Pre - Board

Old Sep 26, 2018, 7:49 pm
  #31  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: DFW, DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, SWA A-list +
Posts: 1,007
I am fine with letting folks preboard that need the extra time. However, i could see the reverse being true - needing extra time to deplane. Would be a nice jester for someone that needs a wheel chair, etc. to wait until the plane unloads before standing in the gateway waiting on a wheel chair upon arrival.
envgeo is offline  
Old Sep 26, 2018, 8:42 pm
  #32  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Originally Posted by envgeo
I am fine with letting folks preboard that need the extra time. However, i could see the reverse being true - needing extra time to deplane. Would be a nice jester for someone that needs a wheel chair, etc. to wait until the plane unloads before standing in the gateway waiting on a wheel chair upon arrival.
Those that need extra time to board don't actually pre-board on Southwest, they board between the A and B groups.

Regardless of whatever you are "fine with," Southwest's pre-boarding policies are dictated by federal law.
ursine1 is offline  
Old Sep 27, 2018, 8:09 am
  #33  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,238
Originally Posted by envgeo
I am fine with letting folks preboard that need the extra time. However, i could see the reverse being true - needing extra time to deplane. Would be a nice jester for someone that needs a wheel chair, etc. to wait until the plane unloads before standing in the gateway waiting on a wheel chair upon arrival.
Surely you must be kidding?

Seriously though, if the wheelchair isn't already in the jetway, in my experience the FA will let us know and we will wait to get off for several reasons. However, if the wheelchair is there then we'll exit just like anyone else. If there's someone in the window seat we don't want to hold them up by not getting out of our seats and here's what people seem to forget in their haste to point out how inconvenient disabled people are, there seem to be far more able-bodied but ignorant travelers than there are disabled on any given flight. Just think how many times you've been held up from getting off the plane because somebody is waiting until they are in the aisle to get their crap together, get their bag out of the overhead, etc, and holding up everyone else to the point that there's literally no one in the aisle in front of them because those folks have long left the aircraft. Those passengers take longer to exit than someone near the front who then gets into a waiting wheelchair in the jetway.

Now, using an aisle chair is a different story. Generally you do seem to have to wait until everyone is off and that makes sense as the aisle is blocked for a considerable amount of time.
wrp96 likes this.
justhere is offline  
Old Sep 27, 2018, 10:29 am
  #34  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,330
Originally Posted by ursine1
Those that need extra time to board don't actually pre-board on Southwest, they board between the A and B groups.

Regardless of whatever you are "fine with," Southwest's pre-boarding policies are dictated by federal law.
Yes and no.

Southwest's policies distinguish between those who have special needs and those who ONLY need more time to board.

Originally Posted by Southwest.com
Preboarding is available for Customers who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability and/or need assistance in boarding the aircraft or stowing an assistive device. If a Customer with a disability simply needs a little extra time to board, we will permit the Customer to board before Family Boarding, between the A and B groups. Those Customers who need extra time to board will receive a new boarding pass with an extra time designation. The designation serves as notification to our Operations (boarding) Agent that the Customer should be permitted to board before Family Boarding.
I don't recall ever actually seeing take advantage of the 'extra time' boarding designation. If you've checked in at T-24 or used EBCI and have a BP anywhere in the A group, there's no great motivation to get shunted back in the boarding order. I'm sure it happens, but it's much more attractive to simply declare that you have a disability and preboard.
WillCAD is offline  
Old Sep 27, 2018, 12:13 pm
  #35  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Um... I'm sorry, where's the "no"?

Preboard: Those with disabilities who require either a specific seat or assistance boarding the aircraft.

Between A & B: Those with disabilities who require extra time.
ursine1 is offline  
Old Sep 28, 2018, 5:40 pm
  #36  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: COS/DEN
Programs: WN RR, UA M+, Hilton, Marriott
Posts: 6,115
I prefer an aisle seat, especially on a longer (3+ hour) flight.But I've never found a flight where I boarded before the B group (I am A-list) that did not have aisle seats available. Since I usually am not trying to make a tight connection, I don't have a strong preference to sit in the airport as opposed to my seat on the plane at the destination. If I am not making a connection, then the time between being the first off and the last off is maybe 10 minutes. Not nearly long enough to let the difference ruin my day, or even part of my day. If I had to be on a plane sitting on the tarmac for more than an hour, that could possibly put me in a foul mood - but if being 10 minutes later getting off from an aisle seat toward the back rather than the front is the worst that happens to me, I feel like the flight went about as well as could be expected.
COS_Flyer is offline  
Old Sep 28, 2018, 8:43 pm
  #37  
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Somewhere I've Driven To
Programs: HiltonHonors, IHG Hotels, DL Skymiles
Posts: 2,070
Originally Posted by Blitzjb
Yesterday on a flight from PBI to ISP there were more pre - boarders than people in the A line. I love the miracle of Southwest. ALL of them
ran off the plane at our destination. The first few were standing on there own with no help for an hour before boarding. Apparently they can stand for an hour but need
to board early? 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?
(Photo) -- Don't people know enough to swing the line to one side or the other instead of jamming up and bunching up the entire corridor ?? Other people have to get by.
SCGustafson likes this.
FlyingNone is offline  
Old Sep 29, 2018, 1:58 am
  #38  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,747
Originally Posted by FlyingNone
(Photo) -- Don't people know enough to swing the line to one side or the other instead of jamming up and bunching up the entire corridor ?? Other people have to get by.
You think pre-board abusers care at all that other people have to get by them in the terminal? LOL
joshua362 and cujo2344 like this.
Kevin AA is offline  
Old Oct 1, 2018, 7:18 am
  #39  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Peoria
Programs: Southwest, Best Western Gold, La Quinta, Dollar
Posts: 819
Originally Posted by FlyingNone
(Photo) -- Don't people know enough to swing the line to one side or the other instead of jamming up and bunching up the entire corridor ?? Other people have to get by.
I'm still trying to figure out how that picture equals greater than 60 people.

