"They called for A1-30 to board, and he pushed me and hit me with his bag trying to block me from moving in front of him," recounted one of the passengers involved. "I called for the agent to help, and the agent called a manager over to file a complaint. They took both of our names down and said they would check the security cameras to determine what happened. At that point, the other passenger seemed to realize there were consequences to pushing another person in public and started acting like it was no big deal and a joke. The manager just kept saying they would check the cameras."
A4 is nearly as advantageous as A3; passengers will generally get their preferred seat regardless of slight differences in boarding order. Even those holding an A1 position may not have perfect choice due to 'through passengers' from previous flights still on board.
Southwest Airlines has announced plans to maintain what they describe as “organized calm” during their current boarding process even as they transition to assigned seating next year—a move aimed at curbing scammers and refining passenger interactions.
One prevalent issue involves wheelchair requests from individuals who do not need them but use them for expedited security clearance since Southwest pays for wheelchair service. This practice is less common on other airlines where boarding priority does not impact seat selection significantly.
"No more wheelchair scammers," noted a spokesperson from Southwest Airlines.
A friend shared a typical sight from Puerto Rico: "55 'handicapped' during pre-boarding, including 25 wheelchairs." On his return flight: "15 used wheelchairs to board; only 1 deboarded."
Other changes include ending practices such as saving seats by placing personal items on them or attempting to sit next to attractive passengers—actions that often lead to discomfort or harassment among travelers.
"We regret any disappointment during the boarding process today," stated Hannah from Southwest Airlines via Twitter on March 28, 2022. "As you may know, all Southwest flights are open seating, and we don't have a specific policy for or against saving seats."
The new assigned seating approach aims at eliminating antisocial behaviors associated with open seating while potentially increasing revenue for Southwest Airlines by capturing extra value currently enjoyed freely by some passengers through various tactics.
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