07-21-2018
02:02 PM
07-21-2018
02:02 PM
@elijahbrantley wrote: Hey hey! What @chgoflyer said. I actually had to read the family boarding policy, and it’s rather vague. It says “An adult traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding.” This caught me off guard because (as stated), I see whole families get on together all the time, and it seems to be largely allowed. It’s not uncommon to see one youngster, the parents, and their grandparents board during family boarding. Personal opinion moment: as much as I like SW boarding, this is one area that is not that great. If the policy were enforced as it reads, it could make family boarding difficult, even if sitting together is not important. A while back, there was a brief period of strict enforcement re: not allowing adults in addition to parents to board with the family, following an incident where a gay couple were denied Family Boarding (the couple wanted to board with a grandparent as well). I still frequently see social media posts from someone upset that their grandparents (aunt, uncle, etc.) couldn't board with the family at Family Boarding. Which is how it should be, IMHO. Much like Preboarding, Family Boarding has become somewhat of a free-for-all. If you're the unlucky one who -- despite purchasing EarlyBird Check-In -- has a B or later boarding position, you suffer. Admittedly, since seat-saving is allowed, it's ultimately not that different really whether the OPS agent enforces policy strictly or loosely, but I do think that consistency would help avoid customer anger and stress. Southwest's boarding system certainly has it's challenges.
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