles, there are things I look for in the way of safety.)

How do you determine whom to have ejected?
How did you actually accomplish this?
What was overall reaction of the FA's?

 

[kamik86]

1) For pre-board, get the envelope at the Southwest Gate Counter
2) With pre-board for disability,
. . . you cannot sit in the EXIT row (also, goes for kids under 14-years-old)
. . . you are not supposed to be seated in any aisle seat (in emergency, people can't crawl over you)

NOTE: I have personally had people ejected from an aisle seat when they were disabled. I would hate to se someone in the Center or Window seat not be able to get out because the disabled person could not get out of their seat and don the aisle. (With over 4½-million air miles, there are things I look for in the way of safety.)

I never heard of the aisle one... I mean how do those that need to transfer from the plane aisle wheelchair to a seat do that? Maybe they put the arms up and slide all the way down?

I know there have been preboarders at the aisle in SW but it may depend on the disability

As for how SW does it... I have been the first non-preboarder on the flight before. What they do is the gate agent gives that one person back their boarding pass and tells you to give it to the FA when you get on the plane. That way they know your not a preboarder and can sit wherever you want.

 

[kaytieeldr]

1) For pre-board, get the envelope at the Southwest Gate Counter
2) With pre-board for disability,
. . . you cannot sit in the EXIT row (also, goes for kids under 14-years-old)
. . . you are not supposed to be seated in any aisle seat (in emergency, people can't crawl over you)

NOTE: I have personally had people ejected from an aisle seat when they were disabled. I would hate to se someone in the Center or Window seat not be able to get out because the disabled person could not get out of their seat and don the aisle. (With over 4½-million air miles, there are things I look for in the way of safety.)

This is interesting, given that such "policy" is not indicated anywhere on Southwest's site https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/unique-travel-needs/index-pol.html

 

[2tinkerbell]

I have flown Southwest numerous times with my DD who needs to pre-board. She has always sat in the aisle seat.

 

[OurBigTrip]

1) For pre-board, get the envelope at the Southwest Gate Counter
2) With pre-board for disability,
. . . you cannot sit in the EXIT row (also, goes for kids under 14-years-old)
. . . you are not supposed to be seated in any aisle seat (in emergency, people can't crawl over you)

NOTE: I have personally had people ejected from an aisle seat when they were disabled. I would hate to se someone in the Center or Window seat not be able to get out because the disabled person could not get out of their seat and don the aisle. (With over 4½-million air miles, there are things I look for in the way of safety.)

I would like to believe that rather than trying to crawl over a disabled person, I would do my best to help them exit the aircraft as well.

Different strokes.

 

[Simba's Mom]

. . . you are not supposed to be seated in any aisle seat (in emergency, people can't crawl over you)

NOTE: I have personally had people ejected from an aisle seat when they were disabled. I would hate to se someone in the Center or Window seat not be able to get out because the disabled person could not get out of their seat and don the aisle. (With over 4½-million air miles, there are things I look for in the way of safety.)[/QUOTE]


FWIW, I sat in Aisle seats both ways on all my flights (4 total flights). No one ejected me, and one flight attendant, thinking I was sitting in an exit row, watched me sit in an aisle seat. She was afraid I was going to the exit row, and when I said I wasn't, I had to show her my seat-an aisle seat. I wasn't in a wheelchair, however, just using a cane.

 

[stitchlovestink]

This is interesting, given that such "policy" is not indicated anywhere on Southwest's site https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/unique-travel-needs/index-pol.html

Besides the fact that the rights of the disabled passenger are protected by the ACAA which if a passenger needs to sit in a particular area/seat due to their needs, those rights are protected.
That is why the FAs come thru and make sure the area around your feet is clear so that the persons on the inside can scoot past you. It is not a requirement for the other person to get out of their seat to get by in an emergency.
If someone had a disabled person evicted from a particular seat, it was wrongfully done.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Never heard of saying that a disabled person can't be seated in an aisle seat because other passengers would be climbing over them (although it may be likely somebody will, because people do crazy stuff when they panic). Nor have I ever seen anyone on any plane removed from an aisle seat that is not exit row because of a disability. But disability will prevent a passenger from being seated in the exit row because exit row passengers may be called upon to help in the event of an evacuation. This is also why the FAs will reseat anybody who they feel doesn't have a sufficient command of the English language or of anyone under age 15. I have also seen them refuse to allow parents to sit in the exit row while their kids sat elsewhere, apparently on the assumption that during an emergency the parents would be more interested in getting to their children than in helping anyone else exit the aircraft if necessary.

 

[emily94]

I recently got pre board on SWA and the only thing they told me was that I am not able to sit in an exit row.

(Also, the blue envelopes are no longer given, they just stapled another ticket that said "permission to pre board" to my boarding ticket)