Southwest - preboard and exit row questions

[nkereina]

My question is, could he have handled his responsibilities if everything wasn't fine? If not, he had no business being in the exit row, and shame on both of you for sitting in one.

Your FA was clueless. No one in a knee brace should be sitting in an exit row. You should know better as well.

Sad someone knowingly jeopardized all the passengers on the plane comes to report about it!

This is like those who take advantage of DAS, etc

Relax guys. DH is wearing a knee brace that has full range of motion. He also works in a warehouse setting requiring him to lift things much heavier than the emergency exit door. He is able bodied and would have been a great help in the case of a real emergency, God forbid. If it's actually true that no knee braces are permitted in the emergency exit row, then all six of the flight attendants we encountered on our flights apparently need further training or else they saw he was fine and able bodied as well. Its harsh to make judgmental statements and jump to terrible conclusions without knowing our situation.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

1. According to Seat Guru, our Southwest plane tomorrow should have a row 11 exit row that has two seats and lacks a window seat. This means the row 12 window seat has ample leg room due to no seat in front of it. Does anyone know if row 12 is also considered an exit row? Would a pre-board person be precluded from sitting in that seat? I know pre-boarders are not permitted to sit in exit rows.

2. DH will be wearing a knee brace due to a torn ACL, and may want to preboard to ensure he can either sit in bulkhead or possibly in the row 12 window seat I mentioned above (if allowable), so he can keep his leg outstretched during the flight. Is this something he would be allowed a pre-board card for? Does anyone know if they will need a doctor's note or should we have one just in case?

3. Will I be permitted to board with DH if he does pre-board?

Thanks all!

Relax guys. DH is wearing a knee brace that has full range of motion. He also works in a warehouse setting requiring him to lift things much heavier than the emergency exit door. He is able bodied and would have been a great help in the case of a real emergency, God forbid. If it's actually true that no knee braces are permitted in the emergency exit row, then all six of the flight attendants we encountered on our flights apparently need further training or else they saw he was fine and able bodied as well. Its harsh to make judgmental statements and jump to terrible conclusions without knowing our situation.

In your first message you specifically asked if preboards could sit in exit row. People clearly said not allowed. Then after trip you come back and say you didn't preboard and sat in exit row with knee brace on. Nobody was judgmental, harsh or terrible by saying he shouldn't have sat there. As adults you knew he shouldn't have sat there- with a knee brace obviously knee has issues which could slow his ability down.

You asked if allowed. People said no. You circumvented the system and didn't preboard, came back said sat in row with no issues then get mad when people said you were wrong. Two huge errors here- your judgement and FA too busy to notice.

 

[SirDuff]

Relax guys. DH is wearing a knee brace that has full range of motion. He also works in a warehouse setting requiring him to lift things much heavier than the emergency exit door. He is able bodied and would have been a great help in the case of a real emergency, God forbid.

Then why were you planning to pre-board? That's for people who need more time to board - which he clearly doesn't. I know that you didn't (presumably to get the seats you wanted) but the thread started on the premise that he was going to.

 

[Simba's Mom]

And from my experience, the Flight Attendants take their "no exit row for pre boarders" policy VERY seriously. One time I'd pre boarded, then I was going back to the restroom. I stepped into the exit row just to let some one pass (I'd already taken my non-exit-row seat). A flight attendant immediately ran up to me and told me sternly that I couldn't sit there. When we straightened out what I was doing in the exit row at that moment, and where I was really sitting, all was well and she smiled again. But for a brief moment, boy did she look stern!

 

[supersnoop]

Then why were you planning to pre-board? That's for people who need more time to board - which he clearly doesn't. I know that you didn't (presumably to get the seats you wanted) but the thread started on the premise that he was going to.

She wanted to preboard to have a better chance at that seat with the extra legroom.

 

[keishashadow]

Just returned and wanted to report that this doesn't seem to be true. We got early A boarding positions so opted not to pre-board. We got lucky both going and coming home and DH was able to get the "special" seat in row 12. Row 12 is indeed marked an exit row, and neither time was he given a hassle about his knee brace. Never even questioned about it. It's a large knee brace too from his physical therapist, the kind that they have to adjust for range of motion. So maybe it's just up to the flight attendant discretion, but it was fine both ways. Only thing we were told was that no pre-boards or children under age 15 were permitted to sit there.

