Southwest Airways does not have fancy onboard choices. Nevertheless, it does have a singular boarding course of the place you get assigned a selected boarding quantity that determines when you possibly can board the aircraft. The order you get on the aircraft is vital since Southwest makes use of first-come, first-served seating. The sooner you board, the higher seat choices you will have. All of its planes provide a 3-3 seating configuration.
Your Southwest boarding task will fall into teams A, B or C, and you may be assigned a quantity starting from one to 60 inside that group. It feels a bit like you might be lining up like cattle to board the aircraft, however when you get the hold of it, it is not that horrible — at the very least when you’ve got a great boarding group quantity.
Checking in on time will not get you one of the best boarding group
You may need to examine in in your flight precisely 24 hours earlier than departure as a result of Southwest assigns boarding teams within the order you examine in. This implies you will ideally need to set your alarm to remind your self. Nevertheless, as with virtually all the things within the airline business, it is not fairly that easy.
The coveted first A1-15 spots go to those that buy pricier Enterprise Choose fares. It’s also possible to typically improve (for a charge) to an A1-15 boarding spot half-hour to 24 hours earlier than the flight’s scheduled departure time. This selection is just accessible if Enterprise Choose prospects do not fill the A1-15 slots, and it prices between $30 and $80 (per section, per buyer).
Whereas this may be an extremely dear add-on, these with the Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card and Southwest Fast Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card obtain 4 upgraded boardings per 12 months. This perk alone is why these two are a few of our favourite Southwest playing cards for households.
Subsequent within the boarding course of come these with Southwest A-Record or A-Record Most well-liked elite standing; these vacationers are routinely assigned a boarding quantity earlier than the 24-hour mark. Checking in exactly 24 hours earlier than your flight will not get you forward of these vacationers, both.
Lastly, there may be additionally the difficulty of passengers who booked a direct however not a nonstop flight. Until you might be on the primary flight of the day, there’s a cheap probability some seats on the aircraft will go to these passengers even earlier than the primary particular person in Group A will get an opportunity to board. In any case, Southwest frequently sells tickets that require stops with out aircraft modifications.
Associated: How one can get seats collectively as a household on Southwest Airways
What’s Southwest EarlyBird Test-In
Now, let’s speak about Southwest EarlyBird Test-In itself. The airline’s EarlyBird Test-In service means that you can routinely reserve your boarding spot beginning 36 hours earlier than your flight.
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EarlyBird Test-In serves two apparent functions. First, it eliminates the human factor of forgetting to examine in precisely 24 hours earlier than your first flight.
Second, it scores you a boarding task that must be higher than these accessible 24 hours earlier than departure. The nearer the boarding move task is to A1, the sooner you board. The sooner you board, the higher number of seats and overhead bins you’ll have.
EarlyBird Test-In prices $15 to $25 per particular person per route of journey. The worth varies by flight and represents an actual financial funding when you’ve got a number of folks touring. For our household of 4, we’d be out as much as $200 through the use of EarlyBird Test-In on a round-trip Southwest journey.
Nevertheless, word that a number of Southwest bank cards provide a couple of EarlyBird Test-Ins on every card anniversary. For these with the Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Card, Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Card and Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Enterprise Card, you will obtain two EarlyBird Test-Ins per 12 months.
Moreover, the EarlyBird Test-In charge ought to set off The Platinum Card® from American Specific annual airline charge credit score when you’ve got chosen Southwest as your airline for the 12 months.
Whereas Southwest has versatile insurance policies for altering your flight, the cash you spend on EarlyBird Test-In shouldn’t be refundable. Should you cancel your flight, Southwest does not refund your EarlyBird Test-In buy.
Should you change your flight at the very least 25 hours earlier than the unique flight’s scheduled departure to a flight that does not depart for at the very least 25 hours, then the EarlyBird Test-In will switch — so long as the affirmation quantity stays the identical.
Associated: Every little thing you must find out about one of the best seats on Southwest Airways
Is Southwest EarlyBird Test-In value it?
