Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Travel Topics > Air Travel
Reload this Page >

Southwest's new boarding system

Search

Southwest's new boarding system

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 26th, 2007, 11:04 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 27,868
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Southwest's new boarding system

We got to use it on Wednesday from Dallas to Albuquerque. It was great! Didn't have to stand in a line until they were starting to board. We had A8 and A9 so we were in the second group to go aboard.

A HUGE improvement - no queuing ahead of time to try and be first ones on the plane.

Thumbs up from me

Debi
DebitNM is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2007, 12:25 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the report, and glad to know you make your flight out of HOU with time to spare.
rkkwan is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2007, 12:46 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 3,220
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Debi - glad you made it back fine. Hope everything turned out OK. I didn't realize they were using the new system in DAL, so appreciate info. If I'm able, we're supposed to go to CMH in 2 weeks, so we'll see if SW using it on any of our legs.
dfr4848 is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2007, 01:05 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
DebitNM, were you assigned seats, or a place in line?
cynstalker is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2007, 01:13 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
SW now groups people in 5s. With A8 and A9 boarding passes, they'll will be the 2nd group of 5s to board, only after A1-5.

There's still no assigned seats at Southwest. They decide they're not going that route, as many of their most loyal customers fly them specifically because they don't assign seats, or so they say.
rkkwan is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2007, 03:37 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I flew out of St Louis on Tuesday, we had 4 lines:

O: 8 wheelchairs! I am serious! Counted each one

A, B, C lines.

And they board families with children who didn't get the A pass between A and B lines.

And somehow we took off on-time!!
FainaAgain is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2007, 01:30 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,032
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>And they board families with children who didn't get the A pass between A and B lines.

Anyone else see a business opportunity here?
NoFlyZone is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2007, 05:08 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,491
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
When did you check in (I assume online) to get A8 and A9?
soccr is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2007, 06:07 AM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 27,868
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We had flight that required a change of planes in Dallas [from Houston to Albuquerque].

I checked in [online] 23 hours 59 seconds before the departure time for the first flight.

Both flights showed up, but I could only check the box for the first flight- not the second, later flight. I got a regular A pass for that flight.

I tried later that day when it is was within the 24 hours of the second flight and I could not put a check in the second flight. I tried agan later, but still could only check off the box for the first flight.

As we did not have a printer, we waited until we got to the airport in Houston to print boarding passes. We got passes for both flights and they were both A group.

I did not realize the second passes has the numbers on them until I got to Dallas and went to the gate and saw the new line set up, which I had seen on their website. Sure enough, when I looked at passes they had A8 & A9 printed on them.

Funny thing, people were still lined up in the little groups of 5's a good 45 minutes before departure!

Not me, I sat in a comfortable chair and I went up just as they made the call to start boarding.

Debi
DebitNM is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
be_6489
United States
4
Oct 22nd, 2007 07:03 AM
Clifton
Air Travel
4
Jun 27th, 2007 08:03 PM
Lauricelli
Europe
5
Aug 10th, 2006 09:05 AM
DebitNM
United States
15
Jun 23rd, 2006 12:58 PM
Big_Al
Europe
12
May 31st, 2004 02:50 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -