How do you know if you have priority boarding Southwest?

If you purchase a Southwest Anytime fare, an EarlyBird Check-In is included. You'll be assigned a boarding position 36 hours prior to departure. Passengers who book or upgrade their Southwest ticket to a Business Select fare are guaranteed an Upgraded Boarding position in the A1 through A15 group.



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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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Priority Lane and Express Lane are dedicated lanes meant to speed our Business Select®, Anytime, A-List, and A-List Preferred Members through check-in and security lines. Priority Lanes are located at our check-in counters and Express Lanes are at security checkpoints at participating airports.

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Priority Boarding is marketed to those passengers who do not have any other elite status or card membership, and it would allow them to board ahead of their assigned group. Passengers who purchase Priority Boarding will be able to board with Group 2.

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C 1-60: This is the group you will most likely get if you don't check in right on time. While the C group isn't a guaranteed middle seat, the chances are pretty high that you won't be sitting in the ideal spot.

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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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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.

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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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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. You will receive an earlier boarding position, improved seat selection, and earlier access to overhead bins.

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To qualify for A-List status, you'll need to fly 25 one-way qualifying flights or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points per calendar year. To qualify for A-List Preferred status, you'll need to fly 50 Southwest Airlines® one-way qualifying flights or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points per calendar year.

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Group A boards first, then group B, and afterwards group C. If you end up with A1, then it's your lucky day — you'll likely get to be the first passenger on the plane. There may be some exceptions for people with certain disabilities, pre-boarders or people on an earlier connecting flight.

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Southwest® Boarding Process. 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) will be displayed on your boarding pass and represents a reserved spot in the boarding group at the gate.

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B-36 is a great number. When your number comes up, you get your choice of whatever seat is not occupied on the plane. If you really want to sit near the front, you may have to pick a middle.

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Customers with eligible reservations may check in online at www.southwest.com or using the Southwest® app available here. Once you have checked in for your flight, you can print your boarding pass online, download via the Southwest app, or choose to receive a text.

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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.

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Re: Saving Seats Unfortunately, there's no policy to enforce. Officially, Southwest has no policy for or against seat saving, and in practice actively allows it. Reps will even suggest that passengers save seats for later boarding companions.

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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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