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Traveler Hilariously Explains Why They Love Southwest's Boarding Group C

Do you agree?

Ashlee Duncan/Courtesy of Southwest Airlines

Southwest's Boarding Group C isn't all that bad according to one enthusiastic traveler.

In a post on Reddit , a user described in detail the potential benefits and perils of being in the C Boarding Group. 

"Here are the things I love about being (near) last on the plane," the reddit user started his post and went on to list its perks of what may seem like an unfortunate situation.

A reminder for anyone who isn't a Southwest customer: the airline does not provide assigned seats, but instead boards by zones (A,B,C). As zones A & B make their way onto the plane, it sometimes leaves little options for Zone C to find open seats or baggage bin space. 

However, the social media user noted that fewer options was actually a positive.

“Less choices for overly taxed brain to make," they wrote. "Only two middle seats to choose from. Less stress, more action.”

They also noted that as one of the last people to board, the traveler celebrates the fact that they spend less time on the plane, as they are the final passenger to get on.  “By leaving it up to the Gods to decide my seat mates for flight (because I have no choice or free will to choose seats) [I'm] more likely to end up next to millionaire looking for good buddy to put in [their] will to inherit estate rather than kids,” the post continued. In the comments, other travelers jumped in to show their support for the writer's positive outlook on boarding with the C Group.

"I love your perspective and your attitude. You are the person I want to sit in the empty seat next to me," one person added. In an effort to avoid the Boarding Group C, Southwest recommends checking in right at 24 hours before the scheduled departure time, as the boarding position is assigned by the check-in time. If you happen to miss the early hours of the check-in window, passengers can purchase an upgraded boarding position. In the case of the Reddit traveler, they had switched from one flight to another, which left them with the C Boarding Group.  In an effort to make the C Boarding Group experience better, and for all passengers on the plane for that matter, Southwest recently shared that 90% of their planes have been upgraded with new Wi-fi that provides fast internet.

Related Articles

UponArriving

Southwest Airlines Group Travel Guide (Discounts, Number, etc.) [2021]

Traveling with a large number of people can be an extremely stressful experience. However, one of the major perks of traveling with a large group is that you can take advantage of special discounts and other benefits. Airlines like Southwest offer numerous advantages for group bookings and some of them can save you a lot of time and headache.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the Southwest Airlines Group Travel policy . I’ll cover things like discounts, deposits, and I will also talk about the savings. I’ll also show you the phone number that you need to call for group bookings and what to expect. 

Table of Contents

What is the Southwest Group Travel policy?

If you are traveling in a group of 10 or more passengers you can get exclusive discounts and added flexibility with your tickets by booking through the Southwest Group Travel Program. There are no strict requirements for the group but many common groups consist of:

• School groups
• Religious groups
• Family groups
• Sports groups

What are the Southwest Group travel benefits?

By booking with a group of 10 or more passengers you can take advantage of the following benefits:

• Flexible Payments:  No upfront payment required to create a Group reservation.
• No Extra Fees:  No booking, ticketing, or change fees.
• Unlimited Name Changes:  Unlimited name changes up to 72 hours prior to departure.
• Earn Roundtrip Tickets:  Earn one roundtrip ticket to be used on your Group’s itinerary for every 30th passenger booked (taxes and fees will apply).

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Things to know

$50 deposit.

While there is no upfront payment required to make a group reservation for you will be required to make a $50 deposit per passenger. This $50 deposit will not go towards your airfare cost and instead will be refunded within five business days after you have made your final payment.

Depending on how it is processed with your credit card provider it could take a statement or two for the refund show up. This unfortunately does put a bind on those dealing with smaller credit limits.

Note:  Credit card is the only approved form of payment for the deposit and payment may be made by uploading a completed and signed Letter of Authorization (LOA) form via  www.swagrouptravel.com  or by calling 1-800-433-5368.

Cancellation of your group reservation will result in forfeiture of the Deposit Amount. However, the passengers should still be eligible for travel funds , according to a rep I spoke with. 

Southwest group travel phone number

The Southwest group travel phone number is: 1(800)433-5368 . The line is open Monday through Friday from 5AM to to 12AM Central standard time.  Group bookings must be made via phone and cannot be made online. 

