Pre-Boarding Rules NOT enforced

[JH_Hammond]

For my last couple of flights with SWA (BWI), apparently there seems to be a LOT of people "gaming" the system.  We waited for 23 pre-boarders on my last departing flight.  Under the category of people traveling with young children, SW let three grown ladies with a 9-10 year old boy pre-board.  And a lot of pretend handicapped. 

Now that your flights are NOT generally less expensive than major carriers like American and Delta, and you have to fight the battle for seats and storage, where has the historic SWA value proposition gone?  I used to fly SWA almost exclusively, now, and generally because of the pre-boarding mess and price, I generally fly on other airlines.  Herb would not have allowed this to happen.

[tappingmom1]

@JH_Hammond I'm curious about your statement, "Herb would not have allowed this to happen."

Yes, the child with 3 accompanying adults sounds like rules possibly weren't followed...unless all 3 adults were legitimate pre-boarders and the child was with them.  You simply don't know their situation.

As for the other 23 pre-boarders...there's not a thing Herb could have done about it.  It's federal law.

So, I ask, what do you think Herb would have done?

[StAugustine]

And how do you know the "pretend handicapped" were pretending?

[DJ_Ran]

Well when you have 15 pre-boarders  in wheelchairs on your departing flight and only 3 of those pre-boarders who  wait for a wheelchair to get off of that flight, I'd say that proves it. Even the flight attendants laugh about this.  It's another miracle place they say as we depart the plane ourselves. Today I think it's pretty clear that this situation just continues to get worse.  When your A-list preferred and have 30--40 people pre boarding before you with so-called conditions, something needs to be addressed. 

[floridaguy]

It is like the old Groucho Marx show - all you have to do is say the magic word and POOF, you preboard.  That's the law.

Nothing can be done.  I would agree that Early Bird and Business Select are an utter waste of money.  Proceed as you see fit.

[gsking]

The only way to solve this would to make preboarders into postexiters.  If you get in early, you get off last.  You don’t want to be rushed?  Right?

 Especially if you’re waiting for a wheelchair.

 But then, there doesn’t seem to be much aversion to being rude these days.  

[SoCalFlyer97]

Not going to opine but just stating for the record:

I usually have one or two Southwest roundtrips per month and I've started to document the number of pre-boards for my trips in response to the Pre-board subject on this board. I have been posting them in my last three Photo Trip Reports:

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Inflight-Experience/Nov-23-Photo-Trip-Report-SAN-LAS-with-Formula...
Inbound 4, Outbound 3

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Inflight-Experience/Oct-23-Photo-Trip-Report-SAN-SJC-with-Hallowe...
Inbound 2, Outbound 6

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Inflight-Experience/Sept-23-Promo-Companion-Pass-Photo-Trip-Repor...
Inbound 3, Outbound 4

Before I started documenting this, I recall the most pre-boards I've seen in 2023 for my flights was one instance where about 10 pre-boarded. Most flights for me have been around 3-5. 

[DancingDavidE]

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@SoCalFlyer97 wrote:

Not going to opine but just stating for the record:

I usually have one or two Southwest roundtrips per month and I've started to document the number of pre-boards for my trips in response to the Pre-board subject on this board. I have been posting them in my last three Photo Trip Reports:

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Inflight-Experience/Nov-23-Photo-Trip-Report-SAN-LAS-with-Formula...
Inbound 4, Outbound 3

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Inflight-Experience/Oct-23-Photo-Trip-Report-SAN-SJC-with-Hallowe...
Inbound 2, Outbound 6

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Inflight-Experience/Sept-23-Promo-Companion-Pass-Photo-Trip-Repor...
Inbound 3, Outbound 4

Before I started documenting this, I recall the most pre-boards I've seen in 2023 for my flights was one instance where about 10 pre-boarded. Most flights for me have been around 3-5. 

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I haven't been recording mine but my experience is fairly similar, maybe a little higher rate but also a lot more trips to MCO in the mix.

[floridaguy]

Why bother to document this data?  Whether there are zero or 150, nothing will change until Federal law does.  I would be in favor of a medical certificate to preboard, like you have for parking in a handicap parking place.

The truth is that any doctor will sign off on a document allowing you a permit.  I would imagine that a cottage industry would grow for preboarding passes by doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.  $49 for an "evaluation" and you walk out with a preboarding pass.

My advice to this non-stop subject is to create its own category or simply keep the rants going until time itself comes to an end.  

[SoCalFlyer97]

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@floridaguy wrote:

Why bother to document this data? 

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Simple answer: It's best to have factual data at hand for a hotly debated subject like Pre-boarding.

Again, I'm not going to publish my personal opinion of Southwest's pre-boarding policy nor current federal law on it; I'm just presenting the facts of my trips and sharing what's actually happening at the gate for my flights.

I leave it to the readers of this forum to make their own informed travel decisions and form their own opinions on aviation advocacy for the good of the traveling public.