Southwest raises fee for last-minute priority boarding

Southwest Airlines has quietly increased the fee to nab a prime boarding position at the last minute on some flights.

The airline, which famously does not assign seats, will now charge up to $50 one way to board in the first group of travelers.

Upgraded boarding was introduced in 2013. Southwest started out charging $40 per person each way and added a $30 option on some flights in 2015.

This month it added a $50 fee to the mix. Spokeswoman Thais Hanson said that fee applies only to a few "high demand'' markets but declined to name them.

The updated charges are listed in the airline's fee chart.

Southwest passengers board in three groups — A, B and C — and can take any open seat. Passengers are assigned boarding positions within each group based on factors including their frequent flier status, type of ticket and time of online check-in.

Passengers in the A group get the best seat selection, while those in C usually get stuck in middle seats and have trouble finding seats together.

Paying for better boarding positions

Southwest offers two paid options for better positions: EarlyBird Check In and upgraded boarding.

EarlyBird Check In costs $15 each way and netted Southwest $358 million in revenue last year. It improves your place in line but doesn't guarantee an A, or even a B in some cases, boarding pass.

That's because travelers who buy the airline's priciest Business Select fares or have status in the frequent flier program are automatically ahead of them in line. (Then there's the prickly issue of passengers who save seats for friends, family and colleagues farther back.)

The airline's best boarding passes, A1 through A15, are reserved for Business Select passengers, who board before everyone but those approved to pre-board. Many head straight for the roomier exit-row seats.

But not every flight has Business Select passengers, so Southwest decided it could make money by selling the unused positions at the gate. It calls that upgraded boarding. Some travelers see it as a waste of money, while others see it as a wise investment, especially if you're holding a C boarding pass on a cross-country flight.

The airline hasn't revealed recent statistics on upgraded boarding but the addition of a $50 fee in some markets suggests it's popular, too.

EarlyBird Check In costs $15

The EarlyBird Check In fee debuted in 2009 at $10. It went up to $12.50, then to $15 in March 2016. Asked in January whether an increase was on the horizon given EarlyBird's popularity, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly was coy.

"We have to have some secrets,'' he said.

Kelly suggested an increase wasn't imminent, however.

"I think we’ve got a good opportunity to hold firm, at least for the meantime,'' he said.

MORE ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

There's a chance Southwest flights to Hawaii will begin this year