Southwest Airlines lets passengers pick their own seats once they’re on board the aircraft. The earlier you board, the better choice of seats you have.
And Southwest allows passengers with disabilities to preboard, before those paying for business select (“A1 – A15” boarding positions) and elite frequent flyers. This is largely on the honor system, and as we know most people lack honor.
This passenger complains that Southwest Airlines passengers are using wheelchairs to get priority boarding and don’t even seat in them, instead using the wheelchair as a luggage cart to push their carry on bags.
@SouthwestAir you need to control this, peaple using wheelchairs to skip to front of line and using it as a baggage truck @MCO to PR pic.twitter.com/Ej33nJyrjr
— Milton M. Casiano (@liymil) December 3, 2023
It’s a Puerto Rico flight, and these are notorious for passengers in wheelchairs that do not need them (and yes I know that not all disabilities are visually obvious, but the situation is clear when dozens of passengers walk off the plane but use the wheelchair to board early).
A friend shares a not-uncommon sight from Puerto Rico:
55 "handicapped" during pre-boarding, including 25 wheel chairs
On his return flight, 15 used wheelchairs to board, only 1 to deboard pic.twitter.com/gHgIsnzsq7
— Bachman (@ElonBachman) February 19, 2023
Some unscrupulous people request wheelchair assistance at the airport when they don’t need it, using their ‘injury’ for a whole bunch of benefits:
- Early boarding gets them access to overhead bin space before other passengers, and avoids being forced to gate check bags.
- It also gets around basic economy restrictions at United which are enforced by boarding group, netting a free carry on bag.
- On Southwest they’d have their choice of seats on board.
- Plus help skipping security lines.
The phenomenon of “miracle” or “Jetbridge Jesus” flights – where 50 people in wheelchairs board and not a single one of them needs wheelchair assistance when they arrive, since a miracle occurred and they can all walk fine on arrival – is most common on Southwest Airlines because it doesn’t just mean assistance through the airport, it also means a better seat on board. So when we see a large lineup of wheelchairs, it’s more likely to be for a Southwest Airlines flight than for another carrier.
Since many disabilities aren't visible, we're unable to question the validity of preboarding requests. We're sorry for any frustration caused today. (2/2) -Anthony
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) October 15, 2023
Southwest could solve this by asking those who are able not to take aisle seats, because someone with mobility issues won’t want to have to get up to let people into the window or middle seats, and also not to take the first several rows of the aircraft. In other words, maybe they can board early but not take the best seats?
People do that all the time that don’t need it, it also gets them thru the big security lines quicker.
all airlines have this problem but more so on Southwest……!
“Not take the best seats” – The issue is that under Southwest’s pick any seat policy and you pay for a boarding position, you get screwed if there are a large # of preboards. On an assigned seat basis it really makes no difference. Southwest could fix this tomorrow by simply letting those with the A1-A15 boarding who paid the fare or upgrade for priority boarding get to board first, period. They get to choose the seat they want. Then the wheelchair brigade can board. If they want to be the first, they have an option to upgrade just like everyone else.
Simple solution: If you preboard, you MUST sit in the last 5 rows of the airplane. Unless you literally have no legs or are paraplegic, you can make it the 50 feet to row 25. Enough with the bullshit. I’m betting though that this will lead to a reduction in wheelchairs anyway.
People in a wheelchair should board last. What is wrong with that? Usually at the end of boarding, there is lots of inactivity with everyone seated. That could be the time for wheelchair passengers. It could also become a cure for their disease. They suddenly do not need wheelchairs and can run.
The healing is caused by the cosmic radiation.
Easy solution. Assigned seats. Name one drawback of assigned seats. Can’t think of one.
Everybody just needs to get together in the boarding area and the whole plane pre-board. If questioned remind the gate agent they aren’t allowed to ask about disabilities. This starts happening maybe Southwest will do something about the abuse. The other suggestions are great. Make them sit in the last few rows or board last. Open seating is the main reason I avoid Southwest and only use them for direct flights.
@ TM — Costs too much to upgrade their Intel 286 PC.
Southwest floated the idea of having family boarding first, but restricting families to the back of the plane.
There was uproar and people thought it was a terrible idea. The thing is, it was a great idea. Get all the kids on board first, fewer kids up front so more room upfront for everyone else. You choose if you sit in front of a 3 year old that will kick your seat the entire time or next to a lap infant.
People were just focused on the “first” aspect and everyone wants to be first, even if it is not in their best interest.
I walk with a cane, and I premised. Wheelchair is t needed.
@derek No, people in wheelchairs should not board last. A person who really needs a wheelchair may have a very awkward and/or humiliating transfer from the wheelchair to their airplane seat. That should not be done in front of all the passengers.
AA also has this problem to less of a degree. The incoming flight for our outbound flight had requested seven wheelchairs based on the same number requested when they boarded. Only two of the seven wheelchairs were claimed when the flight arrived.
While I am sure there is abuse that goes on, sometimes what may appear to be abuse may not be. Some people with legitimate mobility problems and/or cardiovascular troubles may use wheelchairs at airports as de facto walking aides with storage capability or need the wheelchair as a place to rest or rest against to minimize risk of an exacerbation of their health problems.
Anyone that prepays to board first should be allowed to board first. To hell with all the fake wheelchair users. Yeah I said what I said.
What Jerrix said. What Chris said. What Derek said. What John Burkholder said.
For those of us who have flown to India, this is a very common “issue” at DEL. It has nothing to do with unassigned seating, but rather a desire to board early and grab overhead luggage bins. An improbable number of passengers (I’ve seen > 30 on one flight) very often with voluminous carry-on luggage, bags, etc. are rolled to the gate in wheelchairs and as soon as boarding for those in wheelchairs is announced, they are rolled to the door of the gate, have their boarding passes checked, and then literally jump out of the wheelchair grabbing their carry-on luggage and run to plane down the Jetway.
This abuse of pre-boarding, designed for those with true mobility issues, is scandalous!
I have bad lungs and am 72 years old. They work at 35%. I have documentation as well as my auto handicapped sticker. I bring them always to the airport. I don’t need a wheel chair (unless the walk between gates on connecting flights is excessive or going through customs. But, for sure, there is fraud in the wheel chair system. I also have SW credit cards where we get upgraded boarding 4 times and sometimes I have paid for that as well, when I have a quick connection. Southwest should do something for people to show some type of proof. I always have it with me.
