SWA need to rethink Preboarding

[Gary M]

When we flew from IND to MCO this past Feb. at least one-half of the passengers pre-boarded. In pre-boarding you would have a small child with an entourage and people with gray hair carrying all of their earthly belongings on the plane with them. When they were given the OK to board, it was funny to see the scramble. I think I was the only person, with gray hair, that didn't pre-board.

The times I fly SWA, I just head to the back of the plane and get my aisle seat.

 

[inkkognito]

The pre-board crowd is a HUGE reason that I don't fly Southwest. My husband and I have seen enough out-of-control pre-boards on other airlines, but if you have pre-assigned seats, it doesn't matter. Orlando is a family destination, so with kids we are in the minority. I don't feel like checking in online early to get an A pass and then getting lousy seats anyway.
I've never found Southwest to be cheaper than ATA for the days/times that we fly anyway. Of course, now I am VERY spoiled with ATA because we have "elite" status and get to pre-board on all our flights. Too bad they're going bankrupt!
Barb

 

[MagEpcDisAni Voyager]

can any1 tell me about SWA out of Islip?

 

[maureenmac]

We have had not so bad boarding and horrible boarding out ouf Islip. Orlando is 300% worse than Islip. Each yr. Islip has more people pre-boarding. People learn the drill and figure out the way to do this. The last flight on SW in 02/04 three people boarded with an adult in a leg brace, in a wheelchair, 6 to 7 family members were getting on with 1 child. I had never seen it this bad at ISP. It has always been like that in MCO. We fly Jetblue out of JFK if the price is decent. ISP is only a last resort. We aren't old enough, young enough or Thank God disabled enough to pre-board SW. What bothers me more than the boarding process is the airline not knowing who is in which seat. Unfortunately, now the arline should not only know the names of all passengers and where they are on the plane. As said prior, the flights to Orlando would have more kids on them because of the destination, so certain times of the yr. are worse.

 

[Esmerelda]

I find this thread quite interesting. I have flown SW many times plus several other carriers. I have seen MORE folks get ticked off over their seats being incorrect when they HAD assigned seating. I have personally had Delta change my seats more times than I have fingers and toes....along with many other issues I would never fly them again even for a cheaper ticket.
I wish I could videotape every passenger that I have witnessed over the years that were unhappy with their seating arrangement on or off the plane. It waste a lot of time for all of us.

On the other hand regarding SW, I do get quite annoyed when an ENTIRE family boards due to one small child, one disabled child/adult, or an elderly person. I think only ONE person should be allowed to help that person/child board. It doesn't take a family of 10 to help a 3 yr old board a plane for goodness sakes!! I will be the first to complain at the airport if I am witnessing this in front of me. I patiently wait my turn at all times. My oldest son has severe asthma and I have never pre-boarded with him (even when he was very young, we had to run thru the Atlanta airport on 2 different occasions because our gate was incorrect on our tickets and we almost didn't make it....he was a wheezing mess...poor guy) We still patiently waited for our pass letter to be called. I think MORE folks need to speak up when the entire group is preboarding....its quite silly. For the record, even with C passes, me and my boys have always sat together though...no worries.

Overall...I think SW is a VERY good value for the money. We can fly non-stop for $549 for 4 of us....now that's a deal! The airport closer to us was around $180 each and that was with one change. So let me see....I could spend $720 and NOT fly non-stop, and get an assigned seat that would probably be changed in the end. Or I could spend $549 and pick my own seat...and save $171...wow...its a tuff one...but I'll take the $549 and pay for my rental car with the other $171...

keep on trucking SW...we love ya!
Esmerelda

 

[MagEpcDisAni Voyager]

Why does their pre-boarding process bother so many people? Because you have to wait to get seats and you may not be seated with your party?

 

[Esmerelda]

Hmmm..well ya know...MagEpcDisAni Voyager...I guess you're right. It really shouldn't be a big deal and we do always sit together. I guess it just sort of defeats the whole purpose of the A, B, C thing....

I think everyone should just wait and go as they are being called by there passes perhaps. Most groups will sit together anyhow. The only difference is that some groups will be on first but that's no big deal.

Heck...I'm just happy to get on and go with my boys...you're right....from now on...it won't bother me!!

thanks...I needed that! best wishes...
Esmerelda

 

[inkkognito]

I don't mind not sitting with my party if there is a good reason. For example, even though I fly on airlines with assigned seating, I once gave up my exit row seat next to my husband for a REALLY tall guy. Otherwise he would have spent the flight with his knees under his chin! If it can give someone comfort for me to sit away from my husband for a couple hours, no problem. And of course when I have flown standby, I had no problem being separated and wedged into a middle seat.
On Southwest, it would annoy me to be separate from my husband just because half the plane was families being allowed to preboard. I don't see a good reason for them to do so...maybe if you have a car seat to install, but other than that, why do a dozen people and one three year old need to get on first?
Barb

 

[SalandJeff]

I agree Barb...I prefer to sit with DH and if I cannot because of too many large groups preboarding, I am going to be upset.

