Southwest Airlines offers Upgraded Boarding to enhance your travel experience by allowing you to secure a prime boarding position. For a fee ranging from $30 to $80 per segment, passengers can upgrade to an A1-A15 boarding position, ensuring they are among the first to board the aircraft. This early boarding advantage allows travelers to choose their preferred seat and easily access overhead bin space.
Upgraded Boarding can be purchased starting 24 hours before the flight, subject to availability. This service is particularly beneficial for those who value convenience and a stress-free boarding process.
What is Southwest Upgraded Boarding?
Upgraded Boarding makes securing your preferred seats on a Southwest Airlines flight easy. When you buy it, you will receive a boarding position in the A1 to A15 range.
There are two ways to get upgraded from A1 to A15 boarding on Southwest.
- Buy a Business Select ticket.
- You can start buying Upgraded Boarding 24 hours prior to departure.
Upgraded Boarding can be bought online at Southwest.com, on the Southwest mobile app, at a ticket counter, or at the gate up to 30 minutes before departure.
Prices begin at $30 per person per flight, and a flight segment refers to any single flight. If you have a layover and are taking 2 separate flights or segments, you must purchase Upgraded Boarding for each flight individually.
What is the fee for Southwest Upgraded Boarding?
Southwest charges $30 per passenger, per segment for the upgraded boarding. The prices can reach up to $149 per passenger, shown in the fee table. The prices & benefits of upgraded boarding are based on eligible segments. To be eligible for upgraded boarding, your flight must be departing within the 24 hours. Remember that the fee for the upgraded boarding will be non-refundable in case you cancel your flight.
Related Blog: How to upgrade Southwest Flight
Benefits of Southwest Airlines Upgraded Boarding With Credit Card
You can only buy the upgraded boarding with the Credit card. Many Southwest Airlines Credit cards provide its passengers with Upgraded boarding credits as a built-in benefit.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card: It only allows 4 upgraded boardings in a year.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card: It only allows 4 upgraded boardings in a year.
After you are done purchasing Upgraded boarding using participating cards, you will get a statement credit covering the cost. However, remember that the $75 annual credit on the Southwest Priority card will not be applied toward the Upgraded Boarding.
How to Buy Southwest Upgraded Boarding Pass?
You can buy Upgraded Boarding at the time of checking in for your flight at the official site, via the Southwest app, or at the gate. To purchase online or via the app, you can follow the given steps:
- First, visit the official site of Southwest or open the mobile application.
- Then, log in to your Southwest account with your credentials.
- Afterward, select “upgrade boarding position from A1 – A15”
- Finally, select your payment method and pay for your purchase.
- Passengers who purchase the Upgrade boarding will get a separate receipt. The flight’s confirmation number will be the same.
- When purchasing through Soutwest.com, you can select to receive your updated boarding pass via email or text.
- If you are purchasing it on the app, then your boarding pass will get automatically updated with the upgraded boarding position.
How to Upgrade Southwest Boarding at the Airport?
- First, visit your departure airport.
- After that, proceed to the gate from which your flight will depart.
- Look for a sign at your gate indicating “Upgrade your boarding position.”
- Ask the gate agent about the availability of upgraded positions. If they are available, you will need to use your Southwest Priority or Business Performance Credit card to pay for the upgrade.
- If you are flying with someone else, you can use one of your credits to get upgraded boarding for them.
- If you have airline’s Companion Pass, your upgraded boarding is only valid for you and not for your Companion unless you also upgrade their boarding.
- The gate agent will charge your card, take your old boarding pass, and issue you a new one.
How to Utilize Your Southwest Upgraded Boarding Credits?
Using upgraded boarding on Southwest credit cards is an easy and quick process. The Southwest Performance business card and the Southwest Priority card come with 4 upgraded boardings annually. If you have both cards, then you will have 8 upgraded boardings per year. To utilize your upgraded boarding credit , you only have to use the eligible card to complete the purchase. You do not need to submit or register anything, you will see the charge posted in your statements.
What difference is B/W Upgraded Boarding & EarlyBird Check-In?
If you are not familiar with Southwest’s unique boarding process, it can be confusing to differentiate between Upgraded Boarding and EarlyBird Check-In.
EarlyBird Check-In automatically checks you in for your flight starting 36 hours before departure, but there is no guarantee of obtaining an A boarding position.EarlyBird Check-In comes with Anytime fares, while passengers with Wanna Get Away Plus or Wanna Get Away fares can buy it when booking or up to 36 hours before departure.
Upgraded Boarding ensures a guaranteed A1 to A15 boarding position. Business Select tickets include Upgraded Boarding, or passengers can purchase it 24 hours before departure. Only 15 slots are available per flight, and once sold out, Upgraded Boarding is no longer available. A customer with Early Bird Check-In who desires a higher boarding position can still purchase Upgraded Boarding.
Conclusion
There are only two Southwest credit cards that offer 4 Upgraded Boarding credits each: the Priority card and Performance Business card. Each boarding credit has a value of at least $30, making it a valuable and convenient perk of owning these cards. To use your eligible credit card to purchase Upgraded Boarding, simply do so starting 24 hours before your flight, and the cost will be credited to your account automatically. This will allow you to have A1 to A15 boarding on your Southwest flight.