Something that you need to know about this phone number is that the hold times can be extremely long like this person who waited 4.5 hours . I doubt you will have to wait that long waits for over one or two hours are not that uncommon.

This is especially the case if you’re calling soon after a new schedule is released. So you should you’d be prepared to wait a very long time or try to call during non-peak hours.

Submitting passenger names

You will need to complete the Excel form which will allow you to input all the passenger names and then you can submit the form to the Southwest Airlines Group Travel Management page here . This spreadsheet template should be emailed to you after you contact Southwest via phone. 

You will need to complete all of the different fields which include:

• Group Leader Name
• Departure Date
• Confirmation Number
• Passport information will be required for International Reservations

For the passengers you will need:

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Redress number (if applicable)

I would suggest trying to get an exact match with the person’s government issued ID and the names that you input on the spreadsheet. You don’t always have to have an exact match with a middle name but I think that it helps.

If you need to make changes to the passenger names you can do this by entering your updates on the “Changes” tab on the Excel Name Template provided by Southwest Airlines. Remember that the names can be changed up to 72 hours prior to departure. 

Submitting your payment

If you have already submitted a complete name list, you may call 1-800-433-5368 to pay over the phone, using a credit card or PayPal. You may also upload a completed Letter of Authorization (LOA) form on the Southwest Airlines Group Travel Management page.

Southwest does not accept multiple payments.

If paying via wire transfer, be sure to call or email [email protected] at least seven business days before your final payment due date to receive the detailed instructions for sending your wire transfer

Group Tickets are flight and date specific and cannot be changed, used or exchanged for travel on other flights.

How much are the discounts?

The amount of the discounted fare is just going to vary based on your flight. Southwest usually offers several different rates for the same flight and only a select few people can take advantage of each fare.

So for example, the lowest fare may only be available to 6 to 8 passengers, the second lowest fare may only be available to the next six to eight passengers and so on. I have no idea about the exact quantity of passengers but you get the idea….

When you book as a group you should receive a fare that is lower than the average price but probably not as low as the lowest available fare. In some cases, it could be cheaper for passengers to book their own individual tickets.

However, this probably depends on the size of the group. For large groups I would guess that you would be paying a below average rate and would be better off with the group travel rate, especially considering the added flexibility.  

If you find a cheaper price online, Southwest is a little bit nebulous with what they will do. For example, that they answer this specific question by stating the following:

I saw a lower fare available on southwest.com versus what I was quoted through Group Travel Services. Can I get the website price in my group reservation? southwest.com  fares and Group fares differ in many ways, and each offers its own unique benefits. The best option for you is determined by your travel needs.  southwest.com  fares are often only available online and usually have limited quantities available. There may not be enough seats at the online price for your whole group.  southwest.com  fares tend to work best for small parties that don’t need much flexibility in their travel plans. Group fares work best for parties of ten or more who may require flexibility with name changes and payments.

This sounds like a nice way of telling you that you cannot get your price matched (or at least not a guaranteed match). It still probably would not hurt to call in and request the price match if you found it though. You never know what they might do.

TSA Pre-Check 

You are not able to enter your Known Traveler Number when making Southwest Group Travel reservations. This means that the passengers will likely not receive TSA Pre-check. If you are not familiar with TSA Pre-check, it is a program that allows you access to expedited security screening and can save you a lot of time. You can find out more about the program here . 

Rapid Rewards 

When you input the names of the passengers traveling you will not have a field to enter in the Rapid Rewards number. This means that the passengers will not automatically receive Rapid Rewards for their flight. However, it does appear possible to call in after the fact and request for Rapid Rewards to be issued.

Flights from multiple departure points

If you have a lot of people flying to a single place from different places around the country you might be wondering if you can also qualify for the group travel rates. Southwest does offer an option for situations like this but it will require a high number of passengers. 

Southwest Airlines offers a formal meetings program for corporate meetings and conventions with a minimum of 150 Travelers through SWABIZ. To make Southwest Airlines the official airline of your meeting and find out if you are eligible, visit  www.swabiz.com  and submit a Meetings Agreement Request form.

