09-20-2019
12:40 PM
09-20-2019
12:40 PM
This is the problem - alot of peers need support on how to handle this SW policy because SW has created an enormous direct conflict with, on one hand, your pricing and reward strategies which center around earlier boarding numbers , which you then allow any passenger to ignore with your preboard strategy. It really makes no sense that you ask everyone else to follow a system and board BY NUMBER, and strictly so - imagine if a C tried to board as a B- outrage would ensue ! And you establish an incentive for passengers to pay more to board early. BUT but then you stand there and watch the abuse of your crazy policy of allowing anyone who does not like their boarding number to just preboard instead . So as SW has chosen to ignore this conflict in your own policies, it is not surprising that you now have thousands of passengers commenting and/or reading comments about it . On top of all that, those same preboard abusers can board ahead of all others and save 4 seats - and your policy is to just have the flight attendants watch it all. There is definite need for change to at least minimize this problem - such as making anyone who preboards use a wheelchair to both board and deboard with one - that would help reduce abuse because it takes passengers more time and effort and only those who need it would Use it. In the meantime peer to peer support is all that your passengers have - your policies created all of this. At least we have peers...your poor flight attendants and those actually needing help dealing with disgusted passengers - what do they have ? Sent from my iPhone On Sep 20, 2019, at 6:22 AM, The Southwest Airlines Community <no-reply@communitymail.southwest.com> wrote: Hi Bond007, NicoleAshley (Employee) mentioned you in a post! Join the conversation below: Re: Pre-boarding is getting out of control We're sorry for any frustration, @Bond007 and @buzzchris. As you may know, we follow federal regulations in offering preboarding to Customers with disabilities. By law, we are prohibited from asking Customers what their disabilities are. It's also important to consider that many disabilities are not limited to a specific age group and many are not visible. We're not equipped to assist you here since this is a peer-to-peer support forum. However, if you would like to report specific flight incidents during your travel, we encourage you to reach out to us via the options in the steps below. Thanks! Submitting a Suggestion and/or Complaint The Southwest Airlines Community sent this message to bbond@culinaryhealthfund.org. You are receiving this email because you were @mentioned. To control which emails we send you please go to, manage your subscription & notification settings or unsubscribe.
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I have posted about this issue of abuse of preboarding in the past. I gave up because SW just says they can’t do anything about it. But really? There are 21 preboards from LV to SEA today. 3 needed wheelchairs. There were 22 on my flight to Chicago 2 weeks ago. There were 17 on my flight back to LV. In fact, I have not been on a flight with less than 15 EXCEPT for my flight to Sacramento last week - there were only 10. But the entire flight had 40 people on it. Finally , the flight to Chicago with 22 had 1 very health man board and save 5 seats — and then stand with his back to the door so no one could try to sit in his saved seats. So... wow SW! Still 0 response ??? Why do you expect anyone to pay for early boarding? My eventual solution to this has been to build up my miles on Alaska airlines to become their MVP - so I fly them as much as possible . Good luck to SW with this completely unfair and unsustainable policy.
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Hi I am just updating Southwest Airlines about the continuing joy of watching perfectly healthy people with C numbered boarding passes taking the first 5 rows of the plane . I just boarded as A-2 on a flight from Las Vegas to Seattle . I am the 21st person to board . It s pretty unbelievable right? And even better, my last flight had 12 preboards and 2 women that saved an entire row each ... for their family members who were C tickets . It continues to be an awesome system where you pay a lot more money to board early to sit in the front but you can’t because people no longer care at all about grabbing the consideration created for a truly disabled person for themselves . Who are these terrible people??
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04-30-2018
10:16 AM
04-30-2018
10:16 AM
What is should say instead of that the SW staff asks no questions is that the questions SW asks are not effective at fact finding. Anyone who says they need to sit up front can preboard. I have watched it at least 5 times.
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Honestly your staff ask no questions. I stand in line listening to young adults talk about how this is the greatest thing ever because it doesnt matter what their boarding number is. Everyone on these posts agrees that people with disabilities that make them need more time to board, or make them need to sit in front, should do so. No one on these message boards is suggesting otherwise. The frustration is not regarding those that need the consideration. But Lindsey, you should really stop pretending like there is not problem and like Southwest has this figured out - it further infuriates those watching the abusive preboard number continue to swell as word of mouth has spread this option of skipping Southwest's numbering system. The growing number of preboarders that abuse this should be frustrating those that really need it because those abusers are making others standing in line following the rules resent a policy that can be so easily abused that it is useless. And those that are abusing it happily stand silently while those needing the policy and those working at southwest shield them.
