How do I get priority boarding on Southwest?

How to get Southwest priority boarding
  1. Purchase EarlyBird Check-In.
  2. Purchase Upgraded Boarding.
  3. Book the right fare class.
  4. Carry select Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards.
  5. Reach elite status with Southwest.
  6. Travel as a family.
  7. Use your military benefits.




People Also Ask

Preboarding is available for Customers with disabilities who need a specific seat to accommodate a disability, need assistance boarding the aircraft, or need to stow an assistive device.

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All passengers flying in a premium cabin get priority boarding. But the group you'll be assigned to depends on which class of service you're flying. Passengers in the front cabin board with Group 1.

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In theory, if you identify as someone who needs additional time or assistance to get into your seat, the airline should not have any say on whether or not your claim is valid. You can request preboarding at the gate. Arrive early to avoid crowds.

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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Basics Card type: Airline. Annual fee: $149. Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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Don't hesitate to ask for accommodations.
Early boarding helps him stay calm, he explains, because standing in line in the jet bridge is intensely stressful for him. It's a simple request: He just asks for priority boarding at check-in, and “80 percent of the time,” he says, the airline is happy to grant his request.

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The price of priority boarding
While the cost of priority boarding will differ among airlines and flights, you'll typically pay between $10-$30 to board the plane before your group.

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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. Hot Tip: If you are in the B group (or even one of the first numbers in the C group), head to the back of the plane.

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A-List positions are automatically assigned beginning 36 hours prior to departure. If an A-Lister receives a position in the B or C group (happens when a flight change is made less than 36 hours before departure) they can board after the A group. Business Select fares guarantee an A1-15 boarding position.

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EarlyBird Check-In Customers will have their boarding positions reserved beginning 36 hours prior to their flight's scheduled local departure time. Boarding passes can be accessed beginning 24 hours prior to the flight's scheduled local departure time.

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Watch for sales (They happen frequently) Southwest has an unofficial but predictable fare sale calendar that drops the prices on some routes nearly every Tuesday. While it's not a published policy, these generally run from Tuesday through Thursday and offer one-way prices on select routes as low as $39.

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The so called benefits are: You get to board early - why to spend extra money just to get in a plane when you have to wait for all the passengers to board anyway. You are not going to fly 10 mins earlier to your destination. You can sit comfortably on the seats at the gate for the same time.

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The speedy boarding is a pointless extra for me. I will often just sit and wait until the queue has mostly gone and then wander to the desk, I'm not a fan of queuing unnecessarily. That said, often when I get on the flight someone is in my allocated windows seat, about a third of the time.

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In the past, printing was a requirement for mobile boarding passes when there were more than one person on an itinerary. Today you can get all of those passes together digitally when you check-in.

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To keep flights orderly and boarding smooth, airlines calculate that it makes sense for small children to board early with a parent and get settled before the anxious masses wanting an on-time or early departure.

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