The group check-in process

The check-in process is a little bit different for Southwest Group Travel and the exact process for check in would depend on if you are flying on a domestic flight or international flight. Basically if your flight is a domestic flight you can check in the group or specific passengers but if you’re checking in for an international flight you will need to check in each passenger one at a time.

Below are the specific instructions provided by Southwest.  

Domestic Groups

1. Go to  southwest.com  and click “Check In” to reserve your boarding positions.  Enter the confirmation number and first and last name of any one of your travelers. 2. You have the option to either check in the entire Group, or select specific Passengers. 3. The names of successfully checked in Passengers along with their boarding positions will begin to populate on the screen one at a time.  Please note: Certain Passengers may not be eligible for online check in and must proceed to the ticket counter. 4. Once you arrive at the airport proceed to the ticket counter to receive your boarding passes.

International Groups

 1. Go to  southwest.com  and click ‘Check In’ to reserve your boarding positions. Enter the confirmation number and first and last name of any one of the travelers. 2. You will only be able to check in one Passenger at a time.  3. A valid passport and emergency contact information will be needed to complete the check in process. 4. Repeat steps 1 – 3 for each International Passenger.  4. Once you arrive at the airport proceed to the ticket counter to receive your boarding passes.

Southwest Group Travel boarding

If you are not familiar with the Southwest boarding process it works like this. You are given a boarding pass that falls into one of three groups: A, B, or C. You are then issued a number within that group and that is where you will line up to board the plane. There are no assigned seats so all seats are open to everyone. Read more about the boarding process here . 

Traveling with a group, you might be tempted to save seats on the plane. But you should be aware that many people frown upon saving seats on Southwest. My advice would be to head to the very back of the plane where people are more forgiving about you saving seats. 

You might be wondering about Southwest EarlyBird which is a service that allows you to check in automatically and secure a better boarding position for a fee of $15 to $25. Unfortunately,  Southwest EarlyBird is not available to tickets purchased as part of a Group itinerary.

Southwest Group Travel baggage fees

Southwest will allow you to travel with your first two checked bags for free. The applies even when traveling as a group. If you are wondering about the fees for additional bags or for oversized bags then click here for more on the Southwest baggage fee policy.

The Southwest Group Travel program can be a great way to fly with a large group because you can save money and get added flexibility with name changes. However, you will likely have to deal with really long wait times on the phone and will have to go without some benefits like EarlyBird and Pre-check.

If you’re dealing with a smaller group I would suggest comparing the prices of booking them individually to help people save money but it could all just depend on the route. 

Cover photo by  Tomás Del Coro  via  Flickr.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

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If you're traveling with a group of ten or more people, our Group Travel Program is for you! The program provides extra flexibility and discounted air fare to help make your travel experience affordable, easy, and fun.

Groups receive access to special discounts off published fares through our dedicated Group Travel Reservations Centers. In addition, there are no Saturday night stay or minimum stay requirements and no blackout dates. Learn more about group travel

Flexible Payments: No upfront payment required to create a Group reservation.

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Earn Roundtrip Tickets: For every 29 Group Tickets purchased, one Tour Conductor Ticket will be provided free of carrier charges  (taxes and fees will apply).

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Submit Final Payment: If you have already submitted a complete name list (for International travel name templates must include Passport information), you may call 1-800-433-5368 to pay over the phone, using a credit card, UATP, or PayPal before the final payment due date. If paying via wire transfer, please call or email [email protected] at least seven business days before your final payment due date to receive the detailed instructions for sending your wire transfer. PLEASE NOTE – eChecks, Physical Checks and Money Orders are no longer accepted.

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‎07-18-2018 02:21 PM

Re: Maybe not assigned seats, but seat preference

Re: will i need to book all my children’s flights separate to redeem points, re: middle seat for c group boarding, re: alp boarding position vs a-list, re: wanna get away guarenteed seats together with a child, quick links, community champions.

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How to Hack Southwest’s Boarding Groups

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Table of Contents

How does Southwest boarding work?

What is the southwest boarding process, how to get your southwest boarding position, southwest family boarding: how to sit together, how to get the best seat on southwest airlines (group a), other ways to get get a good seat on southwest, southwest seating chart, when you're not happy with your southwest boarding number, southwest boarding groups, recapped.

