quick little rant on SWA boarding

[Ronda93]

We were A's. We arrived early and sat on the floor for an hour. We then watched 70 people pre-board with kids. I'm glad for them. I'm sure they're a joy, but watching a groups of six, seven and eight board with a single three year old seemed like gaming the system.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I just flew out of Orlando on Friday night... usually on the flights that I fly, people don't start lining up till 30 mins prior to boarding. But this flight, they lined up an hour prior to the flight. I had an A, so I didn't mind. The gate agent (who was really great) got on the PA and let folks know that those preboarding with 4 and under would be allowed direct family only. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and "those you met at SeaWorld" would have to general board. Preboarding ended up being only 10 or 15 people.

 

[Gary M]

We are flying on SWA out of IND to MCO tomorrow morning and I expect the same massive preboarding situation. Last time we flew on SWA to MCO we had more preboarding than those who didn't preboard. I was the only white haired person not in the preboarding line. It was entertaining watching the old people running on the plane trying to beat the kids and their families on. This is one thing I don't like about SWA. I guess I'll just sit back and watch the show tomorrow morning. For our Feb. trip to WDW we have reserved seats on ATA, I just hope they are still in business then.

 

[DVC-Don]

I hear you. Last April we had to change planes in Las Vegas on our return from DL. We were at the end of the C line when a young lady, about 20, got in line behind us. Then just before the pre-boards started she walked up to a family there and asked if she could be their daughter!! And they said sure! I was steaming as the gate agent saw the whole thing and let her pre-board with her new family.

 

[SB in KY]

This thread is going to be great!!! Just keep your sense of humor...I think a lot depends on the gate agent....last easter there were exactly 16 of us on a full flight that did NOT preboard!! We had seats in the gate area right by the entrance to the jetway, so we just sat back and watched the "Pre Show"

There was a woman that I swear could not have been over 45 preboarding because she had her husbands AARP card and he wasn't even with her!!, they said families with children under 8 could preboard and some of those "8 year olds" had a 5 o'clock shadow...there was a family group of 9 people that preboarded because the daughter had "just turned 8" my daughters and I busted out laughing when we heard that one....we had seen the same "eight year old" smoking and talking on her cell phone 30 minutes earlier and although short she was filling out a D-cup better than any 8 year old I ever saw!!

The gate agent never stopped any of them. We knew we weren't going to get seats together no matter what letter boarding passes we had so we just sat there and watched it all....it was absolutely amazing to me what people would do to get on that plane 5 feet in front of someone else....ultimate irony....when we finally got on the plane I ended up sitting next to the "8 year old" in the D-cup who was sitting by herself because she did not want to be anywhere near her family!!!

The good news however is that a couple of weeks ago I was flying solo home from MCO (conference for work) and they made a point of limiting preboarding to children under 4 (and no more than 2 adults plus other children in the group) and seniors that needed extra assistance and 1 accompanying adult per senior (and they turned away almost as many people trying to preboard as they let through...i.e., seniors in wheelchairs and those that were obviosly frail and slow got on with 1 other adult, but they made the rest of the family wait and the seniors that ran to the gate faster than I could when they called for pre-boarding were told to wait until their boarding group was called....and kids that looked closer to graduating from high school than pre-school and their large extended families were turned back.)

One last aside....just when you think most people in the world are good....you meet the mom from hell. She had 2 elementary school aged children (I would guess maybe 9 and 11) and there were 4 adults in their group and she goes ballistic when they are not allowed to preboard...so she stands there and argues for 10 minutes and then proceeds to question why he lets all these other people pre-board, blah, blah, blah. Towards the end of the preboarding line is a family with an obviously ill child in a wheel chair....child is deathly thin, sallow complexion, has the chemotherapy bald head and a feeding tube.And bless her heart she is hanging on for dear life to a "House of Hope" bear and of course the mother from hell loudly points out that this child is over 4, "So maybe next time I will just rent a wheelchair and tell one of my kids to look sick so you will let us on too"...the sick child's mother never batted an eye and says "Well maybe next time we will all get lucky and one of your children will have cancer and my daughter will be strong and healthy and you can get on the freakin plane before us"
I wanted to give her a standing ovation!!

 

[Cora]

First SB in Ky...I'm with you too! I'd be standing a cheering alongside of you.

The last couple times we've flown SWA out of Providence, they have indicated that since there are so many with children there will be no pre-board. Only those that are infirmed, etc. can pre-board. This is the way it should be.

 

[Free4Life11]

I don't like that pre-board business one bit. If you are disabled or an old person I can understand or maybe LITTLE kids. But I do not think it is critical that entire families and their teenage children sit together. If it's really that important don't fly Southwest.That's what I hate about Southwest. Well that and the fact that my last SWA flight was so late I nearly missed my friends gradation (funny too because they were the ONLY airline that was delayed going to Chicago due to weather...I still can't figure out that onel; go figure, guess that's what you get for going on the cheap airline). Thank God they un-checked my bag for me. If they hadn't that would have been another 30-45 minutes at the airport. And once I had to sit in a really weird seat facing the BACK of the plane. I did NOT like that because I kept bumping knees and it was creeping because it always felt like the people across were staring at us. Oh well that's the joys of cheap transportation, just gotta live with it.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

One last aside....just when you think most people in the world are good....you meet the mom from hell.

