I have been commuting weekly between my home in Vegas and my job in San Francisco for over 20 years now...exclusively flying SW for the past 12 years. I have seen lots of change (mostly good) over that time. The biggest issue I have with preboarders has to do with inconsistency not only among airports, but among gate agents in the same airports. For example, when leaving Las Vegas on very early-morning flights (most with few preboarders), gate agents will often announce that preboarders can only be accompanied by one person (as opposed to families of 7 boarding with grandma in her wheelchair). That doesn't stop the seat saving for multiple people once onboard, however, so it's basically a meaningless gesture. On my return trip home from either SFO or OAK airports, I have seen gate agents allow large groups to preboard with one disabled passenger and have witnessed a gate agent tell a business traveler in a sling (a young man) that he would not be allowed to preboard because a flight attendent could help him put his suitcase in the overhead bin when he boarded. The moral of this story is that the world is crammed full of people who learn to play the system. They are cheaters who feel empowered and have no moral compass. That being said, gate agents honestly can't judge the disabled from the players. Many physical and mental disabilities aren't easily discernible, as other responders have mentioned. To help ensure your emotional health when flying, you have two choices. First, do what I've learned to do as a frequent flyer and realize that boarding, like life in general, isn't always fair. Take a deep breath and thank whatever god you pray to that you don't actually need that blue boarding pass and cross your fingers that karma will eventually catch up to the cheaters in one way or the other. OR...fly another airline where you can book your specific seat in advance...and pay for your carry-on bags...and pay for your checked bags... You get my drift. A final thought... I remember the days when the line was first-come, first-served. I would get to the airport two hours before my flight to ensure I was one of the first 20 regular boarders on the flight. That meant standing in line (or sitting) in line the entire time. Those awful days are over. And SW also allows the A-Listers to board before the parents with small children, which wasn't always the case. Imagine if the preboarders still included all those families with children as well. A person with an A-30 boarding pass would sometimes be lucky to actually be the 50th or 60th person on the flight. Overall I enjoy flying Southwest and am grateful that the airline does improve the experience for customers as the years go by.
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