I would like some help understanding the boarding process, and what to do when Southwest violates their own policy.
Case Scenario:
Saturday 9 March 2024, Flight 2025 LGB-BNA, 737-700 143 seats.
Departing Long Beach, non-stop to Nashville on an almost full flight, a large group (a school orchestra of about 50-60) was boarded immediately after Business Select - before the remainder of A and any of B group. I'm not sure if they all had a boarding group assigned, but several accompanying parents had C-Group on their passes. For additional context, it appeared that all of A & B group were full. The Gate Agent announced that they would be boarding them early, but they would board the back of the plane (a standard practice at LGB) and seating them in the back. Although, this still violates the boarding policy, I chose to be considerate and hopeful that seating would still work itself out...it did not. The flight crew and gate agents were not coordinated, and no one managed this large boarding group. I was able to board with family boarding (w/ my young son), but the rest of my family (3) were the last people to board - all with B35-37 boarding passes.
When I walked down the aisle, that large group had not boarded solely via the back door, but also the front; and they were not filling every seat back-to-front, rather they were fairly scattered throughout the plane ('mostly' toward the back).
What were/are my courses of action?
If I have to pay an additional fee to improve my boarding status, should I request a refund in equal amount for Southwest effectively downgrading my boarding status?
Anyone else experience such a thing?
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