You really should read things more closely, Brian. I never claimed NSX supported my position. I merely said he/she was the only one to offer a plausible response to my question.
And NSX, I have no idea whether or not your theory is correct. I'm no expert on the subject, and I don't really see the relevance of whether or not I agree with your possible explanation. The point was simply that your explanation was one of the few -- if not only -- ones being offered.
Again, I'm worn out over the pissing match this has become, and I sympathize with the position in which you must find yourself, Brian. I love Southwest, and I will continue to fly it. I'm just torqued that changes in policy with which I take issue have not been accompanied by a rational explanation for their adoption, that numerous requests for an explanation have been met with a song and dance routine, and that Southwest's communications team didn't think enough of us to bother to come up with anything better as a response.
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The NSX comments to which I referred are as follows:
posted Sept. 21 at 10:46 a.m.
"Southwest wants to find new revenue sources. One prominent possibility is priority seating. Now that assigned seating has been rejected, priority boarding is the only way Southwest can offer priority seating.
"Most people who would pay for priority boarding will want to sit in the front rows so they can exit faster and be on their way. If families with little ones board first and take the front row seats, Southwest will lose part of the new revenue it needs."
and, posted Sept. 21 at 6:38 p.m.
"SMF Jeff, didnÃ
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See, Brian, the truth is that I don't believe you really have tried to answer my questions. In fact, the only person who has made any effort to do so is nsx at flyertalk.com -- who correctedly points out that an employee of SWA would certainly not be inclined to provide the answer he/she did.
One final time, spelled out as plainly and simply as I possibly can:
REGARDING THE NEW PRE-BOARD POLICY,
1. What is the rationale for the change?
2. What problems were found in the previous existing policy?
3. How does the new policy alleviate those problems?
You will notice that these questions have NOTHING to do with anyone's reactions to the changes. Therefore, citing the responses of survey participants after the fact is not an answer.
I've teed it up three times for you now. Time to rip it down the fairway or slink back to the clubhouse.
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*sigh*
Brian, I'm not here to get into a pissing match with you about whose "facts" are more valid -- yours are based on questionnaries completed by those in the midst of experiencing the changes who chose to participate in your survey, while mine are based on the responses of those who have chosen to comment on this and numerous other blogs/message boards. Neither sampling is scientifically valid, so ... whatever.
But one undeniable fact is that I have at least twice asked you some very simple, very direct, very specific questions about these changes, and you have danced around the answers at every opportunity, apparently assuming that "Just try it -- everybody we asked really loves it" is a universally valid answer.
On the bright side, you're clearly in the right line of work. Just keep sticking to those talking points and you're sure to go far.
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Brian,
Since the comments on this blog don't seem to post in real time, you apparently got a follow up posted (at 3:08 p.m.) while my following post (3:21 p.m.) was "awaiting moderation." Your 3:08 reply does provide some further clarification, but I'm still wondering about the questions I raised in the 3:21 post.
One point in your 3:08 comment left me perplexed -- and points back to the questions I raised in the 3:21 post: you say that "Both general boarding and family Customers found the experience to be slightly less stressful than the current system." Again, I can see how some of the general boarders may feel that way regarding the adoption of the numbering system within the A, B and C groups, but that "less stressful" determination with regard to the new pre-boarding policy seems completely incongruous with the vast majority of comments on this board and many, many others throughout cyberspace.
So, it gets back to the questions I asked at 3:21 (again, this is specifically about the policy on pre-boarding): What is the rationale for the change? What problems were found in the existing policy? How does the new policy alleviate those problems? I find it extremely hard to believe that data supports customer satisfaction with this change when ALL the evidence to which we have access suggests the contrary.
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Brian, thaks for your response, though it doesn't really answer my question.
I am NOT supportive of the new numbering system -- it simply rewards those who got to their computer first rather than those who got to the airport first. But I can see why some people might not have liked things the way they were and how this new policy could have evolved from the evaluation process.
But I'm asking specifically about the PRE-BOARD policy change with regard to children. Again, what is the rationale for the change? What problems were found in the existing policy? How does the new policy alleviate those problems? Unless I'm missing something (and please clue me in if I am) NOTHING about the new policy promotes greater efficiency in the boarding process. Am I to believe from your response that it came about simply because some customers suggested it?
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OK, Brian. I'll try this again, since it still has not been addressed:
Exactly what is the rationale behind the change in preboard policy? As I noted earlier, itÃ
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Oh, and Brian? I must have missed it. Exactly what is the rationale behind the change in preboard policy? As I noted earlier, it's not at all clear how this improves boarding efficiency in any way. And please don't just respond that it tested well in San Antonio.
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Laura, I'm going to assume your little jab was directed at the other Jeff who posted after me. That's the only way it makes any sense, since your initial post only reinforced my point. Otherwise, what crawled up your skirt?!? If you're one of the apparent few who is conscientious about your children's behavior in a public setting, then hats off to you. But, as you yourself wrote, that's apparently too much to ask of some people, and most of us would rather not get sucked into the dysfunction of others.
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I've always loved the Southwest boarding policy and I'm disappointed that they've deemed it necessary to make any change at all. While the switch to assigning numbers within each boarding group will probably take some getting used to, it will make little difference in terms of convenience in the long run. Seriously, anything in the A group assures you of sitting pretty much wherever you want (unless you insist on sitting in the front of the plane), and it's incredibly easy to assure that you're in the A group.
But eliminating pre-board for rugrats? That's got potential problem written all over it. What justification does Southwest have for this move? Nothing about it improves efficiency of boarding in any way. Is this change simply the result of complaints about "special treatment" for families? Hell, I'm all for giving them that special treatment if it means they're seated before I even get on the plane, and can then choose to sit as far away from them as I want.
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