Pre-boarding remains out of control

[kierants]

I see a strong defender of the fakers here. The parasites of society can come up with excuses for anything 

[dfwskier]

The Frontier / Spirit merger was called off years ago.

[kDub2022]

Thanks for that update.  I use Flipbaord and an article came up this week about the merger.  After seeing your comment I searched for recent news and your correct!  Now I question my news feed!   

[kDub2022]

Maybe we could add to the Southwest circus and each preboarder could state their reason for pre boarding and let the rest of the line decide.

Oxygen tank - yes.  IBS / peanut allergy / anxiety….

[rlhouk]

As a long time A-List Preferred Business traveler, I agree that the pre-board abuses have become extremely blatant. I pay the highest fare available to sit in bulkhead or near the front of the plane to disembark as quickly as possible.

As a frequent A-1 boarder I do enjoy the companion travel and other benefits associated with frequent travel on SW. Candidly, in some of the markets I travel, I am opting for other airlines and pay slightly more for an upgrade to business or first class. The pre board abuses have been openly noticed and discussed with fellow A-list travelers as well as gate agents, many who have suggested that I register my complaints with SW.

I am sure that I speak for everyone in that people who truly qualify as disabled, should be allowed some form of early boarding.

Some suggestions as to an equitable policy:

• Limit early boarding to seats starting at row 11 
• Change boarding to after A Group as you have done for Family Boarding 
• Implement a policy similar for public car parking in handicap stalls. It requires  certification by a doctor of either permanent or temporary disablity  obtain a pass.

I believe that the open seat policy works and I love traveling on SW. However it is frustrating to pay $400 plus for a Business Select ticket and have someone who paid $49 and is otherwise healthy to be able to receive priority boarding.

[TheMiddleSeat]

@rlhouk none of your "suggestions" can be legally implemented under existing federal laws and regulations with open seating. You also don't pay for any particular seat, you pay for A seat and an A1-15 boarding position that comes with Business Select fares. You also know preboarding occurs before A1-15 and will continue to board before A1-15 as long as Southwest has open seating so please don't claim to have any entitlement to any particular seat or even set of rows. As you have found, if you want to have a particular seat then you will need to fly another airline. Lastly, to say it once again, there is no visual way for you or anyone else to determine if an individual is eligible for preboarding. To determine and claim abuse is blatant is to claim people are either confessing to you or you have some magic power unknown to mankind.

--TheMiddleSeat

[Flying_Slug]

@TheMiddleSeat

I’m talking about the folks who hop, skip, and jump around the terminal… until boarding time nears. Then they feign mobility issues (perhaps they’re too dumb to know they don’t need to engage in the theatrics?). I recently had a flight from SJC, to PHX, via SLC. At the end of a connecting flight at SLC, a formerly-limping SJC passenger (and her companion) who had boarded early at SJC, "magically" deboarded quickly and dashed to make the connection at SLC, where they also boarded early.

(This is a tangential question, for anyone in the know: if a passenger requests ADA privileges to board early at SJC, do they automatically receive early boarding ADA privileges at the intermediate [in this case, SLC] airport?)

I have a hidden disability. I abhor blatant fakers, even though I am well aware that it might not be politically correct to point out their abuse. If you don’t believe those people who abuse the system exist, and don’t comprehend that Southwest (due to its unique “open seating” practice) is uniquely open to that abuse, then there’s little chance that you and I will see eye to eye on this.

By the way: to all the mothers out there: HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY!  😊

[kierants]

We see people gaming most any system put in place. This is just one such example. I have been in line with a veteran of war that could easily legitimately qualify for pre board but he would not have it. He was pretty outraged at the people he saw clearly gaming the policy. This was going on with emotional support dogs as well. To the people that do this, shame on you.