Southwest Airlines to increase early boarding fee on some flights

Southwest Airlines plans to increase its early boarding fee on some flights.

EarlyBird Check-In, which gives travelers a better boarding position in Southwest’s unique open seating system, will go from a flat $15 per person each way to $15, $20 or $25 depending on the length of the flight and the popularity of EarlyBird Check-In on the route. The switch to variable pricing, unveiled to employees Friday and due to be formally announced Monday, begins Aug. 29.

Southwest, which famously doesn't assign seats, introduced Early-Bird Check-In in 2009, charging $10 each way. It went up to $12.50 and then to $15 in 2016.

TODAY IN THE SKY: Southwest CEO: 'Let me be very blunt,' no assigned seats

"We’re making this change so we can continue offering a product our customers love,'' Southwest said in a statement. "Of course, an increase in the price of a product is rarely welcome news, but as EarlyBird increases in popularity, we want to protect the value it offers our customers.''

This will be the second fee increase for Southwest this year. Earlier this year, the airline raised its “upgraded boarding’’ fee. That is a last-minute option, available at the airport, to jump to the front of the boarding line.  It previously charged $30 or $40 each way but increased the fee to $50 on some flights. The going rate on a Chicago to Phoenix flight in July was $50. 

Southwest, the nation's largest domestic carrier, raised $358 million from EarlyBird fees in 2017. That’s peanuts compared with other airlines’ baggage fee revenue but a considerable amount of money for an airline that generally bills itself as fee-free.  

TODAY IN THE SKY: J.D. Power: Alaska Air, Southwest are the USA's best airlines for 2017

ARCHIVES: Debut of Southwest's international flying goes smoothly (story continues below)

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said on the airline’s earnings conference call in July that the company had new moneymakers on the horizon but provided no details beyond saying it still does not plan to charge for bags or assign seats.

In January, he didn’t rule out an increases in EarlyBird fees. When asked whether an increase was on the horizon given EarlyBird's popularity, Kelly was coy.

"We have to have some secrets,'' he said.

Kelly suggested an increase wasn't imminent, however.

"I think we’ve got a good opportunity to hold firm, at least for the meantime,'' he said.

EarlyBird Check-In causes confusion for many Southwest passengers, especially travelers unfamiliar with its lack of assigned seating. Travelers are instead assigned a boarding group (A, B or C) and position in that group (generally 1-60) when they check in online for their flight, and board in that order. Those who buy the early-bird option are assigned a boarding position 12 hours ahead of passengers who check in precisely when online check-in opens 24 hours before the flight.

Many travelers mistakenly believe paying the fee guarantees them an A boarding pass and a fast pass to the front of the line and their pick of prime seats.

EarlyBird Check-In improves your place in line but doesn't guarantee an A – or, in some cases, even a B – boarding pass.

That's because travelers who buy the airline's priciest Business Select fares or have status in the frequent-flier program are automatically ahead of them in line. The only way to guarantee an A boarding pass outside those groups is to pay the Upgraded Boading fee at the gate.

The increase in the EarlyBird fees on some flights is bound to intensify the debate about seat saving on Southwest. Passengers with a higher boarding position often save seats for members of their party boarding later.

Critics say seat saving increased with the advent of EarlyBird Check-In because some travelers pay for it for one member of their group and save seats for the others.

Southwest doesn't have a formal policy on seat saving. 

IN PICTURES: 30 cool aviation photos