SWA Pre-boarding

[HD Poke]

I fly Southwest Airlines for work quite a bit out of Dallas and have noticed a dramatic increase to the number of people taking advantage of Southwest’s pre-boarding policy. Has anyone else noticed this?

I flew DAL to LAX last week and there were 12 people who were pre-boarding! And it appeared that only 4 of them had the pre-board passes. The rest were family members who were “accompanying” the pre-board person. As I understand the policy, only one person is supposed to be allowed to accompany the pre-board person, but the gate agent failed to enforce it.

Also, a couple of the people who were pre-boarding sat down in about the fifth row, but then got up and tried to blend in with the general boarding people and sat in the exit row. Luckily the flight attendant noticed what they did and after a brief argument, moved them to a non-exit row.

One of the flight attendants told me that you don’t have to prove that you have some disability, injury, etc. to get a pre-board pass. You just have to request it. Which explains why I have noticed that many of the people with the passes seem to be walking with no problem.

So I guess my point is, why should I pay the extra money for the business select tickets on Southwest, when all I really need to do is buy the cheapest ticket and request pre-boarding? I would get first pick of the seats. Granted I couldn’t sit in the exit row (if enforced) but I could make sure there is overhead bin space for a carryon. Their pre-board policy really bugs me.

 

[NeekReevers]

The enforcement depends entirely on the gate crew in my experience. My son is handicapped and can't walk. We flew Southwest on his Make-A-Wish trip. Some gate attendants would allow both his mother and I to board with him (which frankly was a huge help) while others strictly enforced only 1 of us boarding with him. We flew to Disney World where my son was able to skip to the front of the line on most rides. About 6 months after our trip Disney discontinued this policy because they found out people were paying handicapped kids to go with them to the park so they could jump the lines. This makes the park unworkable for us. Point is, there are always going to be scumbags that abuse the system, you can confront them, you can let it go and shake your head. The one thing you want to make sure of is that you don't become one of them. It probably will come to the point though where you have to provide proof that you're disabled because of these douchebags.

 

[HD Poke]

Good point. I should direct my displeasure to the people who abuse the policy, not the policy itself. I would hope we won’t get to a point where a person has to provide proof of a disability.

 

[Been Jammin]

So, this made me think of an issue going on at my daughter's school that bugs me.

My daughter is on the drill team (for those that don't know, this is a dance team, similar to the Pom Sqad at OSU). There are over 40 members on the team. One of the officers on the team has a handicap placard on her car, and parks in the handicap parking right by the building every day. This is a young lady who attends rigorous dance practice 5 days a week and performs with no issues in halftime shows and at pep rallies. (as an aside, her mother also has a handicap placard on her car and no obvious physical limitations). The other girls on the team have to park in student parking, which is quite a long way from the buildings. Some of the lots are almost a block away. The long distance can be an issue for the girls who are carrying their backpacks and dance bags full of costumes, dance gear, etc.

Personally, I find it disgusting that this girl is taking advantage of the system, and that her parents are condoning such behavior. As an officer, she is supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the team and is supposed to be one of the leaders of the school.

I am curious about 1 aspect of this situation that maybe one of you can clarify. If the teachers/administrators are aware of the situation, can they do anything about it? Does HIPAA prevent them from asking the girl what her handicap is or why she has a handicap parking pass?

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

So, this made me think of an issue going on at my daughter's school that bugs me.

My daughter is on the drill team (for those that don't know, this is a dance team, similar to the Pom Sqad at OSU). There are over 40 members on the team. One of the officers on the team has a handicap placard on her car, and parks in the handicap parking right by the building every day. This is a young lady who attends rigorous dance practice 5 days a week and performs with no issues in halftime shows and at pep rallies. (as an aside, her mother also has a handicap placard on her car and no obvious physical limitations). The other girls on the team have to park in student parking, which is quite a long way from the buildings. Some of the lots are almost a block away. The long distance can be an issue for the girls who are carrying their backpacks and dance bags full of costumes, dance gear, etc.

