One of the ways that Southwest Airlines differentiates itself from other airlines is that it doesn’t have assigned seating. Passengers are allowed onto the plane based on when they check in for their flight, or if they’ve paid more to be at the front of the queue (Early Bird check in, Upgraded Boarding, or by purchasing a Business Select fare). Once they’re on board, they can sit in whatever open seat they prefer.
Here’s how Southwest describes it:
You will be assigned a boarding group (A, B, or C) and position (1-60+) upon check in.
- Your unique group and position combination (for example: A35) will be displayed on your boarding pass and represents a reserved spot in the boarding group at the gate.
- Numbered posts in each of our gate areas indicate where to line up.
- When your boarding group is called, find your designated place in line and board the aircraft in numerical order with your boarding group.
However before the A,B,C queue even starts, certain passengers with disabilities are able to preboard at the very beginning of the boarding process, prior to general boarding.
The system had worked fairly well for years. However at some point around the pandemic, the number of people requiring preboarding due to disability not only skyrocketed, but has skewed much younger. And yet, as many passengers have noted, the number of people who needed a wheelchair to disembark from the plane has been, also in recent years, significantly less than those who needed one to board the plane (read: 20 people using wheelchairs enter the plane, 17 of them exit the plane on their own 2 feet. Some people call them, tongue in cheek, “miracle flights”).
Many places said it was a scam developed as a “hack” and advertised on the likes of TikTok:
- Southwest Addresses Wheelchair requests after TokTok Scan Accusation
- Southwest flyers’ wheelchair ‘pre-boarding scam’ leaves fellow passengers fuming
- Are airline passengers faking the need for wheelchairs to board early?
Such “hacks” have been shown on YouTube, as well
People who fake disabilities in order to board the plane faster don’t only do it at the expense of those who are waiting on the regular queues. The third party people who are trained to push those in wheelchairs throughout the airport are in short supply; people using up the services for their own “needs,” forcing those who legitimately need their services to wait. Most people find the act of these scammers/fakers reprehensible.
Of course, some disabilities are invisible. Some people may have difficulty walking the length of an airport to get to the plane but after they’ve sat on a plane for a few hours, they’re able to more easily walk to wherever they’re going. Others would rather walk off the plane, even in pain, because they have another flight to catch and might miss it if they wait for the wheelchair assistance people. It’s also been suggested that more people are willing to speak up and ask for help than before the pandemic. And, of course, since the preboarding group is skewing much younger, well, some younger people with long Covid may really need the wheelchair service; that wouldn’t have been an issue before the pandemic, either.
All that being said, we all know that some people asking to preboard are doing it for legitimate reasons. But it just seems a little suspect that so many more people – especially those flying Southwest – are requiring wheelchair service and pre-boarding nowadays.
What is Southwest’s rule about preboarding?
Southwest’s company line is that they follow federal regulations in offering preboarding to Customers with disabilities in order to comply with the Air Carrier Access Act: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/passengers-disabilities.
This is what their website says:
Can I preboard?
It depends. Some Customers with disabilities are able to preboard at the very beginning of the boarding process prior to general boarding. Preboarding is available for Customers with disabilities who need a specific seat to accommodate a disability, need assistance boarding the aircraft, or need to stow an assistive device.
A Customer Service Agent at the ticket counter or the departure gate can help with this accommodation, and you’ll be asked questions to determine if you qualify. You’ll receive a new boarding pass marked with PRBD if you qualify, which lets the Operations Agent at boarding know that you can preboard. Remember that you can’t occupy an exit seat if you preboard.
One travel companion may preboard with you. If you feel you need an exception to this, please discuss your needs with a Customer Service Agent at the gate when requesting preboarding.
If you’re preboarding because you need a specific seat, speak with the Operations Agent after getting your new boarding pass but before preboarding starts.
Customers with disabilities who simply need a little extra time to board or otherwise do not qualify for preboarding may board between the “A” and “B” groups, before Family Boarding. A Customer Service Agent at the ticket counter or departure gate can give you a new boarding pass marked with XT, which lets the Operations Agent at boarding know that you can board before Family Boarding.
This rule is clear enough but the observation of many is that it’s not being followed by gate agents. The passengers needing “extra time” have consistently been allowed to board before A List and A Boarding group passengers. If SW followed that guideline, there would be far fewer passengers boarding before A list.
