Southwest Airlines is undergoing a major change to its boarding process. This new system will be rolled out over the next year or so. It will include pre-boarding for certain groups of passengers. There will also be designated space in the gate area for families to board.
One of the major reasons for this change is that Southwest wants to reduce pressure on families to check in early. In recent years, the turnaround time has increased to about 40 minutes.
Southwest’s new boarding process is expected to cut down on delays and eliminate paperwork. The company’s new process will allow passengers to line up on one side of the boarding pole, rather than on both sides.
However, the program will be tested in Atlanta. During the trial, Southwest will allow families with young children to board the plane before the “A” boarding group.
The new program will be rolled out over the next few years in phases. Some of the changes will be made nationwide.
One of the biggest changes is that families will be allowed to pre-board the aircraft. Families will be able to board the aircraft ahead of the A group and the B group.
Passengers can also choose their seats. Before, Southwest would assign seats to passengers. Typically, first boarding numbers would get the front seats, while lower numbers would be assigned middle seats toward the back of the aircraft.
Families who fly with the same ticket as a member of the A-list, Preferred, or Philosophy will be able to board the aircraft before the “A” and “B” groups.
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