You can't be surprised many are scratching their heads.

you first indicate your DH qualified for pre-boarding (via a disability/knee brace, serious enough that he is under medical care of a PT).

Then, you insist he is fully capable to perform the duties entailed to sit in the exit row.

Even though nothing is stated re knee braces (specifically excluding one from sitting in the emergency exit row), the following rules from SWA's website clearly spell out that: "to comply with federal regulations a passenger seated in an exit seat must have sufficient mobility, strength or dexterity in both arms, hands & both legs..."

If your DH is wearing a brace, then he didn't qualify. Not pointing a finger, the FAs should've enforced the federal regulations if you didn't recognize you were in violation!

https://www.southwest.com/html/cust...el-needs/customers-with-disabilities-pol.html

Note:
The following requirements were created in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration Regulations to ensure the safety of everyone onboard the aircraft.

Emergency Exit Seating Requirements
Federal regulations require that a Customer select a non-exit seat if he or she cannot or does not wish to perform the following functions:

• Locate the emergency exit
• Recognize the emergency exit opening mechanism
• Comprehend the instructions for operating the emergency exit
• Operate the emergency exit
• Assess whether opening the emergency exit will increase the hazards to which passengers may be exposed
• Follow oral directions and hand signals given by a crewmember
• Stow and secure the emergency exit window so that it will not impede use of the exit
• Pass expeditiously through the emergency exit
• Assess, select, and follow a safe path away from the emergency exit

In addition, to comply with federal regulations a passenger seated in an exit seat must have sufficient mobility, strength or dexterity in both arms, hands, and both legs to:

• Reach upward, sideways, and downward to the location of the emergency exit
• Grasp and push, pull, turn, or otherwise manipulate mechanisms
• Push, shove, pull, or otherwise open the emergency exit
• Lift out, hold, deposit on nearby seats, or maneuver over the seatbacks to the next row or out the opening objects the size and weight of over-wing window exit doors
• Remove obstructions similar in size and weight to overwing exit windows
• Reach the emergency exit expeditiously
• Maintain balance while removing obstructions
• Exit expeditiously

A passenger seated in an exit seat must:

• Be 15 years of age or older
• Have the capacity to perform the applicable functions without the assistance of an adult companion, parent, or other relative
• Have the ability to read and understand instructions related to emergency evacuation provided by Southwest in printed or graphic form
• Have the ability to understand oral crew commands
• Have sufficient visual capacity to perform applicable functions without the assistance of visual aids beyond contact lenses or eyeglasses
• Have sufficient aural capacity to hear and understand instructions shouted by Flight Attendants without assistance beyond a hearing aid
• Have the ability to adequately impart information orally in English to other passengers

A passenger seated in an exit seat must not:

• Have preboarded
• Use a portable oxygen concentrator
• Require a seat belt extension to fasten his or her seat belt
• Have a condition or responsibilities, such as caring for small children or pets, that might prevent them from performing the applicable functions
• Have a condition that might cause the person harm if he or she performs one or more of the applicable functions

 

[SirDuff]

She wanted to preboard to have a better chance at that seat with the extra legroom.

But that is not what it is for, which is why I asked/am confused (not sure if you're being sarcastic or not).

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

But that is not what it is for, which is why I asked/am confused (not sure if you're being sarcastic or not).

No, it's actually a very common SW gimmick the "Oh I need assistance to pre-board" for things that in fact you don't need pre-board but want your choice of seats. IMHO OP's motive was clear from the very first post AKA "we found an excuse to preboard so now we can get the exit row" Too bad SW rewarded them, the FA could actually be in big trouble had this been caught!

 

[KyleAfterAWhile]

If row 11 is the exit row, how is row 12 the exit row, too?

Two rows are exit rows as the door to exit in the event of an emergency take up that much space.

 

[leebee]

I don't see where he violated the "Emergency Exit Seating Requirements" as outlined above. NOWHERE does it say he can't be wearing a knee brace, need to squat or do deep knee bends, or anything related to his knee. If he's in the type of knee brace I am envisioning (DonJoy, hinged knee joint), he should have no problems doing what would need to be done with the emergency exit. If the flight attendants had no problem with him sitting there, why would anyone on the DIS feel the need to be so condescending, judgmental, and chastising as I'm seeing in some of these posts?

