On Southwest Airlines new family boarding policy

[ChipWrecked]

Some may know that Southwest Airlines recently changed its boarding policy to disallow families with small children from preboarding. These families, if they don't have an 'A' pass, now board after the 'A' group. If all members have 'A' boarding passes, they board right in the crunch with the business flyers and non-breeders.

My family recently completed a four-leg trip on Southwest. My vent on their blog regarding the change follows:

I posted earlier that I would withhold judgment on this program until we finished our trip (wife, 4 year-old, lap baby, and myself). The trip is over, and I do not like this program. It seems clear to me this policy is a way to segregate families to the back of the plane. When we preboarded in the past, we sat up front by the bulkhead. This prevented another passenger’s seat from being kicked or otherwise disturbed by the preschooler. Try as we might, we cannot always prevent this from happening over five hours of flight time, so on this trip SWA had multiple unhappy passengers: Us, and those who had to sit in front of our 4 year-old.Good luck with your family-segregation-ghetto policy, Southwest. We will not fly this airline again.


Have any other posters with young'uns flown Southwest since this new policy was implemented? What did you think?

[mondo]

For the other side of the coin, it has always annoyed me when I get to the airport 2 hours early w/ my "A" voucher, sit patiently (generally uncomfortably) @ the front of the "A" line for 2 hours, only to watch half the plane "pre-board" (oxymoron, no ?) w/ various conditions, situations and maladies, both real and imagined......

Not looking to start a flame war..... I just don't think that having children is the "golden ticket" to better seating..... The policy is essentially a first-come, first serve policy. If you want to board in advance, get to the airport early. (I realize you have vowed not to take SWA again.... more just a general statement for those who will)

IMO, if you live near a JetBlue destination, they are the best no frills airline, w/ nice leather seats, your own seatback TV, affordable fares, and assigned seating.... give 'em a try !!!

peace, mondo

[4_2_it]

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.

[KotOD]

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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.

[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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

People who are given power find it hard not to abuse it, even if only passive-aggressively. Like the guy playing poker who waits until it is his turn to play to start telling some long story, freezing the game and holding everyone hostage. It's extremely common for people to purposely slow down when they know they can annoy people doing it. And kids are the perfect excuse, because it's so common to put on a righteous, long-suffering air about them. How could you criticize a mother??? I could see many families making deplaning drag out for ages and ages, and definitely wouldn't want to wait for them.

[tshort]

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice. When the plane lands I'll stand 8 rows back ready to go while you play with your carseat and luggage for 10 min.

Pre-boarding is fine if you go to the back of the plane.

[KotOD]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]



Nice. When the plane lands I'll stand 8 rows back ready to go while you play with your carseat and luggage for 10 min.


[/ QUOTE ]

Who said anything about de-planing? I've never once seen a family with a child restraint de-plane in normal fashion. They sit until everyone is off and then leave.

I'm chairman's club on usair two years running, so it's not like I've not been on just one or two flights.

I have however been stuck behind families boarding with normal passengers and had to stand in line for 10-15 minutes while a flustered mom installs two car seats. It tilts everyone and delays takeoff.

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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.



[/ QUOTE ]

I'm never in a hurry to get on the plane. Most flights leave late anyway. However, after listening to kids screaming and kicking my seat for 3 hours I want to GTFO of that plane as soon as that seat belt sign goes off.

Sticking all the pre-boarders in the back is the right way to go about it; however, that would require extra SW employees on the plane asking people to move so I can understand why they did not implement it.