From my understanding (it's been a while since I've flown WN), Southwest now has those who want to "pre-board" board AFTER Zone A. At least the families that is. I'm not sure about disabled/wheel-chair bound passengers but I'm glad WN switched that up for the few times I did fly them, since I flew them in or out of MCO and my A Group card was basically worthless the first couple times I flew them.

It wasn't until recently that Delta resumed preboarding of children under 2. That was one of the main things from PMDL that I liked that they kept. Seems like it's just the past 6 months where infants and toddlers can preboard again.

Seems like I've heard "those travelling with infants and children and those needing a little extra time down the jetway" announcement for the past couple of years now with no interruption. And that's living (and flying out of) ATL (and SLC before that). Of course, I never needed to preboard until this last trip, so I wasn't specifically listening for the call for pre-boarding.

When they were big into the recording it seemed the called preboards by name and jumped right to the first class recording. Now that they are off the recording and back to calling zones I hear the preboard.

It's all in context... my pax might not need a wheelchair in my podunk airport because it's only a 400ft walk... but the 1 1/2 mile walk between gates in ATL.... obviously they're going to need one.

Not allowed by ADA, we can't require anyone to wait till the end. Also the same with pre-board, we can't make them board first or last, they could wait till the end to board. They have to have equal oppertunity to board

Would you rather this spin the other way and let them deplane first making everyone else wait? That's what it will come to if it gets pushed legally.

If you want to get the GA in hot water, report it via delta.com. It is mandatory that we offer pre-boards first. It doesn't matter if the first "needs their drinks".. it's not optional for the pre-board call due to ADA. The children under 2 call is mandatory but isn't required by the government.

I have sped through a pre-board announcement, waited for ten seconds while scanning the gate area for anyone thinking of moving... and then calling first... but it's not often I do so.

Your rum and coke isn't that important. Relax.

Initially you said you heard the FA saying "no specials." Then you said the person should wait in their seat. How do you even know if they haven't waited in their seat? Most likely you are in F and don't wait around to see.

In any case, who really cares? Some DYKWIA's get so worked up about pre-boards, miracle flights, etc. Who really cares? And who am I to judge another who might get off the plane a minute or two earlier than maybe you or I think they should?

That's exactly what I think, but DM/MM'ers obviously have other opinions :)

I've seen almost no abuse in pre-boarding on Delta or Jetblue. Southwest, on the other hand.....is ripe for abuse. I see maybe 1 pre-boarder with Delta/Jetblue per flight. Southwest, I see about 5-8 of them each flight.

One of the things I love about US Airways is the fact that they board people with children after zone two.

By the time the kid boards, I have my laptop out them are ready checking email and halfway through my first cocktail :-)

^ What I don't understand is what these people think someone is taking away from them by pre-boarding, one less rum and coke? I rarely see more than 3-4 pre-boards (unless it is FLL or SRQ), so OH space shouldn't be an issue either.

And +100 on the not judging people. Fact is I don't need a wheelchair to get on/off the plane, I need it to get from A to B in a reasonable amount of time to catch a flight.

Any airport heading to PBI :rolleyes:

The problem is they say "Now Preboarding. Preboarding is for passengers needing extra time and assistance heading down the jetway. Passengers with children under 2 board after Zone 2." Well...the people just hear "Preboarding Passengers with Children Under 2."

I don't care though. They don't affect me. What I don't like is how DL puts some of the "specials" in the bulkhead (which totally makes sense and I don't like bulkheads anyway) but on deplaning if they don't wait for everyone else they often hold up deplaning while they walk slowly to the wheel chair.

Preboarding doesn't bother me. It's the slow deplaning that does.

That's funny.

Agree with others, summer means more leisure flyers, more abuse.

I remember on a flight I took last to STT last Feb had at least half the flight trying to board based on "small children under 2" that most had kids over 8 yrs old.

Funniest experience with pre-boardin abuse was in PIT.

Pre-boarding is called and father grabs 8 year old daughter's hand and leads/drags her while holding her hand up to show "Look I have a kid!" while yelling at mother and teenage daughter to hurry up and follow him.

Mother looks uncomfortable and teenage daughter looks mortified and keeps saying "This is SOOOO embarrassing....they said UNDER two, I can't believe him.... he is so embarrassing....she isn't a little kid!"

Gate agent lets them through....

Out of curiosity, how do you know she was 8 years old?

I beg to differ. :)