Huff Post Travel, January 22,2013
For those who just can't stand to board their flight with the general masses, Southwest Airlines has the solution. The Dallas-based carrier has introduced an early boarding option...for a fee.
The new $40 fee will guarantee that certain passengers will be one of the first 15 on the plane, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Southwest does not have assigned seating, the Associated Press points out. Instead, passengers board in three groups: A, B and C.
Passengers already had the option of paying $10 for Southwest’s Early Bird Check-In, which nudges them up in the boarding queue. But, the new early boarding passes, which can be purchased at the gate up to 45 minutes before the flight, are a guarantee of priority.
The program, which launched Monday, was introduced after it received positive feedback on a test run last month in January, reports The Dallas Morning News.