Pre - Board
Sep 13, 2018, 12:47 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Long Island
Programs: Southwest Airlines, Marriot
Posts: 235
Sep 15, 2018, 9:44 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 161
I pre-board with my husband, a US veteran, who has many neurological medical issues and a compromised immune system because of his time in the service. He uses a cane and has horrible neuropathy in his feet. He looses his balance quite easily. We are always concerned that he will trip going down the aisle either just walking or over someone’s feet. To look at him, you may not guess his issues as he tries to put on a brave face. I have learned not to judge others unless I’ve walked in their shoes. Things are not always as they seem. : /
Sep 17, 2018, 9:00 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Long Island
Programs: Southwest Airlines, Marriot
Posts: 235
I pre-board with my husband, a US veteran, who has many neurological medical issues and a compromised immune system because of his time in the service. He uses a cane and has horrible neuropathy in his feet. He looses his balance quite easily. We are always concerned that he will trip going down the aisle either just walking or over someone’s feet. To look at him, you may not guess his issues as he tries to put on a brave face. I have learned not to judge others unless I’ve walked in their shoes. Things are not always as they seem. : /
Sep 17, 2018, 9:27 am
#20
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
These threads are useless venting. There is absolutely nothing to be done about it. Hopefully the Mods will be along to merge this one.
WN is not permitted to ask the nature or severity of a disability and even if it could, GA's are not qualified to make judgments. Passengers are free to completely fabricate a claim. WN is prone to fraudsters because it does not assign seats. But, it is not changing that policy, so there is nothing to be done.
WN is not obligated to offer pre-boarding at all, but it is required to accommodate people with disabilities. Thus, it could have all passengers line up in their assigned position and have them simply take the time it takes to board. Imagine stopping the boarding process on 15 separate occasions so that a disabled passenger can safely board. Would take a good hour to board a flight.
If this stuff annoys you, either vote with your feet and switch carriers or lump it and live with it.
WN is not permitted to ask the nature or severity of a disability and even if it could, GA's are not qualified to make judgments. Passengers are free to completely fabricate a claim. WN is prone to fraudsters because it does not assign seats. But, it is not changing that policy, so there is nothing to be done.
WN is not obligated to offer pre-boarding at all, but it is required to accommodate people with disabilities. Thus, it could have all passengers line up in their assigned position and have them simply take the time it takes to board. Imagine stopping the boarding process on 15 separate occasions so that a disabled passenger can safely board. Would take a good hour to board a flight.
If this stuff annoys you, either vote with your feet and switch carriers or lump it and live with it.
Last edited by Often1; Sep 17, 2018 at 1:25 pm
Sep 17, 2018, 3:39 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
These threads are useless venting. There is absolutely nothing to be done about it. Hopefully the Mods will be along to merge this one.
WN is not permitted to ask the nature or severity of a disability and even if it could, GA's are not qualified to make judgments. Passengers are free to completely fabricate a claim. WN is prone to fraudsters because it does not assign seats. But, it is not changing that policy, so there is nothing to be done.
WN is not obligated to offer pre-boarding at all, but it is required to accommodate people with disabilities. Thus, it could have all passengers line up in their assigned position and have them simply take the time it takes to board. Imagine stopping the boarding process on 15 separate occasions so that a disabled passenger can safely board. Would take a good hour to board a flight.
If this stuff annoys you, either vote with your feet and switch carriers or lump it and live with it.
WN is not permitted to ask the nature or severity of a disability and even if it could, GA's are not qualified to make judgments. Passengers are free to completely fabricate a claim. WN is prone to fraudsters because it does not assign seats. But, it is not changing that policy, so there is nothing to be done.
WN is not obligated to offer pre-boarding at all, but it is required to accommodate people with disabilities. Thus, it could have all passengers line up in their assigned position and have them simply take the time it takes to board. Imagine stopping the boarding process on 15 separate occasions so that a disabled passenger can safely board. Would take a good hour to board a flight.
