Southwest, the gift that keeps on giving, an objective review of new boarding procedures.

My commute has ended, my wife and I have found a family to rent our home in suburban Lutz, we then rented a home with purple carpet in Plantation only 20 minutes from my office. It is wonderful. Periodic updates will follow, for now, an ode to the airline which made the last two years of my life a fiscal reality.


Oh Southwest, thou art more affordable than driving; more punctual (usually) than my family; and more profitable thanks to hedging against higher oil prices in the 1990's. Now you allow me, the traveler, to remain comfortably seated until it is time to board. "So," you say, "why should this matter," "hasn't it always been this way?" Everyone who has flown Southwest during the past decade knows about the line-up. I know this is a little late considering that Southwest changed their boarding policies many moons ago, but I still see people completely confounded by the process. It is not that complex but I often overhear complaints with regard to the confusion felt by those incapable of following instructions. The complaints regarding the new boarding process fall into three categories. They describe themselves as follows:

1. I am an idiot who is far too stupid to grasp the idea that I have been assigned a letter and a number and will be expected to stand in numerical order, nor can I be expected to listen when the gate agent explains over and over again to stand underneath the sign which encompasses the number on my boarding pass.


2. I am angry that arriving 2 hours before my flight and standing on line for an hour does not guarantee that I will be seated in the first aisle seat at the very front of the plane, and I am angry that people who have paid more for their ticket (Business Select) and people who fly 32 one way flights a year (A-Listers) will be entitled to the first 20 boarding spots, regardless of when they check in. It is unheard of that frequent customers and people who spend money on more expensive tickets should receive some special treatment.


and, 3. I hate change, despite obvious progress.


My own opinion regarding anyone unhappy with the changes in the boarding process is that they are stupid and likely to be Republican. Any perks I had with Southwest will likely disappear now that my regular Monday and Thurday flights are a memory, but I will not complain about my late boarding status, rather I will be thankful for not standing in line. Another change is that parents traveling with kids can't pre-board (but will board between the A and B groups unless they have an A pass in which case they board in their appropriate numeric position).


P.S. Did everyone see Chris Matthews berate this right wing tool.