A Dallas-based airline has reduced the amount of “Early Bird” seating available to customers.
Southwest Airlines updated its boarding policy on August 15 to include new limits on the amount of early-boarding seating available to passengers.
While Southwest has not entirely removed the ability for customers to purchase Early Bird Check-In, the carrier said it was “limiting the number of spots available for purchase on certain flights, routes, or days” as it worked to complete various “product enhancements.”
As a result of the policy change, Southwest said the service will be “unavailable for some customers looking to purchase it,” NBC 5 DFW reported.
A spokesperson for Southwest did not indicate how many early-boarding seats would be available going forward, only that the carrier was limiting access to the Early Bird Check-in option under certain circumstances.
“Many initiatives are underway across the Company to modernize the Customer Experience and win more Customers,” the spokesperson told Travel + Leisure. “This focus brings an opportunity to evolve our fare and ancillary products while maintaining the value they bring to our Customers.”
Prior to the policy update, Southwest customers could pay a $15-$25 fee to skip ahead of other passengers in the boarding line, thus giving them a better chance of finding their preferred seat on the plane or having earlier access to overhead bin storage.
The perk could be obtained by contacting Southwest 36 hours in advance of a flight’s scheduled departure time. It was granted based on availability.
Early Bird Check-in became a popular option for passengers wanting to secure a coveted window seat or those seeking an aisle seat for the extra legroom. However, now that Southwest has placed limitations on the add-on, customers will instead have to board the plane in the same order they checked in.
While other U.S. airlines assign passengers their seats during check-in, Southwest instead offers its customers “open seating” based on an assigned boarding group (A, B, or C) and position (1 through 60).
The Dallas Express reached out to Southwest to find out how long it planned to keep the limitation in effect but had not heard back at the time of publishing.