Personally, I find it disgusting that this girl is taking advantage of the system, and that her parents are condoning such behavior. As an officer, she is supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the team and is supposed to be one of the leaders of the school.

I am curious about 1 aspect of this situation that maybe one of you can clarify. If the teachers/administrators are aware of the situation, can they do anything about it? Does HIPAA prevent them from asking the girl what her handicap is or why she has a handicap parking pass?

I'd slash her tires.

 

[100TonsofOrangeFury]

I'd slash her tires.

Then she'd have to walk everywhere.

 

[Been Jammin]

Then she'd have to walk everywhere.

Thanks, MJD and Tons. You guys have been very helpful.

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

HIPAA wouldn't apply to them asking what her handicap is.

 

[CowboyJD]

So, this made me think of an issue going on at my daughter's school that bugs me.

My daughter is on the drill team (for those that don't know, this is a dance team, similar to the Pom Sqad at OSU). There are over 40 members on the team. One of the officers on the team has a handicap placard on her car, and parks in the handicap parking right by the building every day. This is a young lady who attends rigorous dance practice 5 days a week and performs with no issues in halftime shows and at pep rallies. (as an aside, her mother also has a handicap placard on her car and no obvious physical limitations). The other girls on the team have to park in student parking, which is quite a long way from the buildings. Some of the lots are almost a block away. The long distance can be an issue for the girls who are carrying their backpacks and dance bags full of costumes, dance gear, etc.

Personally, I find it disgusting that this girl is taking advantage of the system, and that her parents are condoning such behavior. As an officer, she is supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the team and is supposed to be one of the leaders of the school.

I am curious about 1 aspect of this situation that maybe one of you can clarify. If the teachers/administrators are aware of the situation, can they do anything about it? Does HIPAA prevent them from asking the girl what her handicap is or why she has a handicap parking pass?

More likely, ADA issues with asking the nature of a disability when someone has a government approved handicapped placard. Not a HIPAA issue.

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

More likely, ADA issues with asking the nature of a disability when someone has a government approved handicapped placard. Not a HIPAA issue.

But couldn't they ask her for documentation of her eleigibility for the placard?

 

[NeekReevers]

So, this made me think of an issue going on at my daughter's school that bugs me.

My daughter is on the drill team (for those that don't know, this is a dance team, similar to the Pom Sqad at OSU). There are over 40 members on the team. One of the officers on the team has a handicap placard on her car, and parks in the handicap parking right by the building every day. This is a young lady who attends rigorous dance practice 5 days a week and performs with no issues in halftime shows and at pep rallies. (as an aside, her mother also has a handicap placard on her car and no obvious physical limitations). The other girls on the team have to park in student parking, which is quite a long way from the buildings. Some of the lots are almost a block away. The long distance can be an issue for the girls who are carrying their backpacks and dance bags full of costumes, dance gear, etc.

Personally, I find it disgusting that this girl is taking advantage of the system, and that her parents are condoning such behavior. As an officer, she is supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the team and is supposed to be one of the leaders of the school.

I am curious about 1 aspect of this situation that maybe one of you can clarify. If the teachers/administrators are aware of the situation, can they do anything about it? Does HIPAA prevent them from asking the girl what her handicap is or why she has a handicap parking pass?

It would probably require an administrator with some guts which they seem to be hard to come by these days. To get a handicap placard in Oklahoma requires that you meet 1 of the following conditions:

1. Can't walk 200 feet without resting
2. Can't walk without assistance (cane, wheelchair, etc.)
3. Needs portable oxygen
4. Severe heart defect
5. Can't walk due to arthritis or pregnancy
6. Is blind
7. Is missing a limb

I think it would be tough to be on the drill team if you were limited by any of these conditions. The number one condition I see used to justify a permit in Oklahoma is obesity. You never know what a person is dealing with but I get frustrated by how many placards there are floating around. Before I needed handicap spaces I thought there were too many. Now I just think they give out too many placards.

