Southwest Increases Prices for EarlyBird and Upgraded Boarding

Southwest Increases Prices for EarlyBird and Upgraded Boarding

Southwest Airlines has a first-come-first-served model when it comes to boarding. So the earlier you check in for your flight, the higher up the you’ll be. So it’s always a good idea to check in as soon as it becomes available, 24 hours before departure.

Southwest also offers paid options for those that want to board as early as possible. There’s EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding. Now the maximum price that you might pay for these features has gone up.

EarlyBird Check-In automatically reserves your place in line 36 hours before departure. So that’s 12 hours before anyone else can start checking in. EarlyBird Check-In used to cost between $15 and $25 each way, per customer. Now the maximum price that you might pay has gone up to $99, which is a huge increase.

Upgraded Boarding gets you a spot between A1 and A15, so you are one of the first people to board. When available, Upgraded Boarding used to cost between $30 and $80 for every leg of your trip. The maximum price has gone up here as well, and you may now pay up to $149.

These fees ad up quickly, especially for bigger groups. So if you want to take advantage of these features, but don’t want to pay these fees, you might want to consider earning A-List status or getting a Southwest credit card.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offer two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offer four Upgraded Boardings per year.