Last edited by Peoriaman1; Oct 9, 2018 at 5:06 am
Peoriaman1 is offline  
Old Oct 9, 2018, 1:44 am
  #40  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Los Angeles and Eastern Sierra (weekly travel to SJC). "Home airports": LAX/BUR/BIH/SJC
Programs: SWA A-List Preferred, TSA Pre
Posts: 139
PBI = Pre-Boarders International, didn't ya know?
DataJunkie is offline  
Old Oct 9, 2018, 10:44 am
  #41  
Formerly known as billinaz
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
Originally Posted by Blitzjb
Yesterday on a flight from PBI to ISP there were more pre - boarders than people in the A line. I love the miracle of Southwest. ALL of them
ran off the plane at our destination. The first few were standing on there own with no help for an hour before boarding. Apparently they can stand for an hour but need
to board early? 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?

Never under estimate the entitlement of Long Islanders.
SpaceCoastBill is offline  
Old Oct 9, 2018, 10:48 am
  #42  
Formerly known as billinaz
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
Originally Posted by Often1
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.

Actually since they dont have assigned seating, they are required to offer pre boarding.
SpaceCoastBill is offline  
Old Oct 9, 2018, 10:51 am
  #43  
Formerly known as billinaz
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Goodyear,AZ for now then FL Spacecoast
Programs: US Airways Dividend Miles, American AAdvantage, Avis Preferred, Budget Rapid Rez, Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,145
Originally Posted by justhere
People who think that it's ok to fake a disability to cut the line are pretty pathetic. People who think that it's ok to, at the very least inconvenience, truly disabled people just to stick it to the fakers are even more pathetic. And in any event, the fakers are most likely to be interested in where they sit, not when they get off.

Pathetic, yes. Wrong, yes.

But they just dont give a s&*t.

They dont have to pay for the upgraded boarding when you get it for free just by standing on the pre board line for however long.

The GAs make fun of it all the time, and Im sure they dont like it.... but there not a thing they can do about it.
SpaceCoastBill is offline  
Old Oct 29, 2018, 10:15 pm
  #44  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,323
Originally Posted by ursine1
Regardless of whatever you are "fine with," Southwest's pre-boarding policies are dictated by federal law.
Two questions:

(1) Is it WN that sets policy on HOW the law is applied?
(2) Is WN tasked with reporting their pre-board policy implementation with any one outside of WN?

Asking because of an experience last week.

Was once A+, but now I seldom fly. Was on a WN flight from MDW to LAS (home) There were 14 wheelchairs and 5 or 6 walk on pre-boarders (including me). At MDW, many gates clustered in one area, so limited seating space. Spouse asked OPS Agent where we should stand to wait, I am a walk on pre-board. He directed us to stand right there in front of his desk, as boarding was beginning in a few minutes.

This prompted yelling at us from several pre-boarders who shouted that they were there "first" and we were "cutting the line."
At that point, OPS Agent took our board passes and directed us to board.

When the others boarded, they continued to yell at us. We ignored them and looked at our shoes. Then, wheelchairs boarded next, and they were clearly irate, demanding to know WHY wheelchair pax weren't boarded FIRST.

Supervisor at gate called on plane and stayed on plane till everyone seated, and told Flight Attendant they were "documenting" this.

Then, during the flight, we continued to overhear the disgruntled pre-board folks, who insisted WN should have "made us get off the plane."

So, I'm wondering what, if anything the OPS agent did wrong. Do wheelchairs board first? And, was he required to let folks board 'first come, first served"?

IMO, the preboarders truly believed their "disability" (pins in their knee) trumped everyone else's disability, though none of us took a survey on our health.
Amicus is offline  
Old Oct 29, 2018, 10:56 pm
  #45  
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: 11,066
As to the last post about folks getting MAD that someone else boarded ahead of them.

Some people have nothing else in life to do but ....., cry and carry on over nothing. What I would like to say to them is "I am so sorry this is so very important to you and that you life is a piece of .... - please take whatever freakin seat you would like"

But of course... in reality, there is no sense.

Never argue with an idiot. They will eventually bring you down to their level of stupidity, and win with experience.
joshua362 and kennycrudup like this.
NoStressHere is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.