SW pre-board with Dr's note?

[kpm76]

We are traveling on Wed with our 3 yr old and 4 month old. My DH had back surgery 3 weeks ago and has lifting restrictions and needs more time to get settled on the plane. His surgeon provided a note stating this and I assume we show this to the gate attendant and we will be provided a blue sleeve allowing us to pre-board. The SW website does not speak to this specific issue so I wondered if anyone had experience with pre-boarding after surgery and if it was a smooth process or if the attendant gave you any trouble. Thanks so much!

 

[SueM in MN]

They don’t make it easy to find on their website (most of the airlines don’t make it easy), but the information is there if you can find it. Here’s a link to Southwest’s page about people with disabilities needing extra time to board.

And, here’s a quote from the page:
"Priority preboarding is available for those who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability and/or need assistance in boarding the aircraft or stowing an assistive device. If a Customer has a disability and requires preboarding, the Customer should request a blue preboarding sleeve from our Customer Service Agent at the departure gate. The sleeve serves as notification to our Operations (Boarding) Agent that the Customer has a need to preboard.”

They can’t actually require a letter from the doctor, but since he has one and since the condition is temporary, I would have the letter ready to show if you need to.

 

[TiggerStac]

just be aware, they may only let your hubby preboard. Tampa gave us a hardtime boarding as a family. We have 20 month old with nut allergy, so we need to get everything washed down around him. They let one of us and child down, in Tampa, but in Manchester, they let us all down. SO he had to watch the kid w/the allergy while he cleaned everything down and strapped in his seat. thankfully he wasn't running up and down the aisles.

When I mentioned in Tampa that we were all able to go down, the gate agent gave me an attitude and said "we have a lot of preboarding here in tampa" yup, they had 2 elderly and my son...

ps....I didn't even know about the preboarding until I called to have the nut allergy noted on my sons ticket. they told me about it and what to do over the phone.

 

[Vijoge]

I have back problems and, on occassion, have had to pre-board on SWA. You won't need the doctors note-they will take your word for it. They have always allowed my husband to pre-board with me, and sometimes (but not always) our adult son. Of course, your kids are little and they will board with you.

 

[kpm76]

Thanks everyone! TiggerStac, thanks for the heads up. Hopefully, they will allow all of us to pre-board but at least I am prepared if they don't. DH cannnot even lift his carry-on. I am really hoping we can all go with him so I can have extra time getting him comfortable, getting the car seats installed and the kids settled. This has great potential for resembling a skit from Saturday Night Live! I don't want to hold other people up during boarding but we need more than one row and I'm working alone, which is why pre-boarding will be really great.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If they don't let you all preboard, you don't NEED the carseat for the three year old. Check it; SW will (or should) even be able to provide you with a sturdy plastic bag for it, and they don't count it toward your luggage allowance. Check as much as possible.
Have your three year old board with your husband, with very strict instructions for them to go at least 2/3 if not 3/4 of the way back in the plane and sit in middle seats with your three year old in front of your husband.
When you and the infant board with Family Boarding - if you're not in the A group and didn't pay for EBCI, the three year old can move to the window or aisle seat next to dad, and you and the baby can take that seat and the window seat.

EBCI for all of you might be worth the money.

 

[Brenle]

We had the same problem preboarding as a family. In Rhode Island we all (4 of us) preboarded because of child's nut allergy. In Orlando, different story. One parent with the child. I would definitely bring the doctor's note just in case there's an issue. Hope you have a safe trip.

 

[summerrluvv]

just be aware, they may only let your hubby preboard. Tampa gave us a hardtime boarding as a family. We have 20 month old with nut allergy, so we need to get everything washed down around him. They let one of us and child down, in Tampa, but in Manchester, they let us all down. SO he had to watch the kid w/the allergy while he cleaned everything down and strapped in his seat. thankfully he wasn't running up and down the aisles.

When I mentioned in Tampa that we were all able to go down, the gate agent gave me an attitude and said "we have a lot of preboarding here in tampa" yup, they had 2 elderly and my son...

ps....I didn't even know about the preboarding until I called to have the nut allergy noted on my sons ticket. they told me about it and what to do over the phone.

I got the same jerky attitude from someone on our way back from Orlando last year. It baffles me why people work with the public if they don't like dealing with people. I had no idea what the real policy was since it was our first time doing pre-board and on the way down they let us all go.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Since it sounds like your husband needs you for assistance then you and he would be allowed to preboard. And since your children are small they can't get there later on their own so they would have to go with you! Just make sure that when you get the preboard sleeve that you tell them he needs you to assist him.

 

[kpm76]

Thanks again everyone! Lovetoscrap, you are exactly right; my DH does need me. Our flight is tomorrow and we checked in online just in case and got A. I decided to just bring a booster seat for my DD so I'm checking that. Hauling the Britax seemed like a nightmare waiting to happen and she's on the tall side so I wasn't sure her legs would even fit without causing disruption to the person in front of her.