No More “Family First Boarding” with Southwest Airlines
20 09 2007CFSinceSix sent me this link and I thought it worth sharing. When you go to the link on the AZ Central you get asked for details that you mightn’t want to give so, should you not want to be quizzed I did a Google Search on the story and have included this link from the LA Times which has also covered it. You can also do a Google search on “Southwest Airlines ends Family First Boarding.”
According to the Arizona News article:
Families travelling with small children will no longer get to jump to the front of the boarding line at Southwest Airlines.
The airline, which carries more than one in three Phoenix passengers, is eliminating early pre-boarding for families beginning Oct. 2 in a bid to speed the boarding process.
Families with children four and under will now board after the first regular boarding group unless they have an A boarding pass to be in that first group. Southwest famously doesn’t assign seats. Passengers board in three groups, A, B and C, with their letter determined by when they checked in.
I’ve never been able to understand why people with babies and children under four (from my childfree perspective families are families even without children although some persistently seem to ignore this fact) are allowed to jump the queue and given priority over everyone else. If anything they make boarding slower as they take ages. And it seems to be just another way that children and those with children are given preference over those of us who either don’t have children or who are not travelling with them. Which ultimately discriminates against the latter. It should be first come, first served.
It appears SWA has actually tested not boarding people with kids and babies first and found that it’s faster. Yay! I think this is good news and I hope other airlines will take note, of this and follow suit.
Thanks CFSince Six for sending me the link!
I’ve always thought the reason they pre-boarded them was because they had to take the strollers right to the door of the plane. There, they would then check the strollers rather than back at the ticket counter or have them placed somewhere on the aircraft in a special (wider?) closet-type area. That always made sense logistically (since you want the strollers last into cargo and so again first out), and has never actually bothered me. I am, however, the type of passenger with very little carry-on, and someone who likes to walk around the terminal until the very last second to stretch and keep active because I don’t like sitting in any seat for too long.
I thought the same as Anne-Marie. I thought families were pre-boarded was because they had to take the strollers right to the door of the plane. But frankly I don’t think the change will make any difference to me at all.
i dont generally like southwestern airlines(they discriminate against fat people), however… this is a step a good step. i usually fly american airlines, and trying delta this year.
Right on, Britgirl!
SWA services my city and my mom’s city. I am going to be coming up on a time where I may need to fly out to her city quite a bit to help her with stuff so I’m excited about this which is why I told Britgirl and another CF board I’m on.
It has been my experience with SWA that even when families do board first, they’re not even settled down by the time even the “C” boarding pass passengers are entering the plane. What ends up happening is that other people get in their way, they’re still trying to strap the younglings in and then everyone is in everyone’s way. I don’t remember if it is the AZ newspaper article I sent to Britgirl or another one I found later that mentions how parents take up more carry on luggage space. Since they got on first, they get first pick of EVERYTHING. I have found this to be the case myself. There may be a restriction with the number of carry on bags, but seriously, I’ve seen parents *use their children* to “carry on” other bags - usually diaper bags or some other such kinderkin stuff - and get around the carry on bag number restrictions.
The only benefit I ever got from families boarding first was that when it was my turn to board I could see where the kids and kidlets were seated and do my best to sit as far as possible. With families NOT boarding first, the chances are now greater that a kid may end up sitting near me. (I admit, I don’t like teens, children, or babies.)
All of that being said, there’s more to this article than the fact that “famblees” aren’t boarding first. One of the things that struck me when I heard the local news announcement (I heard it there first and went in search of an online news article) was what the impact of giving parents special priviledges been on society as a whole. When you start giving special priviledges to people - rather than them actually EARNING priviledges - many people, rather than being grateful, start to get a sense of entitlement. It’s like when you finally start to earn your money: you get the value of that dollar bill, what it costs (other than the money dollar amount) for that item you want to purchase - i.e. the hours of work you have to put in to earn the money for it, also what you will have to sacrifice and give up for it.
I’m talking about the average person. The “fat top” part of the bell curve - not the ends where the exceptional cases are. Sure, there are parents who are grateful for the extra time off, the fact that they can settle their children on an airplane seat, if they board first, without the rucous of other people milling about which could potentially stir the kid to excitement. Those people actually seem to be the exception, not the rule.