The worst part of this is actually that people who really need the wheelchairs end up waiting much longer to get assistance if people abuse it. It’s hard enough to get assistance with the lack of staffing. As someone who needs a chair for long walks, I try to give the benefit of the doubt, but when I have to wait an hour to get a chair and someone to push it because there’s no staff available, it’s really really frustrating. Not to mention that people with invisible disabilities now have to deal with all the shitty looks from people who now think they’re faking it. It’s hard enough to be disabled without more bullshit on top of it.
Dov,
I have flown into DEL from abroad hundreds of times, and not a single flight of mine arriving into DEL has ever had anywhere close to 30 wheelchair requests. Even 20 seemed to push the limits. Maybe you came in on a flight full of geriatric patients arriving for or from a special event.
Unfortunately, the combination of pollution, sedentary daily lifestyles and problematic dietary intake in India has bad health consequences that increase the need for wheelchair use even if not always apparent to all on why they need a wheelchair.
If you board in a wheelchair you exit the plane last in a wheelchair. Problem solved.
This is why I no longer pay extra fees on Southwest. All the seats are the same. I use a back pack as a carry on that fits under the seat and book non-stop flights.
@GUWonder
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. The situation I noticed was on several flights OUT of DEL to Europe or Canada. The persons in question were not geriatric cases. Having done a number of “airport runs” for friends with conditions requiring wheelchair assistance, I am very aware of the fact that just by looks alone, one cannot necessarily discern whether someone really needs a wheelchair or any other assistance including preboarding without a wheelchair (bad knees, etc.).
In the cases I cited, the number of these wheelchairs and the energy of the passengers in them as they jumped out and literally ran to the plane raised the attention of many of us at the gate. Very few of these same passengers seemed to have any issues at the destination airport.
There are 2 scenarios:
a) If you board with a wheelchair, you wait until everyone else has deplaned before you can leave. If you leave on your feet, next time you request a wheelchair early boarding, SWA will point out you have to wait for. your wheelchair when you deplane, do you really need a wheelchair?
b) To get a handicap placard by your DMW, you must submit a doctor’s form and it might have a time limit (if you break an ankle, it’s only good for 6 months) Same here. They keep track of your PreCheck/Clear # so why not have a reg process for wheelchair boarding. If you need it like my mom, it’s not a big deal to submit and form + doctor’s note.
TPA based DL Diamond who buys business/first when travelling with my wife in wheelchair (spina bifida) or my 80 year old parents with new hips and knees, I see this all the time. We are first on, last off except twice – LH first and SIN suites stopped disembark and let us go as soon as her chair arrived at the jetway. The suggestion that preboards who don’t need to be carried to their seat sit in back 5-10 rows makes a lot of sense to me.
Let those who need “extra time” board last…and while they’re at it, those with kids who abuse the system can board last as well. Stop the foolishness once and for all.
Airlines are covered by the Air Carrier Access Act vs the ADA.
It specifies that unless there are preassigned seats, they must allow those requesting to do so boarding first to self select the seat that best is compatible with their disability, except where it contradicts safety regulations (exit row, or say putting an immobile 450 lb person in an aisle where they prevent egress of people not in their party sat at the window).
Airlines don’t have to provide for free a seat that may charge a premium. So the only real way around the ACAA requirement would be if WN said you MUST have a Business Select ticket or upgraded boarding to sit in certain seats. But that locks those pax into seats they may not prefer. And then those seats either stay unsold or empty if not enough fare paying folks to fill them, or back to square one.
Simple solution: make “special needs” passengers board LAST; in the meantime, love it how they game the system!!!
This happens ALOT of International flights too. Anytime people can cut in front at customs/border patrol: they are going to cheat. The airlines and airports need to co-ordinate on this and stop the malingering and feining that happens every single day. I’ve been on numerous flights from India, Thailand, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, & Spain where there were little or none in wheelchairs boarding. Then at DFW/PHL/CLT there are 2 dozen wheelchair operators standing in line on the jet bridge waiting for these people that were just doing cartwheels on the plane to get am extra ice cream sundae. Now they can’t walk 100 yards and stand for 10 minutes??? Gimme a break! Liars.
Helped a guy find a wheelchair coming off a DL flight. Needed the help and had no assistance. Thats how I met Lee Elder. Just relax and go somewhere across the country in 2 hrs.
The pre-boarding of people in wheelchairs isn’t the problem. They are allowed to bring other people with them. I’ve seen a spouse and 2 grown sons accompany a person in a wheelchair. The other issue is paying for early bird boarding to find someone saving a row if seats for family members that didn’t pay for early bird boarding. I recommend “Seating Zones” based on your Boarding Number, you are assigned a Zone. You get “open seating” in your Zone.
Easy solution, as usual. You pay for your seat or choose one based on the ticket you purchased. It doesn’t matter whether you’re “handicapped”, or not. I fail to see why others should be inconvenienced by someone else’s limitations. Free and voluntary markets are the only fair system needed to correct all injustice.
>>No, people in wheelchairs should not board last. A person who really needs a wheelchair may have a very awkward and/or humiliating transfer from the wheelchair to their airplane seat. That should not be done in front of all the passengers.
No one with any dignity is flying Southwest in the first place, so who cares about humiliating them?
I have been using wheelchair services (legitimately) in airports for 15+ years, both nationally and internationally. Wheelchair services are provided by airports, not airlines. The service must be reserved in advance. I have often been an early border, though only for a reserved seat. De-planing can be a nightmare, especially at San Francisco. Attendants are scarce. Frequently one attendant is provided for three people (and three wheelchairs). We are the last people off the plane and the last people at passport control. Each attendant moves one chair for 25 yards or so, goes back for the second, then back for the third By the time we make it to baggage claim, the bags have sometimes been locked up for the night and we have to file claims for them. To avoid this, I have occasionally put my hand luggage in the wheelchair to snag my bag, if I’ve seen it on a conveyor belt. I otherwise fail to see the kind of behavior described here on United or American or Alaska. It is generally true, though, that airport wheelchair services could be better managed and better coordinated.
@H2oman
Had the exact same thought. If there is no criteria for what constitutes a disability and no process for verification why not have the entire flight line up for pre-boarding. Maybe not on every flight, because I think we can all respect that some people truly need the extra time.
But SWA has no motivation to address the issue unless there is some upheaval. One or two flights per day would be enough to force a policy shift.
My younger son uses a wheelchair. He can’t walk not one step but he can get around on his knees. I don’t see any difference whether we board first or last. The transferring from an aisle chair into his seat wouldn’t be an issue for us. When we get off the planes we are last. There is a new seat in the works. It is being tested now. If a wheelchair is on board it folds up and the wheelchair user rolls into the space. You stay in your wheelchair for the whole flight. If no wheelchairs are on board the airline doesn’t lose any money. The seat stays as it is and a non-handicapped person can use it.