However the main issue is the questions that Southwest asks these passengers who say they need preboarding:
1) do you need assistance boarding the aircraft? and/or
2) do you have a specific seating need to accommodate your disability?
If the answer to either question is yes, they must allow the customer to preboard and they are only able to use these parameters to ascertain the legitimacy of a customer’s preboarding request. So it certainly opens the window for more self-centered people to work the system to their advantage.
A possible fix?
Changing topics for a moment, there’s another realm where disabilities, rules, and being able to “skip the queue” have been issues for years – theme parks.
Obviously, not all theme park rides are accessible for people with all types of disabilities. For example, it might not be safe for someone who doesn’t have control of their muscles from the shoulders down, for example, to go on a roller coaster (most rides have long lists of rules, i.e. “Rider must have full control of trunk, and at least 1 arm/hand and one leg/foot” or something similar; the specifics depend on the ride). But there are plenty of rides people living with disabilities can and do go on.
Each theme park has its own rules about people with disabilities, and sometimes one park will have a few different rules, depending on the ride. For example, some newer rides have queues and cars that are 100% wheelchair accessible and allow those using wheelchairs to go through the entire queue the same as someone without a disability. Others may have queues that are older and not accessible; riders may be allowed through the ride’s exit in order to enter.
There are also some people with specific disabilities that prevent them from standing on lines due to reasons other than wheelchair accessibility. Some may become anxious about, or have other difficulties with standing in lines, or being in crowds, for extended periods of time. Others may have difficulty with staying in an outdoor queue in extreme heat for extended periods of time if they visit during the summer. In recent years, some theme parks have offered guests who have disabilities such as a pass that allows them to “sign in” for a ride, and then come back at a specific time, at which time they could load directly onto the ride. So they’re still waiting, but it’s a virtual wait, instead of a physical one.
Theme parks have to follow similar federal rules in that they’re not allowed to ask many questions about a person’s disability to give them one of these types of passes. However each theme park, since they’re owned by so many different companies, has its own rules. One company has been trying to make it easier for all involved by streamlining that process so it’s the same from theme park to theme park.
IBCCES (The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards) touts themselves as the “global leader in cognitive disorder training and certification.” For over 20 years they’ve provided, “…a series of certifications that empower professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. These programs are recognized around the world as the leading benchmark for training and certification in the areas of autism and other cognitive disorders.”
In 2021, IBCCES created what they call the IBCCES Accessibility Card (IAC), which is designed to help individuals requesting accommodations at participating theme parks’ attractions. The card is digital and free, and helps identify accommodations needed and expedite the process at parks and attractions.
From https://accessibilitycard.org/:
Requesting accommodations at an attraction can be stressful and frustrating. Luckily, many parks and attractions are providing options so that everyone in the family can still enjoy the fun. The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) created the digital IBCCES Accessibility Card (IAC) as a free resource for individuals who need to request accommodations or assistance at participating amusement parks and attractions.
The IAC is for anyone who is requesting accommodations – including but not limited to individuals who are autistic, use a wheelchair, are blind/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, have mobility support needs, are accompanied by a service animal, have sensory sensitivities, cognitive disabilities, or have other needs and concerns.
Here’s more about it:
IBCCES says their accessibility card helps streamline the accommodations process and save staff time on-site when providing accessibility services. And best of all, it reduces abuse of the system because it includes verification processes to discourage the abuse of accommodations and ensure the individuals who truly need accommodations can access them.
The IAC card is good for 1 year and is HIPAA compliant. All the user needs is:
- Recent photograph of the cardholder for identification purposes
- Contact information for the cardholder or the parent/guardian/support person of the cardholder
- Contact information and statement from medical provider, government entity, or educational support professional related to accommodations requested (i.e. “I, Dr. Chris Johnson, hereby certify that Jamie Smith requires assistance to board the aircraft and therefore needs to preboard the flight” on Dr. Johnson’s letterhead. Nothing that says what their disability is [that’s why it’s HIPAA compliant]; just certifying that they need assistance to board, and therefore need to preboard.)
