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Southwest Airlines has long had a love-it-or-hate-it boarding process. It was one that made checking in early key to securing a good boarding position. But that version is, sadly, now gone. As of January 27, 2026, the Dallas-based airline has rolled out a new boarding process.
In this guide, we'll compare Southwest's old and new boarding procedures and cover several free and paid ways to improve your boarding position.
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How Southwest Airlines’ Boarding Process Used to Work
Most airlines offer assigned seating, allowing you to select your exact seat when purchasing your ticket. Southwest Airlines, however, historically used an open-seating model.
When boarding a Southwest flight, you could choose any available seat. That made the check-in and boarding process both unique and competitive.
The process involved checking in exactly 24 hours before departure to try to secure the best possible boarding position within the A, B, or C groups. Then, at the airport, passengers would line up at numbered posts near the gate. When your boarding group was called, you’d line up in numerical order within your assigned group.
Those days are now over. And one has to wonder what will happen to all those boarding stanchions at Southwest gates across the country…
How Southwest’s New Boarding Process Works
Now that the change has taken effect, Southwest boards its planes more like other airlines with structured boarding groups. Southwest now has eight boarding groups, and your placement depends on several factors, including the fare you purchased, your Southwest Rapid Rewards status, and whether you hold a Southwest credit card.
See the chart below for more details.
| Group # | Passengers |
|---|---|
| Group 1-2 | • Choice Extra fare • Purchased Extra Legroom seat • A-List Preferred members • A-List members who upgraded to Extra Legroom seat |
| Group 3-5 | • Choice Preferred fare • A-List members • Southwest credit card holders (Group 5) |
| Group 6-8 | • Choice fare • Basic fare (last to board) |
Passengers can still check in starting 24 hours before departure to obtain their boarding pass, but there's no longer a rush to check in early just to secure a better boarding position.
Ways to Improve Your Southwest Airlines Boarding Group
As you can gather from the above, there are several ways to improve your boarding group.
Book a Choice Preferred or Choice Extra fare
Purchasing a higher fare class can move you into an earlier boarding group, as high as Group 1 with a Choice Extra fare. However, these fares often come at a significantly higher price.
Just see the screenshot below for proof…
Southwest has leaned into added benefits on these higher fare tiers, including free checked bags, advanced seat selection, and priority boarding.
Paying for a higher fare may make sense if you don't otherwise qualify for earlier boarding through elite status, credit card benefits, or other qualifying factors.
Hold Rapid Rewards elite status
Southwest Airlines offers two elite status tiers: A-List and A-List Preferred.
You can earn A-List status by flying 20 one-way cash flight segments or earning 35,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year. A-List Preferred requires 40 one-way cash flight segments or 70,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year.
Both tiers offer earlier boarding benefits, including access to priority check-in and boarding lanes. These benefits also extend to passengers traveling on the same reservation as the elite member.
Reserve an Extra Legroom seat
Extra Legroom seats are exactly what they sound like. They're Southwest's roomier seats located toward the front of the plane. Whether you purchase an Extra Legroom seat outright or upgrade to one starting 48 hours before departure, doing so can improve your boarding group.
A-List members, as well as cardholders of the Southwest Priority Card (Rates & Fees) and Southwest Performance Business Card (Rates & Fees), can select an Extra Legroom seat starting 48 hours before departure at no additional cost (when available).
$229Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$299Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Unlock earlier boarding with a Southwest credit card
As with many aspects of the ever-changing Southwest Rapid Rewards program, having a Southwest credit card can make boarding easier. Even if you book a Basic fare, which is otherwise assigned “Last to Board” under Southwest's new process, you'll receive Group 5 boarding simply by being a Southwest cardholder.
If you're planning to fly Southwest in 2026 and don't already have a card, here are some of your Southwest credit card options:
$99Rates & Fees
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$229Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$299Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: How to Choose the Right Southwest Airlines Credit Card
Purchase Priority Boarding
Travelers who don't qualify through any of the above methods have one final option: purchasing Priority Boarding. In line with Southwest's increasingly fee-driven model, this paid option lets eligible passengers board even before Group 1.
It functions similarly to the “Upgraded Boarding” benefit under the old system. Priority Boarding can be especially valuable for Basic or Choice fare passengers who want earlier access to overhead bin space, which is now at more of a premium since Southwest has introduced checked bag fees.
You can purchase Priority Boarding starting 24 hours before departure by visiting your reservation online or in the Southwest app. Pricing typically ranges from $20 to $40 per segment, per passenger, depending on the route and other factors.
If you have a connecting itinerary, you can choose to purchase Priority Boarding for all segments once check-in opens for your first flight. Availability is limited, so this option may not always be offered.
New Pre-Boarding Policies Under Southwest’s Boarding Changes
Now that you have your boarding group, what will the actual process look like? Southwest has also made some adjustments to its pre-boarding procedures.
Passengers with qualifying disabilities
Under the new system, pre-boarding is still available before general boarding for passengers with qualifying disabilities. If you believe you qualify, check with a gate agent before boarding begins.
If approved, you'll receive a new boarding pass marked “PRBD,” which alerts the boarding agent that you're authorized to pre-board.
One travel companion is typically allowed to pre-board with you, though gate agents may make exceptions in certain situations. Gate agents may also ask a few questions to determine eligibility before granting pre-boarding access.
Families and companions
Under the old system, family boarding took place between Groups A and B for passengers traveling with children ages 6 and under. That process has been eliminated. Families are now assigned a boarding group like everyone else, based on the factors discussed above.
Southwest states that all passengers on the same reservation, up to eight travelers, will be assigned the same boarding group, with the exception of group travel reservations. Passengers booked as part of a formal group reservation will instead be assigned boarding groups based on their individual seat assignments.
It's also important to note that boarding together and sitting together are two different things. Depending on how seats were selected, or if they were randomly assigned with a Basic fare, your group may or may not be seated together.
However, everyone on the same reservation should still be assigned the same boarding group.
Likewise, companions traveling on the same reservation as a Companion Pass holder will receive the same boarding group benefits, whether those are based on fare type, elite status, or credit card perks.
Active duty military
Active-duty members of the U.S. military with a valid military ID may also pre-board before Group 1.
Once pre-boarding is complete, Southwest will board passengers by group, similar to most other airlines. Gate areas should have signage indicating where Groups 1 and 2 can line up, and so on. Expect passengers to begin gathering near the gate as their boarding group is called.
Bottom Line
Southwest has moved away from its non-traditional boarding and seating process in favor of a more standard boarding group approach. Regardless of the system, there are still several ways to secure an earlier boarding position, either for free or by paying for added perks.
If boarding early matters to you, understanding these options can help you get on the plane sooner and make the most of your new Southwest travel experience.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