As someone generally entitled to early boarding but who often boards close to the end anyway, I prefer that those using wheelchair assistance are boarded early. Their boarding early means that the wheelchairs/assistants are freed up faster for others’ use and that the aisles during boarding don’t get clogged ahead of me as much.
I didn’t read all the comments, but I think an easy solution would be to tell them that they MUST wait until all passengers are off the airplane before they can deplane!
First on last off!
As a person with a visual impairment, these comments leave me feeling heartbroken and less than human. Although, I am not completely blind, my corneas are cone-shaped, so I see the world distorted, like a kaleidoscope or funhouse mirror, and I use a white stick to keep me grounded on the tilty floors and so I don’t walk into people or things. I also see double and triple, so airport crowds are exhausting for me. Because of this, I always note on my ticket that I am visually impaired and will need assistance through the airport. I can walk just fine, but a wheelchair is the airlines preferred a way of assisting those with visual impairments get through the airport safely and sanely. Once at the gate, I no longer need the chair and can use my white stick to help me board and get to my seat. Preboarding is such a blessing to me because I can take my time, not be jostled about and have my white stick kicked out from under me. I always sit toward the front of the plane because there is no pre-disembarking and again, I don’t want to try to manage while being jostled when I leave. I get some odd looks once on the plane because I no longer use my white stick to move around the cabin because I can touch the back of seats to guide me to the bathroom and, with my special glasses and big font, I can read. I can feel the resentment from folks as we are seeing here in the comments, who might make the assumption that I’m some great actor scamming them out their rights to expediency and comfort.
What you people need to know is that living with a disability makes every single thing more difficult every single moment of every single day, and we are grateful for anything that can lessen that burden for a minute, an hour or a flight. To suggest that we should be herded, like some kind of undesirables or lesser humans, to the back of the plane is painful to read and brings to mind a time when “get to the back of the bus” was the requirement for other groups seen as less than human.
I don’t have the answer for how to stop people from scamming, but I know that it does not include treating everyone with a disability as some kind of lesser being, not worthy of any “perks.” When you see that group of people with wheelchairs, the answer might be for you all to pause a moment and feel grateful that you do not have a disability nor a heart wicked enough to use it as a scam. With gratitude and mercy in your hearts, you might find your flight, indeed your life, a much more pleasant experience.
The only reason for doing choose-your-own-seat is that people rush to sit down and it speeds the boarding process. If the whole thing is defeated by the slowdowns involved in wheeling 30% of the passengers down the jetway then they will just go to the same seating and boarding systems that other airlines use, and magically people will be healed.
Disabled people need to site in front row or in first rows as it’s easier to get to the rest room.
Without the walker or wheelchair. A disabled person needs to hold on to the seat backs to get thete; the shorter the walk the better.
If fakers take the spots it’s quite odious and dishonorable.
These same sort of people just work the system. Much of this inconveniences those who really do need assistance.
I was at a Walmart store yesterday and I noticed this lady and her family walking around this busy store with their “pet” French poodle (you know one of the big ones) with a “Service Animal” vest on it. I rolled my eyes but whatever. Of course, they proceed to get in my way at every turn but I digress. Maybe she has some “other” mental health issue since she wasn’t blind or whatever. Fun times so I let it go. After I left Walmart I went to a nearby farm supply store. Guess who shows up. Yep, it’s the family with the “disabled” lady and her pet dog. I overhear one of the kids asking her if they need to put the vest on the dog and she says no they don’t “need it in that store since they don’t mind if people bring their dog with them”. They proceed to buy it dog toys and whatnot. My guess is these same, able-bodied folks parked in a handicapped parking space as well.
My point is that at some time in the future the airlines will start asking for proof of disability pior to arriving at the airport and this will be a burden on those with true disabilities. Being old or selfish shouldn’t require a wheelchair.
Southwest could BETTER solve it by choosing the rows for these passengers (make it all of the front rows and every seat in those rows) then enforcing upon landing that said rows will get off last ensuring that assistance will be available from the ground and flight crews. Being forced to get off last is enough of a dissuasion to limit this.
Sounds like human selfishness has ruled once again. And Southwest can easily fix this by bringing in “seat assignment” like every one else.
On a recent Southwest flight a woman in a wheelchair got up prior to boarding and walked about a 100 feet to a food stand and bought food and drinks which she then distributed to several waiting crew members. She then sat back down and boarded early. This kind of obvious abuse is common on the airline of Lourdes. It is an insult to those who legitimately need wheelchairs and extra help. Suggestions to limit seating areas and having wheelchair passengers board later in the process should be explored. Many of us who fly Southwest are tired of seeing a dozen or more wheelchair passengers board early when typically on an airline with assigned seats one or two such passengers is more common.
The disability pre board situation is rife with abuse due to existing ADA laws.. As you pointed out, the to/from Puerto Rico routes are insanity at the gates. Have these people no shame? I would like someone to explain why the Puerto Rican abuse is magnified by a factor double or triple to other locations and SWA destinations. It is appalling and by far, the most egregious example throughout the SWA system. I have seen it first hand. And yes, virtually none of the pre boards use wheelchairs when deplaning. Hawaii is not the same, and it is a vacation island destination. I don’t get the Puerto Rican high level of abuse. What exactly is causing Puerto Rico to be the epicenter of disability abuse?
Wow. Just. Wow.
I fly SWA exclusively and I have literally never seen this. 50 wheelchairs? More like 5, tops.
And when I paid for priority boarding, didn’t care. The extra was like $30. I was aiming for not being a c or a high number B- so I paid for A4… that I was really the 15th person on the plane (after a few young families too), still- didn’t care. Either way, I didn’t get a middle seat and I was content.
It’s interesting to see all of the outraged “unfair” comments. Really, it is. I suspect that at least a portion of those that are downright outraged over such a thing are of a class that have plenty of unfair privileges of their own, that are happy to shrug those off and say “life isn’t fair, get over it” when such privilege is called out.
When situations are reversed we are quick to defend? But the first to stand up indignantly when someone has something we don’t- and to accuse them of lying to get it.
So someone boards a plane by lying about needing wheelchair. Life isn’t fair, grow up and get over it.
Jeez. A plane is involved and we all devolve into 5-year-olds? If you want assigned seating, simple: don’t fly southwest. You are all aware of the open seating and of the pre board policies. Don’t like them, silently go elsewhere. I’m say silently because really, hearing the whining is exhausting. No one cares that you needed to wait 10 extra minutes to board the plane.
One easy solution is if you use a wheelchair to get on, you are last off. If you need the extra time to board then you should need the extra time to de-plane. Making this mandatory eliminates the benefit of sitting up front, and would be self-policing. The people misusing this benefit will give it up when they cannot have their cake and eat it too.