 

[HD Poke]

Once you have a placard is it good for life or is there an expiration?

 

[CowboyJD]

But couldn't they ask her for documentation of her eleigibility for the placard?

Not the school, no. Those aren't issued by the school. At best, they could ask to see the placard for verification and authenticity. Then they might be able to confirm whom the placard was issued FOR with the issuing agency, but not the nature of the disability.

 

[Cowpoke]

Once you have a placard is it good for life or is there an expiration?

Used to be, now they are good for a few years. There are months/years running down the sides with holes punched in them to signify when they are up.

Red are very temporary, like for a few months (so if she has a red one, she may have had a broken foot or something at some point, but is still using it illegally), blue are permanent, but require renewal every few years.

 

[BvillePoker]

Isn't it illegal to use another person's handicap placard? I think I had some distant family that got in trouble for using grandma's placard to park closer. Don't you also have to have a handicap tag to go along with the placard?

 

[NeekReevers]

Blue is good for 5 years and is the longest term you can get. It is illegal to use it if the person who is certified to use it is not in the car. There is no special tag required to use in conjunction with the placard.

 

[Been Jammin]

It is blue and expires some time in 2017 (according to my daughter, who checked). My suspicion is that the family has a friend who is a doctor (or family member) since both she, and her mother, have one.

 

[anon_ph7vrsh7abnty]

Neek, I was a former Disney employee.

There are still exceptions to those rules. For instance, they could just give you infinite FastPasses. I'd check into it.

If you need me to make a call, let me know. No reason not to enjoy the happiest place on earth.

 

[FMPoke]

Back to the original subject. Yes it's bad. SWA is an obvious target because of open seating. The thing I've noticed on the pre boarding is the family boarding for people with small kids. You see this extended family with one or two kids and like ten adults. Southwest may have change their policy recently. The last couple of time I think they made family boarding wait until after group A.

 

[inspoke]

Family boarding is after Group A on SWA.

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

Family boarding is after Group A on SWA.

correct

 

[SKC]

Yes, as just mentioned it's after the A group, but this past summer we tested a couple of new methods of family boarding out of Orlando. MCO is fairly unique in the sheer number of families with young kids flying in/out, so sometimes you could have a dozen families boarding after the A group, and still have problems with them getting seats together, especially if it's a through flight that already had some passengers on board. The company wanted to see how it would go if they boarded at different times. At the end of the trial, it was decided that the current policy works the best, overall, for now.

The only people that SHOULD be preboarding are:
Disabled customers (wheelchairs, crutches, etc)
unaccompanied minors
law enforcement officers in the line of duty
customers of size (that require two seats)
media members with cameras, etc with the approval of SWA
deadheading SWA crew
cabin and cockpit jumpseaters
check pilots performing a check ride
customers with special travel considerations (family escorting deceased soldier, etc)

 

[Orange Jennyslipper]

I used to bitch about boarding until I flew a lot in Latin America. They announce First Class or Business Class boarding and every grandma and 9-year-old in the terminal sprint to the gate -- and then they let them get on first. You can't make three Latinos stand in a line to save your ass.

They drive in traffic the same way -- no one obeys speed limits, no one stops at red lights unless prevented by traffic and they always drive three cars wide on two-lane roads.

The US can seem pretty calm after a trip down south.

 

[BvillePoker]

I recently spent some time in Italy and there ain't a one of those SOB's that knows the meaning of the word queue, or line, or wait you G** D**M turn you crotchety old mozzarella eating fascist B@st@rd! I am just trying to get a F'in cannoli here ya' Guinea.

 

[anon_xl72qcu5isp39]

I recently spent some time in Italy and there ain't a one of those SOB's that knows the meaning of the word queue, or line, or wait you G** D**M turn you crotchety old mozzarella eating fascist B@st@rd! I am just trying to get a F'in cannoli here ya' Guinea.

I'm glad to hear someone else has that same experience in Italy. I've never seen anything like it.