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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Southwest Airlines Introduces $40 Early Boarding Fee
Al Diaz, Photographer
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Miami | Fl | USA | Posted: 2:08 PM on 01.22.13 |
->> You want to make sure your camera equipment travels next to you? Fly Southwest Airlines and pay the hefty fee.
American Airlines charges $9 for early boarding but it's still not a guarantee due to all those getting priority boarding on AA flights.
If that out of town assignment gets canceled at the last minute Southwest Airlines will now charge a no-show fee for the cheapest ticket holders.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/1216/Southwest-Air... |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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PLANET | EARTH | | Posted: 3:54 PM on 01.22.13 |
| ->> .....wait for it....... |
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Chris Halper, Photographer
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Toronto | On | Canada | Posted: 11:29 AM on 01.30.13 |
->> I have never understood this. Why would you want to be on the plane any longer than required only to be bumped in to and stared at like a zoo animal as the crowd walks by and maybe, the bonus of getting up to allow others to their seats?
I deliberately board last to avoid the mess. Walk down an empty aisle, get your seat and go. |
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Preston Mack, Photographer
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Orlando | FL | | Posted: 11:32 AM on 01.30.13 |
| ->> If I can buy a cheap web only fare from SW, then get early boarding, I would be saving money compared to buying a business select seat. I always try to board early to guarantee a good spot for my cameras and computer... |
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Delane B. Rouse, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | US | Posted: 1:02 PM on 01.30.13 |
| ->> I try to board early as well. I travel with a TT Airport Security and usually can't risk having to check my bag if the overhead gets full before I board. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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PLANET | EARTH | | Posted: 1:08 PM on 01.30.13 |
| ->> American has a great deal $9 to board with group one. Plenty of room on the plane at that point. |
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Patrick Fallon, Photographer, Assistant
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Torrance | California | USA | Posted: 2:10 PM on 01.30.13 |
| ->> For what it's worth, Southwest is basically selling one of the main perks of a "business select" separately now. |
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Scott Serio, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Colora | MD | USA | Posted: 4:44 PM on 01.30.13 |
->> As long as they don't start charging a re-ticketing fee. Plus, who needs early boarding as media? They already give you B1 if you are credentialed/ID carrying media. Plus, they have no overweight fees for bags. OK...they do have a limit, which is 100 points. My Pelican and suitcase were 99 and 90 the last trip to Breeders' Cup and the skycap said, "Man, are you lucky. If you went over 100, you would have had to ship it freight." Good thing...
Either way, they have fairly media-friendly policies. |
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Preston Mack, Photographer
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Orlando | FL | | Posted: 6:34 PM on 01.30.13 |
| ->> The media friendly SW policy differs city to city, airport to airport. On more than few occasions the ticketing agent has never heard of or will not honor a media pre-board. If I can pay $50 and sit in an aisle seat in row 1-3, I'll do it every time. |
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Scott Serio, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Colora | MD | USA | Posted: 11:54 PM on 01.30.13 |
->> Print it out and bring it with you. I have been challenged on the policy, but I print it out from the website and once the see it, I have never been denied.
http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/special-luggage-pol....
I have just been crushed before with overweight fees flying other airlines. I think it ended up being $250 for the round trip once. No thanks. |
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Jack Arent, Photographer, Assistant
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Alameda | CA | | Posted: 2:36 AM on 01.31.13 |
| ->> it's Southwest's policy to allow media photographers to board after A Group. If they give you a hard time ask for the blue pass, the paper folded inside states it. I never had a problem aside from a random clerk reluctantly honoring the policy. |
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Mark J. Terrill, Photographer
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Simi Valley | CA | USA | Posted: 3:13 AM on 01.31.13 |
| ->> Jack, Do you have a link to that policy or is that just what they told you at the gate? That would be a change from the way it has always been. I've always been allowed to board after the disabled and before group A. |
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Ric Tapia, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 4:56 AM on 01.31.13 |
| ->> I have had mixed results with media pre-boarding on Southwest. Even with the paper work stated above, showing my bag and its contents to the agent and traveling with several photographers who needing to pre-board as well. I have also have some agents only hand me the white piece of the paper inside the blue sleeve and when I get up to preboard they insist on a blue sleeve. It depends on who is your gate agent. |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 9:35 PM on 01.31.13 |
->> Chris, the answer to your question is this: Early boarding is important because people are not only looking for the best seating, they are looking for open storage bins. In SW's case, they don't charge baggage fees, but other airlines do and being able to get on early and store your baggage is a big deal.
Even in SW's case, if there's no storage left in the bins, you'll end up having to gate check the luggage. If the luggage had camera equipment in it, you would be begging for trouble.
Hope this helps...
M |
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