Oh, yeah. No carry-on either. Don’t charge them for their luggage but do not allow any carry-on luggage for passengers who require assistance. This will also reduce the use of pre-boarding.
In FLL, saw an elderly woman run to the gate with a cane tucked under her arm so that she could pre-board on my WN flight.
Granny had the legs of a marathon runner.
I get it, I have seen wheelchair abuse on southwest for years.
But…
I am handicapped and I can only walk a very short distance. I need a wheelchair to the door of the plane, and from the door of the plane. I also need to sit in the front couple of rows because I can’t walk. After the plane lands, I wait until everyone else is off the plane before I get off and get in the wheelchair.
I think the best solution to this problem is that Southwest should require a doctor’s note listing the persons restrictions. I actually have one of these in case I need it. Another option is to require that they have a handicap placard with them. This would help, but not eliminate the problem completely.
For domestic flights, I fly Southwest exclusively because of the way they board. When flying internationally, I fly first class so I can avoid trying to get to a seat father back. (this kills me financially, so I fly internationally very rarely.)
Just try to remember that not everyone you see in a wheelchair is a cheater.
It is actually worse than you think. The union that represents Southwest and United gate agents, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, instructs its union staff that fly Southwest and United Airlines to ask for pre-boarding because of a disability so they can get a better seat on Southwest and more access to overhead bins on United. On the rare occasion a gate agent may question them they were instructed by the IAM chief of staff Edison Fraser to say they have a peanut allergy and need to preboard to clean their seat and tray table. Most union staff refuse to do this, but it is a practice that the IAM leadership endorses and uses for themselves and their families, even when they are flying in first class on United. They are already flying on free confirmed tickets provided by the airline, but they still must game the system to board sooner. It is disgusting.
Unfortunately for Southwest and most of its passengers, the US law for accessibility does not permit the airline to restrict which seats these passengers take (other than it also being illegal for them to be in the exit rows). So when you write that maybe Southwest could have them not take the best seats – that would be illegal.
Sure, SWA could “ask,” but good luck with that.
SWA should give the following a try: Each route should have one designated wheelchair flight, if a wheelchair passenger wants to take a different flight they would have to pay a service fee. Higher points should be given to wheelchair and non-wheelchair passengers for booking this flight. Recommend using the MCO-SJU route as a trial.
Start requiring a doctor’s note to secure a “need to pre-board” pass the passenger can carry at all times. Similar to the handicapped tag for cars. Otherwise, get in line with the rest of us.
Simple solution, pax brings their own chair. Only one person may come with pax down the jetway to attend to their needs, and not the entire family. The chair is tagged and stowed. When the flt lands, the chair is brought to the jet door where pax claims it. I guarantee if this policy was in place, only one to two people will bring their own chair, and the rest of the a-holes will get to the back of the line where they belong!
I flew southwest once after newly breaking my arm and had a huge cast . I walked to gate but asked to pre board and they said no , even though my new cast meant it was hard to navigate into seat.
With “handicapped” passengers scattered across the plane, it is impossible to make certain that they are only permitted to be last off. It’s also apparently against US law to limit which seats they can choose, so that’s not the solution either.
One idea might be to require “handicapped” folks to gate check carry-on luggage except for a personal item and then make certain that that specific gate checked luggage is delivered to the jetway only after all other passengers are off.
How about just change to assigned seating like all other airlines.
If they don’t have a handicap status for their vehicle. None for the airplane ride!!!
IMMEDIATELY only allow the passenger to board with only ONE family member.
Enough of using this game to board with 15 family members.
As per usual, the ableds are focusing on the wrong issue and/or are willfully ignorant of how disabilities actually work. I was born visually impaired. I get assistance in airports because navigating a new space, especially one with as much sensory input as airports usually have, is difficult to say the least. The TSA just makes it worse by communicating in grunts and vague hand gestures instead of words. I don’t need a wheelchair, and prefer to walk as I will soon be tied down to an uncomfortable chair and unable to move for a solid couple of hours. I do need someone to help me navigate a fast moving space with confusing directional signage. I need someone to let me know when TSA is ready for me and for TSA to understand that I have difficulty seeing. It would also be nice if people would notice me clinging to the arm of the assistance provider and maybe not run into me, but apparently that is too much to ask. I have a masters in human factors and use very precise language when I pre-book assistance. Not only are my notes not passed on to the flight crew, they are ignored by the assistance providers. My personal favorite is that they meet you on the jet bridge with a tiny sign with your name on it. I cannot see said sign and have ask every assistance person if they are for me. This is after I’ve said that I am visually impaired! Oh, and to the bozo who said we should have to bring our disability hang tags. Um, dude, I can’t even drive! Before you start talking about “miracle” cures, you should know that not all disabled people need a wheelchair!
Let’s make it simpler. They can be boarded AFTER their group has finished boarding. I can assure you it will lead to fantastic recuperation.
A simple solution, and potential revenue-enhancer, for wheelchair mis-use: Charge a nominal deposit, say, $25 or $50, for reserving a wheelchair. To get the deposit refunded, you have to return your boarding pass to an airline employee, after all other passengers have deplaned, as you get into your wheelchair.
Add me to the crowd that says simplistic solutions won’t work.
Anyone requesting wheelchair assistance can walk–those who can’t walk will already have their own chairs! Thus it comes down to how far and how fast they can walk. And for many standing in line is as much of an issue as walking. Not to mention those with vision impairments that need navigation assistance, not mobility assistance–but the system can’t provide that other than by wheelchair.
Furthermore, airports tend to involve more walking than many people are used to doing–they might fare fine in day-to-day life and have no need of a handicap placard, yet an airport could be too much.
Find board with your wheel chair but then wait to be last off the plane. I have sat in the last row on planes and I am last to get off almost with the FA’s and Flight Crew and I pass more empty wheelchairs on the Jetbridge then I pass passengers still sitting in their seats.
They board the plane in their wheelchair rolling down the jetbridge and then walk to their seat, don’t use an aisle seat.
The plane lands and they are the first to stand up and grab their bag from the overhead before L1 is even disarmed and walk off past all the wheelchairs waiting on the jetbridge.
How is this selective assistance only needed during boarding?
Definitely a problem, one person may be disabled, but they have five flight companions with them. Should at least limit to one companion. Definitely need to fix the problem. I fly SW because of luggage fees, but would much rather fly were I know which seat I have. I will be checking other airlines in future.
My wife and I are both in our 80s, and have state issued disability.
license plates and signs. We use the wheelchairs, as we can’t walk long distances.
