A-List does in fact guarantee you an "A" boarding position. A 1-15 are reserved for BS fares and gate upgrades ($40). They are usually not all sold. Next is A-List Preferred then A-List. I find as A-List I generally get a boarding pass lower that A-30. I have never been in the "B" group although others have reported that. Often that is the result of purchasing an last minute ticket. In the rare case you might not actually get a "A" boarding position you are allowed to board after the A Group "A-61".
In the past I have generally flown Southwest for leisure and Airtran for business, because they had better flights from my home airport to the destinations iI need to get to. I much prefer the Airtran product.
That said I am giving Southwest a try. This year I have moved all of my bookings to Southwest.com but am booking as many Airtran flights as possible. I will certainly make A-List my own this year.
Last edited by rsteinmetz70112; Mar 4, 2014 at 11:17 pm