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Re: Preboarding Scammers

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@buzzchris wrote:

My neighbor has been doing this for years. She is not disabled,. She is an avid hiker.  She has a cane that collapses, then pre-boards with her two adult sons. She laughs about it and even has posted it on FB. Then last week, her son who boards with her, grabs an emerg row seat after passengers start boarding and saves it for his brother.  She says it is really simple. She says the FAs don't have a clue or don't care.  Not too long ago,  I saw five adult family members board with "grandma" in a wheelchair who preboarded. Five to assist? Why is that allowed?   ...and this is not the first time I have witnessed this. 


The FA will eject people who preboard from the exit rows, I've never seen this happen myself. Unless you are saying they preboarded and sat in front, then when general boarding started they got back up and grabbed the exit row?

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Preboarding Scammers

buzzchris
Adventurer B

That is what her adult sons do. Pre board, then mix in with the other boarding passengers and grab the emerg row seats. I don't see how they get by with that with the FAs watching. Both sons are 6'4" and like the extra room in the emerg row seats.  

Re: Preboarding Scammers

ukchris2002
Explorer B

Rally - You are missing the point.  The preboarders do not materially impact the folks who would otherwise board after A15.  The frustration comes from buying Business Select, checking in exactly 24 hours in advance, lining up as A1...then waiting for the first 4-5 rows to fill up before you are allowed to board.  

Re: Preboarding Scammers

jamespatton22
Explorer A

I do all of that and I always see numerous people with no signs of needing assistance getting pre-boarding passes just by asking for them. They do not require an explainer as to why you need it. I still fly other airlines sometimes other than SWA when going somewhere SWA doesn’t fly and you never see anyone pre-boarding on United or Delta unless they have a visible physical need because everyone on those flights already know where they sitting and pre-boarding cannot change that. 

Re: Preboarding Scammers

Aztraveler
Explorer B

Southwest just needs to follow it's written policies. It states that preboarding and family boarding occurs After "A" boarding. Those of us that pay a SIGNIFICANTLY higher ticket price have had many conversations at the gate as we watch 15-22 passengers preboard about spending less on our tickets and buying the priority boarding pass which would save us hundreds of dollars on each ticket and secure the same seats. Policy also states that 1 guest can accompany a disabled passenger and 2 passengers can accompany a child BUT I've seen gate attendants allow 5-8 guests accompany one special needs passenger. Yes I was A1 on my last flight and watched 22 passengers board before me. 7 of which were a whole family that accompanied one senior who bragged the entire flight about getting such good seats all together for such low prices. 

Re: Preboarding Scammers

SWDigits
Aviator A

@Aztraveler wrote:

It states that preboarding and family boarding occurs After "A" boarding.


@Aztraveler I don't think that is correct.  Preboarding starts first (think of someone who needs a specific seat and/or needs assistance to board) followed by general boarding, to include the situation and sequence you mentioned.

 

Here is the Southwest wording (with sources):

 

"Preboarding"

"Preboarding is available for Customers who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability and/or need assistance in boarding the aircraft or stowing an assistive device."

(source: https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/unique-travel-needs/customers-with-disabilities-pol....)

 

The next sentence is potentially confusing but it is a separate thought and references general boarding:

"If a Customer with a disability simply needs a little extra time to board, we will permit the Customer to board before Family Boarding, between the “A” and “B” groups. Those Customers who need extra time to board will receive a new boarding pass with an extra time designation. The designation serves as notification to our Operations (boarding) Agent that the Customer should be permitted to board before Family Boarding."

(from the same source page)

 

A separate page provides additional detail for General Boarding:

"General boarding starts with Business Select customers, who are guaranteed positions at the front of the A Group, followed by Rapid Rewards tier Members and the remaining Customers in the A Group, two adults with children age six and under, then groups B and C."

(source: https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/airport-experience/index-pol.html)

 

 


Customer | Home airport DCA

Re: Preboarding Scammers

Aztraveler
Explorer B

Thank you for pointing that out. The fact still remains that Southwest has either lost control or chooses not to enforce boarding policies as written. And loyal business select customers are observing with eyes wide open hence reevaluating our purchasing patterns. The prices we are paying can afford us (on other airlines) HUGE comfy first class assigned seats, personalized service, free checked bags, unlimited free beverages,  a restroom dedicated to us and most importantly a feeling that our upgraded purchase price provides actual value in the aforementioned perks.

Re: Preboarding Scammers

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@Aztraveler wrote:

Thank you for pointing that out. The fact still remains that Southwest has either lost control or chooses not to enforce boarding policies as written. And loyal business select customers are observing with eyes wide open hence reevaluating our purchasing patterns. The prices we are paying can afford us (on other airlines) HUGE comfy first class assigned seats, personalized service, free checked bags, unlimited free beverages,  a restroom dedicated to us and most importantly a feeling that our upgraded purchase price provides actual value in the aforementioned perks.


 

If that's the alternative, and you're constantly disappointed with Southwest, why would you continue to choose them?

Re: Preboarding Scammers

ukchris2002
Explorer B

Just boarded a flight with 24 preboarders, about 10 of whom were just tag-along family.  What a fiasco.

Re: Preboarding Scammers

jamespatton22
Explorer A

I have flown Southwestern Airlines faithfully now for years and have decided enough is enough. I am A-list plus with companion status and travel with a large suitcase and tools for weeks. Now some of the airports I go to no longer have an counter for Business Select or A-List and when I wait in the regular full service line I get told by the counter agents to “use the self check in stand” and not wait in line for a counter person. Even after I try to explain I have to pay for my overweight bags before checking them in and I am A-list flying on a business select ticket they do not seem to care and only want to take the already tagged bags from customers that have already have boarding passes. I have already started flying United and Delta. I can get where I am going for the same ticket price and available flights. If my loyalty means nothing then why be loyal. My wife is not traveling as much now so the companion status isn’t as important and watching the people abuse the pre-boarding policy is annoying. When I fly United and Delta they assign everyone a seat number and it’s amazing how there are only 1 or 2 preboard people compared to the countless ones on SWA. I have done a lot of research on this claim that some preboarders have to sit next to window or they get sick. Only thing I can find is people that are nauseous may need to open a window to avoid getting sick. If having to see where you are going to avoid getting sick is a real thing then please tell me what this illness is called because my doctor couldn’t.