Escorted from flight during WN boarding process
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAS - Las Vegas
Programs: Southwest
Posts: 131
Escorted from flight during WN boarding process
I flew WN flight 1142 from BWI to LAS on 6/12.
The plane was flying at near capacity. During boarding I saw two separate incidents.
1] A mother had paid for an early bird fare for herself and drew A19. Her eleven year old daughter traveling with her drew C45. The daughter did not have early bird. The mother stormed past the gate check and down the jetway when A16-30 were called with daughter in tow.
The WN gate agent called the MDTA police. They went down the jetway and retrieved mother and daughter from the plane. A discussion followed in the waiting area for the gate between the woman, the state police and a WN representative. The mom insisted she could board as A-19 with her minor child regardless of the child's boarding number as she was a minor. She was told no and as far as I could tell she did not end up boarding the flight.
The second incident involved a family who were sitting across A, D, E, F of row 16, the emergency exit row. The two small children were in D and F and could not sit there under safety regulations. They were told they would have to move.
The children moved with their mother elsewhere in the back of the plane. The father, still sitting in A16, started loudly protesting to flight attendants about the move. Eventually he said something to all four attendants who had gathered around him. They left and soon a supervisor with WN at BWI came on board and told the man to get his bags, he wasnt flying on that flight.
My questions are:
1] In situation one should the mother simply have waited for family boarding? Was it likely she was able to get a credit for her unused fare money as she checked in and tried to board the flight?
2] Is someone who is kicked off the flight by WN personnel (not arrested) before departure eligible to fly on a subsequent flight? Do they have to pay additional fare money to do so?
I was happy. I had drawn C35 as my boarding number and I subsequently ended up with F16, the window seat with the seat in front removed providing double leg room. Miracles do happen
The plane was flying at near capacity. During boarding I saw two separate incidents.
1] A mother had paid for an early bird fare for herself and drew A19. Her eleven year old daughter traveling with her drew C45. The daughter did not have early bird. The mother stormed past the gate check and down the jetway when A16-30 were called with daughter in tow.
The WN gate agent called the MDTA police. They went down the jetway and retrieved mother and daughter from the plane. A discussion followed in the waiting area for the gate between the woman, the state police and a WN representative. The mom insisted she could board as A-19 with her minor child regardless of the child's boarding number as she was a minor. She was told no and as far as I could tell she did not end up boarding the flight.
The second incident involved a family who were sitting across A, D, E, F of row 16, the emergency exit row. The two small children were in D and F and could not sit there under safety regulations. They were told they would have to move.
The children moved with their mother elsewhere in the back of the plane. The father, still sitting in A16, started loudly protesting to flight attendants about the move. Eventually he said something to all four attendants who had gathered around him. They left and soon a supervisor with WN at BWI came on board and told the man to get his bags, he wasnt flying on that flight.
My questions are:
1] In situation one should the mother simply have waited for family boarding? Was it likely she was able to get a credit for her unused fare money as she checked in and tried to board the flight?
2] Is someone who is kicked off the flight by WN personnel (not arrested) before departure eligible to fly on a subsequent flight? Do they have to pay additional fare money to do so?
I was happy. I had drawn C35 as my boarding number and I subsequently ended up with F16, the window seat with the seat in front removed providing double leg room. Miracles do happen
Last edited by sunpass; Jul 13, 2016 at 12:38 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
From the FAQ:
An adult traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If the child and the adult are both holding an “A” boarding pass, they should board in their assigned boarding position.
2] Is someone who is kicked off the flight by WN personnel (not arrested) before departure eligible to fly on a subsequent flight? Do they have to pay additional fare money to do so?
Did you observe any reason for there being so many disruptive passengers? Was there a group traveling together or perhaps a common destination?
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
1. The mother could have boarded with her daughter at C46 or she could have purchased EBCI for the daughter and they could have boarded at A19-20. Law enforcement does not enforce WN's boarding or seating rules. All it does is keep the peace and, if asked, remove an unruly or unwanted passenger at the Captain's request.
2. Whether the loud mouth was permitted to fly later in the day or ever again is a decision WN gets to make. It is a private company and so long as it does not make decisions based on improper bases, e.g. race, color and so on, it is WN's judgment which prevails.
2. Whether the loud mouth was permitted to fly later in the day or ever again is a decision WN gets to make. It is a private company and so long as it does not make decisions based on improper bases, e.g. race, color and so on, it is WN's judgment which prevails.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAS - Las Vegas
Programs: Southwest
Posts: 131
There were not any other disruption problems on the flight. Everyone else seems to fall asleep on that trip at that time of night.
