Enforcement of Boarding Order: consolidated thread
Jan 19, 2010, 2:44 pm
#676
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: ALABAMA
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Posts: 267
I agree and have stated that enforcement to me is a BIG ISSUE. However the funny thing is most of the Yahoo's who break in linehave no clue what the GOOD SEATS are. Flying back the other day a gentleman who was A1 sits down in the seat in front of the exit row with a non-reclining seat. I laughed a little inside this guy thought he was getting the "GOOD SEAT" and in reality was not.
But there the guys who knwo the DRILL and push the issue they are the main reason why SWA needs to enforce the boarding order.
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It has been stated before but if they put your STATUS on your BP then call up one at a time this issue would almost go away and boarding would not take any longer.
To me status boarding is no different than BLUE SLIP preboarders. It will take all the jockeying away form the masses
But there the guys who knwo the DRILL and push the issue they are the main reason why SWA needs to enforce the boarding order.
\
It has been stated before but if they put your STATUS on your BP then call up one at a time this issue would almost go away and boarding would not take any longer.
To me status boarding is no different than BLUE SLIP preboarders. It will take all the jockeying away form the masses
Jan 19, 2010, 2:45 pm
#677
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: HHSilver;SWACompanion;AA;CO
Posts: 252
We should all allow/condone/accept a job being done poorly, or with poor consequences for the paying customer, rather than speak up in real time?
We should HOPE against hope that these inconsequential threads will magically create consistency in people who, having received no feedback on their performance from their customers, go along merrily believing that because no one has said otherwise, EVERYTHING IS OK????
Gee, is it alright if I praise a GA for doing a good job of keeping the line properly ordered, or for giving great instructions for lining up? Or is that just............what, patronizing?
Jan 19, 2010, 3:11 pm
#678
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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There's a fine line.
Sure, if chaos is reigning, the GA is allowing a heaving disorganized mob to storm the gate with no order at all....then yes, I'd be tempted to say something.
If I'm A32 and I notice A33 boarding ahead of me? No, I doubt I'd go ballistic about that. I guess I'm just not quite that high-strung about it.
I still go back to the fact that in practice, as opposed to in this thread, Southwest boarding is actually quite peaceful and organized. Moreso than some of the legacies. I think they've hit upon a good system that arranges people into queues without being militaristic about it.
Sure, if chaos is reigning, the GA is allowing a heaving disorganized mob to storm the gate with no order at all....then yes, I'd be tempted to say something.
If I'm A32 and I notice A33 boarding ahead of me? No, I doubt I'd go ballistic about that. I guess I'm just not quite that high-strung about it.
I still go back to the fact that in practice, as opposed to in this thread, Southwest boarding is actually quite peaceful and organized. Moreso than some of the legacies. I think they've hit upon a good system that arranges people into queues without being militaristic about it.
Jan 19, 2010, 5:19 pm
#679
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Maybe it is because I fly on WN twice a week and have way too much time on my hands waiting for flights but I did a study over three months of the supposed diasabled boarding groups out of SMF. Since I am a CP and A lister I usually always get a good seat. what confused me was the amount of folks who needed preboarding then when the plane landed they bolted out of the plane like OJ Simpson in those old Hertz commercials. I tracked these folks and sent the results to SWA customer service. 82% of those folks who preboarded exhibited the land and run behavior. I was told by SWA that they have to take a persons word that they need pre boarding. I also suggested that in the interest of these folks safety if they require extra time boarding then they should probably stay on the plane till the others have deplaned so they have plenty of time to get off of the plane without being pushed or in a clump of folks. SWA told me they could not do that as well. Surprisingly after I received the email this arbritary pre boarding came to a sudden halt and the incidence of this activity has dramatically reduced. Coincedence? I would encourage all of you who are frusted to write to the SWA custmer service and voice your issues.
Thanks to you-know-who for pointing out this post in the WN forum--I never would have seen this!
Jun 30, 2010, 7:20 pm
#680
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
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I haven't seen a boarding order enforcement problem in many months. The ops agents are doing their jobs and the passengers only rarely try to scam them. The professional scammers (feigning ignorance) are completely gone on my flights.
Thanks to Southwest for fixing this! And thanks for fixing Fly By Lane enforcement too!
Thanks to Southwest for fixing this! And thanks for fixing Fly By Lane enforcement too!
Jun 30, 2010, 7:33 pm
#681
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 791
I haven't seen a boarding order enforcement problem in many months. The ops agents are doing their jobs and the passengers only rarely try to scam them. The professional scammers (feigning ignorance) are completely gone on my flights.
Thanks to Southwest for fixing this! And thanks for fixing Fly By Lane enforcement too!
Thanks to Southwest for fixing this! And thanks for fixing Fly By Lane enforcement too!
On my BWI->ALB flight on Sunday, the Gate Agent had an interesting addition to the standard boarding procedure spiel. On both flights for which I was at his gate, he said "Folks, we here at Southwest have gotten a lot of requests from passengers to line up in numeric order, so that's just what we're going to do. Please line up in numeric order, make a new friend or two, and we can all get on the plane happily."
There was also a passenger who took it upon herself to enforce the numeric order, telling an elderly passenger who had A-20-something (not quite politely) that she needed to move down the line a bit more when she lined up around 10.
Jun 30, 2010, 8:04 pm
#683
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 791
The fact that your friend has a friend on the same flight doesn't entitle him to jump ahead of 29 other passengers.
*hopefully*, the Gate Agent would tell your friend to wait until the B group if he presented his boarding pass while the As were boarding.
Jun 30, 2010, 8:41 pm
#685
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Jul 1, 2010, 4:34 am
#686
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
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Posts: 8,043
I haven't seen a boarding order enforcement problem in many months. The ops agents are doing their jobs and the passengers only rarely try to scam them. The professional scammers (feigning ignorance) are completely gone on my flights.
Thanks to Southwest for fixing this! And thanks for fixing Fly By Lane enforcement too!
Thanks to Southwest for fixing this! And thanks for fixing Fly By Lane enforcement too!
Jul 1, 2010, 8:17 am
#687
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: PIT/MDW
Programs: WN A-List, CP; EK Gold
Posts: 134
I still see spotty Fly By Lane enforcement. Some airports are great, some not. We still have never had any "official" word on who is supposed to manage/enforce the lanes.
Do you have any scoop that WN has taken corporate action to better enforce lanes or is just your recent experiences that Lanes are better?
Do you have any scoop that WN has taken corporate action to better enforce lanes or is just your recent experiences that Lanes are better?
Jul 1, 2010, 10:09 am
#688
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
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And I used the priority baggage check lanes a few times recently. They are wonderful. I can now check a bag whenever I want to, adding only 3 minutes at the front end and maybe 15 on the back end of my trip.
Jul 1, 2010, 10:27 am
#689
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: PIT/MDW
Programs: WN A-List, CP; EK Gold
Posts: 134
Agreed -- priority baggage lanes are great where available. If I don't have a meeting soon after arrival, I'm checking bags more often. It's great to go through security and fly with nothing to carry but a blackberry and paperback.
Jul 1, 2010, 11:49 am
#690
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 429
Lately I have seen something new: families are requesting pre-boarding passes. I am very familiar with the Asian-style pre-boarding - one elderly in wheelchair, 6-8 relatives boarding with him/her, but it is new for me, here, in the US. These families here do not even pretend to be in any special need, not even having small (under 2yr) kids, who would require more time to board with, simply gaming the system.
Last edited by pirossalma; Jul 1, 2010 at 12:20 pm