As communicated by many here the issue isn't with legitimate preboarders, but those circumventing the system, of which there are clearly many. The word is out that gate agents cannot question any statement given by those requesting preboard, and those cheating the system know exactly what answers to give. Seems that a simple solution would be to create a mixed cabin, with the front x number of rows as "premium" assigned seats, with the rear section of the plane as General FCFS like SWA does currently. This would serve many benefits, first creating a premium product for BS, AL and ALP customers perhaps drawing some of the business travelers back that SWA is losing to other carriers. Second, you would see a drastic drop of preboarders because the benefit of cheating the system is somewhat lost thereby allowing for a cleaner, more organized boarding process. Third, it still benefits legitimate preboarders who can select a specific seat which accommodates their specific disability or preboard reason. Finally it drives revenue for SWA in enticing people to spend more on BS tickets, or "upgrading" to a premium front of plane seat.
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