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So last night flying back from DAL to BWI, I observed something a bit odd. We "lined up" to board our completely full flight, I took my spot at A20, there were quite a few folks lined up in A1-15. I even noticed a couple of Southwest employees "in line." Then I looked to the pre-boarding area and there approximately 15 folks milling around, upon a closer look all were wearing Southwest badges and/or wearing SWA branded clothing. Well the Gate agent announces the start of pre boarding and all 15 of these folks board. Some of the Business select folks were dumbfounded by this, and rightfully so this was just plain nuts. Customers who paid a premium to board early, (Business select and EBCI too I guess), all kind of got the shaft. All these pre-board employees took seats in the forward part of the plane (and not one in a middle seat mind you,)
I was good with my seating position back in an exit row since I had checked bags and knew I was not going anywhere fast on arrival at BWI. Curious how these employees were more important than customers paying a premium to board early and other SWA employees?
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Hey @AshleyMainz do you know if there is an employee policy that would apply in a situation like this? It does seem like it sends the wrong message to paying customers.
--TheMiddleSeat
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Flight 1041 DAL to BWI for what its worth
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SWA employees always pre-board. Often times, they will help with wheelchairs when they board to speed the process if there are multiple people in wheelchairs. They never sit near the front of the aircraft or in any seat that is especially desirable other than not being a middle seat. No reason to be worried...if you were A20, they wouldn't impact your choice of seat.
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FWIW- as I noted originally, I personally was not effected since I checked my bags and preferred to sit in the exit row for the extra leg room with the knowledge i was looking at a 30 to 45 minute wait for my bags. (BWI is often incredibly slow at delivering bags to baggage claim.)
(2) SWA employees actually were in line and did not pre board this completely sold out flight, so SWA employees do not always pre-board.
The pre-boarding employees were not pushing wheelchairs or helping a bunch of nonemployee paying pre-boarders, they were just boarding early on a sold out flight, they did impact the seating choice of folks who paid a premium price for Business Select, (there were not 15 folks in A1-A15 but maybe there were 10(?).
This projected a poor image to the Business Select passengers, a couple of them voiced their concern as we waited in the jet way to board, to paraphrase one gentleman who asked out loud, "What was up with that?"
Indeed.
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Somehow I doubt that people were talking about the employees. The scenario fails the smell test. In any event, it gives people something to complain about besides pre-boarding passengers, eh?
I fly the first flight out OKC-HOU almost every Monday morning, and I can't recall the last time there weren't multiple pre-boarding employees. Just to make everyone even more upset, they usually have a lot of large carryon bags as well.
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I notice SW employees pre boarding often as I fly SW 8 to 10 times a month and very much agree it sends the wrong message to paying customers. When I asked an employee why this is permitted they said it’s “contractual”. I agree that employees need to get on plane like rest of us (only if their job depends on it, not to get home) but not preboarding. If they get a ticket, they are guaranteed a seat and wait in line like rest of us.
Throughout my life my employers have required employees to park furthest from the entrance for a simple reason: customers should be inconvenienced last, not first.
I encourage SW to examine this practice and do what is best for the customer.
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I wasn't there but my guess is that these were new hires returning from training in Dallas. They would have assigned tickets and be on company business.
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That could very much be it - although this was the first time I have heard of such a thing.