Southwest Airlines Changes Boarding Procedures

Beginning any day now, Southwest’s long standing open cattle call for boarding is coming to an end. With the intention of eliminating the hoards of passengers jostling for prime position to board the aircraft, SWA has drafted new boarding procedures. The popular open seating concept will remain, however passengers will now be issued an alpha boarding group along with a numeric place in line. Your alpha code and passenger number will be based on the time you check in. For instance, passengers who check in online 24 hours prior to their flight receive a Group A designation along with a number (A12 perhaps). At the airport gate area, passengers will be summoned to stand by boarding columns by their group (A, B then C) and by their passenger number. So it has becomes more and more essential to check in early to get a good boarding position.

Check in can be accomplished online within 24 hours of a flight (for eligible reservations), at an E-Ticket Check-In kiosk, at a Skycap Podium, Ticket Counter, at the Departure Gate or increasingly on a mobile device. See Southwest’s website for indepth instructions. They even offer a “Boarding School” to walk you through the new procedures.

Another change in boarding has some families fuming. Southwest is eliminating pre-boarding for families traveling with children four years old or younger. Families with young children will now be allowed to board between groups A and B. Customers with disabilities or unaccompanied children between 5 and 11 years of age will still be able to pre-board prior to Group A.

If this all seems confusing and you need further information check out the Frequently Asked Questions section of SWA’s website.

One more note of disappointment. The entrepreneurial website BoardFirst.com that offered a service to check in passengers 24 hours prior to flight time for a $5 fee has been sued by Southwest and forced to shut down. We’ve read that Southwest became annoyed when passengers began asking at the gate how come they didn’t know about BoardFirst, and how come Southwest couldn’t assist them check in early? Well now there’s no one out there to help you out, you’re on your own. We’re sorry to see BoardFirst close.

Category: Airlines & Low Airfares, Transportation