The Guide to Southwest Priority Boarding

Southwest Airlines has a unique approach to boarding. They don’t assign seats. This can cause confusion and chaos at first glance.

It’s actually designed to do the exact opposite. Instead of assigning passengers seat numbers, the airline gives them a boarding position number which determines their boarding order.

Let’s look at Southwest boarding and how you can get on a priority boarding list.

What is the Southwest boarding process?

You will be assigned a boarding number (from 1-60) when you check in for Southwest flights. This is the alphanumerical sequence in which you will board an aircraft.

You can board in a better position if you check in early. However, you will have to leave your bag in the overhead bin. Window and aisle seats are usually taken first. This is why it is important to board early in order to avoid the middle seat.

You will find numbered posts at the gate to help you organize your boarding line. Once the boarding process begins and your group is called up you will line up according to your boarding passes and wait your turn.

Choose an open seat when you board the plane and store your luggage in the overhead compartment.

What’s Southwest priority boarding?

Southwest priority boarding gives you the opportunity to board in a more favorable position. Two ways to board a Southwest plane faster than others are EarlyBird Check In and Upgraded Boarding.

• EarlyBirdCheck-In automatically reserves a position for you on the boarding flight 36 hours prior to departure. This means you don’t need to worry about finding a good boarding spot. You must still check in for your flight at least 24 hours before departure. If you have other passengers who purchased EarlyBird, you might be placed in group B or C.

• Upgraded Boarding. Upgraded Boarding can be purchased for a nominal fee. If available, Upgraded Boarding will guarantee a Southwest flight boarding spot in the A1-A15 range.

Southwest priority boarding

Southwest planes don’t have premium economy or first class cabins. This means that every seat on a Southwest flight is the same and there are no priority board opportunities depending on which class you are flying. There are ways to ensure that you have a seat in the preferred section of a Southwest flight.

You can get a Southwest flight earlier by paying for EarlyBird Check In. This is a great option if your flight is very early in the morning, and you want to sleep the night before, or if you know that you will be attending a meeting and can’t check in until the 24-hour mark.

Please note that EarlyBird Check In doesn’t guarantee that the boarding group A will show up on your boarding passes, but it does increase your chances of getting a better group.

EarlyBird Check In starts at $15, and increases depending on the flight. If you have a round trip itinerary, you can pay separately for EarlyBird Check In.

Purchase a Southwest Upgraded Boarding and you can guarantee an A1-A15 boarding spot — beginning 24 hours prior to departure. It costs $30 per flight segment.

An EarlyBird Check In is available if you buy a Southwest Anytime Fare. A boarding spot will be assigned to you 36 hours before departure.

Passengers booking or upgrading their Southwest ticket to a Business Select fare will be guaranteed an Upgraded Boarding spot in the A1-A15 group.

A/List and A/List Preferred members get priority boarding for all bookings on the same reservation. Priority boarding positions are assigned to elite Rapid Rewards members 36-hours before departure.

Southwest priority boarding is available to families who are traveling together. Two adults and a child six years old or younger may board with Southwest priority boarding after the A group has been boarded but before the B group is called. This is only applicable if both parents have been assigned boarding positions within groups B and C.

You don’t have to wait until family boarding if you board in an A group position.

U.S. military personnel can board between A and B groups if they have a valid military ID.

Southwest priority air boarding, recapped

While the Southwest boarding process can be difficult for some, if you’re a good shopper, you’ll find it easier to position yourself in a higher group than your fellow passengers.

While priority boarding at Southwest is not based on your cabin class, you can still get the perk:

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  Purchasing EarlyBird check-in or upgraded boarding.
  

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  Using a credit card with priority boarding benefits.
  

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  Purchase a ticket with a higher price
  

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  An elite member.
  

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  Benefits extended to military personnel and families.
  

If you are unsure if any of these apply to your situation and don’t wish to pay extra for a better boarding spot, check in at the 24-hour mark. This will give you the best chance of not being last on Southwest planes.

(Top Photo courtesy of Southwest Airlines).