01-06-2020
12:54 PM
My neighbor has been scamming for a couple of years now. She just did it again last week. She also has a cane that collapses and sometimes uses a knee brace (on the outside on her clothing). She is very phsically capable. Last week, she pre boarded with her husband (who "helped" her boarding). Then her two sons accompanied her as well. She laughs about it and even will post it on Facebook. She just wants the first few rows, overhead bin space, and her family sitting together. Now, her sons do it.
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I have posted a few times regarding this issue. I don't mind if a person saves one seat (their spouse, friend etc) but not a whole row or three rows which has happened. (It was on You Tube). Also, there should be absolutely no saved seats in the emerg exit rows. Passengers in business class or early bird specials are often trying for those seats. I traveled a lot before I retired and I saw fights almost break out or verbal confrontations over saved seats in the emerg row. The FAs, standing there, did nothing except to say there is no SW saving seat policy. I have actually seen one man forcefully block the emerg row with his body and hands, blocking some passnegers actually trying for those emerg row seats. There was a verbal confronatation. His friends, group C, took the seats. SW won't do anything about this.
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10-03-2019
11:12 AM
10-03-2019
11:12 AM
I spoke to a SW customer service agent last night. She said a few agents at the check in counter have been known to get it wrong. However, as she said, the unloaded handgun, hard locked case CAN be placed inside your regular luggage. Since it is inside another piece of luggage, only the main luggage is counted as a single checked piece of luggage,..not two. However, a long gun case, usually very large, is checked in as a single luggage.
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10-02-2019
12:15 PM
I have replied and posted comments on this issue several times. Saving seats in the emergency rows is a sham and is abused. I have seen both emergency rows (both sides) saved. The FA was standing right there and did nothing. I also saw a physical fight almost break out on the airplane over this issue. The FA told the upset passenger that the person has saved the seats. What? I thought SW had no saving seat policy. I wrote the CEO on this suggesting absolutely no saving of seats, period, in the emergency row seats. I got a nice reply back basically saying that SW has no saving seat policy. I wear a discreet body cam now when flying so I can record such abuses. Many of my friends do as well. Facebook has a couple or more videos of this abuse, one showing both rows saved. I love SW but I am dismayed that SW doesn't cater better to those A List and EB seating. It's not fair to them.
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10-02-2019
08:51 AM
10-02-2019
08:51 AM
Thank you for the reply. I have this "special luggage" printed out for him. He was aware of the SW policy but didn't have it printed out. I always do. He contacted SW Customer Service and offered to send them the video (from the body cam) but they stated that was not necessary. ? Really? I would think SW would want to see that. If anything, for training purposes. Now, with TSA - at an dinner gathering recently, a TSA agent (only a year with TSA) stated that all handguns MUST be checked separately as checked locked luggage and CANNOT be inside another checked luggage. He said it doesn't matter what the airline's policy is. So I contacted TSA on that and haven't heard back yet. ??!! Side note: Don't travel to New York City with a handgun in checked luggage or as checked luggage. But that's another issue.
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10-02-2019
01:06 AM
10-02-2019
01:06 AM
last time I flew with a handgun, I declared it. I had it in a locked small hard case, the ammunition separate in a hard plastic case,..and all in my soft sided checked luggage. All went was fine. (It has been a couple of years). Have things changed? Two friends recently flew, same departure city and within a week of each other. The first was told the same situation as mine- the handgun had to be in a hard locked case, not loaded, and could be placed in his soft sided checked luggage. Went fine. At a later date, the second passenger was told that the handgun locked hardcase (very small) had to be checked in as a SEPARATE pice of luggage. It could not be inside another piece of luggage. He argued but lost. His traveling work partner had a discreet body cam on and recorded this incident. I saw it on Facebook. Yup, the counter agent said the handgun case had to be checked as separate luggage,..TSA law. So, which is it? (This is why I now travel the airlines with a body cam as many of my friends do now.)
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I commented on this a few weeks ago. Yes, it is and has been out of control. I wrote the CEO and received back a very nice and professional email from a customer service staff. Basically, it said they cannot do anything about it due to federal laws. But I still ask: why does it take a group of people (family members, friends) to accompany one disabled person that is preboarding? My neighbor has done it a few times: she fakes an injured leg (has a cane and cloth brace ) and her husband and sometimes other family members accompany her in preboarding. She laughs about it. She even sat in the emergency row section once when she told the FA she needed the extra leg space for her injured leg. She posted it on Facebook and it shows her laughing. Which raised the question- doesn't the passenger have to be physically capable of opening the emergency hatch?
