Digital Upgraded Boarding is now live
#1
Company Representative, Southwest Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Dallas & Indy
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 104
Digital Upgraded Boarding is now live
Hello from the Southwest Dallas Command Center FT Friends.
Well, we flipped the switch to turn on Digital Self Service Upgraded Boarding around 2am this morning. You can find offers to upgrade eligible itineraries starting from 24 hours prior to check in within the check in flow, on upcoming trip cards, and in our menu navigation. Check it out across our app and our websites.
Learn more in our Help Center https://www.southwest.com/help/day-o...ng-information
We hope you enjoy the ability to upgrade your boarding position now easily without having to wait to go to the counter. All in an effort to continue to improve your Customer Experience.
As always, thank you to all our Southwest Customers who book with us so that we can continue to improve your experience.
Side notes - we also recently changed the digital check in cutoff time to 20 minutes, vs 60 minutes - likely reducing 200 thousand errors a year due to last minute boarding pass requests. We also improved our check-in error messages to provide better context if attempting to check in too early, or if there was a name typo. And to top it off - our Help Center is now 100% mobile friendly. Soon we hope to launch lap child self-service booking as well split reservations. Hope to be able to share more about these with you soon.
We’re trying to improve your experience on all fronts. We hope you enjoy the current and upcoming improvements y’all!
With LUV,
Mark
Well, we flipped the switch to turn on Digital Self Service Upgraded Boarding around 2am this morning. You can find offers to upgrade eligible itineraries starting from 24 hours prior to check in within the check in flow, on upcoming trip cards, and in our menu navigation. Check it out across our app and our websites.
Learn more in our Help Center https://www.southwest.com/help/day-o...ng-information
We hope you enjoy the ability to upgrade your boarding position now easily without having to wait to go to the counter. All in an effort to continue to improve your Customer Experience.
As always, thank you to all our Southwest Customers who book with us so that we can continue to improve your experience.
Side notes - we also recently changed the digital check in cutoff time to 20 minutes, vs 60 minutes - likely reducing 200 thousand errors a year due to last minute boarding pass requests. We also improved our check-in error messages to provide better context if attempting to check in too early, or if there was a name typo. And to top it off - our Help Center is now 100% mobile friendly. Soon we hope to launch lap child self-service booking as well split reservations. Hope to be able to share more about these with you soon.
We’re trying to improve your experience on all fronts. We hope you enjoy the current and upcoming improvements y’all!
With LUV,
Mark
#2
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,617
I noticed the offer to upgrade boarding on the app this morning, and I wondered why I hadn’t noticed it before.
I hope the A-list same day change feature gets the same treatment.
I expect upgraded boarding to sell out hours before departure on many long flights. This is going to make a lot of money for Southwest. I’m a little ashamed that we on FT didn’t think of adding advance sales to upgraded boarding.
I hope the A-list same day change feature gets the same treatment.
I expect upgraded boarding to sell out hours before departure on many long flights. This is going to make a lot of money for Southwest. I’m a little ashamed that we on FT didn’t think of adding advance sales to upgraded boarding.
#4
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 341
Side notes - we also recently changed the digital check in cutoff time to 20 minutes, vs 60 minutes - likely reducing 200 thousand errors a year due to last minute boarding pass requests. We also improved our check-in error messages to provide better context if attempting to check in too early, or if there was a name typo. And to top it off - our Help Center is now 100% mobile friendly. Soon we hope to launch lap child self-service booking as well split reservations. Hope to be able to share more about these with you soon.
#5
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: ORD
Posts: 82
This makes me a little concerned that it's going to become much harder to get last minute Business Select tickets. A lot of times when traveling for work I'll make last minute changes and will usually book BS. It's not a huge deal since currently I'm A+, but as it stands now I might not even make it to A-list for next year. The thought of boarding at the end of C group makes me wonder if I should do a mileage run for A-list...
#6
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 625
This makes me a little concerned that it's going to become much harder to get last minute Business Select tickets. A lot of times when traveling for work I'll make last minute changes and will usually book BS. It's not a huge deal since currently I'm A+, but as it stands now I might not even make it to A-list for next year. The thought of boarding at the end of C group makes me wonder if I should do a mileage run for A-list...
#7
Company Representative, Southwest Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Dallas & Indy
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 104
Hi there - great question. Our first phase will enable lap child booking for dollar bookings at time of booking. It will still require a visit to an airport kiosk to print the boarding verification document, but will save you the data entry steps. Right now about ⅓ of people with lap children call in to add them prior to travel and another ⅓ do them in the Full Service line at the airport. We will learn with this first phase and then evaluate subsequent changes to continue to improve this experience for Customers.
So, it’s a step in the right direction but we have more steps to take before it becomes ideal.
We hope to have that first phase in production before the end of the year.
Hope that provides more context and thank you for your support of Southwest!
So, it’s a step in the right direction but we have more steps to take before it becomes ideal.
We hope to have that first phase in production before the end of the year.
Hope that provides more context and thank you for your support of Southwest!
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Last minute before t-24 still available for BizSelect, so only impact are those doing new flight inside the 24 hour.
#9
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: SJC, SFO, MRY
Programs: Southwest ALP, United 2MM Lifetime Platinum, HH Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 142
I noticed the offer to upgrade boarding on the app this morning, and I wondered why I hadn’t noticed it before.
I hope the A-list same day change feature gets the same treatment.
I expect upgraded boarding to sell out hours before departure on many long flights. This is going to make a lot of money for Southwest. I’m a little ashamed that we on FT didn’t think of adding advance sales to upgraded boarding.
I hope the A-list same day change feature gets the same treatment.
I expect upgraded boarding to sell out hours before departure on many long flights. This is going to make a lot of money for Southwest. I’m a little ashamed that we on FT didn’t think of adding advance sales to upgraded boarding.
#10
Join Date: May 2003
Location: VA
Programs: Marriott: LTP
Posts: 386
Well, that is good to know. But, as others have already mentioned: not so good for the value of the BizSelect product. When BizSelect came online, it was nice to know that there could be a spot saved in the A1-15 queue for last minute changes. Now it seems less likely to be available.
#11
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: BNA and FLL
Programs: National Executive Elite, IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Gold, SW A List, Marriott Gold
Posts: 964
Another question, Will the upgraded boarding purchases code as such that they will qualify to be credited back for the 4 free upgraded boardings that come with the Chase SW Priority card?
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
#13
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: BNA and FLL
Programs: National Executive Elite, IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Gold, SW A List, Marriott Gold
Posts: 964
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Once somebody does it, we will know.
100% sure SWA will fix it if it happens.
#15
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: SJC, SFO, MRY
Programs: Southwest ALP, United 2MM Lifetime Platinum, HH Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 142
Answered my own question, as it does not appear to show which A1-A15 you will be granted until after payment. This is one thing I will extremely miss about only being able to buy upgraded boarding at the check-in counter or gate, especially when I was extra early.