PRE BOARD NONSENSE

[floridaguy]

I do not see how you can claim that you are the first on the plane if you are A1.  You are behind 20 other people who preboard on many of the flights that I am on.

In a couple of years, they will start assigning boarding positions on preboard passengers due to the number, and the other six people who are NOT preboarding will come on as they please.

All of this is jeopardizing the open seating policy.  I have suggested to Southwest that they price the ticket based upon boarding position only.  The highest ticket price is A1 and the lowest ticket price is C60.  Pick your position and pay accordingly.  However, the data shows how many preboards are on each flight, on average, so that can also be conveyed to anyone purchasing a ticket.  You could be alerted that if you buy A1, statistically 22 people board ahead of you as preboards.

There ya go Southwest, get 'er done.

[FredZimmerman]

This is my first time on the Discussion Board and was not surprised to find that my issue with SW has been mentioned and replied to many, many times.  I, too, am a GOLD member, and spend the extra money to assure myself a good seating position, etc.  However, over the past year, the pre-board situation for "handicapped" people has gotten out of hand.  My last flight had over 20 people pre-boarding ... people who were 20 years younger than me, with no physical or mental issues.  None.  Apparently, they have discovered a loophole in the SW system that enables them to simply click the "physical disability" box when purchasing a ticket, and then pay the LOWEST fare possible while getting the BEST seating position.  I have no issue with people who legitimately need help boarding, but if you can walk down the jetway, you can board with everyone else.  if you need a wheelchair, double canes, etc. you may absolutely board first.  When I mention this to SW staff, they do absolutely nothing.  To be fair, there's probably nothing they CAN do since it's a systemic problem.  This needs to stop.  You are stealing money from GOLD Members, or people who spend premium ticket prices, only to have their position taken from them by unscrupulous fliers.  Please do something to address this. I love fluing SW otherwise, but now I dread getting in line only to see 20-30 able-bodied people who've lied to get their seating position allowed onto the plane before me. 

[tappingmom1]

 "I, too, am a GOLD member..."

You're a GOLD member?  🤣

It takes away from the legitimacy of your post if you truly have status, yet don't know what that status is.

"...people who were 20 years younger than me, with no physical or mental issues."

Fact: Age has nothing to do with the need to pre-board.

Fact: Many disabilities are hidden.

"When I mention this to SW staff, they do absolutely nothing.  To be fair, there's probably nothing they CAN do since it's a systemic problem."

Fact: The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is a law that makes it illegal for airlines to discriminate against passengers because of their disability. The Department of Transportation is responsible for enforcing the ACAA.  SWA staff "do absolutely nothing" because they are enforcing the ACAA.  It's not a systemic problem.  It is federal law.

[floridaguy]

There is no systematic issue here whatsoever.  Federal law, The Air Carrier Access Act, provides for those that "self identify" with a disability to preboard.  It doesn't matter what airlines, you can preboard.

The issue here is OPEN SEATING which has been previously pointed out.  

Yes, you can buy the lowest cost ticket and "self identify" with a disability and you preboard.

Southwest can do nothing other than to go to assigned seating which I don't see happening.

Yes, soon the boarding positions will be for preboarding and the remaining six people after the preboarding will go on the plane unassigned.

[Fjcruiser]

15 minutes ago my wife with a A3 boarding number had to wait for almost 1/2 the plane to pre board.

What happened to business class boarding?  We pay top dollar to get onto the plane for a good seat and there nothing up front left. How long is, SW going to allow all the free loading.

My last trip saw people wheel chairs on the plane and ran off the plane when it landed. There is no enforced handicap policy. POLICY IS A JOKE

[DancingDavidE]

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@Fjcruiser wrote:

15 minutes ago my wife with a A3 boarding number had to wait for almost 1/2 the plane to pre board.

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70 people? The entire B or C-group would be absent. 

[PettyIntrigues]

I can’t believe we’re still having to say this here but no desired seat on Southwest is a given. That’s open-seating’s blessing and its curse. You can be A1 with just one or two preboarders and get on board and there could be 40 throughs from the previous flight (I know, I’ve been there). 

What I have never seen, and I fly with this airline a few times a week for many years now, is ever more than about ten preboarders (even the PR/Hawaii flights) much less “half the plane” preboarding, and that is on the very high end, it’s usually 2-5 people. Stop exaggerating.

And if you don’t like it, you can always fly an assigned seat airline, but good luck getting your favored seat/section even there, especially if you are a last-minute traveler.

[parpitt1]

FWIW- I flew out of BWI yesterday, there were over 10 pre-boarders(counting their 2nd person) on the 1st leg, but only 2 pre-boarders on the 2nd leg.

It is what it is

[dfwskier]

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@Fjcruiser wrote:

15 minutes ago my wife with a A3 boarding number had to wait for almost 1/2 the plane to pre board.

What happened to business class boarding?  We pay top dollar to get onto the plane for a good seat and there nothing up front left. How long is, SW going to allow all the free loading.

My last trip saw people wheel chairs on the plane and ran off the plane when it landed. There is no enforced handicap policy. POLICY IS A JOKE

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It's not a POLICY. It is a FEDERAL LAW. If you don;t like the law, tell your congress people you want it changed. Lotsa luck with that one.

[dwjr]

Here's the very basic, elementary math in all this:

Southwest open seating policy + current rules/regs + Southwest's pretense that there's not a problem with abuse = The hugely unpredictable and often misleading value of A-List Select and A-List Preferred. Pretend or rationalize it all away as you will, but it's real.

Because the abuse by SW passengers is indisputable, I've taken the advice of many hand wringers and purported equity evangelists and moved to United (and I've requalified for A-List Preferred and Companion Pass status within 6 months each of the past several years). 

Just as I can't stand the injustice of people parking in handicapped zones without passes and repercussions, I choose not to witness the disrespect that SW shows those with real disabilities by allowing what is so obvious to occur. Yes, United has preboarders but the issue is mute given that seating is by reservation and is not open.

I'll gladly take a predictive, row 22 seat assignment on United rather than live a lie.  And (gasp) the Wi-Fi works on United and the cost is comparable.

The value of A-List Preferred to me was less about a close-to-exit seat assignment than a recognition of my loyalty to the Southwest brand.  I'm as patient as anyone when it comes to deplaning.  No, I'm not clairvoyant with respect to hidden disabilities, but the abuse is real and is exacerbated by SW's basic business model and unwillingness to use it's vast lobbyist clout to get more reasonable controls in place ... not too dissimilar from the extra steps members of my family have had to undertake to get their handicapped parking passes.  Trust but verify is the tenet in the handicapped parking enforcement world.  Quote the regs and turn the other cheek is Southwest's.