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Pre Boarding Pass

JRH
Explorer C

Today I flew from Atlanta to Dallas. I was on business and had a boarding pass with A1. There were several people in wheel chairs and at least 4 ladies with babies. The gate attendant was busy assisting a lady on board. I aided a lady to get in her wheel chair and rolled her to the desk. I took my place back in front of the line. A very healthy gentleman and lady proceeded to get in front of the line and got the first seat. I did not want the first row but the rudeness in which they butted in line struck me funny. I ask him why he was butting in line he said he had a pre boarding pass. There was nothing wrong with either of them. I think these people scamming the system are the worst type of indiviuals there can be. 

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Pre Boarding Pass

DSK
Explorer C

I ran across this to many times.  One person will have a Pre-Board, yet they let the whole family board.  there was at least 10 of them.  Why have Business Select...plus its 3 times as much...This happened on a flight from Dallas to Orlando.

 

 

 

 

Re: Pre Boarding Pass

cjpryor
Explorer C

In reply to DSK,

I completely understand why the whole family (are you sure there was really 10 of them?) might pre-board together even though it might not be obvious who the legitimate pre-boarder is. People can be extremely rude to other people who are trying to save seats for others.

I know this from first-hand experience. My wife, son, and I were traveling together and I pre-boarded by myself with the intent to save seats for them. I figured I did not need help going down the jetway so there was no reason for them to board with me. If it were not for my eye condition described above, I would have waited to board with them.

So, I got my seat (which wasn't even that close to the front of the plane but it was the first seat that I could find that met my conditions for protecting my eye) and was saving their seats. Unfortunately, a gentleman approached me and asked who I was saving seats for. He very rudely said that was not allowed and took one of the seats. I think a physical confrontation is the only option I had. I did not want to get kicked off the flight so I let him sit there.

I am not the only one who observed his rudeness. The lady behind him very loudly exclaimed "how rude!" I did not know if she was referring to him or me until later when we were picking up our luggage and she approached me and told me that she could not believe how rude that man was to me and how well I handled the situation. With my wife and son with me I explained my condition and that I was trying to save seats for them. Both her and he husband said that I was doing nothing wrong and the man who confronted me was completely in the wrong.

 

Clay Pryor

Albuquerque, NM

Re: Pre Boarding Pass

dfwskier
Aviator A

Thanks for sharing, Clay.

 

Unfortunately, in todays 'entitled society" many peope only think of themselves, and fail to comprehend that some people relly do need to pre-board.

Re: Pre Boarding Pass

dfwskier
Aviator A

@dfwskier wrote:

Thanks for sharing, Clay.

 

Unfortunately, in today's 'entitled society" many people only think of themselves, and fail to comprehend that some people really do need to pre-board.


edit add: next time you want to save seats put your carry on bag and or jacket in the seat(s) you are saving. Tht's what I do. People come along and ask if someone is sitting there. I say "yes" and they move along. Never had a confrontation in the 41 years I've been flying Southwest.

Re: Pre Boarding Pass

cjpryor
Explorer C

Not all handicaps are apparent. Is it possible you were rude to a person with a handicap that was not visibly apparent to you?  Perhaps the person you confronted didn’t have time to share their condition with you or was uncomfortable sharing it with you.  Not all people are as willing to share their condition with strangers as I am.

 

I have an eye condition that causes me great discomfort and sometimes migraines when exposed to bright light from my left, particularly when there is a marked contrast such as a dark room (such as an airplane cabin) with a bright source of light (such as a cabin window).  Unless a person gets close to me and looks me directly in my eyes, this condition is not visible to most people.  I have a letter from my eye doctor testifying to my condition.

 

When I was 13 years old, through no fault of my own other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time, I was shot in the left eye with a bb.  It resulted in irreparable damage (even after many surgeries including cataract surgery at a young age) to my left eye including a pupil that stays dilated and an extra crescent shaped (pupil-like) opening on the left side of my left eye.  This has resulted in excess light sensitivity that causes great discomfort and often migraines when I am exposed to bright lights from my left side.

 

I have learned to take measures to avoid exposure to bright lights on my left side, however, that is extremely hard to do in commercial air travel.  The only reliable way I have found is to get a window seat on the left side where I can control BOTH windows to ensure they are closed during flight.  Another alternative is to wear a patch on my left eye which is a very complicated issue, especially when you are used to seeing out of that eye even if it is not as good as the other eye.  Don't believe me, this is something you can try for yourself, place a patch over your left eye the next time you travel and see what it is like.  

 

I generally try to avoid air travel as a result.  However, it is not completely avoidable.  When i do travel, the company I work for expects us to use Southwest for cost savings.   No matter how quickly I try to get my boarding pass, even seconds after it opens up on-line, I am often near the tail end of boarding where seating selection is very limited.  I believe my options are limited because people like you have spent lots of money to get preferential treatment over others like myself.  Under normal circumstances I think that is great.  More poser to you and Southwest for it.

 

I suppose I could petition my company to pay the extra expense to travel as you do.  I suppose they might even agree to it, even though our own executives do not do it.  Why should I ask my company for special treatment not even offered to our executives when Southwest provides a workable accommodation for my condition?   

 

I, for one, am very grateful for Southwest's pre-boarding policy that allows me to find a seat that will accommodate my condition even if it means that people like you who have lots of extra money to spend may be slightly inconvenienced by my "butting in line."  I also understand why people like you may not understand.  I hope that by sharing this you might be a little less judgmental when you see me, or someone like me, pre-boarding.

 

Clay Pryor

Albuquerque, NM