Southwest Flights Miraculously cure Passengers' Ailments

[Patri]

They should make the people who boarded on wheelchairs get off last.

 

[Talent312]

They should make the people who boarded on wheelchairs get off last.

Regardless of airline, we often are the last to leave, waiting on a chair.
(even in 1st class), becuz per flight attendant, "A chair is on the way."
-----------------------------
That said, I must give kudos to SLC which had an assistant wait with
us at baggage claim for 1-hour and then found a taxi for us.

.

 

[dougp26364]

I've seen this ruse used on SW. That airline could easily have wheelchair people board after "A' and those with status.

They could, but that would only punish those who truly need to board early.

Case in point we were traveling with friends, one of which had pancreatic cancer and the cancer treatment had made a mess of her intestines. She absolutely needed to be close to the bathroom. Advance boarding was extremely important to her and her husband so they could be close to the bathroom. To have this privilege stripped because of the few jerks abusing the system would be tragic.

The necessary action for SWA’s is going to be to move to assigned seating with the rest of the other airlines. Pre-boarding will have less impact on the general boarding process in that case. The issue for SWA’s is their well known antiquated reservations system.

We fly SWA’s when the flight times are around 2.5 hours or less and I’ve started paying for the A1-A15 positions when affordable and available. So long as the fakers aren’t in such numbers that they account >50% of the flight, I’m not overly concerned, even though I find using a disability, just to cut the line to board a plane, reprehensible.

 

[dioxide45]

They should make the people who boarded on wheelchairs get off last.

The problem is that the flight attendants have no clue or don't remember who got on with a wheelchair. Everyone stands up as soon as the plane hits the gate and the main goal of flight attendants is to empty the plane. They won't be paying any attention nor care...

 

[davidvel]

The problem is that the flight attendants have no clue or don't remember who got on with a wheelchair. Everyone stands up as soon as the plane hits the gate and the main goal of flight attendants is to empty the plane. They won't be paying any attention nor care...

Bingo, we have a winner. The patients are running the asylum here.

I do agree with the poster above, that they should be "tracked," so that they can be completely accommodated upon arrival. Upon boarding, those that needed assistance will sit in designated rows (the ones farthest back). These rows will be held upon arrival until all other passenger disembark so that the wheelchairs can help them back off.

 

[StaceyM]

Bingo, we have a winner. The patients are running the asylum here.

I do agree with the poster above, that they should be "tracked," so that they can be completely accommodated upon arrival. Upon boarding, those that needed assistance will sit in designated rows (the ones farthest back). These rows will be held upon arrival until all other passenger disembark so that the wheelchairs can help them back off.

The problem is then that you're punishing anyone who *actually* needs a wheelchair. Those people will have a difficult and/or slow time walking to the back of the plane.

My favorite WTF moment was when a 60-something woman was pushed to the gate in a wheelchair, stood up and handed the GA her boarding pass. It beeped and she said, "You're seated in the exit row. Are you willing and able to assist?" and the lady said "Yes" and went to go sit in her exit row seat.

I asked the GA, "How can she sit in an exit row if she needs a wheelchair to get to the gate?"

The GA shrugged and said, "I know, but we can't disagree with them if they say they are willing and able to assist."

 

[PigsDad]

I asked the GA, "How can she sit in an exit row if she needs a wheelchair to get to the gate?"

The GA shrugged and said, "I know, but we can't disagree with them if they say they are willing and able to assist."

That's BS. Southwest restricts pre-boarders from sitting in the exit rows, so that airline is just choosing not to do so.

Kurt

 

[emeryjre]

This situation is back to making the Gate Attendants and Flight Attendants into rule enforcers
We know this creates situations where the rules are enforced at one preboard
But the rules will not be enforced as strictly at the next preboard
Fear of confrontation, creating a difficult customer service situation, showing up on youtube as the bad person are all to real fears

 

[ScoopKona]

The GA shrugged and said, "I know, but we can't disagree with them if they say they are willing and able to assist."

