SW and early bird option.....

[edk35]

I would think having just one person would give the protection of not having anyone next to him with peanuts. Him at the window you in the middle.

Yeah the person at the aisle could take out a bag, but so could the person sitting behind him and honestly that person is closer.

I am NOT going to argue about this with you. I have 3 kids with peanut allergies. I will do what I feel is best for them. We have flown many times successfully on SW and that is all I am trying to do now. SW has always been great. I simply asked a question because we have not flown in over 2 years and we never had to use EBCI. I just spoke with my daughter and she said when she flew SW in Jan. with her boyfriend they were both able to pre board. I am sure SW will allow one of us to go on with him.

 

[kamik86]

I am NOT going to argue about this with you. I have 3 kids with peanut allergies. I will do what I feel is best for them. We have flown many times successfully on SW and that is all I am trying to do now. SW has always been great. I simply asked a question because we have not flown in over 2 years and we never had to use EBCI. I just spoke with my daughter and she said when she flew SW in Jan. with her boyfriend they were both able to pre board. I am sure SW will allow one of us to go on with him.

Not sure why your being so defensive. If you read my post I did still say one person would be able to go with them and understand why that would make sense, but I don't understand why a second person would make them safer.

If I don't understand then its also possible a gate agent wouldn't and wouldn't give you the permission to all preboard. Normal procedure is one companion is allowed, the rest is up to the gate agent.

Yeah I could tell you that everyone will get to preboard and it will all go great. But what if it doesn't? If I don't understand why a third person would help then the gate agent may not either and could choose to not allow the third person to preboard.

I assumed you would want to be prepared for issues you might face and not just told everything will be easy.

 

[supersnoop]

I am NOT going to argue about this with you. I have 3 kids with peanut allergies. I will do what I feel is best for them. We have flown many times successfully on SW and that is all I am trying to do now. SW has always been great. I simply asked a question because we have not flown in over 2 years and we never had to use EBCI. I just spoke with my daughter and she said when she flew SW in Jan. with her boyfriend they were both able to pre board. I am sure SW will allow one of us to go on with him.

Anyone can preboard. You just have to tell the folks at the gate that you need to preboard and they'll give you a special pass. If you preboard, you won't be allowed to sit in the exit row. That's really the only rule.

 

[edk35]

just be aware that SWA hands out little bags of peanuts on every flight.....I don't know how allergic your ds is, but they do.

Nope not if there is a passenger that added 'peanut allergy' to their reservation.

 

[Baklava]

Honestly, even if he had to board alone, I suspect that pretty much nobody is going to look at the guy scrubbing down a row and go, "Oh! That's where I want to sit! Gotta take that seat!"

People are either going to understand what he's doing and respect the fact that his family are the best people to sit with him or they're going to think he's a little odd (and who cares?) and opt not to sit next to him. I would assume he had special needs of one sort or the other and leave that row alone.

 

[FreeTime]

Every time we have flown SW and I call to make sure the "peanut allergy" did get added from me adding it online, they always say that we should try and travel on the first flight. Here is the info from their website: We suggest that Customers with peanut dust allergies book travel on early morning flights as our aircraft undergo a thorough cleaning only at the end of the day.

We also like to sit together because personally we don't want someone sitting next to him that might whip out a peanut candy or peanut product. It is just one more precaution. Can we always do that?? NO....one day he might travel alone just like our older son has done a few times and our daughter. She actually had someone sit next to her that had peanuts and she kindly asked the man if he could refrain from eating them while on the plane. He was very nice and didn't. However if at least ONE of us can board with him....that makes it easier to wipe down stuff fast as others are boarding. If my husband can't board then of course he will board when it's his time. If he can't sit with us, then if someone else sits there and they whip out peanuts we will hope they will be nice enough not to eat them too. My point about EBCI is I don't really want to pay for all 3 of us if they end up preboarding all of us anyway. In previous trips we always preboarded together. That is the point I made

I don't believe everything I read. One has to protect themselves. For the record, my youngest has peanut allergies as well. She is 14. We always go to the counter, they call back to the gate to "pull the peanuts" as they call it. But she knows to take care of herself. I can't protect her at school. At ball games. When she is at the movies. She would do as your daughter does and politely ask them to put it away.

