Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Re: pre boarding rules

floridaguy
Aviator C

I like to preboard.

Re: pre boarding rules

floridaguy
Aviator C

Preboard...preboard...over the ocean blue....

Re: pre boarding rules

buzzchris
Adventurer B

Two good friends of mine, both women, were gate agents at a SW gate. I won't mention the city. Both lasted about a year or so. They knew the rules about pre-boarding but both got tired of "arguing" with passengers pre-boarding (with three or four adults with them) or passengers in "C" group getting in line with "A" group friends.  Some passengers would literally yell in their faces.  Both would come home with headaches and stress dealing with those passengers who abused the rules or who thought of themselves as "special". According to my friends, the most important thing was to load passengers as quickly as possible for that ever so important take off time.

Re: pre boarding rules

floridaguy
Aviator C

Your two friends are wrong.  They had no business questioning people about preboarding.

 

Under Federal law, you present and request preboard due to a medical condition.  You can either get assistance boarding, or not.  Your choice.

 

For the gate agent to ask any more questions begins to violate the individual's rights.  If your two friends believe that people are gaming the system, then resign as they did.

 

Honor the preboard requests and keep it moving.

Re: pre boarding rules

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@floridaguy wrote:

Your two friends are wrong.  They had no business questioning people about preboarding.


The behavior being mentioned, boarding with more adults accompanying a preboarder than allowed and boarding out of assigned position (not preboarding) is not allowed and should be questioned by gate staff. Yes, people can request to preboard and cannot be questioned, that is not the behavior that was described. The poster's point was so many people attempt to not follow the rules it makes staff miserable and I believe that.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: pre boarding rules

floridaguy
Aviator C

I would respectfully submit that the complaint has nothing to do with preboarding, it has to do with the rules in general.

 

Leave the preboarding people alone.

Re: pre boarding rules

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@floridaguy wrote:

I would respectfully submit that the complaint has nothing to do with preboarding, it has to do with the rules in general.

 

Leave the preboarding people alone.


The poster mentioned an issue with the number of people boarding with a preboarder. You, not the poster you responded to, mentioned anything about the actual preboarders.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: pre boarding rules

floridaguy
Aviator C

Preboard...preboard...over the ocean view.

 

I get to board ahead of you...

Re: pre boarding rules

moandyr22
Adventurer C

If you like poems.                                                                                                                        Floridaguy... Why would you taunt that you sit before me?                                                              Ill pay extra to stand waiting as Business Select and watch you board without dignity. 

Re: pre boarding rules

floridaguy
Aviator C

Like I have said in another post, someone can do backflips and acrobatics all the way to the gate and then "self identify" as a person with a disability.  That's the LAW.

 

Then, once on the plane, they can withdraw their claim and sit anywhere they want.  The "self identify" is not a lifelong claim, it must be done on each boarding event.  The LAW is silent with regard to withdrawing your claim once you walk through the plane's door.

 

This is not an issue for the preboarder.  This is Southwest's perfect storm by having unassigned seats and then charging people extra to be part of the early boarding.  Yes, preboard people buy the cheap ticket and get the best seats.

 

Nothing you can do other that stand there and watch.  It is the LAW.