ok.bye

Hello,

I did a quick search and couldn't find anything on this topic. But I'll apologize in advance if this was mentioned before.

I'm on the A-List and have always had questions on how this really works. Here's my confusion.

1) Will I be behind or before EB? So is it Business Class, EB, then A-List or Business Class, A-List, then EB (I'm excluding pre-boarders)?

2) If more than one person is on the A-List, how is the order resolved? Is it whoever checks in first among the A-Listers or whoever has the most segments flown for the year or entirely another method?

Just curious to see if there's any benefit for me to still check in ASAP. If you can shed your insight, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

tusphotog

1) The boarding order is pre-boards (medical folks)-->Biz Select-->A-list-->EB and then the regular folks.

2) I don't think anyone knows how A-list order works. I fly 100 or so segments a year, but my numbers are all over the place. I had a high of A38 on a TUS-LAX flight and A32 on a SAN-SMF flight. I'm normally in the A16-20 range, usually A18.

I have yet to figure out if check in time helps. I don't think it does. I normally just verify I'm checked in around midnight on the day of departure.

ok.bye

Thanks for your reply, tusphotog.

I've also been as high as A40. So I'm lead to believe that EB is BEFORE A-Listers. I doubt that there are more than 25 people on the A-List on one flight. But I guess I could be wrong...

Anyone know the answer to my second question?

tusphotog

On my intra CA flights, especially Monday mornings heading to Sacramento, there are a lot of A-listers. I wouldn't be surprised if there are 30-40 on some of the commuter flights I've been on. I hear the same goes for the DAL-HOU legs.

JerryFF

"When you’re a Rapid Rewards A-List Member, travel becomes that much easier!

Get the best boarding pass number available – most likely an “A”– when you purchase your travel at least 36 hours prior to your flight."

Since EB #s are assigned at 36 hrs, this must mean that if you are a A lister, you will get a better boarding number than the EBs.

lougord99

A-list are also assigned at 36 hours.

ok.bye

Yeah, I agree their wording is ambiguous at best. There has to someone on the A-List that has had a friend (that wasn't on the A-List) check-in using EB....

I've asked this question to a SW rep a few times, and none of them had any ideas. I guess it's a mystery for us all.

6Strong

Southwest's website clearly says that EB comes AFTER BS and A-List:

"EarlyBird boarding positions will be assigned after Business Select and A-List Customers."

Nobody -- really nobody -- knows how the A-List is ordered for boarding except WN employees. And despite numerous requests on FT for insight into A-List boarding, no employee is coughing up any details. The best assumption is that A-Listers are assigned BPs in order of segment seniority, which from my experience, seems true.

It is very reasonable that you may get BPs in the high As even with A-List status. WN has a healthy group of frequent business travelers and on weekday flights between busy cities, there is almost always a large group of A-Listers who invariably travel a lot.

32 segments may be enough for us to qualify as "frequent fliers" but as tusphotog can attest, even 100 segments per year does not give guaranteed access to the upper eschelons of frequent fliers. No matter how much you (or I) think that we travel, there is always someone who travels more.

rove312

It's been speculated that A-listers are ordered by revenue (total fares paid in last year or whenever).

Beckles

I often travel with a co-worker, we're both A-List. Our fares, check-in time, and many other factors are always similar, but he always gets a better boarding position then me, and his is always very good (I don't think I've seen him get one as high as A-20 even). The one difference between us is that he flies more segments per year than I do on Southwest. I have little doubt that number of segments flown is the primary tie-breaker for A-List ordering.

nsx

On my Monday flights, "Mr. A16" is almost always present. He flies about 90 RTs per year. That's why he never ever gets A17. He purchases most tickets a month or two in advance at the lowest fares he can find.

lougord99

I only barely fly the 32 segments and the only time I am below A25 is when the aircraft is essentially empty and a non-prime business time. Usually I am at least A30.

ok.bye

Thanks for that info, 6Strong.

And it's good to hear others opinions/comments as well. Sounds like the total number of segments do matter. Now, I see no point of rushing to check-in exactly at T-24 hours. ^

nswat

While I have only flown Southwest once, I do remember that my BP was A3 and I was first on the plane after the preboarders

jrpaguia

Haha...I used to be Mr. A17* when I commuted on Sunday nights. The past 3 weeks, I've been taking the Monday morning (645am! ) flights and it is like deja vu with the ladies and gentlemen of A16-A29 queued up in the same order (I should've taken pics as I sat back with my lowly A30).

*Our Mr. A16 flew 2x as much (and for much longer) as I did.