"Early" boarding gone wrong...

[pkerr100]

Everyone is familiar with the boarding system that SWA uses... well almost everyone. 😁

If you are A-List like I am you get checked in automatically and usually get a decent boarding position depending on when you booked your flight.

On Saturday going from BNA-CHS we start to line up and I've got A-16. About as good as you can get without being A-List preferred or buying your way to the front. 2 women who appeared to be in their mid 20's are standing right by the sign that shows 16-20. I ask them what number they are and one said "we are A-List" OOOO-KKKK but what number are you? One of them mumbled something about 20 and I said that was back a few spaces. They ignored that "tip" and continued to stand there. The people behind me chuckled and we just decided to let it go and not worry about it.

Now it's time to board and they proceed to get their passes scanned and are beeped through and just as they are about to disappear down the jet bridge, the gate agent calls them back and lets them know they are in the B Group. "But we are A-List" they keep saying as they make the walk of shame back to their correct spot.

Most amusing time I've had on SWA in a quite a while.

[dfwskier]

Maybe they got confused.

If they were A-List they are allowed to board early if they have a boarding position worse than A60.

That means they can board AFTER A1-A60 have boarded and before B1 and family boarding boards.

It does not mean they can board before people with designated A boarding spots.

[pkerr100]

I don't think there is any "maybe" involved.  Either that or they were clueless.

[dfwskier]

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@pkerr100 wrote:

  Either that or they were clueless.

That is entirely possible.

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[jksobonya]

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@pkerr100 wrote:

I don't think there is any "maybe" involved.  Either that or they were clueless.

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I'll go with clueless - what makes them think that A-List can board around the A-16 spot?!

--Jessica

[DancingDavidE]

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@jksobonya wrote:

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@pkerr100 wrote:

I don't think there is any "maybe" involved.  Either that or they were clueless.

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I'll go with clueless - what makes them think that A-List can board around the A-16 spot?!

--Jessica

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Entitlement and selfishness.

Which brings me to a story from a recent trip, boarding in ATL. A gentleman showed up towards the last minute and it turns out he did in fact have A1. However I had A2, and he's bringing his travel companion with him. Me and A3 give him some stink-eye for a bit but don't say anything. General boarding starts and beep his goes through and then the agent says "whoa! - it isn't her turn" and ended up bouncing the companion back into the later A's. There was much rejoicing about following the rules. They weren't going for my exit row, and he just saved her a seat anyway so the actual damage would have been minimal.

Then we had it again in Orlando last week, a lady tried to board with her son he was A16 or so and she was A54 and he bounced her! "A54 I'm not having it" cracked me up.