Given all that, is Southwest EarlyBird Test-In value it?
For some folks, this reply will all the time be no. The precise boarding place is not all that vital to some vacationers, and different passengers could also be unable to afford the additional value. In the meantime, some household vacationers might be okay with household boarding. In any case, Southwest provides household boarding the place “two adults touring with a toddler six years previous or youthful” can board.
Household boarding takes place between the A and B teams. So, if your loved ones meets the household boarding standards, a Group A boarding move will aid you, however a Group B boarding move will harm you.
In my expertise, in the event you’re eligible for household boarding, there may be completely no cause to buy EarlyBird Test-In as your loved ones could have no drawback sitting collectively.
When you’ve got the finances to contemplate shopping for EarlyBird Test-In, it could be value it in a couple of circumstances. First, EarlyBird Test-In could be value it if the flight is particularly lengthy, reminiscent of a Southwest flight to Hawaii. The size makes seat choice extra worthwhile.
Second, if your loved ones or group should sit all collectively — and also you both do not qualify for household boarding otherwise you’re anxious there will not be sufficient seats left collectively — it could possibly be value it.
The early check-in could be value it if you recognize you may be too busy on the 24-hour mark to examine in. Final however not least, if having EarlyBird Test-In reduces your stress or anxiousness concerning the flight, that alone may be value the associated fee.
Now that my household now not qualifies for household boarding, we’d think about buying it for choose flights — particularly when touring throughout standard college break durations.
However usually, I’m fairly good with checking in proper on the 24-hour mark. I additionally do not thoughts sitting at the back of the aircraft with my household or splitting up into pairs. That may not work for each household, although, making the charge extra of a necessity.
Lastly, know you can buy EarlyBird Test-In only for one route of your journey or simply for a couple of vacationers. Briefly, it does not need to be an all-or-nothing determination. Should you solely need to buy EarlyBird Test-In for some vacationers, buy the flights in your whole group after which log in so as to add EarlyBird Test-In to the present itinerary for the specified vacationers.
Associated: How one can reprice a Southwest flight when the fare decreases
Southwest bank cards to offset the associated fee
As talked about all through, there are 5 completely different bank cards to assist offset the price of EarlyBird Test-In and Upgraded Boarding. So here is a recap of the cardboard advantages and the present welcome provides:
- Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Credit score Card: Earn a Companion Cross (good by Feb. 28, 2025) plus 30,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 in your card within the first three months from account opening. The provide ends March 11. With this card, you will obtain two EarlyBird Test-Ins per cardmember anniversary 12 months.
- Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card: Earn a Companion Cross (good by Feb. 28, 2025) plus 30,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 in your card within the first three months from account opening. The provide ends March 11. With this card, you will obtain two EarlyBird Test-Ins per cardmember anniversary 12 months.
- Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card: Earn a Companion Cross (good by Feb. 28, 2025) plus 30,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 in your card within the first three months from account opening. The provide ends March 11. With this card, you will obtain 4 Upgraded Boardings per cardmember anniversary 12 months.
- Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Enterprise Credit score Card: 60,000 factors after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. With this card, you will obtain two EarlyBird Test-Ins per cardmember anniversary 12 months.
- Southwest Fast Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card: 80,000 factors after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. With this card, you will obtain 4 Upgraded Boardings per cardmember anniversary 12 months.
Backside line
At $15 to $25 per particular person every means, Southwest EarlyBird Test-In may be value the associated fee. Nevertheless, it will not all the time be a slam-dunk deal — particularly if household boarding is an choice in your group. It additionally will not assure a Group A boarding move.
Should you resolve to buy Southwest EarlyBird Test-In, you possibly can earn bonus factors through the use of the correct bank card for the acquisition. Or, think about selecting up a Southwest bank card, since all of them provide a set variety of Upgraded Boarding or EarlyBird Test-In perks per 12 months. In any other case, think about placing your EarlyBird Test-In buy on a card that reimburses miscellaneous airline charges.