To date, the IAC card has been a great success, and has been adopted by:
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
- Six Flags Fiesta Texas
- Six Flags Great Adventure
- Six Flags Great America
- Hurricane Harbor Rockford
- Six Flags Darien Lake
- La Ronde
- Six Flags Magic Mountain
- Six Flags Mexico
- Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec
- Six Flags New England
- Six Flags Over Georgia
- Six Flags Over Texas
- Six Flags St. Louis
- The Great Escape
- Frontier City
- Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark
- Hurricane Harbor OKC
- Hurricane Harbor Phoenix
- Hurricane Harbor Splashtown
- Hurricane Harbor Concord
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor – CA
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor – NJ
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor – TX
- Six Flags White Water – GA
Obviously, some aspects of the program would have to be changed, but I started thinking, why couldn’t something like that be used by Southwest Airlines? So I reached out to IBCCES and asked.
Hi there! My name is Sharon and my husband and I write what we like to call
a “moderately successful” travel blog called Your Mileage May Vary.
I discovered your website about your IBCCES Accessibility Card because
we’re both theme park fans and, in another career, I was an occupational
therapist for several decades – so I like to stay attuned to accessibility
for disabled people.
Anyway, I love that so many Six Flags, Universal, etc. theme parks are
using your accessibility card. What a great way to cut down on people
faking disabilities in order to try to skip the queues!
To that end, and as a travel blogger, I thought of an interesting point.
The policy for virtually all commercial airlines in the U.S. is that people
who need extra time for boarding get to board first (or, at least, almost
first). It’s not much of an issue with most airlines, but potentially
becomes a problem for those flying on Southwest Airlines, since they don’t
have assigned seating. Not surprisingly, some people take advantage of that
and it’s not unusual for there to be 20 or 30 people in wheelchairs,
waiting to be the first group to go on a Southwest flight (who are
subsequently “cured” when disembarking). This, in turn, becomes a point of
contention for those waiting to board.
Since your program is HIPAA compliant, have you ever contacted Southwest
Airlines to see if an airline-friendly version of your IBCCES Accessibility Card
could be a possibility? Or if you have, what was their reaction?
I look forward to your reply!
A few days later I heard back from Natalia Gonzalez, Marketing Manager for IBCCES:
Thank you, Sharon, for reaching out. Currently, the IAC program is focused on helping streamline the process for guests at theme parks and attractions. Thanks so much for the feedback, currently no airlines are in the process, but that’s a good idea 🙂
Well yeah, I know it’s a good idea; that’s why I brought it up. 😉
SO…maybe, with some adjustments here and there, it could’ve been a fix. But it doesn’t sound like IBCCES wants to pursue it at the moment. And Southwest, for all its experiments with boarding (like this one, and this one), apparently has no interest, so… #sigh.
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33 comments
Very easy. Those who need a little extra time for boarding are boarded last. That is when most of the passengers are already seated.
This post has been reviewed for moderation and ___ has not been ___ has been edited.
Southwest just needs to assign seats. I’m all for needed pre-board. I’ve used it after knee surgery. I’ve also been almost run over by the guy that “had to pre-board”, as he disembarked the plane. The other reason that is out of hand is saving seats. I pay extra for Business or an upgrade because I have to have an aisle for my left leg. I can’t tell you how many times I go to take a seat and they say, “someone is sitting here”. That someone boarded in group “C”. Just assign seats and you can plan ahead or pay extra. The slacker always ruins it for those that try and gollow the rules.
Count your pre board requests and block that many seats off and load them last. Also require they check all their bags. Also they would deplane last so they wouldn’t be blocking the jet bridge
Sounds pretty punitive for those who really are disabled. So you’re going to make them check all their bags (including those with lifesaving medication in them? What if the airline loses that checked bag?), potentially miss their connection because they were in a motorcycle accident 10 years ago and have no use of their legs? Or are 95 and have Parkinson’s Disease? And what’s going to stop the scammers from just getting up from their “miracle flight” anyway? How about we stop the scammers?
I’m 73 years old and always request a wheelchair. I’m unable to stand or walk any distance due to medical issues. I can’t take a flight longer than 2hrs. 15 minutes due to sitting long. Once i reach my destination I’m in pain for a few days. I have noticed many people requesting wheelchairs that will get up while at the gate to go get food, etc. When the airline person says if your able to walk to the plane you can, there are only a few of us left sitting. Once we reach our destination the people outside the plane with wheelchairs are waiting. Very few wheelchairs are needed. Upon being pushed to baggage, I see people already standing there waiting on their baggage.
