SWA preboarding show!

[chasbos]

We just returned from our cruise and we had 2 great flights with SWA! I was also a little scared because of this thread but I worried for nothing.

We did not go on line the night before to print boarding passes. We arrived at the Buffalo Airport at around 5:45 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. flight and the 6 of us still got A boarding passes. (DH, myself, DD 13, DD 11, DD9 and DD6).

We flew out of MCO yesterday at 4:00. We got to the airport around 2:00 and got A boarding again. The plane was not full so people could sit scattered out and did not matter.

I will definately fly SWA again!

 

[TDC Nala]

They ought to allow the parents and probably siblings to board with a young child - nobody else.

SWA also needs to enforce the maximum age for preboarding children. And personally I don't see any need for preboarding seniors unless they have mobility issues.

I also don't understand why persons without children or special needs feel they cannot be separated for the length of a flight.

 

[mickey4ver]

I also don't understand why persons without children or special needs feel they cannot be separated for the length of a flight.

While I appreciate what you are saying, and understand it, when flying SW across country, I prefer to sit with my travelling companion for such a long flight.

 

[TDC Nala]

I understand that most adults would prefer to sit with a partner or traveling companion, but unless you're flying out of the country the flight length is only a few hours and I can't understand anyone being upset about a separation if it becomes necessary.

For those who do find it upsetting, you can ask (nicely) someone to move, or use an airline with assigned seating.

I can't say how many times I got "You need to move so I can sit with my husband/wife" on Southwest. "Please" would have motivated me, but few bothered to say that. When I was still flying on Southwest I used to dread seeing the couples come in when I was already seated.

 

[simzac]

I have no problems with preboards, it's all the unnecessary items that people carry on board with them. When I fly, I carry my ticket, wallet, and car keys, nothing else. Why can't everyone do this, this would speed up both boarding and unboarding immensly. JMO

 

[ducklite]

I fly back and forth between NJ/PA and Forida 2-4 weekends a month. Because I have a home in both places, I take very little back and forth with me. But I do carry a tote bag with some magazines, my digital camera and laptop, and a few other essentials.

Sorry, I'm not checking that. I throw it up in the overhead and my pocketbook under the seat in front of me, it takes under 2 seconds for me to be in my seat. In all honesty I can fit BOTH under the seat in front of me, but then I have no leg room at all.

It would be ridiculous to suggest that I check my laptop and digital camera.

I do agree that too many people carry on way too much, especially when they can't manage it on their own. But to suggest that someone like me check those items, no way.

I get off the plane and proceed either directly to arrivals where my husband is waiting to pick me up, or to the car rental counter. Why on earth would someone carrying a small tote bag like I do take the time to check it?

Anne

 

[ducklite]

We flew Southwest for the first time Friday night, I'm not sure I'll fly them again.

We were at the gate with "A" passes about 90 minutes before the flight. Got in line as the second people, and boarded after the one family with two toddlers.

We took an aisle and window in a row. If someone had wanted/needed to sit there, DH would have moved to the center seat to let the person have the window.

I couldn't believe it when two girls flounced in (imagine Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie) and practicaly demanded that myself and the gentleman in the aisle seat next to me "move over" so they could "sit next to each other".

Either get to the airport earlier or deal with it babe. The worst part is that there were seats together further back in the plane, just not two aisles.

Needless to say the gentleman and I both refused to give up the aisle seats, and they huffed off to the back of the plane.

In all honestly, I'm not going to fly SW again. It's not worth the headaches of not having an assigned seat. I've been flying US Air a lot over the past few months, and have found them to be very generous with the first class upgrades lately, half the time without my even asking. I'm sticking with them.

Anne

 

[inkkognito]

I'm the same way...a frequent traveler between Chicago and Orlando, and I would NOT check my carry on bag, which is packed very, very light. It has my laptop and other business items, and there's no way it would leave my sight. It fits under the seat in front of me (although once on ATA, I had a weirdo in the seat in front who had a stroke because my bag was under there; she insisted it was sticking into her area until I offfered to come up and see for myself...I knew that was b.s. because there is a bar preventing it).
It looks like I will finally be seeing the cattle call firsthand. Since ATA is gone, it looks like hubby and I will be on Southwurst in March. And if "Paris and Nicole" expect us to move...well, I don't think they'll like what I tell them to kiss.
Barb

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

safetymom: You're absolutely right. Many people are reluctant to move from their comfy aisle or window seat to the middle. However, I think it's a shame that all 6 of them refused to move to a middle seat and inconvenience themselves for a couple of hours so a little girl could sit next to her mom. No reason is good enough to be that inconsiderate.