How ever we always check our luggage, so not to take up overhead space, for those boarding after us.
It happens to be very hard to find wheelchairs st the airport. We need 2 for the 2 of us 1/2 the time I have to search high and low while he sirs in the cB being pushed to go by the cops.
I who also need one. Have to use his walker to get to the gate with difficulty.
If as you’re all saying,people who don’t need a wheelchair are ” hogging ” from the ones who do,it’s a terrible comment on today’s society.
It’s unfortunate that some people spoil things. I can’t stand for more than 5 minutes & walking through an airport is impossible. I really don’t care when I get on or off a plane. I just need a wheelchair available when I do.
People need to sit in front to be near the restroom
How about…
> impose a lifetime ban on any passenger who claims to need wheelchair preboarding but walks right off upon arrival.
> clearly warn about this and explicitly require the passenger to agree to it when requesting wheelchair pre boarding.
@Barb – there’s a lav in back too
This is another sign of times . I am disabled vet in wheelchair ( paralyzed) .and in last ten months hacet noticed an amazing increase in wheelchair ( not personal) in line at TSA . Going to bet they found out how much faster they can get through security! SAD !
If you don’t have an everyday chair ( personal) no pre boarding that simple .As noted anazy how many are miraculously cured during flight and no longer need chair to get off . Another solution mentioned .you board with wheelchair assistance you get off last ! I get off last just so my chair won’t get tangled up with able bodies passengers.
Just save the last 10 rows of the aircraft for those passengers. Theoretically, those seats are the safest, so that’s a bonus. Additionally, while deplaning, they’ll be able to take time.
Putting the slowest traveller in the front of anything doesn’t make sense.
That’s like reserving the front spot for people who drive the slowest.
I have a heart and lung condition and yes I fly southwest to love field airport in texas from Las Vegas, I did try walking to my terminal once and collapsed a very nice lady helped me up and got the airlines to get me a wheelchair so I do have a handicap place card I worked as a nurse helping others for 25 yrs and took ill the last 2 yrs I am not trying to take cuts or any other bs line as I am not able to walk more then 100ft with out being out of breath. I currently use oxygen and yes I know I see the fakers, believe me wait till a family member or themselves really need a wheelchair it’s hell to be disabled.
This idea of sending wheelchair users to the way back of the flying bus is a lousy one. It would slow down boarding and also increase the chances of such flyers to miss connecting flights. Have a heart, for it’s more of a hassle for the mobility-challenged to misconnect than it is for the typical person who happens to be traveling on OPM at times.
Why even bother with a wheelchair? Just request a medical pre-board and walk on at the same time as wheelchair passengers. HIPPA prevents an airline from asking why you need it and they’re forced to hand it out. If they question you, you end up with a healthy paycheck from the lawsuit!
I’m 45 and have had blood clots in both legs. I’ve had to request wheelchair assistance because I literally could not walk through the airports to make my flights. I was using a knee scooter which I checked at the ticket counter. Looking at me you’d think I was abusing the system but you can’t judge people for being in a wheelchair according to how you think they should look and behave. Some people have a longer walk at one airport than another. Some people have a connection one gate over and may not need it. Yes unfortunately there will always be someone who abuses any system. For those who complain the most, there are other airlines to choose from where you can get assigned seats. The fares are lower than most other airlines due to their open seating policy. You can’t come for the low fares because of that policy and then complain about that policy and issues related to that policy.
Most of these comments lack empathy for those who need a wheelchair to navigate the airports. The solutions being proposed will make it worse for those who need wheelchair assistance. Those with impaired mobility deserve seats closer to the front, more so than elite Passengers or HNW Passengers. The best you can do is to have Passengers certify that they need a wheelchair, and it should be on a first on last out basis (FILO). For the record, I do not need a wheelchair, but frequently travel with an 86 year old Passenger who looks healthy but needs a wheelchair. Yet we are subjected to quizzical stares from other passengers with the mindset of your commenters.
Some people with invisible disabilities like severe social anxiety disorder or PTSD can also benefit from pre boarding, especially in situations where large groups of others compete for needed scarce resources like window seats or bin space (scarce resources, like those created by unassigned seating policies)
I have thirty six titanium screws placed in the front of my neck, and down the lumber.
I cannot have anyone pushing or shoving me when I’m seated in my seat.
I have been disabled since 1997 and had to terminate my job due to my accidents.
Just because I don’t look disabled doesn’t mean I’m, not.
I can’t even pick up anything that weighs more than three pounds.
So when boarding I need to pre board.
I bring my disability letter that comes with my placard and a note from my surgeon at all times.
I would trade seating in the last row of any plane to not be in pain twenty four seven.
Please show empathy and not judge us just because we can walk and look fine.
Many of us live in constant pain.
I appreciate getting on board early as it allows me to take my pain pills and settle in since It takes a while to do so.
Thank you Southwest Airlines for treating me with dignity.
For all of you disabled/wheelchair user haters, I have severe claustrophobia and PTSD, but need to travel for work fairly often. I board first because I need to get a seat that is around the least amount of people and not get stuck meandering within a crowd of people to get into the plane. If I could reserve a bulkhead aisle seat on SWA, I would. Be grateful you don’t have an issue that is limiting or debilitating. Also, stop pretending you know what someone is doing. Trust me, if it’s not your life or the life of a loved one, you have no clue. I DO AGREE, however, that 15 family members don’t need to help one person and I think it’s ridiculous they allow that many people on early for that reason. But, and I know everyone who’s ever flown SWA has encountered the priority boarding seat savers – where one person in a group pays to board early then saves good seats for their entire group of which none have paid for the privilege of boarding early. Talk about gaming a system.
I just flew Southwest to Fort Myers, FL. 11/30. We had about 10 wheelchair preboards. I saw all but one exit on their own with no chair needed. In Fort Myers there were about 20 wheelchair preboards waiting. If Southwest says they can’t change how they are doing this, then they aren’t interested and unwilling in improving customer service for all flyers.
I gladly pay more to fly with another’s airline…
Although I was in Atlanta last week and one of the departing flights to India had all wheelchairs there had to be 100 of them lined up…
Cheap and lazy is the people’s way….
Obviously this persists because SW has calculated that cracking down on Miracle Flights is worth more trouble than the disgruntled pax who pay for priority. I’m sure at some point, priority boarding will be sufficiently monetized that those paying up will start to balk. At which point, there are some relatively easy (and legal) solutions. There could be some sort of annual certification: the goal would be something relatively easy for those with a genuine disability, but more difficult than ticking a box when buying the ticket. Another idea would be to require anything larger than a personal item or medical device to be checked. Again, those with mobility issues are likely already checking in; those looking for early boarding may be put off by the wait on the back-end.
