Waah! Do you hear that? It’s the shrieking cry known as the “cattle call.” Southwest Airlines passengers know this sound all too well. Southwest doesn’t offer assigned seating. Instead, they group their customers into first-come, first-serve boarding zones: A, B, and C. Group “A” boards first and contains the first 45 passengers to check into the flight. The trick to getting a coveted Group “A” pass is checking-in online early 24 hours before the flight.
This boarding procedure has worked very well for the airline, but the company wants to attract those obsessed customers who have too much time on their hands. (You may know them as your parents.) Well, these people would make up Southwest’s new “Early Bird Class.” This Group “A+” allows for pre-pre-boarding giving them preferred treatment over Group “A” fliers and those passengers requiring extra time for boarding. Why should you have to board later because you didn’t break your leg anyway?
The only drawback to the program is that travelers must check-in at the airport 72 hours before the flight and remain at the gate to receive “A+.” If the passengers leave the airport before the flight, they lose their Class “A+” pass. Yes, it’s harsh, but these people can sit anywhere on the plane! Take that, assigned seating.
Southwest plans to roll out the new check-in and boarding procedures for “Early Bird Class” starting April 1st.