Southwest Seniors and preboarding?

[Pooh's Pal]

My mom is flying alone out of Harford on Monday morning with Southwest to meet me in Baltimore. She is 78 and in pretty good health, but I can't imagne her standing in those A, B & C lines an hour or two before boarding.
Should she call ahead and ask for pre-boarding or just ask when she gets to the airport.
She is traveling on a senior citizens rate and has to go to the ticket counter anyways to pay for and get her ticket, as they did not issue her one yet. She'll be there plenty early.
So....should she call ahead or just wing it and hope someone notices that she's older and takes her aboard early???!!!

 

[iluvtink]

I don't think SWy will pre-board Mom if she's not wheelchair or cane-bound or painfully slow ... my mom is 75 and she has to wait with everyone else.

That being said, if you book her ticket on line, you (or someone near her) can go on-line at 12:01 a.m. the day she flies, and print out her boarding pass using her confirmation # for the flight to get it.

Then she can carry that with her and when she gets to the gate, she can just have a seat in the waiting area. Some people do line up in the A, B, and C areas early, but most people don't, until maybe 15-20 minutes before the flight boards, and many A's just wait until they call for pre-boarding passengers and then they line up behind the A's already there. If she's an A, she won't get a seat on the back of the plane unless she chooses to go back that far, even with a "B" pass, she shouldn't have a problem.

I hope this eases your worries... she shouldn't have to stand in line very long at all.

Kim

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

SWA will preboard your mom if she requests it at the departure gate. Preboarding is for those with special needs, children under 5 and under and those who need more time. I would say, spry as she probably is, that she would need extra time. She needs to be at the departure gate to request preboarding and she does need to ask for a preboarding sleeve.

She cannot print the boarding pass online, she has to go to the counter. Her ticket falls into the "cannot print online" group.

I don't mean to be offensive at all here, ok? But, Bradley now has a new terminal and SWA is in it. The walk from the front door to the gates is kind of long, the floors are slick, they keep them very buffed, sooooo, maybe your Mom might consider a wheel chair to get her to the gate.

Hope this helps and hope that your Mom has a great flight.

 

[NotUrsula]

If she's traveling alone and she is in good health, why would she need to wait in line at all? A seat is a seat, and as she only needs one, she is sure to get one if she has a boarding pass. You're still in your boarding group even if you don't stand in line. If she gets there plenty early and gets an A or B pass, there is little liklihood that she will end up sitting next to the toilets.

 

[sandyneck]

I agree with the above poster. Most people who line up early are families with children over 5 who want to make sure they can sit together. When DH and I went alone (just once!) we stayed seated until our letter was called and most of the people had boarded and we got seats together no problem. Since your Mom only needs one seat, there really is no reason for her to wait in line with everyone else. Remember there are lots of seniors flying to Florida, so it is doubtful she would get preboarded unless in a wheelchair or using a cane or walker. Tell her to relax and enjoy the trip!!

 

[sandyneck]

Hey Pooh's Pal!! Didn't realize that was you! We are going next week!! Have a great time with your Mom!!!

 

[Pooh's Pal]

Hey Sandyneck!! No, not going to Disney, only to Baltimore...but I'm going for a job interview that just might bring me to Orlando alot!!! I'll tell ya when I get back!! debbi