The Southwest Airlines boarding process is a practice perhaps more polarizing than whether pineapple belongs on pizza. But one thing’s for sure: The Southwest boarding process is certainly unique.

So how does Southwest boarding work? For starters, there are no assigned seats. There’s no guarantee you’ll get that coveted window seat behind the exit row (which means no seat directly in front of you). There’s no guarantee you’ll end up seated next to your travel buddy.

Yet it also means you get to pick your seat from whatever is available once you get on the plane. If the guy in Row 3 has already whipped out his tuna sandwich, maybe you opt for a seat at least a few rows back.

The Southwest boarding process is also theoretically more efficient (at least according to MythBusters ) than most boarding systems with assigned seats.

Love it or hate it, Southwest boarding groups make for a unique flying experience. So with that, let's unpack Southwest’s boarding method to help you get the best seat on your flight.

SOUTHWEST CREDIT CARDS WITH BOARDING BENEFITS

Unlike some credit cards offered by other major airlines, Southwest cards don't automatically get you priority boarding. But they do cover some of your costs when you pay to get a better boarding position:

on Chase's website

Reimbursement for 4 upgraded boardings, when available, each anniversary year.

Reimbursement for 2 EarlyBird check-ins each anniversary year.

To receive reimbursement for an upgraded boarding or EarlyBird Check-In, you must pay for it with the card . Reimbursement will appear as a credit on your statement within one to two billing cycles.

» Learn more: Best Southwest Airlines credit cards

Rather than assigning seats to passengers, Southwest has an open seating style. As far as determining who gets to pick their seats in which order, here’s how it works:

There are typically three Southwest boarding groups (plus a few in-between groups of sorts, like family boarding). You're assigned that boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60) at check-in. Your boarding group is also printed on your boarding pass. Group A boards first, then group B, and afterwards group C. Check-in opens exactly 24 hours before departure.

If you end up with A1, then it’s your lucky day — you’ll likely be the plane's first passenger. (Though there may be some exceptions for people with certain disabilities, pre-boarders or people connecting from an earlier flight.) If you end up with C60, well, hopefully, you’re fine with the middle seat near the bathroom.

Here’s what a paper Southwest boarding pass with the boarding position looks like. This passenger boards with Group A and has a boarding position of 40.​​

As the gate agent prepares the plane for boarding, they’ll call boarding groups (e.g., Group A, 1-30). From there, you’ll head to one of the numbered posts at the gate area, broken up into smaller blocks (e.g., position 1-5). Stand between the corresponding posts based on your boarding position.

Once onboard, pick any open seat, stow your stuff in the overhead bin or under the seat and get ready for takeoff.

Here’s the order of Southwest's boarding groups, from first to last:

1. Preboarding

Southwest allows people with specific seating needs to accommodate their disability, who need boarding help, extra time or who need help stowing an assistive device to board first. To join that group, request preboarding from a Southwest customer service agent at the ticket desk or departure gate.

Expect to be asked what Southwest calls "fact-finding questions" to decide if you meet the qualifications for pre-boarding. If you do, you’ll receive a boarding pass with a specific preboarding designation, and you’ll be allowed to preboard with one companion. If you’re traveling with more than one other person, they’ll typically have to board with their original group.

People who are preboarding are not allowed to occupy an exit row seat.

The first set of people to board Southwest flights are people with seats in A1-A15, which is typically filled with Southwest elite flyers, people who purchased Southwest Business Select fares and those who paid extra for their tickets before boarding.

You can purchase any leftover upgraded boarding positions in the A1-A15 category either online through Southwest's upgraded boarding portal within 24 hours of departure, or at the gate.

The rest of Group A follows positions A1-15 with A16-60.

3. Other people with disabilities

If you don’t qualify for preboarding but need extra time to board, you can board after the A group but before the following Family Boarding and B groups. You’ll still need to speak to a Southwest customer service agent, who will print you a new boarding pass with an extra time designation, indicating that you can board with this group.

4. Families and active-duty military in uniform

If you’re traveling with a child 6 years old or younger, you and up to one other adult can board during Family Boarding, which occurs before the B group. Active military traveling in uniform may also board during this time.

