Southwest Airlines has an open seat boarding policy — you choose any available seat upon boarding. If you have a preferred seating spot, getting on the plane early with priority boarding could be worth it. But most of the time you’ll have to pay for this perk.
Southwest Airlines boarding is organized in three groups:
Each passenger gets assigned a unique combination printed on their boarding pass, for example A25, B34 or C50. The lower your letter and number combination, the sooner you board.
Southwest Airlines uses the term upgraded boarding, which covers positions from A1 to A15. Often, upgrading your boarding is subject to availability. If available, you can be among the first to board if you:
Upgraded boarding is reserved for Business Select customers. Next up are A-List and A-List Preferred. If there are A1 to A15 spots left, you can purchase an upgraded boarding.
Families with children 6 years old or younger are allowed to board between A and B groups.
Passengers with specific seating needs and one travel companion are permitted to board between A and B groups before the family boarding.
Groups with different boarding positions can board at the same time. But the earlier boarding position would have to board with the later position. For example, a passenger with A20 and a passenger with A50 who want to board together would have to board at the A50 passenger group.
Priority boarding has a high value on Southwest Airlines due to the open seat policy. If you don’t mind paying extra, you can board your plane sooner and choose your preferred spot. Alternatively, consider getting the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, which offers up to four upgraded boardings per year.
However, if you frequently fly with other airlines, check out other airline cards that offer priority boarding and compare your options.
Pictures: GettyImages
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