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Southwest Airlines Community

Re: Pre Board Chaos

parpitt1
Frequent Flyer A

Humorous observation on our return flight from Aruba on Saturday, the way customs works there, I believe, makes it a hassle for the average person working the "pre-board" system. So miraculously, most everyone walks through the Aruba and then US Customs sections.

I believe this is probably because most travelers are hesitant to lie when in a foreign country. 

The humorous part of this was watching two folks, (man & wife?) search for 2 wheel chairs in the gate area after they cleared customs, they walked around briskly and searched until they found 2 wheelchairs, then pushed the chairs to the gate, had a conversation with the gate agent then proceeded to sit in the front of the area in their wheel chairs. There was another women with a folded up (collapsed) cane, that also claimed her need to pre-board, but managed to stand there for 30 minutes without using the collapsed cane behind the the 2 wheel chair bound pre-boarders. there also about 3 other elderly ladies who pre-boarded but that was it for preboarding. 

No twenty plus pre-boarders with multiple family members supporting them.

   

 

Re: Pre Board Chaos

floridaguy
Aviator C

Not all countries have the equivalent to The Air Carrier Access Act so preboarding is not part of the process in those countries.

 

However, here in the USA and its territories, you are permitted to preboard if you "self declare" with a disability.