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We did get A 48-49 for our $25/each Early boarding purchase, but what we didn't know about PVR is that 4 of their gates (the highest numbered ones) are bus gates to remote stands. So, although they BOARD you A1-15, preboarding, A-16-30, etc, you are on the bus with other groups. And this is all poorly explained, with multiple parallel rope lines for the passengers. In our case, we were on the 2nd bus, with other "high As" and "low B's", about 45-50 people in all. I saw that the prior bus pulled up to the plane and opened the right side doors, so we stood near two of those doors only to have the plane pull up facing the rear, opening the left side doors. We were probably 15th or so to board (they used front and rear stairs, no ramps) and got Window/Middle in row 5 on a full flight. Certainly better than if we had checked in at T-24, but didn't feel we got real value from paying for the upgraded boarding.

We also didn't need to scan passports at PVR (and chuckled at the TSA Pre-Check printed on the passes), but we did need to show them at the gate to the busses.

And SNA re-entry was a dream, although the TSA agent noticed I hadn't signed my passport (new last year), which they missed twice at LAX in the past 8 months.