SouthWest Airlines Doing Martial Law testing Right Now?

OK. I heard about this from someone we might call a nutjob, and placed no stock whatsoever in what he was saying. Then at the last minute booking a flight I decided to go SouthWest which I hate but had an uneasy feeling about what I was told.

If you go to the boarding area you will notice that instead of the old plastic card they have a new series of poles with numbers on top and the lines are divided A,B,C and two groups of each. Both times I was put in the B queue, even though I asked the second time for an A queue so I could sit in the front part of the plane. Its still festival seating once your in so I couldn't understand lining everyone up according to their boarding pass numbers when they seemed to be handed out at random?

If you are out of numerical order you will not be allowed to board.


Well I paid close attention to boarding this time. Group A 1-30 boarded. Then Group A 30-60 boarded. Then Group B 1-30. I noticed the scanner was now beeping on every single scan, unlike the two A Groups. And low and behold mine beeped too! yeah I got a beep! then I threw down some papers I was carrying as a diversion and pretended to pick them up slowly as other beepers filed past. However I was fast enough to see a 1/2" by 2" red flag on my record as well as everyone else filing by getting a beep and a red flag.

Now I saw the BS with my own da*n eyes, and plain as day. The girl was as dumb as they come and didn't catch on I even saw that they were red flagging all of the B group passengers.

Now if we can get a SW employee to link some print screens so we can all see its just part of their software experience then I will certainly apologize and ask the thread be pulled.

Until then boycott these sheepdogs of martial law, cutting and grouping the sheeple into weird little rail car groups, and watch out for this spreading to other airlines.

You can be assured that if things go bad both A groups are getting on the plane and the door will close while the B groups are left to ........ well a rather unsavory journey.


Flag and star folks.....Flag and star. They all seem to have fallen off our real flag......

reply to post by Illahee


Man I sure would like to know what the red flag is for? I don't mean to be personal,but do you have some kind of criminal record?There has to be some reason behind it.

I have no criminal record of any kind. I work with some security related systems and software and hardware. My last speeding ticket was 6 years ago. No parking tickets. Nothing, Nada, this dude steers clear of trouble and as you can see on here I tell other folks to steer clear as well.

Its not the race card, i'm white (ok tan)

[edit on 7-4-2008 by Illahee]

reply to post by Illahee


I'm all for paranoia, But...


Is it possible that the "Red Flag" you saw might just be related to a color coded section of the plane you were boarding?


And might your seat assignment be realted to something as innocuous as the fact that you (and your fellow "beepers") were "seasoned" flyers?

You know, it might be company policy to keep the "newbies" up front were they are more likely to hear the instructions on what to do "in case of a water landing".

reply to post by Bhadhidar

Hm, not sure about the newbes up front thing, every time I fly I get to choose my sets, front, back, middle, I prefer emergency exit row.. more leg room "usually". But I too get the joys of taking flight, but not until July... so hopefully I'll not be able to due to not having the REAL ID so then I'll be forced to drive... which I prefer to begin with, buy my sis and her new born need to fly to same location and I'd rather fly with them to keep things, safer? ... more calm? heh.

Not a chance my friend. Like I said before I will certainly apologize and ask for the thread to be removed if they prove me wrong.

I saw it with my own eyes. Could not read the words on the red flag but there is no color code and I asked for a different group and was denied both by the person who checked me in and the counter at boarding. Your being branded with no explanation as to why and no recourse to complain.

In all fairness here is their link. there are also a bunch of fake posts on a message board that say ..never change the new system. see? everyone loves it.....right.

www.southwest.com...

And another link that is supposed to explain insanity. right.
www.usatoday.com...

Look at the flag on the screen when your record beeps.


There is no sugar coating thats going to make a turd something its not.

[edit on 7-4-2008 by Illahee]

This is upsetting. This is about what I would have expected to be honest. Notice any other color coding by chance red, green, blue for instance - just wondering. I've been done flying for a few years now anyway. If the people want things like this to stop then realize "you" are the power and stop using the offending product. Thanks for the insightful post unfortunately you will just be called a liar and probably some other choice rhetoric, but keep the faith and keep up the good work. something like this is how we are going to expose them. For what its worth i appreciate your diligence.

[edit on 7-4-2008 by KMFNWO]

In the past when Ive flown Southwest I got the letter (A,B,C) based on when I checked in, if I checked in early I got an A the later the higher letter. This is within the last year.


Has this changed?

I think its just paranoia bro..its okay...but everytime I fly southwest I just get in the A group no matter what. I don't get right in front but a few people back. If they person says something, which has only been once, I would imagine you could use ''the force'' to persuade that person otherwise...*snip* conforming...just let me get on the damn plane

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 8-4-2008 by GAOTU789]

Originally posted by ATruGod
In the past when Ive flown Southwest I got the letter (A,B,C) based on when I checked in, if I checked in early I got an A the later the higher letter. This is within the last year.
Has this changed?

I checked well in advance the first time and within 2 hrs the second so time makes no difference as to group.

There are only completed records on a white windows gui style and the same records with a red flag.

I'm asking other folks to verify on their own.

Its a distinct possibility that by now they are getting access to our credit history, medical records, habits, etc.

Otherwise, WTH are they "characterizing" with their flags? Ugliness?

