Since there are no assigned seats on Southwest flights, whoever walks onto the plane first gets his or her pick of seats. But as a nod to their elite status, they are allowed to “cut the line” anytime after Group A boarding is complete. Older children with the family are also able to board at this time, but other family members, such as grandparents or aunts and uncles, are asked to board according to the assignment on their boarding passes.Īctive military personnel are also permitted to board at this time.Ī-List and A-List Preferred members are said to receive the “best available boarding pass number,” but occasionally end up with a Group B or C boarding designation. Family boarding takes place immediately after Group A boarding is complete qualifying family groups include up to two adults per child age 6 and under. Young families are also given special boarding privileges, but not until a little later in the process. Passengers who are given preboarding priority are allowed to board with one travel companion for assistance and cannot sit in an exit row. These are travelers who have a specific seating need to accommodate a disability or who need assistance getting to their seats or stowing an assistive device. Preboarding is based on need and is determined by the gate agent before boarding begins. Passengers authorized to preboard go before everyone else, including Group A. Southwest’s grey boarding columns at a BWI Airport check-in gate. However, three categories of passengers supersede the standard Group A-C boarding process: preboarding travelers, families and A-List/A-List Preferred members. Boarding is called in groups of 30 (A1-A30, followed by A31-A60 and so on). The unique boarding code, such as A45 or B52, is printed directly on the boarding pass and represents the person’s place in line at the gate.Īt the gate, passengers line up single file at gray metal columns to match their boarding group letter and boarding position. Southwest assigns each passenger a boarding group letter - A, B or C - and a position from 1-60 when the traveler checks in for his or her flight. A-List/A-List Preferred, active-duty military and family boarding (those with children age six and under).Preboarding (those who need specific seats to accommodate a disability, those who need assistance with boarding and stowing an assistive device and unaccompanied minors).If you can pick any available seat you want, then who gets to board the plane first? The boarding order goes as follows: Related: How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight (Photo by Andrea Bacle Photography for The Points Guy) If there’s already someone else in the seat you want, you’ll have to pick a new spot. This should go without saying, but you can’t sit in someone else’s lap unless you’re under the age of 2. There are a few exceptions, of course: If you want to sit in an exit row, you still have to meet the Federal Aviation Administration’s age and physical requirements. There are no assigned seats - not even at the very front of the plane. The airline has an open seating policy, which means you can sit just about anywhere you want: up front, way in the back or right in the middle. The similarities largely end there, though, because Southwest’s boarding process is truly unlike that of any other airline. Like many other airlines, Southwest begins boarding about 30 minutes before a flight is scheduled to depart. Related: These are the best Southwest Airlines credit cards How Southwest boarding works Our comprehensive guide will answer all your questions on how to get the best seat on your next Southwest Airlines flight.įor more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter and download the free TPG app! In This Post However, Southwest’s unique boarding process does not assign specific seats to travelers - a process that can be baffling for first-time travelers, infrequent flyers or simply those new to the airline. Related: Battle of the airlines: Why I think Southwest Airlines is the best The airline does things right in many ways that other airlines do not: offering two free checked bags per person making it easy for parents to sit with young children not charging onerous fees having a simple way to earn elite status offering a family of credit cards and giving passengers three ( soon to be four) booking fares. Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.įew airlines command the customer devotion of Southwest Airlines, considered one of America’s most family-friendly aviation brands.
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