» Learn more: Bookmark these military travel discounts

5. Groups B and C

Everyone else now gets to board, with the B group going next. And for large and full flights, there’s a C group. Both groups board in numerical order starting with position 1 and moving to position 60.

There are a few ways to get an early Southwest boarding position, but many of them come at an extra cost. If you don’t want to pay anything more than what the Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus or Anytime fares already cost, your boarding position will be decided based on the order you’ve checked in.

You can check in online at Southwest.com or on the app beginning 24 hours before your flight's scheduled departure time. Or, you can check in at the airport or with an agent at the airport. But, the longer you wait, the worse the boarding position you’ll have.

Set a calendar reminder or phone timer for that 24-hour mark (maybe even a few minutes early to get the webpage loaded and logged in) to make sure you get as early a boarding position as possible.

Families (two adults traveling with a child 6 years of age or younger) can board after Group A but before Group B. If the child and adult both have Group A assigned on their boarding pass, they can board along with Group A in their allocated boarding position.

However, this still doesn’t guarantee you’ll sit together, especially if your boarding position is A50. The best way to ensure you sit together (and where you want) is to buy a Business Select fare, upgrade your boarding pass or have the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card .

Everyone has a different favorite seat on an airplane, but the easiest way to get the best seat on Southwest is to have an A1-15 boarding group position. Since this is the first group to board, you’ll have your pick of nearly any seat on the plane. Here are three ways to guarantee an A1-15 group position on Southwest, but it’s going to cost you:

Buy a Business Select fare

Business Select fares come with many perks including Fly By priority lane access, a complimentary premium drink, and yes, guaranteed receipt of an A1-15 boarding position.

Business Select fares are not cheap. They can often be multiple times more expensive than Wanna Get Away fares, but they tend to be a better deal than Southwest’s middle tier called Anytime fares.

If you’re willing to pay for a seat upgrade, it’s almost always better to opt for Business Select over Anytime fares because you’ll get benefits like elevated points earning and the guarantee of a good seat.

Buy upgraded boarding when available

While not quite a guarantee, Southwest allows you to buy any remaining A1-A15 boarding position for an extra fee. You can purchase that either on the day of travel at the ticket desk or gate, or within 24 hours of takeoff on Southwest's website .

It’s $30 to $80 per segment depending on your itinerary. These positions are not assigned to regular ticket customers once the 24-hour check-in window begins, so if the flight is low on elite flyers or Business Select passengers, there may be some available for purchase.

Some cards, such as the The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express , can offset the cost of upgraded boarding by offering a $200 airline incidental credit , which is an annual statement credits toward incidental air travel fees with one qualifying airline of your choice.

Use a Southwest credit card to get complimentary upgraded boarding (when available)

As a benefit of having the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card , you’ll be reimbursed for up to four upgraded boardings to positions A1-A15 every anniversary year.

The process is the same as anyone else purchasing upgraded boarding. You’ll have to buy it on the day of travel at the ticket desk or gate, and it’s only for sale if seats are available. But no matter the cost — whether $30 or $50 — you’ll get that four times a year in the form of a credit reimbursement.

Those boardings can be purchased all at once or for different flights, so you could opt to upgrade your posse once or give yourself the VIP treatment a few times throughout the year.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards

These choices won’t guarantee an A boarding position like the recommendations above, but they’ll still put you ahead of others who try to check in online 24 hours out or at the airport ahead of their flight:

Have Southwest elite status

Customers with Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred or A-List Member status get their boarding position automatically reserved 36 hours before departure. That's before normal check-in begins, putting them ahead of everyone else who has to wait for that 24-hour window. The benefit also applies to other travelers on the same reservation as A-List Preferred or A-List Members.

While holding Southwest status is not a guarantee of an A position (e.g., if everyone else on the flight also had A-List Preferred or A-List status), it will get you the earliest position available and most often lands you in the A1-A15 positions.

Buy EarlyBird Check-In

EarlyBird Check-In is an add-on to your ticket that automatically checks you in 36 hours before the flight's scheduled departure time. That puts you in the running for the best boarding position next to the folks with Southwest status or Anytime and Business Select fares, and ahead of everyone else who has to wait for the 24-hour window.

EarlyBird Check-In typically costs $15-$25 one-way per passenger on top of your fare price.

