@vollyhawk wrote:
Very good data, and I agree with almost all of what you said; however,
A. Southwest could make this better with a software change by cutting off Early Bird purchases when all A Group boarding passes are gone.
-or-
B. Allow Early Bird people who have paid real $$ to board before family boarding.
It is that simple, but they won't because this is about income via the EB fees collected.
Purchasing EB amounts to "gambling". You are paying money and hoping you get an A Boarding pass and you have no idea if you will or not. Why should there be a gamble? S/W should just insure that you'll go as soon as possible over anyone else who didn't pay extra.
I also didn't touch on gate agents enforcement of Southwest policy for family boarding, although many others do on here.
Gate agents often send those needing extra time to get down the gangway first. Even before A Boarding. They also do not enforce the family boarding policy of two adults only with the child or children under 7. I see huge families line up, aunts, uncles, etc.
I just don't believe the company should sell Early Bird boarding if you don't board before families holding C boarding passes. If families want to sit close to each other, then they should have to buy that option.
I can see the idea to cap EB sales but I don't think the airline is going to consider changing this policy as the primary benefit of EB is "Automatic check-in" per the Marketing language on their website; the second being "Better boarding position" with the statement that an A-position is not guaranteed. There are passengers who like the convenience of having the airline do an auto-check in and are willing to pay for it. Capping EB sales would alienate this group.
Even in my "You're going to (destination)" confirmation emails, the marketing message for EB is "Don't miss out on automatic check-in: EarlyBird Check-In reserves your boarding position at 36 hours before your flight, earlier than regular check-in."
As mentioned, I don't opt for EB because I have the ability to check in at the 24 hour mark and can purchase Upgraded Boarding if I get a deep-in-the-B boarding position.
I believe Family Boarding is where it needs to be and left as-is because it involves traveling with children ages six and under; it is best that there be enough open seats on the plane where the child can sit together with at least one of the accompanying adults.
If you're looking for a solid A-position, I would suggest going forward if you book WGA or WGA+ (and if you're able to check in manually at the 24 hour mark) to opt for Upgraded Boarding once you check in instead of buying EB.
Purchasing for Upgraded Boarding opens at the 24 hour mark to sell the remaining A1-A15 slots that were not sold as part of Business Select. It does cap out once all of the A1-A15 slots are sold. It's a little more pricey than EB and the benefit is per flight segment, but if there are spots available, you'll be in the A1-A15 group. I've always been able to snag a solid position at the 24 mark, even for full flights headed in the peak travel direction (e.g. SAN to LAS on a Friday). Just keep in mind that Upgraded Boarding is not refundable and any passenger-initiated same-day flight changes or standby's forfeits the purchase.
https://www.southwest.com/upgraded-boarding/
I would also still send your original letter to Southwest and they should also be able to provide you with some official information and tips on these two services.
Also, being a frequent flyer, do you think you may hit A-List before 2024? If so, that's another option as you'll be ahead of both the EB and Anytime fare group in terms of boarding position if you buy your flight at least 36 hours in advance. You'll also be able to board in between the A and B groups as a worst case scenario.
Hope this helps!
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