The new queueing procedure is an improvement. However, the elimination of pre-boarding for families with children under four is just another in a string of decisions by Southwest that has moved me from loyal to indifferent. Along with decisions such as restricting the number of award passes on a particular flight (making it nearly impossible to use those passes for flights I need), Southwest is no longer my carrier of choice.
Southwest - perhaps you have a different customer segment in mind. But please realize that many of us that fly with young children are you former, current, and future business fliers as well. I personally carry the Southwest credit card and always seek a Southwest flight first before I consult other options (and only if necessary), but this is the end of the road for me as a loyal customer on both fronts. This seems like a small concession to make for your loyal customers during the years that this accommodation would be needed in order to gain the lifetime loyalty of those fliers. Perhaps I will return when my children are older, but for now, I can't see carrying my kid in one arm and our bags in the other as I try to board - while unintentionally hitting other passengers as I move past the first twelve rows. Especially if I had to pay for that flight because I couldn't use any of the reward passes I've earned.
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