Heads up: SWA boards at PVR from a bus?!?

[PettyIntrigues]

My first time flying SWA out of Vallarta in about five years, down here for work.

I’m A16, as per 98% of the time, and I roll up to the gate about ten minutes before scheduled boarding and well, they are already scanning and loading people, for about 5-10 minutes it turns out. 

Worse, turns out they are loading folks on to buses.  I’m first on the second bus. (That doesn’t matter one whit of course.)

They pack the bus (strollers, the whole nine) and we drive about 45 seconds, no joke. The doors open and a mad crush and rush to what turns out to be two stairs. 

So of course I lose the last exit row seat (a miracle any were left) to a 5’2 person about 40 places behind where I scanned because she beat me off the bus and from the other direction.

OK, stuff happens—as I have said to others here, you have no guarantee whatsoever of your favored seat on SWA even if A1, even if the first preboard.

And I’m just A16, on a simple WGA fare, haha, I didn’t pay extra $$ for Biz Select or Early Bird (though I would argue my status is earned through plenty of revenue).

But come on, SWA: pony up for a real gate. Tarmac boarding doesn’t work for your system.

(And yes, I already reached out to them directly: this is just a vent and or a warning to my fellow SWA frequenters.)

[TheMiddleSeat]

An older thread also mentioned it was like this in Costa Rica.  I've experienced it at PVR and agree it is not the most pleasant way to board.

--TheMiddleSeat

[PettyIntrigues]

I was chatting with an FA about it and she said it’s the same in Belize. I’m used to “the bus” and fine with it at, like, Madrid with assigned seating, but ooof, does not work when you have created a numerical system that you ask pax to pay for in the short or long term. I don’t recall this at PVR in the past.

[floridaguy]

I would have to say that even if you get to the plane by a boat, when you get to the plane the boarding position should be honored.  

[DancingDavidE]

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@PettyIntrigues wrote:

I was chatting with an FA about it and she said it’s the same in Belize. I’m used to “the bus” and fine with it at, like, Madrid with assigned seating, but ooof, does not work when you have created a numerical system that you ask pax to pay for in the short or long term. I don’t recall this at PVR in the past.

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Don't have to go that far - Burbank has ramp/stair access and boarded from both doors so there was a mad rush from both ends. 

The preboarders obviously taking the front door ramp up, the exit rows were best reached from the rear door.

I flew PVR once about five years ago and I'm not quite remembering if we did a similar thing back then or not.

[SWFlyer007]

This has also started at CABO San Joes airport.  Not sure why this has started to pop up, but just another thing to contend with and why I always get to the airport very early when going to Mexico.