Last edited by sunpass; May 20, 2022 at 9:08 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAS - Las Vegas
Programs: Southwest
Posts: 131
Because I moved within ear shot of the discussion between the passenger and the MdTA police at the gate and I was sitting in the same row across the aisle from the second dispute on the plane.
I took a photo of the terminal dispute as I was boarding, not to watch the police but rather to perhaps ask the mother later what had happened when we got to the baggage claim at LAS. Alas, she never boarded.
I took a photo of the terminal dispute as I was boarding, not to watch the police but rather to perhaps ask the mother later what had happened when we got to the baggage claim at LAS. Alas, she never boarded.
Last edited by sunpass; Jul 13, 2016 at 1:55 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Posts: 2,210
The silly thing with mom/11 yo daughter is if mom had asked nicely (instead of the DYKWIA route), the GA likely would have let them board at A-19.
Dad with kids sitting in the exit row is just an idiot. Was he a Kettle? (obvious first time flyer)
Dad with kids sitting in the exit row is just an idiot. Was he a Kettle? (obvious first time flyer)
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAS - Las Vegas
Programs: Southwest
Posts: 131
The mother in the terminal insisted that she had been allowed by other WN gate agents to use a single early bird and bring her daughter along.
#9
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,870
Because I moved within ear shot of the discussion between the passenger and the MdTA police at the gate and I was sitting in the same row across the aisle from the second dispute on the plane.
I took a photo of the terminal dispute as I was boarding, not to watch the police but rather to perhaps ask the mother later what had happened when we got to the baggage claim at LAS. Alas, she never boarded.
I took a photo of the terminal dispute as I was boarding, not to watch the police but rather to perhaps ask the mother later what had happened when we got to the baggage claim at LAS. Alas, she never boarded.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
Although the description of her boarding seems to indicate she rushed down the jetway because she knew she wasn't supposed to be doing that.
#11
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
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It's not smart to defy anyone in a position of authority unless you are 100% in the right and you are prepared to take some temporary adverse consequences. These passengers are not likely to fly Southwest again, which we can agree is a win-win.
#12
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Talk about two outrageously stupid pax.
Had both pax had half a brain, they wouldn't have had an issue.
- Mom could have boarded at A19, taken an aisle seat somewhere in the middle-rear of the plane, and saved the seat next to her for her daughter. Although seat-saving is a hot FT topic, a mom saving a single middle for her daughter wouldn't be contested onboard. Most of us would agree that's probably the least-douchy type of seat saving, on the continuum of seat-saving douchiness.
- Dad could have sat in the exit row with mom & kids one row behind. (Assuming Dad is the tall person in this case.) Although some airlines won't allow exit seat selection if *any* U15's are on the entire PNR, this isn't a factor on WN. Provided parents didn't leave a minor unaccompanied in a row, they'd never have a problem with the taller parent sitting in the exit row.
Somehow I doubt either passenger gets a true lifetime ban...provided they didn't go nuts on the cops in the gate area after the flight departed. If it turns out that both were complete n00bs to flying, then maybe they got a stern lecture and a flight later that day. We'll never know...
Had both pax had half a brain, they wouldn't have had an issue.
- Mom could have boarded at A19, taken an aisle seat somewhere in the middle-rear of the plane, and saved the seat next to her for her daughter. Although seat-saving is a hot FT topic, a mom saving a single middle for her daughter wouldn't be contested onboard. Most of us would agree that's probably the least-douchy type of seat saving, on the continuum of seat-saving douchiness.
- Dad could have sat in the exit row with mom & kids one row behind. (Assuming Dad is the tall person in this case.) Although some airlines won't allow exit seat selection if *any* U15's are on the entire PNR, this isn't a factor on WN. Provided parents didn't leave a minor unaccompanied in a row, they'd never have a problem with the taller parent sitting in the exit row.
Somehow I doubt either passenger gets a true lifetime ban...provided they didn't go nuts on the cops in the gate area after the flight departed. If it turns out that both were complete n00bs to flying, then maybe they got a stern lecture and a flight later that day. We'll never know...
#13
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
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Posts: 3,246
Probably true. Did you see her board and go down the jetway? Presumably the cops were called because the agent told her at the gate (or at least tried to say something to her about the child having to wait) and the mother just kept going. I doubt the cops would have been called otherwise. Just curious if you heard that exchange and what was/wasn't said.
#14
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,509
A moth-eaten pretext. Given all the consideration it deserved.
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAS - Las Vegas
Programs: Southwest
Posts: 131
Probably true. Did you see her board and go down the jetway? Presumably the cops were called because the agent told her at the gate (or at least tried to say something to her about the child having to wait) and the mother just kept going. I doubt the cops would have been called otherwise. Just curious if you heard that exchange and what was/wasn't said.