How does Southwest boarding go?

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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A Southwest boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60) will be assigned to you at check-in and it'll be printed on your boarding pass. 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.

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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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Southwest follows an open seating style, meaning there are no assigned seats. You'll be assigned a boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60+) upon check-in, which determines your boarding order. Once on board, you choose your seat. If you're last to board, you likely won't get to sit with your family.

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Yes, A45 is a very good number. No worries. There may be 44 people ahead of you but probably less.

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Purchase a Business Select fare or upgrade to Business Select: Customers who purchase a Business Select fare will get guaranteed A1-A15 boarding. If a Customer did not originally purchase a Business Select fare but wants guaranteed A1-A15 boarding, they can upgrade their flight to Business Select.

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On Southwest it is an open seating policy meaning you can sit in any open seat. With B1 you should have no problem getting a window or aisle at mid cabin or towards the back of the plane.

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Up to 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 before the “B” group begins boarding. There should be enough open seats to enable the child to sit next to at least one accompanying adult.

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Southwest has three boarding groups, A, B, and C, and each group has 60 'positions. ' Upon checking in, you'll be assigned one of these 180 positions, determining when you can board and choose your seat. In addition to these three, the carrier also offers preboarding and family/military/extra boarding groups.

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As such, we do not publish flight loads. If for any reason you're uncomfortable traveling in the current environment and would like to discuss the flight load of your upcoming flight, we strongly encourage you to reach out to our Customer Service Department via any of the options below. Email here.

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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.


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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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Southwest Airlines has long argued that its unassigned seating policy is popular with passengers and facilitates speedier boarding. That means planes spend less time at the gate and more time in the air generating Southwest money. Over the years, the airline has tinkered with the no-system boarding system.

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Southwest Airlines passengers are assigned specific boarding positions, consisting of a letter and then a number: You'll either be in group A, B, or C, with A being allowed to board first, B being allowed to board second, and C being allowed to board last.

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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 encourage all passengers to plan to arrive in the gate area no later than this time.

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Travel Companions Can Now Board With Southwest A-List and A-List Preferred Members. Anyone on the SAME RESERVATION (that means you'll have the same confirmation number) on Southwest Airlines as someone who holds elite status with Southwest (called A-List or A-List Preferred) can now board with the elite status member.

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At Southwest, we let you sit where you like. We don't assign seats on our flights, so feel free to sit in any available seat once you board the plane. We have a quick, easy, and efficient boarding process. Look at your boarding pass to find your assigned boarding group (A, B, or C) and boarding position (1 - 60).

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There are two elite status levels: A-List and A-List Preferred. A-List is earned by taking 25 one-way flights or earning 35,000 tier-qualifying points. A-List Preferred is earned by flying 50 one-way flights or earning 70,000 tier-qualifying points. How do you become an A-lister on Southwest?

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Who should do it? A ticket upgrade may make sense if any of the following are true: You like the idea of boarding the plane quickly so you can choose your preferred seat and are guaranteed an A1 through A15 boarding position. You want to maximize the Rapid Rewards points that you earn.

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Does Southwest EarlyBird Check-in guarantee you Zone A boarding? Those assigned Zone A (listed on your boarding pass) are the first group of passengers to board the plane, but EarlyBird DOES NOT guarantee you Zone A boarding.

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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.

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