Such a sad story when a mother would stoop so low as to make a comment like that.

I think I might have encountered her cousin or sister or something. While boarding my flight, this lady had seated her 10 year old daughter in the exit row. It was a brand new (or newly redone) plane, the row was clearly labeled 15 and over. The flight attendant came over, and told her that she would have to move. The mother (who was sitting in the row behind her) went ballistic, because the flight was now 95% full. "What are we supposed to do now?!" blah blah blah. The FA simply stated "Well honey, YOU can switch with her." So once the switch was done, the FA starts to go over the exit row information, and the mother was like, "whatever!" and practically shooed her away.

It's a shame the Airline cameras weren't at OIA.

 

[inkkognito]

I know this belongs on the Budget Board, but I see how I am going to finance my future Orlando flights. I will fly Southwest, bring my little nephew, and sell "family rights" to the highest bidders.
Barb

 

[NotUrsula]

The word going 'round on the Flyertalk boards is that SWA is drafting a new procedure to crack down on preboarding abuses. Supposedly this new policy is going to be implemented sometime before the end of 2005.

With any luck, the era of whole extended families piggybacking on the preboard status of one disabled person or one child will be a memory soon.

 

[OKW Lover]

Stories like this should make people think twice about booking with SWA unless the absolutely don't care about where they sit.

 

[treehugger]

The word going 'round on the Flyertalk boards is that SWA is drafting a new procedure to crack down on preboarding abuses. Supposedly this new policy is going to be implemented sometime before the end of 2005.

With any luck, the era of whole extended families piggybacking on the preboard status of one disabled person or one child will be a memory soon.

When I called SW the other day to check on my Rapid Rewards I was talking to the guy for quite awhile. Among other things he also indicated that they will soon be cracking down on preboarding abuse. I love SW and all my experiences have been positive. At least I know they'll be there in 2005!

 

[crazywig]

The last couple times we've flown SWA out of Providence, they have indicated that since there are so many with children there will be no pre-board. Only those that are infirmed, etc. can pre-board. This is the way it should be.

as a mom of a 2yr old and a 3m old, i would like to add 'people installing carseats' to your list.

we fly out of pvd as well. we got stuck in security hell one time and missed the preboarding. i think i hit about 10 people on the noggin trying to get the carseat down the aisle. i felt like such a jerk! (i wish i could remember why i and not my dh, was carrying it).

 

[Jeanny]

Hey Tyler~
we must have had the same gate agent. She said the same thing.. Aunts, uncles, grandparents and the 50 other relatives will NOT be allowed to board with the ONE child under 4. ONLY the parents!!!

The "preboarders" can save a seat for the rest of their entourage when they got on the plane. I thought "Good, it's about time they did something about the "entire" family boarding with ONE kid", we usually see about half the plane preboard because they have one or two children and 10 aunts & uncles. The gate agent actually told two "aunts" they couldn't board with their "sister & her family", that they had to wait their turn.... We sat on the floor for about 1.5 hours, but it wasn't a problem, we both had books to read and there were only about 7-8 families who preboarded. We stopped in BWI, so we were able to change seats after everyone else got off.

 

[bopeep9207]

Stories like this should make people think twice about booking with SWA unless the absolutely don't care about where they sit.

I respectfully disagree. We fly them often and have only once not sat together and that is because we were late to the airport.
I will take southwest anytime and know my flight will not be cancelled, changed or the airline will not be bankrupt when it is time to fly.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I respectfully disagree. We fly them often and have only once not sat together and that is because we were late to the airport.
I will take southwest anytime and know my flight will not be cancelled, changed or the airline will not be bankrupt when it is time to fly.

Indeed, I agree.

I might also point out that even with assigned seating, it's no guarantee that your seats will stay the same. How many stories have we heard on here about that...

 

[BonSchwe]

DH an I are flying out in Feb. on SW for the first time but we plan on getting to the airport early. We won't have the kids with us so if we don't sit together we won't be sweating it. I'm interested in the pre-board show. It always amazes me the things that people will do if they think they can get ahead of someone. It's almost scary sometimes.

 

[OKW Lover]

Indeed, I agree.

I might also point out that even with assigned seating, it's no guarantee that your seats will stay the same. How many stories have we heard on here about that...

Sorry, I'm not buying that. I fly 8-12 RT's a year and the only time I've not had my assigned seat honored is on the _very_ rare occasion that there is an equipment change.

And with assigned seats, I can be pretty well assured I won't get the dreaded middle seat.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Sorry, I'm not buying that. I fly 8-12 RT's a year and the only time I've not had my assigned seat honored is on the _very_ rare occasion that there is an equipment change.

And with assigned seats, I can be pretty well assured I won't get the dreaded middle seat.

I'm just saying that based on my personal experience, and that posted by other posters.

 

[disneyjunkie]

The "preboarders" can save a seat for the rest of their entourage when they got on the plane.

If they won't allow everyone to board together, why do they allow the preboarders to hold seats?

Southwest has great fares,but their policies keep me from flying them.