 

[KrazeeK120]

I don't see where he violated the "Emergency Exit Seating Requirements" as outlined above. NOWHERE does it say he can't be wearing a knee brace, need to squat or do deep knee bends, or anything related to his knee. If he's in the type of knee brace I am envisioning (DonJoy, hinged knee joint), he should have no problems doing what would need to be done with the emergency exit. If the flight attendants had no problem with him sitting there, why would anyone on the DIS feel the need to be so condescending, judgmental, and chastising as I'm seeing in some of these posts?

I think the hangup is that this person wanted to preboard. A person who needs to preboard presumably isn't fit to carry out exit row duties. It's not the knee brace that's the problem...it's the need to preboard.

 

[DebbieB]

And from my experience, the Flight Attendants take their "no exit row for pre boarders" policy VERY seriously. One time I'd pre boarded, then I was going back to the restroom. I stepped into the exit row just to let some one pass (I'd already taken my non-exit-row seat). A flight attendant immediately ran up to me and told me sternly that I couldn't sit there. When we straightened out what I was doing in the exit row at that moment, and where I was really sitting, all was well and she smiled again. But for a brief moment, boy did she look stern!

I've seen the gate agent give the first non pre-boarder their boarding pass and tells them to give it to the FA at the door. This signals the FA that the pre-boards are done.

 

[keishashadow]

I don't see where he violated the "Emergency Exit Seating Requirements" as outlined above. NOWHERE does it say he can't be wearing a knee brace, need to squat or do deep knee bends, or anything related to his knee. If he's in the type of knee brace I am envisioning (DonJoy, hinged knee joint), he should have no problems doing what would need to be done with the emergency exit. If the flight attendants had no problem with him sitting there, why would anyone on the DIS feel the need to be so condescending, judgmental, and chastising as I'm seeing in some of these posts?

He must have a medical condition if wearing a brace & seeing a PT. That in itself disqualifies him according to their policy. Whether unsteady on feet or joint not strong enough, there is a reason he's wearing it.

The brace may be working fine for him, up to when it won't. No medical device is infallible.

The FAs dropped the ball.

 

[nacho113]

I don't see where he violated the "Emergency Exit Seating Requirements" as outlined above. NOWHERE does it say he can't be wearing a knee brace, need to squat or do deep knee bends, or anything related to his knee. If he's in the type of knee brace I am envisioning (DonJoy, hinged knee joint), he should have no problems doing what would need to be done with the emergency exit. If the flight attendants had no problem with him sitting there, why would anyone on the DIS feel the need to be so condescending, judgmental, and chastising as I'm seeing in some of these posts?

...but would you want to be the passenger(s) waiting for him to open that door in the case of an emergency or fire or... (even if it only took an extra second or 2 to open the door???
JMHO

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I don't see where he violated the "Emergency Exit Seating Requirements" as outlined above. NOWHERE does it say he can't be wearing a knee brace, need to squat or do deep knee bends, or anything related to his knee. If he's in the type of knee brace I am envisioning (DonJoy, hinged knee joint), he should have no problems doing what would need to be done with the emergency exit. If the flight attendants had no problem with him sitting there, why would anyone on the DIS feel the need to be so condescending, judgmental, and chastising as I'm seeing in some of these posts?

No what you are seeing is the "I didn't really even need early boarding but abused the system to get what I wanted"

If you can perform the exit row requirements you don't need pre boarding time. It's that simple

 

[Simba's Mom]

If he pre boarded, he violated the emergency exit row rules just by that. I thought it said that no one who pre boards is allowed to sit in the exit row. He broke the rules-maybe understandable with his knee, but still wrong.

 

[maxiesmom]

If he pre boarded, he violated the emergency exit row rules just by that. I thought it said that no one who pre boards is allowed to sit in the exit row. He broke the rules-maybe understandable with his knee, but still wrong.

And the odd thing is, the FAs usually block off the exit rows for pre-boarding. They totally messed up if they let a pre-board into an exit row.

 

[SirDuff]

If he pre boarded, he violated the emergency exit row rules just by that. I thought it said that no one who pre boards is allowed to sit in the exit row. He broke the rules-maybe understandable with his knee, but still wrong.

The OP says that they didn't end up pre-boarding.