How do you get zone 1 or 2?

Zone 1: Gold elite members. Zone 2: Silver elite members, those who have purchased shortcut boarding or carry-on bags and co-branded credit card holders. Zone 3: Passengers sitting at the rear of the plane.



Securing Zone 1 or 2 boarding in 2026 is almost entirely dependent on your ticket class, frequent flyer status, or credit card benefits. "Zone 1" is typically reserved for First Class passengers and top-tier "Elite" members of the airline's loyalty program (such as Delta Diamond or United 1K). "Zone 2" generally follows for Business Class and mid-tier elite members. If you are an infrequent traveler, the easiest way to "buy" your way into these early zones is through a co-branded airline credit card (like the Delta SkyMiles Gold or United Quest card), which often grants automatic priority boarding regardless of your seat location. Alternatively, many airlines now offer "Priority Boarding" as a paid add-on during the check-in process, usually for a fee ranging from $15 to $45. Families with young children and passengers needing extra assistance are often given a "Pre-Boarding" slot that precedes Zone 1, but for the general public, the only way to consistently board early is to hold a premium ticket or a high-status membership. Boarding early is particularly valuable in 2026 to ensure you find space in the overhead bins for your carry-on luggage.

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The first involves your status within the Frontier Miles frequent traveler program. Elite 20K, 50K, and 100K members all get priority (also known as Zone 1) boarding. But it's not just elite members who get to board earlier; if you paid a carry-on bag fee, you may get access to Zone 1 boarding, too.

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Fly in a premium cabin 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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If the seat is available, the passenger pays for the upgrade on the flight. So while you shouldn't expect a free upgrade on a flight, you can still ask for upgrades from booking till boarding — and you may be able to pay your way to a much more comfortable seat.

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You can only board once your zone is called. Signs indicating where your zone is are located in front of your flight's boarding gate.

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Block boarding from the rear to the front of the plane is the standard onboarding method. Passengers board the aircraft by group, based on their seat number, beginning at the plane's rear toward the front until everyone is seated. Rear-to-front block boarding seems logical at first blush.

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Economy passengers, including those with basic economy fares, can purchase a priority boarding add-on to enter the plane with Group 4. You can't purchase this upgrade during the initial booking process, so you'll need to add it during check-in, online or at the airport.

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For example, you'll get Main Cabin 1 priority boarding on Delta flights, which means you can get on the plane before most other economy class passengers. Having priority boarding means you'll have more time to find space in the overhead bins for your carry-on and a bit of breathing room to get settled into your seat.

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If you need your carry-on bag during a long layover or prefer not to wait at a late-night baggage claim after a long day of flying, then purchasing a priority boarding upgrade may be well worth it. In essence, purchasing priority boarding is staking claim to readily accessible overhead bin space.

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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. And we should emphasize before your group, as your priority boarding doesn't out-prioritize many others.

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Ryanair uses just 2 boarding groups to load its planes. Priority boarding is available for those passengers who have purchased it, and the rest of the passengers will be in the general boarding group. Are Ryanair flights assigned seating? Yes, Ryanair uses assigned seating for all of its flights.

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Priority (Groups 1 to 4): Group 1: Passengers in domestic first class and international business class, AAdvantage Executive Platinum status holders, and active duty US military personnel. Group 2: AAdvantage Platinum Pro and oneworld Emerald status holders.

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