I would be very careful, those of you who travel all the time, you might one day fall into the "lost passengers" category. Never mind lost luggage.

I use to fly SW all the time and always got the B group, never really bothered me until I flew with my children.

We checked in at the same time and one of my children got in A group and another child and myself were placed in B group.
The one in A group has a different last name than me.
I was not able to get the groups changed so I just had child in A group go last and made sure I was at the first of the line in B group.

I was so tired that I didn't feel like questioning it as long as I could fix it myself.

But since this time I have flown other airlines and been marked for "Random Searches" on every flight, my children have been pulled aside and asked "Do you want to travel with this person? Are you in any danger?"

I have stopped flying.

Never broken the law save for the time I got a ticket for going 45 in a 35!!

reply to post by freedomataprice


I was hoping more I was wrong and not going to see these sort of experiences. Thanks for sharing.




I could be ugly. Always thought I might be average.

Originally posted by KMFNWO
This is upsetting. This is about what I would have expected to be honest. Notice any other color coding by chance red, green, blue for instance - just wondering. I've been done flying for a few years now anyway. If the people want things like this to stop then realize "you" are the power and stop using the offending product. Thanks for the insightful post unfortunately you will just be called a liar and probably some other choice rhetoric, but keep the faith and keep up the good work. something like this is how we are going to expose them. For what its worth i appreciate your diligence.

[edit on 7-4-2008 by KMFNWO]

Yes I know what some will say. I'm hoping they can prove me wrong. I would be very satisfied with that. If not its time to get it out there so people know.

Wow.

If the red flags have anything to do with credit ratings, I'm really in trouble. If they have anything to do with having an arrest record, I did have a charge of dui (I'll give you a hint, not booze) reduced to a ui.

Next time I fly I'll just wear all red clothes. Thanks for your observation. You might try calling Southwest, tell them you saw the red flag on your record, and ask them what it means.

I don't get it. SW was beeping certain people in the B group? Or was it everyone in the B group, if everyone, than it wouldn't have anything to do with credit reports right?

Why would they make such an audible 'beep' if they were hiding something? I'm all for possible nefarious activity on their part, but if thats the cae, they aint hidin' it too well. I mean it was an audible beep right?

Also what after-effects did the people that got beeped experience? I don't but this account has many holes in it. Not that I'm doubting your work OP, but possibly its a mis-interpretation, or something with SW procedures we aren't understanding.

Another thing to keep in mind is that airplanes need to be balanced out when filling seat assignments and with boarding. Perhaps it has something to do with that. Too bad you did not see much else in the red flag area.

Also you did not expound on what your friend (the nutcase) told you as a headsup about SW, you kinda left us hangin'.

[edit on 7-4-2008 by battlestargalactica]

reply to post by Illahee


That does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling...

But thanks for the heads up. That looks like more evidence that we don't have a lot of "free" time left, if you get my drift.

I do know that airlines board different parts of the plane in different groups. The attendants are probably taught not to let people violate the boarding routine. I would just chalk it up to the unflexibility of computers and employees blindly following orders. The beeping probably happens everytime they scan a ticket. You probably couldn't hear it until you got to a certian point in line. I think it is much ado about nothing.

Originally posted by disgustedbyhumanity
I do know that airlines board different parts of the plane in different groups. The attendants are probably taught not to let people violate the boarding routine. I would just chalk it up to the unflexibility of computers and employees blindly following orders. The beeping probably happens everytime they scan a ticket. You probably couldn't hear it until you got to a certian point in line. I think it is much ado about nothing.

Sorry, there are no assigned seats on SouthWest. There is no reason to segregate and board the plane in the exact numbered order on your boarding pass.

People are not reading close enough.

Originally posted by battlestargalactica
I don't get it. SW was beeping certain people in the B group? Or was it everyone in the B group, if everyone, than it wouldn't have anything to do with credit reports right?

Why would they make such an audible 'beep' if they were hiding something? I'm all for possible nefarious activity on their part, but if thats the cae, they aint hidin' it too well. I mean it was an audible beep right?

Also what after-effects did the people that got beeped experience? I don't but this account has many holes in it. Not that I'm doubting your work OP, but possibly its a mis-interpretation, or something with SW procedures we aren't understanding.

Another thing to keep in mind is that airplanes need to be balanced out when filling seat assignments and with boarding. Perhaps it has something to do with that. Too bad you did not see much else in the red flag area.

Also you did not expound on what your friend (the nutcase) told you as a headsup about SW, you kinda left us hangin'.

[edit on 7-4-2008 by battlestargalactica]

The beep was audible, but not for the first half dozen of the B group. It started on my ticket and the ones behind me. The 'contact' is my local minimart conspiracy friend. He mentioned something about buses but I didn't listen to all of that. I generally didn't give him the credit he probably deserved. Now i'm curiuos as hell about the bus thing. I should have listened better.

No balance issues. Its festival seating.


Like I said I would be happy to hear that there is a reason for lining up in numerical order before festival seating, or the red flag and beep being your getting close to flyer miles or something. I would apologize and ask for the thread to be removed.

I have kidded a little on other threads but I just don't buy in to this sort of thing and after seeing it, I would like to hear I was wrong and there are reasons and I can get a print screen of a record with an explainable flag.....