Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stopped paying for early boarding on southwest because they, like every airline in 2024, have hoards of not actually disabled being wheeled down in a wheelchair so they board first. I used to get a bulk head almost guaranteed with early boarding and I don’t remember the last time it was even close to available even in A1.

Yes. WTF is up with this. I was on a flight in the Fall where we had 18 wheel chair people. Only 2 of these people needed wheelchairs to get off the plane. I just can't with these older boomers and silent gen folks.

WTF is up with someone not knowing that many elderly people and people with health issues are able to walk short distances, but not long distances, and that standing in line, like at security, is particularly hard? You actually didn't know this was a thing? Do you not have elderly relatives?

DP.

FWIW, this is a long-standing insider joke among airline industry folks.

SWA is a laughingstock for its Jetway Jesus problem.

I've been told (but have not verified) that SWA has vastly disproportionate wheelchair requests compared to other airlines.

Yes bigoted jokes often have long lifespans. Saying they are the laughingstock because they handle disability issues well and so have more disabled customers is no different than calling a business a laughingstock because they have black customers or LGBTQ+ customers.

That's certainly one possibility.

The other possibility is that a lot people are willing to feign disability to gain an advantage.

Considering that disability fraud is a $7B+/yr problem, I'm going with door #2.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stopped paying for early boarding on southwest because they, like every airline in 2024, have hoards of not actually disabled being wheeled down in a wheelchair so they board first. I used to get a bulk head almost guaranteed with early boarding and I don’t remember the last time it was even close to available even in A1.

Yes. WTF is up with this. I was on a flight in the Fall where we had 18 wheel chair people. Only 2 of these people needed wheelchairs to get off the plane. I just can't with these older boomers and silent gen folks.

WTF is up with someone not knowing that many elderly people and people with health issues are able to walk short distances, but not long distances, and that standing in line, like at security, is particularly hard? You actually didn't know this was a thing? Do you not have elderly relatives?

DP.

FWIW, this is a long-standing insider joke among airline industry folks.

SWA is a laughingstock for its Jetway Jesus problem.

I've been told (but have not verified) that SWA has vastly disproportionate wheelchair requests compared to other airlines.

Yes bigoted jokes often have long lifespans. Saying they are the laughingstock because they handle disability issues well and so have more disabled customers is no different than calling a business a laughingstock because they have black customers or LGBTQ+ customers.

Anonymous wrote:I have twice been on Southwest and seen people save a dozen or more seats. Both times I went ahead and sat down, because saving that many seats is incredibly rude to your fellow passengers, so I'll be mildly rude back.

I fly Southwest several times a year (for the last 20 or so years) and have never seen this even once. I am sure it happens but it's definitely not common. I also have had such good experiences with Southwest customer service that I would assume if someone did this and it genuinely caused a problem they would intervene and work it out.

One reason I probably have not seen people saving seats much on Southwest is that I get the sense people who do this likely head to the back of the plane. I don't see the issue with this really. When I fly Southwest I generally take the first available non-middle seat I come across (or if flying with others the first pair or 3-together I get to) and I could not care less if people in the back of the plane were saving seats for people boarding later. If anything this is preferable because it means large groups will be clumped together and you won't wind up sitting between people who might be interacting or passing things back and forth.

I am convinced people who hate on Southwest just never fly it because I think it's great. Before I made him start flying it my DH used to make fun of the boarding groups and unassigned seating but he's now a convert -- they didn't do it to be cheap or annoying they did it because it's efficient and egalitarian which is their guiding ethos and one I think is pretty lacking in a lot of air travel. This is also why they do free checked bags (it makes boarding and de-boarding faster and more efficient and thus results in more on-time flights and less lag time between flights) and were one of first airlines to just do snacks and a scaled back drink service. Not having first or business class means they can fit more people on planes and keeps overall prices down (especially if you book early with Wanna Getaway tickets which helps them fly full airplanes and therefore is a good way to get a pretty inexpensive plane ticket). They are a well run business that has never needed a bailout and is well regarded for their customer service and overall effectiveness at delivering the promised service.

It's the Costco of airlines. It's not fancy and won't impress anyone but it's a smartly run and successful business that also gives people what they want. Not much to argue with.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stopped paying for early boarding on southwest because they, like every airline in 2024, have hoards of not actually disabled being wheeled down in a wheelchair so they board first. I used to get a bulk head almost guaranteed with early boarding and I don’t remember the last time it was even close to available even in A1.

Yes. WTF is up with this. I was on a flight in the Fall where we had 18 wheel chair people. Only 2 of these people needed wheelchairs to get off the plane. I just can't with these older boomers and silent gen folks.

