Actually, NW's policy is now NOT to include "families with small children" in the pre-board announcement (although they are not to be denied from pre-boarding). Those agents who still include it either missed the memo (very likely) or just have the habit of saying the same announcement from years of practice.


IF, boarding via door 2L on the 757, first class passengers are to be boarded first in the process (there is a different announcement to be used in the computer). Whether or not this actually happens is another issue.