If this stuff annoys you, either vote with your feet and switch carriers or lump it and live with it.
Sep 18, 2018, 7:24 am
#22
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
I pre-board because I'm tall and fat. Aside from that, I'm in pretty good health.
I pre-board because I don't fit in one seat, so I book two seats under the Customer of Size policy. COS's are pre-boarded to insure that they are able to find two seats together, otherwise booking two seats would be an exercise in futility.
I haven't heard any snide remarks or gotten any funny looks (at least, not to my face) because I look perfectly healthy in the pre-board queue, but that may have something to do with my 6'-3" height and 300lb weight. I think maybe I scare people.
But since I don't have any physical issues, I pre-board AFTER those with disabilities. Aside from being WN policy, I figure that's just common courtesy.
I pre-board because I don't fit in one seat, so I book two seats under the Customer of Size policy. COS's are pre-boarded to insure that they are able to find two seats together, otherwise booking two seats would be an exercise in futility.
I haven't heard any snide remarks or gotten any funny looks (at least, not to my face) because I look perfectly healthy in the pre-board queue, but that may have something to do with my 6'-3" height and 300lb weight. I think maybe I scare people.
But since I don't have any physical issues, I pre-board AFTER those with disabilities. Aside from being WN policy, I figure that's just common courtesy.
Sep 22, 2018, 9:24 am
#23
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 32
Here is the boxed response from SW: "While many of our Customers have disabilities that are not necessarily visible or restricted to a specific age group (e.g., diseases that cause blood clots, epilepsy, autism, etc.), we apologize for any frustration, -Nicole"Diseases are a cause for pre-boarding? Which disease causes Autism?
"While many of our Customers have disabilities that are not necessarily visible or restricted to a specific age group (e.g.,
a) diseases that cause blood clots
b) epilepsy
c) autism
d) etc.
Last edited by xasyh; Sep 22, 2018 at 9:25 am Reason: typographical
Sep 22, 2018, 11:27 am
#24
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: 11,072
I would agree, this is not gonna change.
BUT - I would also agree that there must surely be some people in the line with a common condition that bothers all of us. It is often called " I am more important than everyone else and none of you are, so get out of my way syndrome".
Okay... I realize this will never happen, but the quickest way to reduce the line is to have them get off last. See how many like that idea. LOL!
BUT - I would also agree that there must surely be some people in the line with a common condition that bothers all of us. It is often called " I am more important than everyone else and none of you are, so get out of my way syndrome".
Okay... I realize this will never happen, but the quickest way to reduce the line is to have them get off last. See how many like that idea. LOL!
Sep 24, 2018, 11:40 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
I would agree, this is not gonna change.
BUT - I would also agree that there must surely be some people in the line with a common condition that bothers all of us. It is often called " I am more important than everyone else and none of you are, so get out of my way syndrome".
Okay... I realize this will never happen, but the quickest way to reduce the line is to have them get off last. See how many like that idea. LOL!
BUT - I would also agree that there must surely be some people in the line with a common condition that bothers all of us. It is often called " I am more important than everyone else and none of you are, so get out of my way syndrome".
Okay... I realize this will never happen, but the quickest way to reduce the line is to have them get off last. See how many like that idea. LOL!
Sep 25, 2018, 10:23 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
I would agree, this is not gonna change.
BUT - I would also agree that there must surely be some people in the line with a common condition that bothers all of us. It is often called " I am more important than everyone else and none of you are, so get out of my way syndrome".
BUT - I would also agree that there must surely be some people in the line with a common condition that bothers all of us. It is often called " I am more important than everyone else and none of you are, so get out of my way syndrome".
Okay... I realize this will never happen, but the quickest way to reduce the line is to have them get off last. See how many like that idea. LOL!
Last edited by rsteinmetz70112; Sep 29, 2018 at 12:33 pm
Sep 26, 2018, 1:09 am
#28
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
Sep 26, 2018, 8:43 am
#30
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332