It'll cost you.
Starting 45 minutes before
a flight's departure, any remaining spots in the airline's "A"
boarding group can now be purchased for a $40 fee payable by credit card.
"Offering customers
the option to improve their boarding position on day of travel is one more way
we can offer the travel experience that best fits their needs," said Kevin
Krone, Southwest Airlines vice president of marketing, sales and distribution,
in a press release.
The airline doesn't assign
seats but it does give certain fliers the right to board before other fliers.
They include people who buy Business Select Fares, Rapid Rewards Members with
A-List and A-List Preferred status, and EarlyBird Check-In customers. Those
early boarders have first crack at the best seats and overhead bin space.
Got that? Southwest's
boarding practices are unusual enough compared to other airlines that they've
got an online tutorial.
"This is yet another
of several recent attempts by Southwest to add peripheral fees so that it can
raise revenues without tarnishing its image," wrote Brett Snyder,
president of The Cranky Flier, in an e-mail. "Southwest's elite
travelers won't like that people can buy their way to the front of the line,
but it will be welcomed by those at the back. This is the first effort
Southwest has made to allow people to better their position once they know
their boarding number."
The airline does offer two free pieces of
checked baggage, so there's no need to fight over overhead space unless you
need it.
AirTran Airways, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, is not charging this fee.
However, Southwest continues its program of repainting AirTran planes in
Southwest colors, putting them back into service as Southwest flights and
charging Southwest fares and fees, a Southwest spokeswoman confirmed.
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It's interesting to see how airlines like Southwest are exploring new revenue streams while attempting to maintain their unique customer-friendly image. While they have historically avoided many of the fees common among other carriers, this move to allow passengers to purchase a spot in the coveted "A" boarding group is a notable change. This flexibility could be beneficial for passengers in a hurry, but it also reflects a broader trend in industries where services are increasingly unbundled, allowing customers to choose the specific add-ons they value. In the realm of academia, similar trends can be observed with services like nursing dissertation writing services, where students can tailor their support to meet their specific academic needs.
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