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This message is mostly for Business Select passengers that cut things tight in the morning. My normal morning travel days start with 6:00 AM to 6:30 Am flights. I live near my base airport (love Field, Home of SWA) and at that hour I leave home with just enough time to park, get through security and be the first or second to board the aircraft. Recently I had a random alert through security and the extra three minutes of being searched personally put me at the gate 27 minutes before scheduled departure. To my surprise the plane was already being loaded and I had missed my A1 position. I asked why we had boarded precisely at 5:30 AM, given that the plane only had fifty passengers and the process would only take ten minutes at most. The Gate Agent explained (very nicely) that because the flight was a connecting flight at the next stop that the plane was loaded to follow policy and ensure the connection was timely. I think this is a very good policy and now that I know that, I will give up five minutes of sleep to ensure I board in my designated place.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts! And for being an understanding passenger. As one who typically takes later flights, I appreciate SW getting those first flights out on time!!
And I am with you. I am extra careful to allow enough time when I am flying on a Business Select ticket. Gotta get that good spot!
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@Jwalsh3rd wrote:...I asked why we had boarded precisely at 5:30 AM, given that the plane only had fifty passengers and the process would only take ten minutes at most. The Gate Agent explained (very nicely) that because the flight was a connecting flight at the next stop that the plane was loaded to follow policy and ensure the connection was timely. I think this is a very good policy and now that I know that, I will give up five minutes of sleep to ensure I board in my designated place.
My wife and I had an experience at LAS one time where we got to the gate and were surprised at 30 minutes til that the prior flight was just wrapping up boarding. Asking the gate agent -- it was our flight!!!
Whoops - due to weather and other factors they had decided to load early and we were the last to board at T-30 and push off. We didn't sit together, A-list numbers were long-gone by the time we boarded as well as family boarding.
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