Maybe Southwest Airlines should charge more for tickets but have a “I will wait” rebate available. This would be available for all passengers. You want a cheaper ticket, agree to wait until the first 30 passengers have boarded or the first 60 have boarded or the first 90 have boarded, etc. The more people who have boarded before, the greater the rebate. Rebates run out for each group when that group is fully subscribed. If you are too slow to physically get in the proper group, that is on you. I know from JetBlue that having a much lower ticket price in coach (Blue Basic) is a powerful incentive to board last, especially because a carry-on bag is not allowed at that price.
What I have observed on so many SW flights is 3/4 of the “wheelchair” passengers do not use the wheelchairs at their destination. Only to get onto the plane. I’m sorry, but if you need a wheelchair to get on, you damn well better need one to get off.
So I am a very frequent flyer of Southwest. I have hit Companion Pass, A and A Premier this year.
I have seen the Pre-Boarding people completely take advantage of the system and have voiced my concern multiple times. After over 20 people on my last flight needed assistance boarding, and these individuals didn’t get boarded until we were supposed to be in the air, I called Southwest to understand what qualifies someone as Pre-Board. According to Federal Regulations(not Southwest) an individual has to answer YES to a few questions to become Pre-Board. Questions are effectively, “Do you need assistance boarding the flight”. There are no checks and balances, so anyone can say yes and get a Pre-Board.
I would like to say and agree that not all disabilities are visible. I think a few tweaks could be made to their boarding process to expedite and mitigate the issue though.
What I have suggested to Southwest is that the individuals that are Pre-Board must sit in the back of the plane as the trade off. Typically Pre-Boarders (clearly) take the the front of the plane and Exit row seats, considered the “best seats”. Individuals that actually need help are taking significantly longer to get settled, which causes a longer boarding/exiting process. If the Pre-Boarders, who need more time are escorted to the rear of the plane, they can have more time to get settled in, while A1-60 are being seated.
I feel that this would not only expedite the boarding and exit process, but dishonest individuals who claim Pre-Board to get a seat in Exit or close to the front would not have that advantage anymore.
I asked a Southwest Customer Service agent….why wouldn’t everyone claim Pre-Board? She said there really isn’t anything stopping everyone else from doing the same. She also said that their employees discuss this topic regularly in their Town Hall meetings. Hopefully they can make a change.
Best decision I made was to stop flying Southwest after the pandemic. This issue along with the seat savers was getting ridiculous back then and add in Southwest’s attitude during the pandemic, it became an airline to avoid at all costs.
Solution: If you pre-board, you de-plane after everyone else. Not simple for flight attendants to track, but I would bet it would eliminate much of the unscrupulous mob.
@Valorie Reed:
> What I have observed on so many SW flights is 3/4 of the “wheelchair” passengers do not use the wheelchairs at their destination. Only to get onto the plane. I’m sorry, but if you need a wheelchair to get on, you damn well better need one to get off.
Except that’s not the case. I’ve seen my MIL use a wheelchair to board but walk off. When she could rest as needed and didn’t have to stand in line she could handle it. When she had to be at the gate by X that was a problem and she couldn’t handle standing in line. She also couldn’t walk without a bit of assistance–and assistance is not permitted at the metal detectors (this was before the imaging scanners–she would not have been able to assume the position.)
Everyone has limits, the only question is how far they can go.
@Cindy Hammack:
> I DO AGREE, however, that 15 family members don’t need to help one person and I think it’s ridiculous they allow that many people on early for that reason.
Yup, that should be changed. Pre-board should only include those actually involved in assisting the passenger, not their whole party. (I won’t limit it to one person because I can easily see two parents sharing the load of caring for a disabled child.)
@Andy:
> At which point, there are some relatively easy (and legal) solutions. There could be some sort of annual certification: the goal would be something relatively easy for those with a genuine disability, but more difficult than ticking a box when buying the ticket.
And what about situations where it’s not a permanent situation? My wife took one flight in a wheelchair because of an injury before the flight. Yes, she had talked to a doctor (you’re going to be hurting for a bit, but flying home isn’t going to aggravate anything) but even if she had a letter there would have been a language problem for the second leg of the flight.
I am only 65 years old and look like I don’t need a wheel chair, therefore, must be one of the scammers.I can walk, usually without a limp. Sometimes I have to walk off of the airplane without a wheelchair because none are available. I then have to wait at the gate for a wheelchair.
I can walk, but not very fast and not very long. Not all disabilities are obvious.
I agree that it is likely that some people who don’t need them are.using wheel chairs just to get pre boarding.
The solutions I have read here to stop wheelchair abuse would also make it more difficult for those with real disabilities. I could walk to the back of the airplane, but many disable people could not make it to the back without help and difficulty. It would slow down the boarding process.
That is just one of the suggestions .
Any solution should not make more difficult for those who really need wheelchairs and pre boarding.
I haven’t read all the comments so this might have been said before or there may be some obvious problem with what I am suggesting that I haven’t thought of.
Why not just have handicapped claimants board when they are supposed to. You buy a low fare ticket and end up with C17. You put your wheelchair in line between C16 and C18. You get to board with a wheelchair and assistance which is what you are asking for. I guess it would slow down the boarding process, maybe. But how much? And my guess is that this would sort of self-correct the problem of people trying to jump the line by claiming to be handicapped. In other words why does disability necessarily equal “Pre Board?”
My Legs were crushed in a near fatal car accident. Over a year in a chair, constant pain, and 18 surgeries later, getting on plane early and handicap parking are my tiny little “treats.” The wheelchairs issue is a crazy one for a variety reasons, and yes, since COVID i noticed tons of them.
If airport is large I request a chair, if not, I prefer to walk. After sitting in a cramped seat on a plane, I need to warm them up and unlock them.I commend SW staff as they always offer me one when I deplane (my disability is obvious),
I finally realized the importance boarding early for a truly disable person. I was the last passenger on board (due to bad connection) and my crutch literally bumped the head of everyone on the plane as I tried to find that last seat available.
All of this seems so unnecessary. why does SW do this? I often travel to the PNW on Alaska Airlines. They have assigned seats. I still board early, and get my usual seat in back near restrooms,Cause I am last to disembark. I don’t like hordes of people rushing by me as as I gimp up the tunnel. Their entire boarding process is completely different. Boarding AA is civilized, quiet, and and pleasant. On SW, I can almost feel the heightened stress of passengers desperately grabbing seats and often going back against the crowds for the perfect seat they just passed. I think assigned seats take less time. SO WHY?