I almost always travel alone and I usually want a window seat because it accomodates my hips better. My male relatives are tall and generally want an aisle seat for legs. A valid reason for not moving is that a person simply does not want to. There is nothing wrong with keeping a seat you may have put in extra time and effort to get. The airline should have offered one of them an accomodation for having to move...either upgrading them to first class if available or giving them a coupon for later use. As far as I'm concerned this sort of problem is between the airline and the passenger with the problem...not with the passengers who don't have a problem...I see nothing rude about refusing to take a middle seat when there is no benefit to the passenger to do so.

 

[robinb]

The airline should have offered one of them an accomodation for having to move...either upgrading them to first class if available or giving them a coupon for later use. As far as I'm concerned this sort of problem is between the airline and the passenger with the problem...not with the passengers who don't have a problem...I see nothing rude about refusing to take a middle seat when there is no benefit to the passenger to do so.

I love your "what's in it for me" attitude. Here are some rewards for the male pax. How about better "karma"? How about not making a terrified little 5 year old sit with strangers? How about the simple pleasure of knowing that they helped another human being out? Why in the world would they need to be bribed to act in a kind and compassionate manner? Thank goodness the entire plane was not filled with people who cling to "where's mine?".

 

[ducklite]

I don't give up my aisle seat because I'm TERRIBLY claustrophobic--yeah, I'd be the one trying to throw open the door midflight during a panic attack caused by the claustrophobia. If you've never had a panic attack, you're lucky. It can cause you to become dizzy, nauseated, and behave irrationally. It's not pretty.

The aisle seat is the only way I can get through a flight. There might be reasons other than "selfishness" that would keep someone from giving up an aisle seat.

I am surprised that the Flight Attendent didn't offer to upgrade one of the men to first class, or offer some free drink coupons as an enticement. I've been offered more for a lot less.

Anne

 

[inkkognito]

As a frequent flyer, I can see both sides of this issue. My husband and I got up at first light of dawn to get our "preferred" seats on ATA. I have short legs but he is taller so the exit row comfort is good for him. Having worked for those seats, I would not give them up without a darned good reason, especially since others could do the same and easily sit with their parties (ATA used to open up the front half of the plane the night before the flight).
But the flipside is that not everyone knows that the seats open up, or goodness only knows what reason they might have. I actually have given up a "comfy" seat voluntarily a few times just because it was the nice thing to do, even though I went through an extra effort to get it and it inconvenienced me. I don't feel that I "have" to do it, but I like to think that someone will do me a favor when I need it someday.
I don't think a person is "bad" for refusing; after all, it is ultimately the airline's responsibility, and no one person on the plane is any more to blame than another. But sometimes it's just nice to help out a fellow human being. I hate middle seats but figure I can tolerate being squished for two hours if absolutely necessary.
Barb

 

[robinb]

The aisle seat is the only way I can get through a flight. There might be reasons other than "selfishness" that would keep someone from giving up an aisle seat.

I can totally understand that there may be physical (and I count possible panic attacks as one) reasons why someone would not want to give up their seat. I knew I should have qualified my statement in the beginning. It was so long ago and buried, I though I got away with it . I guess it's possible that each and every one of those 6 male pax had some physical problem that made imperative that they keep their seats. But, since none of them would even make eye contact with me or the FA while we were trying for a volunteer, I think not.

 

[delilah]

It fits under the seat in front of me (although once on ATA, I had a weirdo in the seat in front who had a stroke because my bag was under there; she insisted it was sticking into her area until I offfered to come up and see for myself...I knew that was b.s. because there is a bar preventing it).

Sounds like you were sitting behind the same nut case who sat in front of us on a flight from Indianapolis to Orlando. I had my briefcase under the seat in front of me. Actually, it was pretty heavy, and, it was there because I had trouble lifting it above my head. She insisted it was hitting her legs. This same woman had already had an altercation with another woman about seating--somebody had been sitting in someone else's assigned seat. It was kind of scary, actually, since my son and I were already seated, and so the whole thing. My husband was still waiting to board, since the airline had separated our family group. He says they stopped boarding the plane, and security had been called to the gate. I didn't want any trouble with this woman, since I think she had some problems with anger management. So, I struggled to get my briefcase into the overhead bin, which by then, was full. Then, the flight attendant came to speak with the woman in the aisle seat of our row. It seems she had taken somebody else's seat, because she wanted to sit next to her teen aged daughter, who looked to be about 16 or so. Beore that, I had been thinking about asking her if she would mind swapping with my husband, so we could sit together, but, I figured the answer would be no. I was actually hoping that my son would run her ragged, but, he was actually very well behaved on this flight. (He can be exhausting to sit next to sometimes).

 

[MagicKingdom05]

once was enough for me.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

If it were a choice between forcing a nervous little 5 year old to sit by himself, or move to a middle seat myself, I would move. But I have to say that I would resent it, unless there were extenuating circumstances.

