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A-List Prefered Assigned B group

Jemonz
Explorer C

First time experience of dedicated Southwest traveler with A List Prefered status with companion pass being assigned B Group. If you change flights 24 hours to departure  A List Prefered doesn’t matter. 

4 REPLIES 4

Re: A-List Prefered Assigned B group

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Surely you know that A-Listers who receive a B (or C) boarding position can board at the end of the A group, before Family Boarding.

 

If that's not adequate, inquire about Upgraded Boarding ($30/$40/$50 if available) at the gate.

Re: A-List Prefered Assigned B group

bec102896
Aviator A

Hello 

Sorry you got a B boarding pass as an A List preferred member 

 

if you book your flight less than 36 hours out and especially less than 24 hours out the As may be gone and you could very well get a B or C boarding pass because they can't unassign someone else's boarding pass to give you the better A boarding pass. Also if you take advantage of the same day standby you have a very high probability of a B or C boarding pass but if you are cleared before boarding you can take advantage of one of the following options.

 

You do have a couple of options though if you don't want the B boarding pass 

1. Board between the A and B groups 

2. Spend the $30-$50 upgraded boarding fee if available on your flight to get A1-15 

 

i am A List preferred as well and I hate it when I don't get A boarding when I book less than 36 hours out but it happens luckily you should still be able to get a good seat by boarding between A and B groups

 

happy travels

Blake  

Re: A-List Prefered Assigned B group

joechenevey
Explorer C

I just had this happen to me (also A-List Preferred with Companion Pass) for the very first time on a family vacation that I booked with points close to 2 months in advance. In my case, I got B-20 a flight to PHX. So is it concievable that there at least 45 (excluding Business Select A1-A15) other A-list Preferred on this flight that booked as far in advance as I did? Plus another 19 people who got assigned ahead of me in the B boarding group? So while it may happen if you book within 36 hours, I was taken aback that it happened on a reservation booked so far in advance. I can't think of any scenario where this should have happened in my case.

 

It's a really nice benefit for A-listers who don't get an A boarding pass to board after the A boarding group, that doesn't help much when you're also travelling with family. That's the other part of my story. I purchased early-bird check-in for the rest of my family (so that I don't have to try to save seats) and they got B boarding group as well. I realize early-bird doesn't guarantee you A boarding group, but it's happens more often than not. For whatever reason the travel gods were not kind to me and I got a double whammy of not getting any of us in the A group. That's the oddity of it.

 

As you noted, the only thing I can do is to possibly purchase upgraded boarding.

Re: A-List Prefered Assigned B group

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@joechenevey wrote:

I just had this happen to me (also A-List Preferred with Companion Pass) for the very first time on a family vacation that I booked with points close to 2 months in advance. In my case, I got B-20 a flight to PHX. So is it concievable that there at least 45 (excluding Business Select A1-A15) other A-list Preferred on this flight that booked as far in advance as I did? Plus another 19 people who got assigned ahead of me in the B boarding group?


This definitely sounds like a software glitch. There were some reports of this happening when the new ticketing system first came out, but I hadn't heard on this community any more about it and assumed it was fixed.

 


@joechenevey wrote:

 

It's a really nice benefit for A-listers who don't get an A boarding pass to board after the A boarding group, that doesn't help much when you're also travelling with family. That's the other part of my story. I purchased early-bird check-in for the rest of my family (so that I don't have to try to save seats) and they got B boarding group as well. I realize early-bird doesn't guarantee you A boarding group, but it's happens more often than not. For whatever reason the travel gods were not kind to me and I got a double whammy of not getting any of us in the A group. That's the oddity of it.

 

As you noted, the only thing I can do is to possibly purchase upgraded boarding.


You should be able to let the gate agent know that you would normally board at "A61" as an A-list preferred member, but that you'll be deferring that position to board with your EBCI family. (Or board at A61 and hold some spots, it isn't like you weren't supposed to be boarding much earlier probably around that same position or better.)

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.