Believe me, I wish I was able to walk through TSA to the gate I need to. I feel it is so wrong for others who doesn’t need assistance to take advantage of this service. I definitely qualify for the IAC program and would have no problem with my Dr. signing it. I think that is a great idea for the airlines to implement.
Some people can walk certain distances but not long ones. Some people can walk as long as they can regulate their speed and balance without being impacted by lines or crowds. Some people have other needs for a certain seat, like quick bathroom access. There are so many different disabling or risky conditions.
I’m sure scammers exist but it’s not my place to determine who is and who isn’t scamming. This card could help but to be a requirement would create hassle as well. A last minute flight might make it impossible to get in time. I’ve filled out paperwork for international airlines before and it has to be submitted 30 days in advance.
I have plenty of documentation if my disability, both from my paperwork submitted to my disability ins company to my handicap placard and much more. But they required a specific multiple page form and time to process it.
That time or dr availability may not always be possible.
“I TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY AND SW ALOT. I UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEW, ALL OF WHICH ARE VALID TO ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER. MY ONLY CONCERN/ISSUE IS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO PREBOARD AND THEN ATTEMPT TO SAVE MULTIPLE SEATS. THAT, IS NOT FAR AT ALL. YOU SHOULD BE ALLOWED ONE TRAVELING COMPANION FOR ASSISTANCE. EVERYONE ELSE IN YOUR PARTY SHOULD EITHER BOARD BASED ON THEIR PASS, OR PAY EXTRA TO PREBOARD WITH THE TRAVELLING PARTY. IN ADDITION, LIKE SOME OF THE LOW COST CARRIERS WHO ARE BEGINNING TO TIGHTLY ADHERE TO THEIR BAGGAGE POLICIES, SW NEEDS TO CRACKDOWN ON THOSE THAT ARE CLEARLY & INTENTIONALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE ACCOMMODATING EXCEPTION. EVEN IF IT MEANS REMOVING PASSENGERS FROM THEIR FLIGHT FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY. AL ARE DOING IT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.”
I have a disability/heart condition that flares and causes fainting when I am unable to move on the timeline I need to, such as standing in line. To wait until the end, the plane would have to wait for the entire line to be gone everyone seated in their seats, waiting for me. The same would be for a lot of people who can’t stand for long periods. And many people need to be at the front of the plane for different disabilities like ibs where they need quick access to a bathroom. There are many conditions that not everyone understands and the patient and their doctors are the best people to decide where in the plane they should sit and how they should board.
Some are capable of walking or walking certain distances but not standing for long. Those who are upset that people stand up from their wheelchair and can go to the bathroom, for instance, are missing many disabilities. Wheelchairs and preboard aren’t only for people with mobility concerns.
Of course, the system should crack down on people taking advantage, and a systemized approach would be helpful in the long run. But as someone with an invisible disability who uses Southwest Preboard. I already get enough glares and negative attention. Maybe don’t assume the worst about your fellow passengers.
I guess you missed the paragraph that specifically talked about those with invisible disabilities? Or maybe you haven’t read our blog long enough to know that I’m a Little Person who has been started at for her entire life. So yes, I get it. Regardless, the point is that people DO take advantage of the system, and this COULD be a way to help combat the worst of those who do. But if the company has no plans to approach airlines, and without Southwest obviously having no wish to “fix” anything, it will continue.
So you would have no problem getting an IAC card with your medical provider’s recommendation. Attach it to your Southwest account and preboard as you always have. Well, not as you always have, because it would be much easier for you as the number of people boarding with you would be fewer. Win-Win I fail to see the issue for you here? Only a benefit.
The proliferation of preboarders on Southwest skyrocketed when Southwest instituted fees for early bird check in – first $10 and now up to $25. If someone wanted to sit up front and not pay extra, thhey’d go the pre boarding route. Unfortunately. People don’t always do the right thing, and anyone could have guessed this would happen
I have a heart condition that can cause fainting when standing in lines, but not as often while walking. Stopping and standing is much riskier. So I need assistance boarding by not standing in line, but I can sometimes walk off the plane as long as I can keep moving. I am not faking and the other place where this is an issue is going through the scanning machines. I self disclose so that the tsa agents can decide I need a manual pat down. But I get glares from passengers most of the time… at least until this week when I had to lay down in the jet way when there were no wheelchair pushers and I had to walk down when there was a line. It’s the inability to keep moving or control my pace when my heart rate and blood pressure acted up for me. Then I caused a delay by needing to lay down when emts had to be called. I know you mentioned conditions like this, but as I told the boarding agent, I chose to board first and use a wheelchair so I don’t cause this kind of delay for many. You never know what someone is dealing with or managing and sometimes we are trying to avoid causing delays and inconvenience for others, not taking advantage. Reaching above my head is also the number 1 cause of me to faint suddenly, so I also need to avoid the above my head tsa machines and putting a bag in the overhead compartment. On the other hand, I do usually take the wheelchair when I leave the plane too. And if there are no pushers, I push it myself so I have the ability to sit down quickly if the dizziness starts. I don’t always have a warning, but when I do it’s helpful to have a chair I can immediately sit in.