Problem is not the 1 disabled person, they usually force the airline or make a scene if they don’t let their son daughter and their 2 grandkids board with them. So instead of 1 preboard, you have 4 or 5 people. Thats the excessive part.
I’m a disabled veteran and I have a 100% disability. I’m embarrassed to see how many people use pre board as an excuse to get the whole family on board at the expense of those who really need it. I have associated paperwork that says that I have a disability. I have never been asked to provide any documentation but I will carry it with me to cut the crap. I think that Sowthwest should require some sort of special permit to allow people who need preboard to have it.
They show need a recent script from a doctor
My complaint regarding SWA in addition to the wheelchair situation is
what I consider the mistreatment of the “A” group passengers. They are sitting
comfortably in the waiting area when the agent asks them to get up and stand
in their numerical positions and then begin the wheelchair loading process
Often these folks who have paid extra for business or early boarding are left
standing for up to half an hour while all the miracle folks etc. board.
Why can’t they just wait for the last wheelchair to begin boarding before making
all the “A”‘s stand up. If I happen to be an “A”, I will just wait in my chair until it makes
sense to line up.
This would all be solved by seat choice only when booking the flight as the other carriers do. I wouldn’t fly Southwest due to this fiasco.
All of you who are attacking unscrupulous wheelchair users and have ideas for those who are truly handicapped….my husband cannot walk without the wheelchair and in the plane he has to hold on tight to the other seats. He needs to sit if possible in the front as the walk all the way yo the back is very rough.
He needs to have more leg room and be near a bathroom.
When the fakers take the wheelchairs and attendants it makes it terribly stressful us as there is no place to wait for a chair.
I don’t know the answer to root out the fakers but it’s not to have handicapped people go to the back.
It’s very hard to travel as a handicapped person. Have a little compassion.
Perhaps a note from the doctor should be required for ore boarding
As an (actual) handicapped person, I have to agree that Southwest has a problem with FAKE CRIPPLES. Southwest could solve this problem by eliminating wheelchairs and using golf carts. Those of us who actually have disabilities are upset by those who use wheelchairs to get better seats. Southwest is usually pretty good about finding the actual handicapped people at the gate and helping them get to a seat
“ I’m sorry, but if you need a wheelchair to get on, you damn well better need one to get off.”
With regard to the above quote, I think it’s better if such people can manage to get off the plane on arrival without needing wheelchair assistance even if they used to it get on the flight. It means that wheelchair assistance is more and more quickly available to others who may need it. It also means such persons may still have a better quality of life ahead than people who need wheelchair assistance more than them.
If some are healthy people using wheelchair assistance for no reason other than to cut lines and be sped through the airport, that’s on them and shouldn’t be used as an excuse to make the service more restrictive for most others needing it.
Let them pay $26.00 for the use of the chair and see how many people will be sitting in them
Charge wheelchair users early bird rates.
There is a very simple solution for this issue, which is driving customers crazy, and I’m amazed SW management has not figured it out.
Mandate that everyone that boards with a wheelchair will be required to deplane with a wheelchair.
Problem solved.
I like the idea of first on last off for wheelchair users. Problem is without assigned seating inflight has no way of identifying those who requested wheelchairs vs. those who have not. Until they have assigned seating or a way to track those in a wheelchair as they take their seats, this will continue to be a problem.
As to those who request pre boarding assistance, airlines can identify a wheelchair user vs someone who needs preboarding assistance.easily. It’s just a matter of whether they want to solve the problem and invest in the technology to do so.
Personally it’s pretty annoying to see those gaming the boarding process. When you see all those airport workers line up for wheelchair assistance while deplaning, it’s their time and effort being wasted in addition.
I use a walker, I have 2 six inch rods in my back and more. I just let those morons on before me, I find their butting in line unacceptable,my walker is put in with luggage. I have a very limited time I am able to stand even with a walker once landed.My husband and I are the only ones waiting for my walker except for parents waiting for baby strollers. Delta, here we come!
I always have paid for early boarding seating but I think I will start using my disability seating. Until some source of fees, for passengers with disabilities is enforce. I do have have a slight disability. Like they are using it to board but not to exit. What the use in upgrading your seating and extra fees when they have privileges.
Interesting how the whole world has a registration and proof of disability process to issue disabled parking tags but the airlines are not allowed to ask for proof. It’s a crock of sh*t. If youre disabled you are providing proof of it everywhere else to secure your accommodations…even at work!! The airlines absolutely could ask for proof
What if wheelchair users, who are first to board, are made to sit in the rear of the plane. That way when deplaning the pax who don’t require assistance can deplane first while those who need wheelchairs can then be deplaned more easily without holding up all the other passengers. May be impossible but just my opinion.
Another solution is for all airlines to track those who need wheelchairs to board, and if they DON’T need one to deplane, put them on a no-fly list.
I require a wheelchair to get from point a to point b. I am able to walk to my seat.
I do not use a wheelchair for an
excuse To early board.
What my fellow readers might not be aware of is that often many SWA passengers AND preboarders (actually or phoney) spread out items across adjacent seats – and even entire rows – to save seats for other family members in the B and C boarding groups.
Assigned seating is the only solution.
I’m an elderly disabled person and I always travel with my handicap plaque. On one flight, it was 8 wheelchairs that walked at pre boarding. When I looked around, I was the only person that got left behind needing assistance. Yes, it’s not fair to the people that needs help the most.
I live not far from McArthur airport.. I frequently go back and forth to Florida. I slowed down using Southwest Airlines. 2 reasons. First it’s getting to be a joke with all the fakers who get on with wheel chairs and then run off the plan..They should be seated in the rear of plane. First on last off. They can not complain. They won’t slow down exiting plane either. Some even stand on line with their bags in hand waiting to board early because they have health issues. Realy. I pay for early bird check in even though I have a handicap car sticker for multiple injuries I’ve had and a back that goes out periodically. Southwest uses the excuse that they are known for their boarding policy. In the new way the world works that’s a sad excuse. People are different today, it’s all about how they can beat the system. Sad isn’t it.. If you assign seats like the rest of the world you eliminate this problem overnight. The second reason I don’t fly with SW all the time is they are not cheap. Most flights have stop overs. That make you spend a good part of the day for a simple 2 to 3 hour flight. When the first leg of your flight is late you could miss the second half. This has happened to me already. It’s cheaper for me to take a private car service to JFK airport and fly Jetblue. I usually pay less than half the price to go to Fort Myers and a plane with TVs and in only around 3 hours.
The Southwest Fix.
Southwest has 3 problems with its system.
1. PreBoarding Scammers
2. Thru Flight seat switching
3. Carryon Luggage.
Southwest Can Keep its open seating going forward.
