Tell SouthWest to Change Their Family Pre-Board Policy

NOTE:  Please read the comment policy and the About Us section before you proceed.

Are you outraged with Southwest's new revised family pre-board policy in which parents and their children under 4 no longer pre-board?

!!! Then sign our online petition here !!! (Note:  This is a "campaign".  You must certify that you are a parent of a child that uses Southwest or you will not be allowed to sign the petition)

Are you a parent of a toddler who has had it with air travel?

We have.

Do you know that Southwest changed their pre-board policy 10.02.2007 so that families with small children no longer pre-board but must wait until Group A has already boarded?

• We call it A and a half boarding. 
• We also call it outrageous and extremely short sighted for Southwest.

I know that, as a parent of a toddler, the Southwest pre-board policy is a real negative change that may have my family moving our business to another airline.  Here is a great quote from the San Francisco Chronicle:

"... Southwest had become our preferred carrier," wrote Dyana, on Wednesday. "It gives Southwest that characteristic 'nice' vibe. This change puts Southwest right back in the pool as just another unsatisfying option," she said.

 

Sign this online petition to let Southwest know your thoughts and that you want this to change.  Let Southwest know that families are also business travelers and that families grow up and that they travel.

"We know that you have a choice in making your travel arrangements.  Thanks for selecting Southwest."   

Not any longer.

Shaun Dakin

CEO and Founder

The National Political Do Not Contact Registry

StopPoliticalCalls.org

Comments

[Jimmy]

Wow - is there a petition anywhere I can sign to counter your petition? I had the pleasure of boarding under the new system twice in the past four days, and it is WONDERFUL! I can now sit near the front w/o a bunch of kids around me.

Why do parents feel the entitlement to board first? If it's that important, go online and get your "A" boarding pass early like the rest of us do.

[Shaun Dakin]

Thanks for your perspective Jimmy.

As for getting online, with a toddler, a life, a marriage, work, etc.. getting online for A is not the top most of a parent's mind in preparing for a trip.

Bottom line, is that this is a bad policy for SW's bottom line.

Parents are business travelers as well. Kids grow up. They will now be flying on alternative airlines, like Jet Blue.

Regards,

Shaun Dakin

[Jimmy]

Shaun - thanks for letting a dissenting opinion on your blog. But let's be honest - the combination of Southwest's new policy, combined with their better fares and more frequent flights, is still GREAT for parents traveling with small kids.

Would you choose a Jet Blue flight for $50 more per seat at an inconvenient time over a SWA flight at a better baby nap "window"?

And - *IF* you can buy three seats together on Jet Blue, will they allow you to pre-board? I'm not being flippant, I truly do not know.

I'm curious as to what airline now offers a better boarding and flying experience for traveling with small kids. Obviously, SWA offered the best for you when you could get on first. But what do others offer that offset Southwest's "pushing" you back behind 45 other people? And still allow you to board before the other 92 people?

[Ryan V]

Southwest's goal in their entire boarding process is to minimize the turnaround time that the plane makes in between stops. This includes unloading and loading passengers. Southwest has made the determination that this policy will have a positive effect on the minimizing boarding times for the passengers.
The quicker Southwest can turn their planes the more efficient they are. And one would hope that these efficiencies help maintain their low fares which is certainly beneficial to end consumer.
To sum it all up Southwest is not anti-family they pro-efficiency and unfortunately family boarding has been deemed an inefficiency.

[kjia]

What is the difference when you board? The reason previously for the preboarding was that kids take time to board the plane. I dont think that the plane will leave without you and you can always speak to a flight attendant to assists with seats together. Preboarding does not make sense.

As for you not having time to get online.. there are tons of other people with other priorities.. kids is just one of them for you. What about a student who doesnt have time to do anything but study? What about a sales person trying to get their next sales? What about a person who just broke up with their significant other who is just too devastated to get to a computer? There are tons of other people with problems or other priorities. Just because you have kids does not make you so special that you are given just about anything you want. Everyone pays the same fares- everyone should get the same treatment.

PS- JetBlue still has preboarding and their fares are very reasonable and assign seating. If you are unhappy with Southwest... bring your business to someone that best meets your needs.

[Lisa]

We all have hectic lives and have to plan to get online for our boarding passes. If you fly Southwest, there's always seat-risk involved. You may be joining a flight and just can't get seats together even if you preboard. While try and get an A to pick the seat I want, I also don't want a 6 year old sitting next to me unsupervised. If that becomes commonplace, we'll all start to complain about the policy. What about a compromise - preboard families towards the back.

[Adam]

I have to agree with Seth. As the parent of a two year old, I do not believe that I have any right to board before people who have either paid to board before me, or have done the process to ensure an A pass.

If it's such an issue to board after the A pass group, why not spend the extra few minutes to get your A pass?

Having flown for both personal and business reasons, and having a child, I see nothing wrong with SouthWests stance. In fact, this policy will mke me more likely to travel with them for business.

Just my $0.02

[Adam]

hate to post twice in a row, but I just read Lisa's post about pre-boarding in the back of the plane, and I have to say, I agree!

[Shaun Dakin]

All legitimate positions.

Please refrain from uncivil discussion. There is some on the petition site that will be removed.

Biz is biz.

Parents, who are also biz travelers, will be taking their biz (both family and biz) elsewhere.

Also, "back of the plane"?

Ever hear of "back of the bus?"

That would never "fly".

Regards,

Shaun

[Maggie]

There are only 60 seats in A. There will be plenty of seats left for families so the can sit together after the As board. You'll just have to sit together further back. I'm sure it would be more convenient for families to get on and off first, but it's more convenient for *everyone* to get on and off first. The price of the convenience? Check-in 24 hours in advance.

[kjia]

You have shared your opinions on here and I believe a lot of people disagree with you. I dont see any "uncivil discussion" on here besides 1.

[Jeff]

I have to agree with Maggie. I don't see what the big deal is. Even after "A" boards, there's still 2/3 of the plane empty.

So you have to wait a few more minutes at the gate, the family still gets to sit together.

A petition (and this blog) seems like an uncessary reaction.

[Shaun Dakin]

Jeff,

Thanks for your perspective. The issue is this. Even waiting 10 mins more in line means that the kids will get cranky, the parents get stressed, and the other passengers will see the result.

Traveling with small kids is stressful enough, why make it more so?

Sitting together, while a part of the issue, is not the main issue.

The issue is the reduction of the stress that is air travel for ALL involved, including you, the other passenger.

For SW to essentially abandon a key part of their customer base (kids grow up, parents are business travelers as well) seems to me to be short sighted.

Regards,

Shaun Dakin

[Ed]

I do think families do need to sit together but don't need special treatment. Its no fair to the others who want to sit in the front. Yeah the families are showing up anytime they want and boarding first.

[James]

As a parent myself, I don't see any reason that we should be given any special treatment simply because we have children. If traveling with your child is such a problem or inconvenience, find another method.