It's the same with service animal fakers in Las Vegas casinos. One year, after an incident which cost the resort seven-figures in damages, an attorney for the resort visited every single area which deals with the public. Every bar, restaurant, gaming table, cocktail server, cashier -- all of them.

We were sat down and told NEVER to say a word about any animal at the resort. Dog takes a dump on the carpet? Call security. Dog bites a child? Call security. Dogs get in a fight in the middle of the restaurant? Call security. Dog runs around like a spastic feral? Call security.

But never, ever, ever say so much as a word to the owner. Keep your [censored] mouth shut.

Why? Someone questioned the validity of a faker's "service animal." And the resort was sued for discrimination and lost.

Security, apparently, was given a course in "how to remove the faker without saying anything that could be construed as discriminatory."

 

[emeryjre]

Maybe the Airlines could make the co-pilot the designated security officer

Instead of sitting in the co-pilot's seat doing piloty stuff, the co-pilot could stand around during boarding making sure all of the passengers are following the rules.

If he/she spots somebody jumping up out of a wheelchair to grab a particularly desirable location, the person could be whistled with a foul and made to board last

I am sure this idea would sail right through the next round of negotiations with the pilot's union

 

[tombanjo]

Any solution is hampered by being between two different airports. However, the carrier is the same. It would be up to the carrier to consistently enforce. So departing flight crew is responsible at destination for unloading.

A small placard with the persons name on it is given to the boarders and they are told to remain seated until they plane is emptied (which is NORMAL for wheelchair users) and the attendant will take the placard and coordinate with local service providers (who have names of waiting people already) on their help off the plane.

Just make the placard's lack of proper return a $250 fee. Anyone who has their own wheel chair loaded is exempt from the fee as the placard is like a gate check for them.

They would also be prioritized.

No one is charged for using the free wheelchair service, only charged if they do not follow crew member instructions, which is a federal law to do so.

 

[dioxide45]

It shouldn't be necessary for all wheelchair passengers to wait till the plane is empty. There are often pushers available shortly after the plane hits the gate. Forcing them to wait for an empty plan might also be a violation of ADA.

 

[tombanjo]

If they are needing a wheelchair to board, it would be unsafe to try and exit through pushing, jostling passengers when they cannot even walk to their seat in an empty plane to board. I see no issue with safety first approach

The "need extra time" is harder to deal with, as you cannot asked someone why they need extra time. It might be because they want to put their 12 pieces of luggage in the first class bins before they meander down to row 42 middle seat they have.

 

[jmhpsu93]

Southwest (whom I almost exclusively fly) is adamant about the "no pre-boarders in exit row" rule. I've seen pre-boarders (not in wheelchairs, just need "extra time" or whatever) go right towards those seats and the flight attendant manning the exit area told them they had to sit somewhere else. I had an A1 boarding position and you have to tell the flight attendant that when you get on, and they usually announce "tall guy in blue shirt is general", so that's how they know.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I second, it can take away from those in need. I flew with my mother who needed a wheelchair. The pilot in Albany found one for me (there wasn't one at the gate) and I pushed it and somehow navigated her and the carry on bags we needed. Thankfully Albany has better designed wheelchairs than some other airports and it was our final destination (I had plenty of time).

 

[PigsDad]

Forcing them to wait for an empty plan might also be a violation of ADA.

Why? ADA just requires those with handicaps are to be accommodated; it doesn't specify if they need to be accommodated before or after other people.

Kurt

 

[dioxide45]

Why? ADA just requires those with handicaps are to be accommodated; it doesn't specify if they need to be accommodated before or after other people.

Kurt

But doesn't it require equal access?

 

[davidvel]

But doesn't it require equal access?

Yes, but not better access. They don't have to give a premium product for free. People can buy early bird boarding if they choose.

 

[dioxide45]

Yes, but not better access. They don't have to give a premium product for free. People can buy early bird boarding if they choose.