How would this company treat my condition, with their card I wonder?
So you would have no problem getting an IAC card with your medical provider’s recommendation. Attach it to your Southwest account and preboard as you always have. Well, not as you always have, because it would be much easier for you as the number of people boarding with you would be fewer. Win-Win I fail to see the issue for you here? Only a benefit.
Perhaps. I don’t need assistance, nor do I need a specific seat, which are the criteria southwest gives. I need to avoid standing in line.
I self disclose by choice, which always makes the gate agents understand my specific things and why there’s a risk to both me and their flight getting out on time. But the rules southwest has for preboarding aren’t an exact match for me.
We have an autistic young son and we dont travel much but when we do fly domestic, it is mostly to theme parks in florida and California so southwest is what we fly on. Even with obvious autism of our child, we always let go the wheelchair users first and stand behind those on wheelchairs but I noticed that these days many people are pretending to be something they are not on sitting on wheelchairs with 3 other adult family members trying to preboard. The airline won’t allow the whole adults to preboard with them but obviously once in the plane, you know these are just people abusing the preboard system. they get up and down fast and use the toilet and stretch their legs, blah, they then keep the front seats for their adult traveling groups.
So we promised ourselves that on our next southwest flight, if we arrive first at the boarding gate, we will talk to the agent about preboard and we will stand in line first to preboard and not to allow any wheelchair users to go before us.
Agree 100% that there is a lot of abuse. I just returned on a flight from Cancun to Baltimore. Must have been 40 people in the pre board line. Only 3 were in a wheelchair. One lady was carrying a whole pizza box and a carry on. She had no problem boarding. One group was a family of 8 people. I had A2 boarding. When I got on the plane the whole front of the plane was full. I even watched one preboard couple sit in the exit row. Even after the flight attendant was told she did nothing. SWA is not following its own rules. I wrote SWA about this and am awaiting a response. However my recommendation was to put pre boarders in the back of the plane. Since the fake pre boarders want the front of the plane and first access to overhead storage, sending them to the back of the plane would force the fake ones to stop. Why should someone pay extra to get on the plane first. At some point if this continues everyone will claim they need to pre board. An A boarding position will end up being the last ones to board.
So those of us who truly have disabilities (visible or not) get relegated to the back of the plane?? Yeah, that won’t cause any legal issues at all for Southwest for essentially punishing people with disabilities.
Why do pre boarders need ro sit in front? I fly Southwest 95% of my needs and I have seen large families and groups if freinds do the scam. As an A Lister or for those that pay extra for early bird, Southwest us failing us all by not doing anything to stop this everyday issue. Southwest needs to require the medical card. If it can be scammed they will. It’s the human element of life. This is no different than for the Handicaped parking badges. How many tines have you seen the driver and passengers jump out of their cars and easily walk to their destinations. If it can be clscammed they will. PERIOD!
Just because someone “easily walks to their destination” doesn’t mean they don’t need a handicap parking tag. Many people have invisible disabilities that flare up intermittently or at different levels. Some people have them due to seizure disorders. Etc… just because someone appears fine at that moment doesn’t mean 15 minutes from now they are still able to walk long distances, need no assistance, etc.. People may have blood pressure issues, seizure activity. MS, CRPS, auto-immune disorders, cerebral palsy, PTSD, anxiety attacks, aspergers, need dialysis, are autistic… many different disorders where your current physical ability could change at any time. This is exactly the problem those w disabilities have by being judged by others just because “they don’t look disabled” to people like you.
Agreed – until I saw some people after my intensive 50 minute cardio kickboxing class walk back to their car – parked in a wheelchair spot with a disabled placard.
