On Southwest Airlines new family boarding policy

[wdcbooks]

The interesting thing about Southwest as a company is that they don't try to be everything to everyone. They are the only airline that really attempts to limit overweight passengers and make them buy two seats if they can't fit. I would assume most people on that borderline fly another airline. Not incidentally it also is one of many reasons I enjoy flying Southwest.

Now, flying with small children isn't the same thing as being fat, but having those people at the front of the plane does increase the disembarking time and makes others wait longer to get off the plane. Not having small kids myself this policy is another small reason I would prefer to fly Southwest. They are obviously reckoning that more of us will choose to fly because we like the policy than the number of families that will use another airline. I never counted this as a huge issue for me, but there are enough airlines to cater to different needs and I hardly think this policy is an outrage. You can just book yourself on United or something and book early so you get a seat that works well for your situation.

[ChipWrecked]

From another blog comment:

Will SWA survive as a follow your own drummer company focused on making travel more convenient for the traveler or succumb to corporate and union bureaucracy overload? Unfortunately the courtesy and helpfulness level at counters and in cabins throughout the system would indicate the later.

Oh and incase those of you in senior management don’t have young children or don’t follow the normal boarding procedure. Children boarding first was implemented by the founder Rollin W. King and his wife who had an 8 and a 10 year old. They knew what a challenge it is to travel with children.

SWA is lucky to have those parents stamping the SWA brand into their children’s brains at such an early age; those children will be future SWA adult customers and won’t even know why. Changing this policy is a fool’s game and a great example of customer disservice in the name of efficiency.

This is a great example of a VP who doesn’t have enough to do or doesn’t understand what made SWA successful.

[Phil153]

I don't really know what's going on here, but anything that segregates the kids and parents away from the normal people and/or stops them getting special treatment they have no right to, is a good thing imo.

The point about kicking quoted in your OP is a perfect example of stupid parents who don't think. One kid getting the front of the plane isn't going to make a difference to the kick ratio - but shuffling them to the back of the plane will definitely make a difference to the annoyance ratio experienced by normal people.

I say bravo.

[ChipWrecked]

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special treatment they have no right to

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normal people.


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I don't believe the issue is about 'rights', it's merely the abolition of a courtesy the airline had extended to families who have a lot of baggage to handle (literally) when flying. We will vote with our feet and fly another airline where we will pick the assigned seats that will work best for us.


'Normal people'?

I think this phrase is indicative of the breeder hate engendered by the gay and lesbian political movement, that seems to have permeated management at SWA.
What the hell is abnormal about having a family?

[KotOD]

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The policy is 1st come, 1st served and was changed based on feedback. I never liked seeing families seated at the front because they usually take longer to disembark, which drives me nuts when I just want to grab my carry-on and get out of dodge. Sorry to disagree with you here bro.

Note: I have been flying Southwest with my kids since they were 2 and 6 years of age and we never pre-boarded.

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And on the other side - making families board with everyone else creates a giant bottleneck when mom or dad is trying to install a carseat and holds up everyone behind them.

Pre-boarding is essential for families with kids still in "restraint seats", because of install times, but should not happen for families with children large enough to sit in the regular seat.

Also, mondo: griping about handicapped people pre-boarding - GFY.

[tuq]

Chip,

I don't get why people are hating on your vent. It's your right to, and no doubt SWA values its customers' feedback.

That said, and having read everyone's comments, I have to say that I like the change. I don't fly much but if the kids in front does slow down the deplaning process for everyone else, then that is a PITA that must annoy the hell out of a frequent traveler.

As for kicking the back of seats being a reason to sit up front, what is that? Control your kids, they shouldn't be kicking the back of seats, period.

[Phil153]

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special treatment they have no right to

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normal people.


[/ QUOTE ]


I don't believe the issue is about 'rights', it's merely the abolition of a courtesy the airline had extended to families who have a lot of baggage to handle (literally) when flying. We will vote with our feet and fly another airline where we will pick the assigned seats that will work best for us.


'Normal people'?

I think this phrase is indicative of the breeder hate engendered by the gay and lesbian political movement, that seems to have permeated management at SWA.
What the hell is abnormal about having a family?

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Oh wow, sorry. I just reread your OP...I realized that I called YOU the stupid parent.

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My vent on their blog

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Sorry about that...the comment just struck me as a random asinine parent trying to score cheap points against the airline. You're neither neither random nor asinine so I was wrong on that...apologies. I'm going to post in the "putting your foot in it" thread now. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[KotOD]

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As for kicking the back of seats being a reason to sit up front, what is that? Control your kids, they shouldn't be kicking the back of seats, period.

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It's built into little kids. No matter how many times you beat them, they still kick seats.

[sixfour]

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I have only flown a few times, but I can safely say that I would get annoyed by a kid kicking my seat. I'm a pretty patient and tolerant person, but flights are boring enough without some kid kicking my seat.

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QFT. Had some kid behind me on an overnight flight this summer, I'd happily have slept the whole thing but the kid obviously couldn't, therefore I couldn't

[WLVRYN]

There has to be a middle ground here. Having two small kids myself, its great to be able to get on board early and get the car seats set up. I also am a business traveller occassionally and I totally see the point of getting those people on an off the plane quickly.

Maybe they could create a family section towards the rear of the plane. They could let the families on first, but remind them to sit in the further back rows. I know that this doesnt coincide with the sit-anywhere theory, but at least its a better option than not letting families get on early.

One other consequence of not letting families get on first is that if the flight is full and they are in group C, there's a decent chance that they wouldnt be able to sit together. That is a terrible result as well, especially with small kids. Even if people offer to move around, it will still significantly slow the boarding process and piss people off in the meantime.