Don't Fear the Pre-Board

In this post here, I talk about Pre-Boarding Procedures. However, this post is about the importance of Pre-Boarding when you have a medical condition or traveling with a med bag.

If you have not seen the Key & Peele sketch about boarding orders, look below.

While this sketch is to the extreme, it is true that being in boarding group one (1) does not mean you are the first to board the plane. With new boarding groups and procedures being added to major airlines, it is important to know that pre-boarding is a great option for those traveling with a medical condition.

Pre-Boarding is not just for families with children or those in wheelchairs. Pre-Boarding is made for anyone requiring additional assistance or time boarding the plane. Those with medical conditions and med bags fall into this category, whether traveling alone or with a companion or group. It is not something you should be afraid to get, or embarrassed about, it is a way to help your travels be easier.

Even if overhead bins were this organized, space would still be an issue! Pre-boarding is helpful to make sure your med bag makes it onto the overhead space above you.

The main reason pre-boarding is important when traveling with a med bag…Airplane overhead bin space is always limited. Even on larger air crafts, with baggage fees escalating for each airline, most people bring a large roller bag as their carry on, making space more limited for each passenger. When traveling regional or connector planes, the overhead space is so limited, that any carry on has to be gate checked. If you travel with a medical bag, carry on and personal bag (like I do), you need all the space and priority you can get. Pre-boarding ensures that your medical bag makes it in the overhead bin next to the seat above you.

Pre-boarding ensures that your medical bag makes it in the overhead bin next to the seat above you.

If you are traveling alone, pre-boarding is especially important so that you have the flight attendants assistance to lift your bags for you into the overhead bins. Part of a flight attendants job under DOT is to assist those who need help with their bags. As long as the bag is under 25 pounds, they are supposed to help you lift your bag into the overhead bin.

If you are flying Southwest, getting a pre-board pass is especially important, since pre-boarding allows you to have your pick of the seats. Since I cannot pick my seat ahead of time, this allows me to sit in a seat so that my site does not get hit, or have access to an aisle.

If you are flying with someone, they are allowed to pre-board with you, to assist you with your bags. They themselves do not need to get pre-board access, if that is the airline’s policy.

When I fly, these are the main reasons I pre-board.

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