All persons needing to preboard should be made to declare this when their ticket is purchased. If this has not been done, then they will not be allowed to preboard.
And those who break an ankle a few days before the flight, or have an MS flare the week before the flight when things had been good for a while – they are now out of luck?
My husband is disabled and his disability causes flying to be painful. One party of discount is visible but the biggest part is not. We use the wheelchair assist for several reason. First, he can’t go through normal security due to an implantable device. We’ve tried security without wheelchair assist and it’s TERRIBLE! Security functions better with the wheelchair. Secondly, he’s very sensitive to touch and bumping into people boarding would make his day even worse. When we land he often chooses to not use the wheelchair for multiple reasons. First, he wants of the plan NOW. If you wait for a wheelchair your last off. Secondly, there is no need to get through security which is our primary reason for use. He sometimes does use the disembarking wheelchair if it’s a big airport. Also to the articles point these people are in short supply and should be reserved for the disabled. I find myself repeatedly grateful for disabled accomodations as you don’t realize until in the position how much it matters and how rude people are to disabled person’s. The things I’ve seen! I hope this helps too share some understanding.
Does your husband have CRPS, by chance? Many of the things you stated are similar to my disability. (Sensitive to touch, painful to be bumped/knocked into, implantable device, etc… have to keep leg extended or it turns blue, is extremely painful and then has tremors.)
On the basis of the article, I a person with a disability, will need to pay a surcharge to receive accommodations. I will need to take time off work (not always easy) potentially find and pay for childcare, find a spot in the doctor’s schedule for a visit, convince them to write a letter (which they may not want to do if they aren’t treating my specific issue at this very moment), potentially make a second visit to get this letter, and then turn all my information over to a private company, who may decide this is not sufficient.
I’m deaf. Announcements are incomprehensible. Preboarding time is the most stressful and that’s after I have navigated everything else. Let me and others preboard as needed and don’t assume you can judge everything by what you see. And for the record I ask for this on every flight, not just southwest. I’m just glad the gate agents don’t give me grief when I make this request. I get enough grief in daily life.
I have no problem with people broading from illness. My question is why does everyone in that party get to go on that way. It’s been every flight I been on. Everyone should pay extra except the person with disabilities and one person helping them. Are the family or friends can wait in line like the rest and pay extra money to board in section A. Thanks
The abuse of pre-boarding is getting worse. I have no problem with the truly disabled boarding first, but that number is getting ridiculous. Also, it is only supposed to be one adult traveler per pre-boarder, not the whole family.
Here’s another pet peeve, the front overhead compartments should be reserved for those passengers in the front seats. There is no where to place a purse, backpack or computer bag under the seat, and you are required to place your item in an overhead bin. Many times I have boarded a plane, there’s a front seat available but no overhead bin space, because a pre-boarder grabbed the first overhead bin space. Savy flight attendants have learned to keep tge first bins closed, to help prevent that, but not all do.
I would have no problem with an IAC card and it can be linked to my airline account. I have a handicap plate. It would be great if we could apply and renew both at the same time. There should be temporary and permanent cards. All airlines should do this but allow enough time and an alternate plan if someone forgets or loses their card or is an overseas traveler who doesn’t know
Southwest flight attendants should seat all the wheelchair passengers in the rear of the plane. First on last off, then we’ll see a decline in wheelchair passengers.
Sooooo….people who can’t legit ambulate well to begin with should be required to walk 30 rows back?
How about we just make it more difficult for people to scam the system?
Just assign seats. Wouldn’t that fix the issue for everyone? I fly SW most but also United and American based on schedules. Neither United or American have long lines of pre-boarders because everyone has a seat. I know this is a long standing tradition for SW but it is a time for a change. I know there are very passionate SW flyers who never want this to change which I’m not sure I understand. As an A-list Preferred Companion pass holder I see this activity weekly and it is very frustrating. If you have to earn or pay for a preferred boarding spot why continue and allow so many people cheat the system.
Easy, and make it fair for Business Select and the like… prohibit recorders from sitting in first 5 or so rows to allow those with A1-15 the prime seats of their choice. That leaves enough seats for those who pay extra to get on first, the ability to store their bass, and get off faster.
If anyone needs help and cannot walk past those rows, there exists a plane wheelchair to assist passengers to get tot here seats, as other airlines that have reserved seats use…