WTF is up with someone not knowing that many elderly people and people with health issues are able to walk short distances, but not long distances, and that standing in line, like at security, is particularly hard? You actually didn't know this was a thing? Do you not have elderly relatives?

DP.

FWIW, this is a long-standing insider joke among airline industry folks.

SWA is a laughingstock for its Jetway Jesus problem.

I've been told (but have not verified) that SWA has vastly disproportionate wheelchair requests compared to other airlines.

Anonymous wrote:the rules of common decency.

Where are those written and specifically reference seat saving on Southwest Airlines?

Otherwise you are just talking out of your stinky arse

the rules of common decency.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve only done it for ourselves and child. So one of us will pay for group A then save 2 seats in our row for spouse and child.
I don’t have an objection to other people doing the same to sit with family.

I hate people like you. “Going you skirt the rules for the convenience of my family and/or myself. I am me and rules don’t apply.”

Except … there are no rules against seat saving. So what rules are you referring to? Cite them, please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stopped paying for early boarding on southwest because they, like every airline in 2024, have hoards of not actually disabled being wheeled down in a wheelchair so they board first. I used to get a bulk head almost guaranteed with early boarding and I don’t remember the last time it was even close to available even in A1.

Yes. WTF is up with this. I was on a flight in the Fall where we had 18 wheel chair people. Only 2 of these people needed wheelchairs to get off the plane. I just can't with these older boomers and silent gen folks.

Jetway Jesus saves them! Haven't you seen the miracles??! They miraculously can walk just fine after getting away from the jetway.

My parents are in their 90s and have needed wheelchairs for travel for about a decade even though they can walk short distance. My mom has intersititial lung disease so can’t walk very far and my dad has a bum hip plus neuropathy in his feet. I’ve only ever seen those long wheelchair lines when flying into/out of Arizona or Florida or maybe Nevada.

The wheelchairs should be first on and last off. I recently got held up by a few selfish wheel chair users trying to make a tight connection, because the plane arrived late. The flight attendants made an announcement to let people off who needed to make a connection first. But one wheel chair user insisted on walking down the jet bridge, very slowly, not using her chair while the chair pusher ambled slowly next to her blocking the rest of us from getting off. Either sit in the damn wheel chair or walk in front of the wheel chair pusher if you refuse to use the chair you requested in single file. So rude and selfish. The chair pusher was an airport employee and still wouldn't get out of the way when asked politely to let others by.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know a bag on a seat is not really a taken seat and the occupent popped off for a pre-liftoff pee?

One adult and twelve empty seats? Not that many bathrooms on a plane, so, no.

How do you know a bag on a seat is not really a taken seat and the occupent popped off for a pre-liftoff pee?

Anonymous wrote:I have twice been on Southwest and seen people save a dozen or more seats. Both times I went ahead and sat down, because saving that many seats is incredibly rude to your fellow passengers, so I'll be mildly rude back.

+1. There seems to be this need/urge by SW travelers that there is some kind of entitlement that you don't have to pay for the advantage to board early AND YET you are still owed a prime seat for you and your entire family. I'm fine with parents and kids - I get that. But grown adults - nope...I'm going to sit in your "saved" seat.

I have twice been on Southwest and seen people save a dozen or more seats. Both times I went ahead and sat down, because saving that many seats is incredibly rude to your fellow passengers, so I'll be mildly rude back.

Anonymous wrote:We’ve only done it for ourselves and child. So one of us will pay for group A then save 2 seats in our row for spouse and child.
I don’t have an objection to other people doing the same to sit with family.

This is rude, cheap and selfish. If you want to choose three seats next to each other, pay for three early boarding passes. I have a hard time understanding the mindset of people like this!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s pretty rare to save more than one seat and typically the one being saved is the middle (next to the person saving it). I fly SWA all the time (am on a flight right now!) and can’t think of a time I’ve seen someone saving more than one.

I also fly SWA a few times a year and do not notice any excessive seat saving.

+1. Yet another DCUM post about things that happen really rarely and aren't an issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve only done it for ourselves and child. So one of us will pay for group A then save 2 seats in our row for spouse and child.
I don’t have an objection to other people doing the same to sit with family.

You should be paying.for 3 early boardings if that is what you want/need.

If I fly by myself I intentionally sit in one of those seats. Eff people like this.

You would purposefully sit next to a stranger who wants to sit next to their child or spouse rather than sit next to a stranger who’s also traveling alone? You are what’s wrong with the human race.