After decades of special priviledges being afforded and granted to parents, those children of those parents growing up in that societal environment that are now becoming parents are EXPECTING those special priviledges, rather than earning them. Yes, I recognize it was feminists who had to fight for equal rights, rights for mothers (single mothers especially - my mom is one), etc. in order to afford parents to be able to provide a food, clothing, boarding for their child. It’s the expectation that since their parents have these priviledges (because they FOUGHT for it) that these later generaton parents feel they should get it too. (Sort of like the spoiled rich kid expecting special priviledges cause their parents are wealthy *koff*paris*koff*hilton*koff*.)
This is why *I*, personally, was excited about this announcement. The tide is slowly turning around. Just because you have shown that you have fucked someone, or been fucked, and that your anatomy is actually *working* like it *should* be, doesn’t mean that you should get any extra priviledges, considerations, or any extra anything. It is not necessarily your *right*, but, as the word implies, a *priviledge* that is granted to you by others.
FYI - If one of those “expecting mothers” parking spots is ever free at the local pharmacist’s, I park there. I’m fortunate in being a woman because should I be challenged (I obviously don’t LOOK pregnant) my snarky response would be, “How do you know? Wanna give me a pregnancy test?”
I’m so glad to hear this! If anything, it makes sense to board people that can sit still for long periods of time, first. It seems like a no-brainer to me, but apparently not. Waiting for take off can be tough enough, but putting kids on there early is just asking for trouble. Agreed that their preboarding does seem like yet another example of preferential treatment for parents. If they want to sit with their kids, they should probably arrive early like everyone else.
I liked the little kids preboarding. Made it easier to avoid sitting near them. Now I’ll have to board B or C only because there’s no way I’m sitting next to some brat that’ll scream and throw ABC food all over the place.
strawberry muffin, agreed. That’s the only downfall to people with kids not pre-boarding, we won’t know where they will end up. For me, I’m just fed up with parents and kids getting preferential treatment just because they are parents.
I find the expecting and actual mothers signs completely nauseating. Pregnancy is not a disability, and no child in my generation ever suffered from having to walk a few extra steps to the store- in fact, in those one-car-per-family days, you often walked to the store with your mum, and then had to help carry the groceries home if the delivery van was busy. No wonder kids are afraid to walk.
That said, I’m afraid I can’t really fault airlines for wanting to settle infants who are flying. It must be hell on their ears during take-offs and landings, and they have no way of swallowing or chewing gum for relief. I also have enough remaining sympathy for my mother, who took three of us to Europe and Africa at ages 7,9, and 11 all by herself not to mind too much if parents go first. It’s not like you’ve got to fight for a seat and the plane isn’t going anywhere until everyone’s in anyway. It’s a shame all the assholes using their kids to sneak extra luggage on board give everyone a bad name, but then again, children have paid full fares for so long that I suppose that’s fair game too. When we were small, I believe a child seat was 50% less. Then again, they fed you in those days.
I’ll tell you what suprised me on a flight to the UK a few years back, when my brother still worked at BA and got us cheapo flights- there is no regulation against having children in Business or First Class. I would have figured that to be an adult-only zone, but I was beside a young mother with two children in Business on an outbound flight. Never saw that before. Her children were absolutely perfectly behaved, and in fact so tired that they slept through most of the flight, but I was still surprised.
Guess if you can pay the exorbitant expense to have the kids travel in first class, more power to you. And it must be more comfortable for them, I’m sure.
Having said that, if I was a first class passenger, I wouldn’t put up with ANY misbehaviour from kids. In cattle class it goes with the territory, but if I’d paid thousands to be in a quiet environment where I can work and/or relax, I’d take no crap. And I’d expect the airline to back me to the hilt.
If I was a first class passenger and kids were travelling in first class they’d better be well behaved or I’d complain. Like Kat, I would not pay thousands to have my peace of mind disturbed.
I always prebook my seats if I can. I did that on all our recent trips to England. My husband is just over 6′ 3″ so I book (and pay for) extra leg room seats for both of us so we can sit next to each other.
I also tend to get to the airport well ahead of time, only to see the “famblees with young children” boarding early. I don’t think boarding is anything to do with strollers. Partly because of this post I watched those boarding on our flight to and from Toronto more closely and hardly any had strollers because they had checked them. I did however see lots of carry on luggage (strange that small kids had so much large carry on) and I feel it’s just preferential treatment. Especially since they grab all the limited space overhead lockers so that when everyone else boards they are all full.
Besides, boarding kids early doesn’t necessarily settle them anyway. Plenty of times I’ve got on the plane and the kids that are screaming are still yelling and you know it only gets worse at take off.
