Pre Board Questions

[Lilsia]

That's odd - I fly SW a lot and have never heard them (or any other airline) ask that preboards stay put. I haven't even heard them announce that wheelchair-users stay put, but if we're up front (as we often are) they'll usually tell us individually to stay put if the wheelchairs aren't out front yet. Most people who know they take awhile to deplane tend to hang back a bit because the crowd always surges right at the beginning. My parents preboard for other medical reasons and get off in turn with everyone else.

I would suggest to OP that your family may want to hang back a bit if you want to avoid feeling rushed or crowded. Otherwise head out with everyone else.

I have heard them ask that those who need the wheelchair to wait until everyone gets off. But not all pre boards, just those needing a chair. A lot of the times the wheelchairs are not there yet. I book my flights pretty far out and buy early bird so I am usually in the first few rows. The flight attendant usually goes personally up to those that need the wheelchairs and talks to them directly. They don't usually make an announcement over the intercom.

 

[Lilsia]

I don't worry about it unless there's a lot of pre-boards. You've never flown them so not sure you would understand how it can be frustrating to get an A Boarding position but half the plane has already boarded as pre-boards and then watching people who needed physical assistance to get on don't when it's time to get off. It's a problem existing for a long time.

Unlikely that people are specifically remembering people who needed assistance but if you had 10 people lined up in wheelchairs getting in the plane it's easy to tell. Most of the time people keep to themselves but the miracle passengers are a well documented issue.

It not only affects number of seats one can choose from but also overhead bin space near seats plus people paying for EBCI or these days that or Anytime Fare which now includes it. It's an issue with other airlines too although that would mostly affect overhead bin space and boarding time.

Funny story, several years ago I was at MCO flying home. I always fly SWA and my gate was way down the terminal toward the end. Well this couple, they couldn't have been older than in their 60s, both "required" wheelchair assistance to get to the gate. After they left there waiting, the woman talks to her husband(didn't know what they were saying since they were from India) and they went back and forth. She gets up mad and starts walking away. About 20 minutes later she comes back with a bunch of food and drinks. So she needed help getting to her gate but was able to walk ALL the way to the food court and back again, carrying food just fine. It's a miracle. LOL

 

[MinnieMSue]

Funny story, several years ago I was at MCO flying home. I always fly SWA and my gate was way down the terminal toward the end. Well this couple, they couldn't have been older than in their 60s, both "required" wheelchair assistance to get to the gate. After they left there waiting, the woman talks to her husband(didn't know what they were saying since they were from India) and they went back and forth. She gets up mad and starts walking away. About 20 minutes later she comes back with a bunch of food and drinks. So she needed help getting to her gate but was able to walk ALL the way to the food court and back again, carrying food just fine. It's a miracle. LOL

I literally saw the almost exact same thing. A couple in wheelchairs first in line to preboard got up from their chairs and went through the long Starbucks line then back to their chairs. They also were among the first off the plane as we sat behind them and were much faster than us hoofing it to baggage claim. Lol.

 

[DisneyOma]

If you're in the first rows you're not getting bumped by people coming by. I've never seen that happen with someone seated in the first rows and we just flew last month with a person who pre-boarded and sat in the first row and if you think that's an issue well it would be even more of an issue during boarding..don't you think? Which would totally negate someone wanting to pre-board when anywhere between 140+ to 170+ passengers are boarding.

I get bumped all the time sitting in an aisle seat - up at the front you'd get bumped even more if you were waiting because all the people behind you come by with their carry-ons and personal items. I've had carry-ons dropped on my head, my shoulder, my lap, as people struggle to get them down from the overhead compartments. I've had hips and butts hit m in the shoulder and head as pooh-sized people go by me. So now I get the middle seat whenever possible so I don't get squashed, and sit in a seat in the back half of the plane so I don't get bumped so much.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I get bumped all the time sitting in an aisle seat - up at the front you'd get bumped even more if you were waiting because all the people behind you come by with their carry-ons and personal items. I've had carry-ons dropped on my head, my shoulder, my lap, as people struggle to get them down from the overhead compartments. I've had hips and butts hit m in the shoulder and head as pooh-sized people go by me. So now I get the middle seat whenever possible so I don't get squashed, and sit in a seat in the back half of the plane so I don't get bumped so much.

You missed a key part of my post. When our conversation it was going it was about someone pre-board getting up and exiting the plane once landed. Well of course if you're in the aisle standing up you're going to get bumped....of course you would. But if you're seated you're not going to get bumped anymore than you would during the Boarding process.

So pick your poison..bumped during boarding or bumped after boarding, if you're really concerned about being bumped you would not want to board the plane early when people are trying to find a seat and overhead bin space. In all the flights I've flown and my husband has flown the chances of you getting smacked by an overhead bag, getting tapped by an errant carryon are vast majority when you're boarding the plane. YMMV of course. If the OP does as I suggested and sticks to the middle and window seat their daughter the chances of them getting bumped significantly reduces. I would have suggested back of plane but not with the OP's claustrophobia.

The conversation seems to have run out already so enjoy the rest of your evening, feel free to PM if you wish to talk more though!

 

[SteveMouse]

I beg to differ on getting hit while seated, especially in the front couple of rows in the aisle seat. I get hit at least 10 times every flight while others are disembarking. I use a wheelchair and am pretty much always the last passenger off the plane.

 

[LoveToDisney]

We were on a SWA flight recently and need to pre-board because of my ECV. We had another pre-board family with us and the gentleman had a specific request in seat location for his mom, himself and their working dog (blind assistance). The flight attendants took care of their needs completely.