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12-27-2017
08:46 PM
12-27-2017
08:46 PM
>In addition, only the preboarders who meet the criteria set by SW are following SW policies. The many preboarders who don’t meet the criteria of a disability are not. They are instead abusing a policy others need and SW will at some point hopefully create a better solution
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12-27-2017
08:46 PM
12-27-2017
08:46 PM
>In addition, only the preboarders who meet the criteria set by SW are following SW policies. The many preboarders who don’t meet the criteria of a disability are not. They are instead abusing a policy others need and SW will at some point hopefully create a better solution
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In addition, only the preboard era who meet the criteria set by SW are following SW policies. The many preboard era who don’t meet the criteria of a disabilityare not. They are instead abusing a policy others need .
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The policies are the reason for the posts. The purpose is to do whatever is possible to call attention to the disconnect between the SW. Business model of using seat selection as their primary reward for frequent travelers, while continuing policies that completely disrupt that.
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12-23-2017
04:54 PM
1 Love
Also Lindsey - those of us who fly a lot are seeing the growing problem of preboarding - why doesn’t SW do it’s own survey of every flight / or flights in markets that are heavily abused such as Las Vegas - to count those who go on the plane as preboards ? The numbers are sometimes surprisingly high. if you continue to believe you must allow anyone on any flight to preboards regardless of your policies that require the rest of us to take our place in line and watch them all get on , you could at least stop allowing seats to be saved by preboarders. It’s completely out of control and those that are willing to abuse this preboard program are also more than happy to save a row .. or two.
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12-23-2017
04:49 PM
3 Loves
Also Lindsey - those of us who fly a lot are seeing the growing problem of preboarding - why doesn’t SW do it’s own survey of every flight / or flights in markets that are heavily abused such as Las Vegas - to count those who go on the plane as preboards ? The numbers are sometimes surprisingly high. if you continue to believe you must allow anyone on any flight to preboards regardless of your policies that require the rest of us to take our place in line and watch them all get on , you could at least some allowing seats to be saved by preboarders. It’s completely out of control and those that are willing to abuse this preboard program are also more than happy to save a row .. or two.
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12-23-2017
04:03 PM
1 Love
Your statement that the preboard policy has worked well for many years is just not current . You used to have those that needed to board early use a red card after checking in and explaining their issue . Now you allow anyone who says they embed to preboards to just get on first. The preboard situation used to be around 3-5 people and now it is over 20, and they save more seats once on. If you are not willing to hear this problem from your customers just asks your staff .
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12-23-2017
03:57 PM
12-23-2017
03:57 PM
Here is what I was told the policy is for preboarding, which is not st all what is happening : "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. Customers who are traveling with assistance and emotional support animals qualify for preboarding. 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.”
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12-23-2017
03:43 PM
12-23-2017
03:43 PM
What we are really saying is the policies w shouild be fair to all and should be enforced for all .
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12-23-2017
03:41 PM
12-23-2017
03:41 PM
I just got on another flight with 30 preboards and 4 of them Saving more seats for others. If you are angry that customers who follow SW policies are getting extremely frustrated that the boarding policies abuse honest people, it would be great for you to direct your anger to those that are abusing the policy that you apparently need. Thatnis not me .
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It Is also hard on your staff who then deal with irritated frequent flyers and all they can say is ‘talk to the company’ every flight .
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I fly a lot. I earn mikes and that makes me move up in the numbering system that is so important to boarding and getting a seat . Only now it isn’t. I just got on yet another flight from LV- Chicago with abusive pre boarders. There were 6 people with wheelchairs . There were 12 others that were younger than me and totally mobile . They were all traveling together . They are not disabled in any way that disrupts their ability to board . All the A1-30 people watch this - your frequent travelers that should have priority based on your own system. They all comment on it and end up angry. You are creating enormous bad will with your base, abusing your own seating rules, and disrespecting those that really do need help with boarding . You really should have preboarders board at the back of the plane . It would end abuse immediately . SW just continues this ridiculous policy endlessly and. It is now a huge abuse and has created regular frustration for the rest of us - particularly the frequent traveler who sees the growing abuse and has no way to sit up front ever anymore even with a high A boarding number . It’s just completely unfair .
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