But it needs to address the PreBoarding scam problem which deters people from buying Business Select and Anytime fares.
First they can fix it by simply eliminating all thru flights in its entire system. This solves the problems of Thru passengers switching seats between flights taking away the prime seats from the next round of A1-15 and A list boarding.
2nd either add 8-12 Big front seats like Spirit or AirTran used have on every flight.
You can’t still have them first come first serve.
Or move rows 1-3 up just an inch giving rows 1-4 the even more legs room feel to the cabin . Or just label the first 4 rows on every plane Business select seating. With 3 dedicated front over head bins.
This way when it’s time to PreBoard the aircraft all the pre boarding passengers that haven’t bought a Business select
Tickets which is usually 95% of them.
Now can be legally told by the DOT/ADA rules they must sit row 5 and after excluding the over wing emergency exit rows. And all carry on luggage can go in the over head bins at Row 5
And back .This will curb a lot of scammers.
So after Pre boarding and no longer having thru passengers taking a prime seats.
Business select boards A1-A15 they have the option to choose 1-4 or exit seats or anywhere else they so desired.
Once they board then it’s A-list preferred boarding groups A16-A60.
Now this group since BS already boarded they’re free to fill in 1-4 or exit rows if still available.
Then you do Family Boarding ages 1-12.
Then allow for Dead heading crew/Jumpseaters/commuting crew behind families.
Again everyone can fill in 1-4 or exit seats if available and of age required for Exit seats.
Then board group B1-60.
When it comes to Group C1-60 this is the slowest part of the boarding process and where 95% of the pre Boarding scammers fall in. And on full flights regardless of the new bigger overhead bins people are forced to check carryon luggage .
With a one two punch your can eliminate Everyone that buys cheap and if ask for pre boarding to beat WN at its own game. And it will speed up the end of the boarding process at the same time.
How do you do this?
If your change the carry on baggage policy while still keeping the 2 bags fly free checked bags policy.
You simply change the Carryon baggage policy and requiring those that purchase the cheapest WAG fares by eliminating one carryon and one small personal Item to just allowed them 2 free checked bags and ONE small personal Item.
This group is usually the one that fill in the
Random open seats in the aircraft anyway.
Now without them having to find over head bin space for a 2nd larger item they can quickly sit with the smaller personal item going underneath their own seat in front of them.
This will speed up boarding and avoiding delays gate checking bags at the last minute.
This will give WN Ops/Boarding agents the ability to finally police their baggage policy knowing that those in group C boarding in will only be allowed one small Item each.
Once the learning curve passes it will set WN up to be able Market and up sale better boarding.
If someone that bought cheap and would like to bring on an additional carry on item WN can Upsell them to WGA+ or offer it as a perk if you purchase Early Bird check in. (This new potential revenue stream would bring music to Wall Streets
Ears yet not diluting the Southwest advantage they also love.)
This is the cheapest way to reinvent the Southwest system without turn them into a legacy system.
My self I want the Big Front seat option.
It was a nice perk when available during the AirTran days.
Any one of you whiners who are so ready to voice your contempt for the wheelchair passenger, please step right up and I will gladly trade places with you. If I could make it to the back of the plane, I would. I am luck to actually make it into the plane. I used to sit in the rear for many years, until I could not, because it seems roomier there.
And guess what, folks, people boarding in wheelchairs have connections to make too. The biggest problem I have found in most airports is there are no available wheelchairs on arrival. I nearly missed a connection many times because of no chairs even after repeated calls by Southwest personnel no chairs arrived. And the wheelchair pushers don’t like to take passengers to a connecting flight because they get more tips taking 2 chairs to baggage claim as opposed to one going to a connection.
Southwest appears to be the only airline showing any concern and respect to those of us who are mobility impaired. While trying to make a connecting flight in Atlanta on Delta, there were no chairs and again repeated calls went unanswered. I very painfully made it slowly to the connecting gate at the very end of their boarding and was told they had given away the seat I had paid for and stuck me in a middle seat which delayed their departure while I tried my best to make that maneuver since my legs no longer work well enough to easily do that. The seat I had paid for was a middle seat in the bulkhead.
Too bad I will probably not live long enough for Karma to pay many of you a visit. And I know none of you are apparently bright enough to figure out that the scammers could care less what your opinions are.
I fly on Southwest. I’m disabled and I need a wheelchair for my respiratory issues. I get on with a wheelchair and get off the same way. I fly a lot to see my grandchildren and family is important to me. When I was in good health I stood in line like everyone else and would wait till the end to board. The plane is going the same place as everyone is going and I hated to be in line with everyone breathing down my neck so impatient. Rushing out the plane they go to only go to baggage and wait. People should relax and think of others as we all got to fly together
This is why I don’t fly Southwest, and haven’t for years.
Dear Nope,
From the bottom of my heart I thank you. There are more than enough entitled whiners on board already. By the way, have you ever noticed that when the plane pulls into the gate and there are say 10 wheelchairs boarded and maybe 2 wheelchairs waiting on arrival?
Again, sincere thanks for not flying on Southwest.
I have a very easy solution to this issue…. I use wheel chair assistance because I need it!!!! I get the worst stares because people look at me and say what could possibly be wrong with her…she looks healthy as an Ox, well they don’t know my story and I dress up and wear makeup to make myself feel better through my pain. If I could not sit in the first 7 rows of seats I would be more than happy to pay at a discounted rate to sit in one of those rows. Trust me if your pain is like mine you won’t haggle you would pay. My last flight someone else had booked it for me so they had me in seat 20… I asked the flight attendant if I could please be closer but she said it was a full flight. It was So painful just to get back their to my seat… so yesss I would pay for handicap seating, it’s worth it!!
Forget about wheelchair misuse, A MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE IS PEOPLE WHO SAVE SEATS FOR THEIR FAMILY WHO HAVE NOT PAID TO BOARD EARLY! Southwest sound NOT allow this!
Agree that the easy abuse to stop is saving seats. Southwest should just make it policy, no seat saving. They are ripping off customers who pay for early entry when they can’t get “open” seats because they are being saved.
I see that there is a picture of elderly people in wheelchairs in your article and you seem to complain that such people can technically walk, so they shouldn’t be considered disabled.
Sure, this is true. But I generally book my parents for wheelchair accommodation on flights because the walk time to gates is often long, and can be strenuous for them. How do you know the people in that photo are not in similar situations? You think they “don’t need wheelchairs because they can walk”?
I understand that if you pay for early access it is unfair to see so many people go ahead of you. But please, blame that on the airline’s seating policy, instead of judging the people in the photo who may well be using it for the purpose I am thinking of, which I think is legitimately a disability.