 

[edk35]

I don't believe everything I read. One has to protect themselves. For the record, my youngest has peanut allergies as well. She is 14. We always go to the counter, they call back to the gate to "pull the peanuts" as they call it. But she knows to take care of herself. I can't protect her at school. At ball games. When she is at the movies. She would do as your daughter does and politely ask them to put it away.

EXACTLY.....it's called being proactive. I add it to the reservation, I call about a week out and we go to the counter to let them know too. My whole reason for starting this thread was because we had not flown in 2 1/2 years and I was wondering if anything had changed and if anyone could chime in with their experience.

My kids have survived thru school too. Knock on wood. Sure there were a few close calls but we/they have always had a plan of action. I have raised three peanut allergic kids (one severe and treenuts too) and some people just don't understand/get food allergies.

 

[mb187143]

I flew SW yesterday on the first flight out to MCO from PHL. The flight was peanut free. About 2/3 of the way through the flight I reached under the seat in front of me to grab my bag to get my tablet and I found the bottom of my bag covered in crushed peanuts. There must have been a pile of them under the seat from a previous flight. Since we were the first flight out in the morning, it's pretty obvious the cleaning wasn't as thorough as one would hope.

 

[piccolopat]

Here's the thing. If more and more people claim to need a medical preboard just to get a better seat, things will change and not necessarily for the better. We already know that there are people willing to game the system for their own benefit and avoid extra fees. Only some medical preboard really need a companion anyway, such as those with mobility issues and young children. At 16, your son doesn't need a companion, but for now SW allows one. It would be good for him to begin to do his own wipe down since you won't always be there for him. Good luck.

 

[wdwfan1]

OKay we have not flown to Disney since spring of 2013. We have been driving....however we are flying out of BWI in MD on the 18th. My guess is that "A" boarding is impossible to get with this new option.....AM I CORRECT?? I am debating on whether to pay for this new service or not.

ALSO, my 16 year old son has a peanut allergy (as do all three of my kids) and "usually" we have boarded early to be able to wipe down tray tops and all. I am assuming because of his age that they might let him board ahead without myself or my husband. Does anyone know if they let all guests traveling together.... board together still? The last time we flew it was my daughter who was 22 and he was 13 and we all three boarded together. I don't want to pay 37.50 if we were all allowed to board together.

Often flights from BWI originate from somewhere else (NY, Connecticut, etc) so there could already be passengers on the plane when you board.

 

[edk35]

Here's the thing. If more and more people claim to need a medical preboard just to get a better seat, things will change and not necessarily for the better. We already know that there are people willing to game the system for their own benefit and avoid extra fees. Only some medical preboard really need a companion anyway, such as those with mobility issues and young children. At 16, your son doesn't need a companion, but for now SW allows one. It would be good for him to begin to do his own wipe down since you won't always be there for him. Good luck.

When our kids were younger (25, 22 and 16 now)....we always traveled with the "PEANUT ALLERGY LETTER". I made sure our pediatrician gave us a new one each year (we go to Disney just about every year) when I got the kids forms filled out for school for their epi pens. NOT once did SW want to see that letter. I would pull it out at the counter and before I could even open it, they would tell me that it was not needed because it was noted on the reservation. We have never used this allergy to preboard for a better seat. I would HOPE that people would not abuse this. IF SW would ASK for documentation from a doctor it would probably help as far as abusing goes. We always checked in 24 hours in advance regardless and usually got A or B but we never had to get in line because we were able to preboard. If the SW agent is going to offer up that our entire family can board I am not turning it down. There will be three of us flying next week and if ONLY one of us can board with our son, then the other will just wait in the regular boarding line. From what I have been told....they do still allow one person to board. My daughter and her bf flew in Jan. and they allowed him to board with her.