Southwest pulled me off plane first to ensure I made connection
May 22, 2018, 6:42 am
#16
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage,
Posts: 120
A first for me on Southwest. Even though I was arriving at C30 in Denver last night, I had little hope of making my flight at C31 in time, because the flight was quite late. I sat as close to the front as possible, aisle seat, but had pretty much resigned myself to missing flight.
The gate agent opening the door on arrival called me out by name, had me escorted to the waiting flight, which apparently was being held, but still left on time.
THANKS Southwest! Excellent job in my case
Although, even acknowledging the gate agents request to let me through, I still had to ask 5 people to move aside, who had promptly ignored the fact that someone was coming up from behind them. Is it just me, or when a request is made to let people with tight connections deplane first, there is no difference whatsoever in peoples behavior?
The gate agent opening the door on arrival called me out by name, had me escorted to the waiting flight, which apparently was being held, but still left on time.
THANKS Southwest! Excellent job in my case
Although, even acknowledging the gate agents request to let me through, I still had to ask 5 people to move aside, who had promptly ignored the fact that someone was coming up from behind them. Is it just me, or when a request is made to let people with tight connections deplane first, there is no difference whatsoever in peoples behavior?
It's not just you. I was recently on a LHR - PHL flight that departed 3 hours late. We made up no time on the way over because of a nasty headwind. We get to PHL and they ask that people with connections be allowed to deplane first. I was prepared to do so, but nothing -zip- seemed to happen on their behalf. And this was a 747, so a lot of people had to deplane. That being said, I thought the crew could have done something to facilitate this actually happening, but they didn't. Maybe they all had assigned duties at deplaning and there was no one to do this. Short of somebody standing up and announcing, "Person with connection coming through," which no one did, I'm not sure how it would have worked. As a passenger, I don't really know who has a connection, although I would have been more than willing to make way. Seeing as how we sat on the above averagely cramped plane for an extra 3 hours at LHR, most passengers had passed their willingness-to-me-nice point somewhere over Greenland.
May 22, 2018, 10:19 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
A first for me on Southwest. Even though I was arriving at C30 in Denver last night, I had little hope of making my flight at C31 in time, because the flight was quite late. I sat as close to the front as possible, aisle seat, but had pretty much resigned myself to missing flight.
The gate agent opening the door on arrival called me out by name, had me escorted to the waiting flight, which apparently was being held, but still left on time.
THANKS Southwest! Excellent job in my case
Although, even acknowledging the gate agents request to let me through, I still had to ask 5 people to move aside, who had promptly ignored the fact that someone was coming up from behind them. Is it just me, or when a request is made to let people with tight connections deplane first, there is no difference whatsoever in peoples behavior?
The gate agent opening the door on arrival called me out by name, had me escorted to the waiting flight, which apparently was being held, but still left on time.
THANKS Southwest! Excellent job in my case
Although, even acknowledging the gate agents request to let me through, I still had to ask 5 people to move aside, who had promptly ignored the fact that someone was coming up from behind them. Is it just me, or when a request is made to let people with tight connections deplane first, there is no difference whatsoever in peoples behavior?
May 22, 2018, 10:42 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: HH Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 10,462
On the other hand, last year we were late arriving in PHX (my home airport). The FA made the announcement to let connecting passengers off first. But the aisle got so jammed up that I finally just got off without delaying anyone. The aisle in front of me was empty. Two passengers were struggling with large carryons five rows behind me. I just quickly got off, delaying no one.
May 22, 2018, 10:59 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: WN A+/CP, HH Diamond, Delta Gold, UsAir Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 89
They likely did. My only point was that the GA asked for a specific passenger, asked the other passengers to let him come forward, and they basically didn't move even after turning around to look at me standing right behind them waving my hand.. In this case, it seemed a bit more than the usual please, let other passengers with tight connections deplane first. They did let me through when I asked politely, as well as another gentleman just behind me. I think the other posters nailed it correctly when they said you have to be willing to bull your way politely forward to a degree.
I may have left that info out of the original post, sorry.
I may have left that info out of the original post, sorry.
May 23, 2018, 11:02 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,083
And in this case the agent actually asked folks other than the generic announcement that is sometimes made. In all reality, once that plane lands, people have only one thing on their mind. Get the hell off. They do not HEAR anything. Just the way it is.
Okay.. have to make another statement and hope folks are not offended. Be glad you were not in certain asian countries. Half of the plane would already be piled up near the cockpit even before the fasten seatbelt sign went off. Just how they do it.
May 23, 2018, 10:47 pm
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
I have been on many late arriving Southwest flights where the FA's made announcements that we should allow connecting passengers off first so they could connect to their flights. I have never seen that actually occur on a Southwest flight. People usually need to just bully their way to the front of the plane, if they are willing to do that. Last week, I went round trip ORD-CLT on AA. Both flights were delayed leaving ( One for weather and the other for mechanical ). On both flights, the FA's asked people to remain in their seats until connecting passenger could deplane and make their connections. On both flights, 3/4 of the plane remained in place while people who needed to got off. I have never considered Southwest passengers different than other airlines - but I do now.