The plane is boarded in order of your priority, meaning that A1 boards first, and C60 boards last (assuming there are passengers with those numbers). So while other airlines have zones, Southwest literally has an exact order in which people board. So first Southwest lines up the people with “A” boarding passes, and you stand in groups of five.
What are the rules for Southwest Family Boarding?
Southwest offers Family Boarding after the A group but before the B group, for up to two adults traveling with children 6 and younger. This essentially allows families to “skip the line” if they were otherwise assigned a B or C boarding position. Once you get on board, you can choose any seats that are still unoccupied.
What is southwest boarding group and position?
Group C 1–60. (Image courtesy of Southwest Airlines) Southwest assigns each passenger a boarding group letter — A, B or C — and a position from 1–60 when that traveler checks in for their flight. The unique boarding code, such as A45 or B52, is printed directly on the boarding pass and represents your place in line at the gate.
What is the boarding procedure for Southwest Airlines?
The plane is boarded in order of your priority, meaning that A1 boards first, and C60 boards last (assuming there are passengers with those numbers). So while other airlines have zones, Southwest literally has an exact order in which people board. So first Southwest lines up the people with “A” boarding passes, and you stand in groups of five.
How many people in southwest groups boarding?
Traditionally, Southwest Airlines lined up passengers in groups of 30, positioning them in the queues according to boarding position. It was a complex system but it worked. But for most of the past year, that downsized to groups of 10. Everyone else staying seated until a new group was called.
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Who gets priority boarding on Southwest?
If you are a Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred or A-List Member, or traveling on the same reservation as an A-List Preferred or A-List Member, or purchase EarlyBird Check-In®, we'll automatically reserve your boarding position 36 hours before departure and before check in begins.
How do I use Southwest priority boarding?
How to get Southwest Airlines priority boarding with your credit card. Get the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. Purchase upgraded boarding at the departure gate or ticket counter on the day of travel. Request reimbursement up to four times each calendar year.
What is the advantage of priority boarding?
Purchase Priority Boarding to enjoy the convenience of boarding earlier. Priority boarding lets you avoid the lines and get to your seat sooner.
How much does Southwest priority boarding cost?
When available, Upgraded Boarding allows you to secure a position in the A1 – A15 boarding group starting from $30 per segment, per Customer, based on the popularity and length of each flight. To upgrade, ask a Customer Service Agent at the departure gate or ticket counter for availability.
Is Group B good on Southwest?
If you have a B group boarding position, the chances are good that you'll still be able to get a window or aisle seat or find 2 seats together if you're traveling with a companion.
How do I get priority boarding?
Getting the top levels of priority boarding is reserved for the most frequent flyers, active military members and higher fare class. You can also board early by being an AAdvantage card member. However, if you prefer other airlines, look for other travel cards that offer priority boarding and compare your options.
How do I get priority boarding for free?
0:527:38HOW TO GET FREE PRIORITY BOARDING (Even If You're Booked ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd here are the tips the first tip is pretty effortless volunteer to give up your seat. Every onceMoreAnd here are the tips the first tip is pretty effortless volunteer to give up your seat. Every once in a while fights will be oversold or there'll be overbooked. And when you're a check-in. You'll.
What does priority boarding include?
Priority Boarding is a limited service, available for 100 passengers per flight, and promises travellers they can board the plane first as well as bring more luggage. For those who miss out on Priority Boarding but still want to bring bigger luggage, they will have to opt for the check-in option.
Do you get a seat with priority boarding?
Generally the seats in the first 5 rows come with priority boarding (and cost a bit more). Bear in mind that your mother may not be allowed to sit in row 1 if she has mobility issues. (If she does, you can book assistance and have appropriate seats allocated free, and board first.)
How can I tell how full a Southwest flight is?
Checking Your Flight Status Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage to find a section titled "Other Flight Information". The number of people on the flight will appear as well as the number of seats available.
How early should I get to the airport Southwest 2022?
The best advice is to get there three hours ahead, and even if you have a pre-printed boarding pass, don't just go through security and wait for your flight to be called. Check in for the flight the minute you get to the airport. Since flights are full, someone perceived as a no-show is replaced quickly with standbys.
How can I get a free upgrade on Southwest?
Upgrading your Southwest Airlines ticket is easy because it provides a ticket upgrade tool. Visit southwest.com/air/upgrade and enter the details of your flight, including your first and last name and flight confirmation number. Southwest will walk you through the upgrade process if an upgrade is available.
How does early bird check in work with Southwest?
New for 2022, EarlyBird Check-In is included with the purchase of an Anytime fare. Customers who purchase an Anytime fare will automatically be checked in to their flight 36 hours prior to scheduled departure—that's 12 hours before our traditional 24-hour check-in.
Can I upgrade my boarding position on Southwest after check in?
Once you get to your gate, you can request a benefit called Upgraded Boarding at the counter. It will cost either $30 or $40 and will allow you to change your boarding pass to one in A1-A15 if those positions are still available!
How do you get early boarding on Southwest?
However, you can secure an earlier boarding position by purchasing a Business Select fare, purchasing EarlyBird Check-In that automatically reserves your boarding position 36 hours before departure, or by purchasing an upgraded boarding pass from the counter on the day of travel (when available).