I like SW and have gotten really cheap flights from Hartford to Orlando. We always used to fly Delta (only SW and Delta fly direct), but they have cut back to so few flights that I started trying SW.

It doesn't matter much to us where we sit on such a short flight, as long as we are together. But I find it very nerve-wracking at the airport...it almost like this competition where everyone starts getting in line way too early and jockeying for position. But these posts are right....I am going to not stress over the lines on our October trip. We'll get seats and probably together.

Thanks!

 

[dancemom3]

I tatally agree with pre-boarding getting out of hand. When we flew out of Islip 3 weeks ago, SW allowed only 1 person to board with the pre-boarder. However, when we left Tampa last week, there were entire families pre-boarding. After they all got onboard, a SW employee announced to the rest of us that things would change in Sept., and only 1 person would be able to board with a pre-boarder.

What bothered me the most about the Tampa flight home (and maybe it was just that it had been a long vacation and I was tired) was that all the preboarders sat up front and even with my A passes, my family of 5 sat near the back (I know we're all going to the same place, and yes, we did get to sit together.) The problem was that when we landed, it took forever to get off the plane. It took so long for all the preboarded families to gather their kids, their kids' things, the carseats, etc.. I think- and please, this is just my opinion- if people are preboarded to give them extra time to do so, then they ought to let everyone else get off the plane first giving them all the time (and room) they need to exit.

 

[bexareaglecheryl]

Have you ever watched A&E's show Airline which features Southwest Airlines? I find it to be a fascinating program. It really shows the genuine niceness of it's employees, but the 'head scratching' rules and procedures that are sometimes followed.

Last week there was a family of 6 who had booked their tickets 6 months in advance on SWA, showed up and they flight had been overbooked and only 2 seats were available to them. Of course, they didn't say if they had showed up early, on time or late. They had to fly into another airport then transfer and wound up getting into MCO (and meeting 4-6 other family members from other parts of the country) about 5-6 hours later than their original flight. Man, I would have been fuming( and they were too!). If I booked my flight that far in advance, I want to be sure I have a seat on the flight. It just seems as if this happens A LOT with SWA. I know that all airlines overbook, but to what degree is debateable. Every other show has some 'overbooking' problem.

I haven't flown SWA in about 15 years because of the 'cattle call'. SWA's rates out of San Antonio to out of state airports is most times really not as competitive as the others. My 2 cents.

 

[AllyBri]

Originally posted by inkkognito
On Southwest, it would annoy me to be separate from my husband just because half the plane was families being allowed to preboard.

Don't ever think that because there are just two of you that are not a family because you are.
A husband and wife traveling together are just as much a "family" as the husband and wife with 6 children.

 

[d4est]

Please don't flame me for asking....

I, most likely, will have just had foot surgery when we head to Orlando on our next trip. It will be me, DH, and DS (who is 7). Will I be allowed to preboard, as I am sure I will need some help? If my DH is allowed to assist me (one person to assist) will my son also be allowed to accompany us? Not trying to pull anything (no entourage...) but am sure I will need DH's help and cant imagine my 7 year old boarding on his own....

 

[BonnieA]

I've never dealt with SW and after reading these boards I might not want to. But it seems to me the whole problem with preboarding big family groups is simple to solve. They should make those groups pick seats in the back half of the plane. If they need extra time to preboard, then they need extra time to exit. Sitting in the back of the plane would allow them the extra time they require.

 

[LSchrow]

just our SWA experience~
our SWA islip/MCO tickets actually cost more than other airlines were offering out of JFK & LGA, but with parking vs limo, it was (almost) a wash.
booked O/L, called to seperate ressie so could check-in O/L. SWA CS told me there would be a charge cos the ticket prices had risen. on her advice, we declined, & decided to "arrive at least an hour early to get B seating" instead.
get to Islip TWO hours early (7:10) flight. get C seating
waaaaaaaaaaaait on line, & we're the second to last group to board.
managed to get 2 seats (last row) together for DH & DS, a few rows away get another 2 for DD & self.
exiting was even more chaotic, as ppl tried to find where the overhead where they managed to squeeze in their carry-ons, & then reunite with their parties.
return trip~ arrive 1 hour 45 min early only to get C seating again. got 4 aisle seats in various parts of the plane ~ none near another.

just our observations:
~ if you have more than 2 in your party/do not qualify for preboarding, etc, "cattle call" does sum it up. also, both SWA planes were unusually worn & dirty ~ seats torn & stained with stuffing coming out, significant amounts of food & garbage left by prev passengers (& yes, we've flown on many other airlines).
employees on par with any other airlines.
summation: while i'm sure SWA is fine for many, we would rather pay less (!!!) for cleaner, more civilized/organized flights.

on a happier note, we LOVE Islip (the shuttle driver pulled up alongside us, pointed out a parking spot, & then drove to the spot to pick us up!! yup, tipped him well!). airport is extremelly clean, well lit & organized. absolutely beautiful airport!!