I print out my boarding pass, get to the airport 2 hours ahead of the flight, and stand in line at the gate until we board. Inconvenient, but it is of value to me to get the most comfortable seat I can, and that means an aisle or a window. I can't imagine taking a 5 year old who was ineligible for preboarding to the airport at the last minute, ending up at the back of the "C" line, and then hoping that I might find a kind stranger willing to take pity on us and move to the middle seat.

If someone gets unexpectedly stuck in traffic, or is tranferring from another flight, ok. But if the only problem is that a person flying with a child didn't want to bother to take the steps I had to take to get to the airport early enough to claim my preferred seat, I would suggest they definitely don't fly SW! Too much of a hassle for both of us.

 

[seashoreCM]

It was miserable for everyone...me, my baby, our seatmate, all the people sitting in the aisle that I slammed accidentally with my bulky carseat. I learned my lesson though. The next few flights on Delta I approached the gate agent and explained I needed a few extra minutes. They all said it was their policy not to preboard but they would still let me on first to install the seat.

For all airlines:

You had absolutely no right to slam anybody with your bulky car seat, you should have been much more careful even if slower. Any adverse reaction you get you more than deserve.

It is OK to ask to board early because you need a few extra minutes.

It is not required that you ask to board early because you need a few extra minutes.

It is OK to take the few extra minutes without asking anybody regardless of whether you board first or last.

While you are installing a car seat, you will always be far enough in that you yourself won't block passers by.

If possible, other family members should step into other nearby seats to let other passengers go by.

Don't forget that airlines preboard or don't preboard for the purpose of faster turnaround.

Also for all airlines:

If you or your child is sitting between two strangers neither of who agree to move when asked, they may not exchange items across you/your child and you standing in the aisle may get on their case if they do.

If your child is unable to sit with you, you standing in the aisle may hand items to him.

For Southwest:

If you board and see most of the seats being saved, you may pick a convenient place overhead to put your suitcase where you think you may find a seat even though you haven't narrowed down a specific location.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

donaldbuzzandminnie...

In this instance being discussed the flight was on United so it was a scenario where passengers had assigned seats but the airline screwed up the seat assignments of the family with the 5 year old.

 

[DMRick]

I am planning on flying them again in March and hope the same 'announcement' let's people know that their 'child' does not need 10 other relatives/friends to pre-board!!
***
Last week after the big snowstorm grounded us and we had to wait a day to leave, we had a full airplane..and it wasn't one that landed from another airport..it was everyone from the day before trying it get home. They announced, (as they had in Albany the week before), that just mom, dad and kids could preboard with the little one. No aunts, grandma's, etc (although what does it matter..they all save seats anyway). Doesn't really bother me. What did bother me, was again, the lining up of suitcases an hour before loading, while the people who owned them were back sitting, off to the bathroom, getting food, etc. I (again) asked the gal at the desk, and mentioned that SW said that wasn't allowed, and her only comment was, well if security comes by, they'll move them. So here we were, in A about 12 suitcases back LOL. They did announce it was a full plane, so please don't try to sit one by the window, one by the aisle, as it will all fill in. Oh, and we took the exit seats..even though I'm short. I get in line early and wait for that perk when available. I love the extra room.

I have learned not to judge the "oldsters" in the preboarding. I talked with a gentleman, who at first was in line with us while his wife was in preboarding(until I talked him into preboarding with his wife), and although his wife looked very able bodied to me (although she was starting to "wilt" after the wait to get on), she was on her way home to die. She had been dx'd with cancer, and her chemo/radiation had come to an end, and she wanted to be with her family. He said she was too proud to get a wheelchair, and had gotten herself fixed up, (after talking with him, I realized she had a wig on) so she would look good, when her family met the plane. She was in preboard, and he was with us. I told him that he didn't have to give a reason to preboard, just had to tell the agent he needed to. After some cajoling, he did just that albeit he was very worried about what others might think. I was happy when they asked the families to step aside to allow the non children preboarders on first (I saw their family greeting them in Albany, and I just wanted to cry).

I do have to say that I'm very happy that POR printed out my boarding pass at 12:01, so that I didn't have to go to the check-in inside (you have to go there, you can't use Kiosks to print out, if you already went online). The wait the day after the big storm in the Northeast, was over an hour and a half (according to the SW guy directing it ..and it was a true Disney line, up and back, up and back LOL) and we only had an hour and a half to our flight (ran into some bad traffic on our way). We checked in after a 10 minute wait outside.

 

[seashoreCM]

I found out somewhere that preboarders have been ousted from exit row seats in favor of the first arriving "A" boarders who brought the issue up to flight attendants. Don't know whethere this is an official Southwest rule, it does not happen all the time.