I also know there are many mature children who travel alone on flights - some quite young. They are invariably well behaved (perhaps because they don’t have the helicopter mothers buzzing around them) they don’t get to board first as far as I am aware.
I see no reason for preferential treatment unless you pay for it… and I’m glad the tide is turning. And yes, those parking spots in the supermarket car park should go too.
You don’t have kids, and have never traveled with them. Good on you. But any movement with children is a mobilization, an exercise. Those of us with children are doing the best we can, but we envy the hell out of you for simply sleeping in, or hopping in the car, or going out for a run, or staying late at the pub, just because you feel like. Foresight is the parent’s constant overseer.
Even on the good days, when my daughters make me feel like the most important, wise man in the world, I envy the carefree life I had three years ago (and even the one ten years ago, before I married). Letting me make sure I get on a plane with the same number of children I left home with is small recompense. (I will get the bastards who sneak onto planes during the pre-boarding.)
Gee, I’m so sorry my five year old won’t stop crying. It’s just that he has never flown before, he has a cold, and now he’s way to far from his mom to be comfortable.
Hmmmm, maybe this is good thing. I can just sit here in quiet bliss and read for a little while… afterall, the seatbelt sign is on.
I can’t imagine this boarding policy lasting. Did anyone stop and think that it’s probably a lot better for EVERYONE if I sit next to my own kids, even if that means putting us on the plane FIRST?
What LaLa Land do you people live in??? I remember my childless days, and now realize how incredibly naive, and ignorant I was. Get over yourselves. Children are necessary…they grow up and populate the earth. You may not like them, but my guess is that no one liked you when you were little, and that is why you are all selfish immature brats.
So what if we get to pre-board??? Society has charged parents with the care of an incrediby important resource…our kids. It takes a lot of work. The phrase “blood, sweat, and tears” doesn’t even BEGIN to describe how much work it is. Travelling with kids is probably one of the more trying experiences of parenthood. If you think that airlines are “priviledging us”, boy, are you out to lunch. If you want to sit next to my unsupervised 5 year old because I couldn’t pre-board…be my guest. You can take him to the potty, clean up after him when he pukes from motion sickness and handle him at nap time when he is tired and cranky.
Is a window seat THAT important to you? If so, you need to get out of your little box, and realize that there are far more important issues in the world that you getting to sit where you want.
Momof2 said:
Yes, they do populate the earth. And now the earth is overpopulated with SIX BILLION PEOPLE it can barely support. And as for no one liking me as a kid? Me, personally, *I* was the ONLY kid that adults did not mind having around because I was well behaved and rather mature.
Like a breeder, you’ve generalized the CF population based on falsities and myths.
You also said:
Children are not a resource. They USE resources. And society has not charged you with care for them, you had them they are YOUR responsibility.
Uhm. No. This is the only downside to parents no longer preboarding: we can’t plan to sit AWAY from you because it’s a crap shoot now as to where you and your filthy and loud brat will be placed.
It’s not about sitting next to the window. What your entitlement minded self righteous self does not understand is exactly that: parents feel self entitled, self righteous, and better than because you feel that you’ve got the “most important job in the world.”
Yes, there are far more important issues in the world. And they do NOT revolve around you or your kid. Remember, this a childfree blog. If you don’t like it, you can click somewhere else. Nickelodeon or Disney are good sites for you and are well scrubbed from differing opinions.
momof 2, so you cant get preferential treatment like everyone else, boo hoo cry me a river.
you willjust have to wait like everyone else oh wait thats equality, which you obviously dont want. cfsincesix makes a good point the world is OVERpopulated.
the rubbish of kids are a resource is garbage, the more kids there the less everyone has, 1/3rd of the planet is starving, because oif the over breeding by people like you mom of 2
momof 2
“I remember my childless days, and now realize how incredibly naive, and ignorant I was.” Was? You still are.
Read. My. Lips. You are NOT entitled to preferential treatment simply because you’ve breeded. Your kids are YOUR problem. Not mine. And not the airline. To the rest of you post… I think others have addressed your rather poorly made points. Now, stop being a petulant, selfish, immature brat and go and find somewhere else to click.
Parents who want to be sure to sit where they want to, with their kids, can just check in online 24 hours ahead of time like everyone else has to. This policy is not discriminating against parents. It’s simply holding them to the same standards as other passengers.
Society has not “charged” parents with anything. Parents choose to take on that role and they choose to travel with children.