 

[NotUrsula]

"Of course, they didn't say if they had showed up early, on time or late."

They can't have been early. All airlines overbook flights, SWA isn't unique. On most other airlines, your likelihood of having to take an involuntary bump is inversely proportional to how much you paid for your seat. On SWA, what counts is when you check in. There are at least 122 seats on a SWA plane (there may be a maximum of 137); so if you are one of the first 122 people to check in, there will be a seat for you, always.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by NotUrsula
They can't have been early. All airlines overbook flights, SWA isn't unique. On most other airlines, your likelihood of having to take an involuntary bump is inversely proportional to how much you paid for your seat. On SWA, what counts is when you check in. There are at least 122 seats on a SWA plane (there may be a maximum of 137); so if you are one of the first 122 people to check in, there will be a seat for you, always.

Actually jetblue doesn't routinely overbook. What airlines decide bump status by fare? Other than protecting first class customers I haven't seen fare status used. I check the contract of carriage so I know my rights in advance.

I like SW, get my BP early enough to get an A so it isn't a problem with me BUT TO BE FAIR

Other airlines offer more compensation to increase the chances of getting volunteers

Other airlines have the ability to substitute a larger airplane to handle an oversell

Other airlines will book you on another airline if necessary

Other airlines will overbook the next flight to get you a reservation rather than offering "priority standby"

SORRY but handling an overbooked flight is a case in which other airlines do a better job than SW.

 

[Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo]

I must admit, my blood pressure is rising as I'm reading all these responses, because, I, too, get annoyed at the unnecessary preboarding. I agree with the poster that if you need preboarding, you should be the last to be allowed to get out of your seat and leave the plane, as you surely must need the extra time to deplane also. My reason for wanting to be at the head of the line is to sit in the front of the plane, because of the time it takes most passengers to "get their butts in gear' and gather their belongings! I see more people standing in the aisles, removing and carefully folding outergarments, rearranging items which I feel are pushing the limits of the overhead compartments, all while holding up the traffic flow. My family move very quickly onto a plane, scooting into the seat and stowing 1 totebag under the seat. Bam, we're done. We're just as quick leaving the plane. We remove or put on any coats prior to boarding, or after we deplane. It's aggravating watching people bring these huge wheeled suitcases in and struggling to lift them into the upper bins, all the while oblivious or uncaring how they are holding everyone up. The bottom line is having respect for other people so as not to inconvenience them, but too many people these days don't care!

 

[NotUrsula]

Lewis, I didn't say that SWA handles overbooking all that wonderfully, but the poster I was answering seemed to feel that a family that booked way ahead was entitled to extra consideration when it came to an involuntary bump. I was simply pointing out that the SWA system isn't set up that way. I think that the way that it is setup is pretty fair, at least re: point-to-point flights. Connections muck things up a bit, but SWA doesn't make any promises in that regard,.

All of the legacy carriers will consider the FF status and the fare class when they have to resort to involuntary bumps, if all of the passengers have checked in by the deadline. However, since they offer free-flight compensation for voluntary bumps, it seldom comes to that. It's been quite a while since I've seen an involuntary bump on a legacy carrier; there are always plenty of folks willing to trade their time for free flights.

Do I think that it would be in SWA's best interests to move the checkin deadline back a bit and ask for volunteers in exchange for flight coupons? Yes, I do. People are always much happier to take a delay if they get paid for it. As for interline agreements, they are certainly nice, but we both know that no legacy carrier is going to be willing to do an interline agreement w/ SWA; too much resentment there. Personally, I prefer SWA's bumping restrictions to the change restrictions and ticket use restrictions that the legacy carriers impose. It's all in what's most important to you.

Forgive me for not knowing about JetBlue's no-overbooking policy; they are new, and they don't serve my market. Not overbooking *is* very unusual in the US aviation industry.

PS: SWA did try the "preboarders-to-the-back" policy for awhile, but they dropped it b/c they found that preboarding somehow ended up being slower that way, and they lost turnaround time.
It doesn't seem to make sense that that would happen, but apparently it did. If they could get those dual-boarding gates that have been talked about actually into service, it would probably work much better, b/c they could restrict the preboards to the rear door.

 

[MagEpcDisAni Voyager]

Can someone bottom line it for me?

Is SWA worth it to go through all this preboarding junk just for the good rates they usually have?