I understand, but my post was referring to putting them all in the back or making them wait till an empty plane. That could be no longer considered equal access. For deplaning, there is no such thing as a better access.

 

[davidvel]

The problem is then that you're punishing anyone who *actually* needs a wheelchair. Those people will have a difficult and/or slow time walking to the back of the plane.

There is no punishment involved just a reasonable accommodation, as the law requires. There are aisle chairs that can be used to help get them to their seat quickly. Those needing wheelchairs have historically been requested to wait for the rest of the plane to de-board. This solution only "punishes" the scofflaws who are taking advantage, and taking resources from those that need them.

The fakes would end quickly if this were implemented.

 

[PigsDad]

But doesn't it require equal access?

No, as @davidvel stated, reasonable accommodation. For example, at a baseball stadium, ADA does not require access to a seat right behind home plate. Reasonable accommodation means that there are areas where wheelchairs, etc. can be accommodated, and those are usually not the best seats in the stadium. There are plenty of areas that are not accessible in a stadium, but that doesn't mean the stadium is not ADA compliant.

Kurt

 

[rapmarks]

We fly almost exclusively on Southwest and I have witnessed this many times, and they don't need to be in wheelchairs to get the early boarding -- I have seen people, who to the untrained eye, look perfectly capable, walking on during the call for pre-boarding. It seems to be more prevalent with certain demographics, but I don't want to go down that rabbit hole. In my experiences, Southwest does seem to do a good job of limiting the number of people who can board w/ grandma in the wheelchair, though -- I haven't see more than one or two additional passengers with them.

Southwest does restrict those pre-boarding from occupying the exit row seats with extra leg room, so I do appreciate that.

Kurt

I hope you didn’t see us. I started pre boarding with my husband. He could walk but couldn’t figure out he was supposed to sit done when he got on the plane, some guy was chewing me out that we better not get in front of his wife, but I can tell you after seeing them disembark, there was nothing wrong with his wife. We don’t fly southwest, so our seat assignments stayed the same, but it was speedier to early board my husband. After seeing his behavior, the gate attendant often called someone to accompany him to his seat. I eventually got him wheelchair assistance so I could control him better and not to have to carry everything all by myself. Looks are deceiving

 

[dioxide45]

No, as @davidvel stated, reasonable accommodation. For example, at a baseball stadium, ADA does not require access to a seat right behind home plate. Reasonable accommodation means that there are areas where wheelchairs, etc. can be accommodated, and those are usually not the best seats in the stadium. There are plenty of areas that are not accessible in a stadium, but that doesn't mean the stadium is not ADA compliant.

Kurt

But there isn't anything unreasonable about allowing them to deboard the plane if their pusher is waiting in the jetway. That is all I am saying. Of course, all of this back and forth is moot because none of this will really ever change, no matter how much teeth gnashing we do. Going back to post #29, no one wants to be responsible for policing the process of deplaning. All they care about is getting them off. I even find that the cleaning crews get irritated by people who wait on the plane for the rest of the plan to empty. They have to skip rows and come back to them.

 

[davidvel]

I hope you didn’t see us. I started pre boarding with my husband. He could walk but couldn’t figure out he was supposed to sit done when he got on the plane, some guy was chewing me out that we better not get in front of his wife, but I can tell you after seeing them disembark, there was nothing wrong with his wife. We don’t fly southwest, so our seat assignments stayed the same, but it was speedier to early board my husband. After seeing his behavior, the gate attendant often called someone to accompany him to his seat. I eventually got him wheelchair assistance so I could control him better and not to have to carry everything all by myself. Looks are deceiving

Airlines with seat assignments don't have the same issue as Southwest. This thread is (should be) about Southwest.

 

[easyrider]

We have only flown SW a few times and the flight was only half full so we never have experienced the wheel chair thing. We usually fly Alaska and haven't noticed an abundance of wheel chairs. I haven't ever seen a service pet on an Alaska flight either. It must be low flight prices for people to put up with SW antics. I always think you get what you pay for.

Bill