Departing plane issues with preboarders

[hemiforjin1]

OK..so I realize now Business Select does not mean "first to board" . My recent flights worked out ok even with all the "pre boarder's" in various state of disabilities, some questionable. So my  concern is on  last leg where plane was already 2+ hours late there must of been 12 preboarders all loaded in the front seats. Everyone wanted to get off this plane. It seemed some of these elderly folks actually were trying to stand up in the aisle and gather their things with no direction. I was back about 10 rows and watched as the flight attendants seem to be oblivious to the log jam, there were no announcements to them to wait I am assuming for wheel chairs.. One elderly women stood up and was told by daughter to go to front of plane and sit down in the front seats...she had no clue, almost fell down. I like others were not happy. Is this standard operating procedure? Not too safe in my opinion.

[DancingDavidE]

I usually do get advice from the FA about availability of wheelchairs, it would be normal SOP for the FA to let people know if they needed one to wait.

For the lady getting up too soon, I don't think the FA can direct it at that level, if a person wants to get up and get off they can't prevent that. And some people who wheelchair on down do get up and walk off since they don't have to wait in the same way as when boarding the aircraft.

Personally I got back to the exit row when traveling solo, my kids love the back of the plane if we're traveling as a family, and I'm only in the front if traveling with my mother who pre-boards we like to wait for a wheelchair so those times I've seen the system work okay most of the time.

Were you traveling to a destination where a lot of elderly people go? Sometimes flights to those destinations can have a large contingent from the older demographic.

[hemiforjin1]

Yes, my last leg was into Tucson, large older population.  I guess my thoughts were if these travelers needed assistance down the jetway, they would leave out same way. To not notify them to wait in place until assistance was there created the further delay.  When I finally cleared the plane threshold, there were only a few chairs at opening . Felt like an obstacle course.  Breakdown in communication I think.

[floridaguy]

If you are wheelchair bound, then you are typically the first off the plane.  However, if not, then you walk off the plane.

Unless you are wheelchair bound, you will generally exit the plane in the order of your row.

[Passenger1C]

@hemiforjin1  what is your recommendation on how this type of situation should have been handled? 

[hemiforjin1]

Honestly think a break down in communication happened. If travelers arrived down jetway by wheelchair, then they needed to be informed to wait for assistance before moving into aisle way.  I only saw two chairs waiting to help folks, saw about 12 go down jetway in beginning. Granted Tucson is small change and it was late.

[DancingDavidE]

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@hemiforjin1 wrote:

Honestly think a break down in communication happened. If travelers arrived down jetway by wheelchair, then they needed to be informed to wait for assistance before moving into aisle way.  I only saw two chairs waiting to help folks, saw about 12 go down jetway in beginning. Granted Tucson is small change and it was late.

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I'd say it is frequent that there aren't initially enough wheelchairs. The more seasoned passengers will wait until they know one is available which the FA will usually communicate, less seasoned will be trying to get up first no matter what.

That's partly a function of staffing at the airports (Southwest does not staff the attendants directly) and people making last minute requests for wheelchairs at their origin and the staffing is already set at the destination by then, so they are reacting to increased demand throughout every day as more people can use wheelchairs than initially requested them. The staff are just trying to figure out where to go as they are dispatched.

Some other percentage of the preboard passengers are able to walk out unassisted or with gentle assistance since they don't have to wait in line (as opposed to boarding when there is a lot of standing around). This is probably the more frustration inducing group.

Most times that I have business select I'm not at the front of the plane anyway, so it hasn't bothered me in specifically that way.

[hemiforjin1]

As a newbie to flying business select my rationale originally was seat position as I needed to change planes. Honestly didnt take into consideration pre boarders.  Lesson learned, probably would have to weigh benefits to costs next time. 

[DancingDavidE]

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@hemiforjin1 wrote:

As a newbie to flying business select my rationale originally was seat position as I needed to change planes. Honestly didnt take into consideration pre boarders.  Lesson learned, probably would have to weigh benefits to costs next time. 

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Also when selecting flights you'll get more bang for your Business Select buck if you are on a flight number originating with your ticket and not continuing as there could also be through passengers who move up to the front.