Flying
home from the holidays on Southwest Airlines reminded me that money talks. I know it’s a cliché, but that’s why this
metaphor rings true.
I
had gotten authorization to preboard the flight and learned that I would be
boarding after the Group A passengers.
For those of you who are not familiar with how Southwest operates, they
have open seating and board according to Groups (A, B, and C) and priority numbers
(1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60). The sooner
you check in, the better your chances of boarding earlier. If you pay extra, then you get the privilege
of boarding in the A1-15 group. After that, it is up for grabs. I had a middle Group B boarding pass.
of boarding in the A1-15 group. After that, it is up for grabs. I had a middle Group B boarding pass.
The
fact that I had to wait to board after Group A didn’t bother me too much,
especially since my flight was just a short one from San Francisco to Orange
County. However, I saw a young mother
and her son who was about one-year-old in front of us. She seemed overwhelmed, trying to get her
baby carriage folded an ready to carry into the plane while at the same time
taking care of her child.
In
the meantime, they had started sending in the B Group boarders and that poor
mother had to let them pass her. By the
time she and her child had gotten on the plane, there were hardly any open
seats available and a flight attendant had to advocate for her. I think everything worked out in the end, but
that child was not happy, especially at the beginning of the flight.
It
seems to be standard procedure for most airlines these days to give priority to
first-class passengers. Only a few still
board families first. And United has
even eliminated preboarding. (http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/06/05/united-cancels-preboarding-which-airlines-are-still-family-frie/)
To
me, this simply does not make sense. For
those who need the extra time to get settled on the plane due to special needs,
it is right that they board the plane first.
Before first class. Before Group
A. Before anyone else. They should be allowed enough time and help
to get seated on the plane before all the other passengers hurry inside.
It
all comes down to money. The airlines
are now charging extra if you want preboarding privileges. Southwest offers “Early Bird” checkin, and
American Airlines has a “Boarding 1” option for some additional fees (http://www.farecompare.com/news/five-cheap-airline-fees-worth-money/).
Even if these fees may seem nominal to some, they impact the very travelers who
need preboarding services. Families with
small children, people with disabilities, the elderly. And if you have families with children with
disabilities, or elderly with disabilities, that makes it all the more
complicated and financially difficult.
People
with epilepsy and their families should not be denied preboarding rights just
because they cannot pay premium fees. In
fact, since stress is known to cause seizures, people with epilepsy should
board first. This will lessen the stress
caused by flying. Preboarding allows you
to get settled comfortably and puts you in a calmer state of mind when you
travel. This will make the flight more
pleasant for everyone onboard.
Have
you had any travel experiences? Have you
preboarded before? Please share your thoughts.
This is stupid! Don't the airlines realize it is easier for EVERYONE if families with small children and people with disabilities board first?
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