Do you get priority boarding with Southwest credit card?
If you're new to flying Southwest, you may not be familiar with its boarding procedures and no assigned seats. But Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Cardholders get up to four upgraded boardings per year for free.
How does the boarding process work?
You will be assigned a boarding group (A, B, or C) and position (1-60+) upon check in. Your unique group and position combination (for example: A35...
Do I have an assigned seat?
Southwest-operated flights have open seating. Once onboard, simply choose any available seat and stow your carryon items in the overhead bin or und...
When can I check in and receive my boarding pass?
If you have an eligible reservation you may check in for your flight online at Southwest.com® beginning 24 hours prior to your flight's scheduled d...
How do I get an "A" boarding pass?
Available boarding positions will be distributed on a first-come, first served basis upon check in. The earlier you check in, beginning 24 hours be...
How will I know when it's my turn to board the plane?
Our friendly Agents will make an announcement in the gate area for each boarding group to assemble. When your group is called, line up in numerical...
When do I need to be at the departure gate to board my flight?
30 minutes prior to scheduled departure time: We may begin boarding as early as 30 minutes prior to your flight’s scheduled departure time. We enco...
Do families get to preboard?
Two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and befor...
Can groups assigned to different boarding positions board together?
Yes. However, in order to maintain the integrity of the boarding process, we ask that earlier boarding positions board with the later positions. Fo...
Do passengers with disabilities get to preboard?
Preboarding is available for Customers who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability and/or need assistance in boarding the airc...
How Southwest boarding works
Like many other airlines, Southwest begins boarding about 30 minutes before a flight is scheduled to depart. But the similarities largely end there because Southwest’s boarding process is truly unlike that of any other airline.
Once you board, what next?
Since there are no assigned seats on Southwest flights, whoever walks onto the plane first gets his or her pick of seats. As a general rule, nobody particularly enjoys sitting in the middle seat, so those tend to be left over to the end of the boarding process, for stragglers in Group C.
How to get the best seat on Southwest
If you’re new to Southwest, you may be wondering how to get the absolute best seat (aka the earliest boarding position). Here are some tactics:
Can you save seats on Southwest?
There isn’t any definitive Southwest policy for or against seat-saving. Kerr, TPG’s loyalty and engagement editor, calls this the “ Southwest Shuffle ,” where one passenger boards early to save seats for the other traveler (s) in the group, just as you would at the movies.
Print this Southwest cheat sheet
If you’re new to Southwest, save this “Things to Know” graphic on your phone so you’ll be able to board like a pro on your next flight.
Final call
Southwest’s boarding process might be intimidating or potentially even frustrating for some who aren’t used to it, but there is a lot to appreciate once you get the hang of it.
Best Southwest credit cards
The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card comes with the following benefits:
How does Southwest boarding work?
When you check-in for your flight, you’ll be assigned a boarding group (A, B, or C) and within that boarding group you’ll be assigned a number (1 through 60).
What order does Southwest board its planes?
Although there are only three boarding groups, the actual boarding pass issuance process is actually more complex. Below is the order that boarding passes will be issued, which also determines the order that you will board the plane.
Companion Pass Boarding
The Southwest Companion Pass allows a partner to fly for free with you for up to two full calendar years and it’s one of the most valuable travel perks sought by many.
Why do boarding groups matter?
Besides just being able to board the plane quicker and choose your desired seat (window or aisle), there are two specific reasons why you’d want a higher boarding pass.
Southwest seating details (seating chart)
If you’re flying Southwest, chances are you’ll be flying on a 737-700 or a 737-800. You might be wondering about how much room you’ll have with your Southwest seating and here’s what you can expect:
Get the best seat selection (Southwest priority boarding)
There are a few ways that you can secure “priority boarding” with Southwest. I put that in quotations because there aren’t true priority boarding groups but there are some ways you can effectively get priority boarding and get the best seat selection.
How does Southwest boarding work?
Rather than assigning seats to passengers, Southwest has an open seating style. As far as determining who gets to pick their seats in which order, here’s how it works:
What is the Southwest boarding order?
The first set of people to board Southwest flights are people with seats in A1-A15, which is typically filled with Southwest elite flyers and those who paid extra for their tickets or boarding. The rest of the A group follows with A16-60.
How to get your Southwest boarding position
There are a few ways to get an early Southwest boarding group position, but many of them come at an additional cost. If you don’t want to pay anything more than what the Wanna Get Away or Anytime fare already costs, your boarding position will be determined based on the order you’ve checked in.
How to guarantee an A group position on Southwest
It is possible to guarantee an A1-15 group position on Southwest, but it’s going to cost you. Here’s how:
How to get a good seat on Southwest
The following options won’t guarantee an A boarding position, but they’ll still put you ahead of others who try to check in online 24 hours out or at the airport ahead of their flight:
Southwest seating chart
If you’re trying to decide what’s a good seat on your Southwest flight, head over to Seatguru. Once there, type in your travel date and flight number to select your flight.
When you're not happy with your Southwest boarding number
If you’re cool with checking your luggage should the overhead bins get too stuffed, and your life isn’t over if you get the middle seat (hey, one-third of passengers are going to have to sit in one on a full flight anyway), then don’t panic if you get in the C group.