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09-03-2019
04:03 PM
09-03-2019
04:03 PM
I did write a letter to the CEO and received a very nice, professional response back by a staff member. Yes, FAs are to ascertain whether or not a passenger is capable of opening an emerg door. As the response I received, the FAs do just that and will require a passenger to move if necessary. But, look at my message dated 09/03/19. The elderly woman issue was recorded and posted on Facebook and suposedly it was posted on You Tube. She could barely move.
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09-03-2019
03:15 PM
09-03-2019
03:15 PM
I forgot to mention: Regarding the elderly woman in emerg row seating: Yes, this should be reported to the FAs. Thing is, the FA was right there. The scene was also recorded and posted on Facebook by a Facebook friend of mine whom I was flying with. I also heard that it was posted on You Tube which surprises me due to possible legal consequences brought on by SW. I am sure SW doesn't want their dirty laundry aired.
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Here's a followup: Not too long ago, a dad apparently with a low A number, got the emergency row and saved two seats for his two daughters. Were they 15 years of age? No although they told the FA they were. It was obvious they weren't. We guessed about 12 to 13 and we were almost right. I sat next to a SW middle manager employee, in front of the group and overheard them say they were 13 and 14. They were also petite. I always understood you also have to be physically capable of opening the emerg doors to sit in the emerg row. The SW employee I sat with told me that FAs are usually instructed not to confront or question about ages (unless it is really obvious). They don't want confrontation which can lead to a delay of the departure time. (Can't have that!) .....So,..not offending someone or not confronting someone about this important safety policy is much more important to SW then passenger safety. As my good friend who is an attorney/judge said: Wait until a real emergency and the person is incapable of opening the emerg door,...and people die or or injured. Multiple lawsuits against SW.
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08-18-2019
03:02 PM
I did send two emails. One yesterday. The same reply: SW does not have a "saved seat" policy and does not intervene unless it inteferes with boarding.
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I flew SW for business (law enforcement) for over 11 years. A couple of times, as a LEO ( the FAs knew I was an LEO). I was asked to intervene because someone aggressively took a saved seat and an argument broke out,..almost a physcial fight. (We were still on the ground, they should have called airport police, not me...but that's another story). If some does take a saved seat, (which they should be allowed to,..remember, no SW saved seat pollicy) , be prepared for possible confrontations.
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My neighbor does this quite often. She fakes an injured leg, uses a cane, and gets pre boarding. She hasn't been stopped yet. Plus, a couple of times, she was allowed to sit in the emergency row, the better seats, and saves the seats for her family who were in the "C" group. She brags about it. Plus, a few years ago, a very elderly woman (probably in her 80s) was pre boarded. I got on board and she was in the emerg row exit. What?! Even if she didn't pre board, an older person should not be allowed to sit in those emerg rows. I am retired from the Air Force and have opened emerg doors many times, (mostly for training) and it is not the easiet thing to do. Add a real emerg to that, and chaos, and you will have problems.
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08-18-2019
11:43 AM
08-18-2019
11:43 AM
I have already posted my own thoughts of it a few moments ago. But,..saving seats in the emergency row should not be allowed. Twice now, I have seen a passenger (A1-A15) save BOTH emergency row seating for his family who were in the C group. BOTH ROWS! The FA did nothing stating there is no saving of seats policy with SouthWest. My neighbor just returned from a SouthWest flght and the same thing happened to him,..both sides emerg row seats were "saved" for the guy's family. So forget the early bird or priotity boarding.
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08-18-2019
11:32 AM
1 Love
I flew Southwest for 11 years for business and vacation trips. Often I was able to get A!-A15 and sit in the emergency exit rows which was nice since I am 6'3". Twice during that time, A passenger in front of me saved both emergency exit rows for his entire family. The FA, who was standing right there, allowed him to do it, stating Southwest doesn't have a "saved seat" policy. ?!. Very often, I have seen a passenger save the entire emergency row (remaining two seats) for his family. I saw a fight almost break out because of that on one trip. Yesterday, a neighbor of mine flew Southwest and stated a passenger in front of him saved both entire emergency exit rows.! that nuts!. The FA was right there and did nothing. If a passenger has an A list or A1-A15, that passenger should have a good chance of getting the emerg row seating. Southwest should have a policy of NO SAVING of seats in the emergency row.
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