Uptick in Pax Abusing Pre-Boarding?
 

I've been flying quite a bit this month, and on the last two or three flights--including the one I am currently on--I've noticed a number of people pre-baording who clearly don't look like they have any legitimate reason fro pre-boarding. No kids, no strollers, no wheelchair or cane, not with anyone who needs pre-baording--just "normal" looking adults. I haven't seen the Gate Agents make any attempts to control this, and I'm guessing if they don't, the problem will only get worse. I'm usually flying in FC so am usually waiting for the pre-boards to clear, so what I'm saying is that this seems different than in the past.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Now it's cheat and pre-board or wait for cattle-herd boarding and have no OH space...

In all seriousness, remember just as you see people parking in handicap spaces at businesses, not everyone who has a disability or may truly need the extra time looks disabled, slow, etc. Before I left private practice for consulting, I can't tell you the number of patients I wrote letters for to get handicap hang tags with legitimate medical diagnoses that you would have never guessed needed it, but they did.

I don't think I've personally seen an uptick in pre-boarding. Truthfully, I don't really pay attention to it as I'm almost always UG'd and I'm boarding right behind that group. I probably tend to pay a bit more attention on the days I'm not UP'd and I'm worrying whether or not I'm gonna find room to cram my bag into the OH, but, in my experience, it continues to be the folks in wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, families with small children.

Did they have animal carriers? IIRC they get to board early too. And I've seen some very deceptively disguised animal carriers before (very chic).

Yes, I've noticed it. Not much to be done about it, the GAs aren't going to enforce it at the risk of alienating someone who really does need it. The problem is worse on Southwest.

This Mon on SLC-SAT flight, there were almost 15 people pre boarding, none in wheel chairs or with canes, and I only counted maybe 2 smalls kids. Definitely a annoyance, almost delayed gen boarding by 10 mns. The GA waited until all pre boards were in plane before starting FC/DM boarding.

You forget that there is the miracle flight between Boston and West Palm Beach. 12 people get on in wheel chairs, but only two people need wheel chairs when they get off.

Have absolutely noticed it more over the last few months. Packed flights, more carry ons due to cost of checking bags = some who make sure they get OH space!

It's summer, Kettles abound and when it's free to carry-on oversize bags what do think is gonna happen?

We get that same flight in MCO!!!

I may have inadvertently boarded during pre-boarding for MSP-IAD on Sunday. Had a fairly tight connection, and by the time I got to C4, the flight had been moved to D1. When I get to D1, the screen says boarding. Since I'm in F, I just walk up and give the GA my BP and head down to the plane. When I get into the jet bridge, I realize that the only other people on there are obvious pre-boards (wheelchair pax, pax with cane, and companions thereof).

As others have posted, you cannot possibly look at someone and know if they have a legitimate reason for needing to pre-board.

With that said, there should be a requirement that those requiring pre-boarding wait until everyone else has deplaned before getting out of their seats.

The week before last, ORD-ATL (20Jun12 #441) there was a middle aged woman with what appeared to be a broken foot who needed to preboard. (Mid-fifties, but dressed like someone in her twenties. Badly dyed strawberry blonde hair in a ponytail. Luggage tags indicated she was with a large consulting firm.) The FA told her to wait, but apparently she was too important. The FA even got on the PA begging everyone to let the man who had a 35 minute connection for a flight to Somalia to get off the plane, but that didn't deter the woman who needed to pre-board. After making everyone wait while she got her large carry-on and found a way to roll it while on crutches, she blocked the door while she directed the attendant with the wheelchair on the best way for her to get into the thing and how he should handle her luggage. The poor attendant was trying to move towards the Jetway door, but she insisted on blocking the door. (I was directly behind her, having gotten up before the FA made the announcement, but was sitting directly behind her and heard the FA, before landing, ask her to stay seated.)

Granted, she needed the assistance and pre-boarding made sense, but somehow, that no longer mattered when it was time to get off the flight.

Oh, I agree you can't always tell. However, you can get a pretty good intuitive sense of things.

I also think people don't listen to announcements. They see people boarding, think it is time to pre-board, and go. At times, the GA will tell them that it is pre-board only. At times, nothing is said.

+1. It's amazing what people don't hear.

Generally, this is true...however, I've used pre-boarding before (no status at the time) due to an injury that would not have been apparent to others as I could normally walk normally despite being in pain.

Ultimately, we do not know...do some abuse this? I'm sure they do.