Southwest Airlines Boarding Groups

Southwest Airlines is a little unusual in the way it handles seating compared to the other airlines. Southwest, rather than assigning seats to passengers in advance, allows them to choose any available seat on the plane when they board it. Because this is true, when you get on the plane, it makes a difference in getting the desired seat. So, here we will take a look into the Southwest Airlines boarding group in details

The Three Main Boarding Groups of Southwest Airlines 

Southwest has three distinct boarding groups in all – A, B, and C. There are 60 in each group making a total of 180 boarding spaces. A35″ will be on your boarding pass when you get it. This tells you both your group (A) and your spot in line (35). At the gate, numbered posts will guide you to the precise location where you will wait to board.

How Boarding Positions Are Given Out At Southwest Airlines? 

Your boarding position depends on when you check in for your flight. Check-in time starts exactly 24 hours before flight lift-off. The earlier you arrive, the more likely it is that you will get a good boarding position. It’s that simple – first come, first served.

Southwest Airlines Special Boarding Groups

Southwest allows some passengers on board first before the main group’s board. This includes people who need wheelchairs or other help getting on the plane. These travelers are entitled to take one person with them, but any other members of the family will have to travel in their usual groups.

Group A: The First Main Group

The A group is what everyone wants. The initial 15 seats (A1-A15) are generally reserved for passengers who purchased Business Select tickets or purchased early boarding. The rest of the A group often includes people who paid for EarlyBird Check-In or were quick to check in at the 24-hour mark.

Family Boarding Group (Between Group A and Group B)

Southwest’s family boarding scheme is mainly for children aged six, and less than that. Here are some points to consider in this regard:

• Not more than two adults can travel with a 6-year-old child in the case of Family Boarding 
• Family boarding commences after the boarding of Group A but before the boarding of Group B. 
• Open seats should be available to allow the child to sit beside at least one adult accompanying them. 
• Children, and adults having an A boarding pass must avail of the boarding position assigned to them instead of awaiting Family Boarding. 
• If traveling with kids aged 7-13, you can request assistance regarding Family Boarding. Southwest will do its best to seat one child beside an adult aged 14 years or more than that at no extra cost. 

Group B: The Middle Group

The majority of those who check in at the final 24 hours without extra fee fall into the B group. Although not so nice as A, you can usually still get aisle or window seats, although perhaps at the back of the aircraft.

Group C: The Last Group

If you check in late or book your flight on the same day you’re traveling, you’ll probably end up in the C group. Such passengers are typically forced to sit in the middle seats, or even whatever seats are available.

Visit: Southwest Airlines Corporate Office

Southwest Airlines Preboarding Facilities

Customers with disabilities are allowed to preboard even before the boarding process begins. If you qualify for preboarding, the customer service agent will help you make the accommodations in case you qualify for the same.

 In such cases, you’ll get another boarding pass bearing the markings PRBD. This allows the operation agent to understand that you’ll be preboarding the flight. You must also keep in mind that if you preboard, you won’t be allowed to occupy the exit seat. 

Passengers with disabilities, not qualifying for preboarding but require time to board, may be eligible to board prior to family boarding (between Boarding A, and B). Such customers will be given a separate boarding pass by the customer service agent at the gate. The pass will bear the markings XT. This helps the operation agent to understand that you’ll be boarding before family boarding. 

How to Get Better Boarding Positions with Southwest Airlines? 

There are ways to pay a higher position. Business Select tickets give you an A1-A15 position. You also can pay for Upgraded Boarding at the gate when seats are available. This helps to get an upgraded boarding position of A1-A15. Upgraded boarding starts 24 hours before your flight’s scheduled date, and ends thirty minutes before the departure time. To avail of upgraded boarding you have to make the payment via credit card. In case of flight cancellations by Southwest, a refund will be initiated 

EarlyBird Check-In is another option, starting at $15. This facility will check you in “automatically” before the standard 24-hour check-in cut-off time. Customers traveling on Southwest’s partner airlines cannot avail of EarlyBird. 

When you don’t want to pay a premium, the best thing is to set an alarm 24 hours and 1 minute before you board the flight. This saves you the time to be ready to check in right at opening time. Have the Southwest website or app ready to go, and keep your flight information handy.

Conclusion

Understanding how Southwest’s boarding works can make your flight much more pleasant. While paying extra for better boarding positions guarantees you’ll get on the plane sooner, you can still get good seats without spending more money if you’re prepared. The “secret” is understanding how the system works, and also being able to check in when it’s the time to do so.

Just remember that no matter which group you end up being a member of, the key to maximizing your benefit will be to stay organized, and to be able to board when your group is called. Southwest’s way of boarding might seem different at first, but many passengers end up liking how simple and fair it is.

Frequently Asked Questions

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