As far as how the order of EarlyBird Check-In is decided amongst everyone who pays for it: Boarding positions are assigned based on the time that EarlyBird Check-In was bought relative to passengers within the same fare class. So Wanna Get Away Plus passengers will be checked in ahead of Wanna Get Away passengers with EarlyBird.

EarlyBird does not guarantee a boarding position, but it does increase your odds of getting in a better boarding position. Often, you’ll find yourself in A20 or better with EarlyBird check-in.

If you’re trying to decide what’s a good seat on your Southwest flight, head over to Seatguru. Once there, type in your travel date and flight number to choose your flight.

Oftentimes, Seatguru will show several aircraft configurations for a specific flight. For Southwest, Seatguru features three aircraft seating charts: Boeing 737 MAX 8, Boeing 737-700 and Boeing 737-800. Make sure the aircraft type you’re on matches the result provided by Seatguru.

After you’ve confirmed that, take a look at the seat reviews. The seats on the plane will either be green, yellow, red or white. Green means it's a great seat (usually with extra legroom), yellow means there is some drawback (like limited recline), red shows several drawbacks (such as a misaligned window and near the bathroom).

Seats that are white have no pros and no cons, they are just regular seats for the cabin.

If you’re cool with checking your luggage if the overhead bins run out of space or don't mind the middle seat for a few hours, then getting assigned Group C will be manageable.

But if you want to be among the first to board and accidentally ended up with a bad boarding position, your best bet to jump the line is to pay the $30-$50 for an A1-15 boarding position. You can do this either in-person at the airport or online.

If Business Select is sold out, you’re probably out of luck on purchasing upgraded boarding. Next time, consider purchasing EarlyBird Check-In or booking a higher fare class to begin with.

Southwest offers three boarding groups (A, B or C), and a position 1-60+, which get assigned at check-in. While the Southwest boarding process can be confusing at first glance, remember this: Check in exactly 24 hours before your flight, and most of the time you’ll be OK.

Or, be prepared to pony up some extra cash for expensive tickets or upgraded boarding passes. Know which of your credit cards may offer airline credits to offset these fees, as they can get you out of a jam when you miss the check-in deadline.

If you’re traveling with a larger group with multiple reservation numbers, everyone needs to handle their business and check in separately if you want any shot at getting boarding positions near each other.

Southwest follows an open seating style, meaning there are no assigned seats. You’ll be assigned a boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60+) upon check-in, which determines your boarding order. Once on board, you choose your seat. If you’re last to board, you likely won’t get to sit with your family.

However, Southwest has a solution to better ensure families can sit together. If you’re traveling with a child 6 years old or younger, up to two adults may board during Southwest’s Family Boarding period, between Group A and Group B boarding (unless both the child and adults have A boarding passes and can board in that earlier group).

For an additional fee, EarlyBird Check-In automatically checks you in 12 hours ahead of the traditional 24-hour check-in window. While it’s not a guarantee of the coveted A boarding group, you’ll end up in an earlier boarding position than if you had not paid for it.

Families with children 6 and under can board before Group B free of charge, so for these travelers, paying for EarlyBird Check-In is usually not worth it.

However, if you have children older than 6 and don’t want to risk sitting apart on the plane, it can make sense to pay for EarlyBird Check-In.

Your Southwest boarding group is determined upon check-in. The earlier you check in, the earlier your boarding group.

Typically, you’ll check in for your flight online beginning 24 hours before the scheduled departure time or anytime thereafter. If you don’t, you can check in and get your boarding pass at the airport through the Southwest ticket counter or, if available, a self-service kiosk.

However, you can secure an earlier boarding position by purchasing a Business Select fare, purchasing EarlyBird Check-In or by purchasing an upgraded boarding pass from the counter on the day of travel (when available).

Generally, yes, you can sit anywhere on Southwest. Since the airline's flights have open seating, you simply choose any available seat once on board.

There are a few exceptions. For example, passengers who preboard may not occupy an exit seat.

Seniors do not get priority boarding on Southwest.

There is priority boarding for customers who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability, who need assistance in boarding the aircraft or who need help stowing an assistive device. These passengers board before Family Boarding, between the A and B groups.

No, Southwest does not have assigned seats. Instead, passengers can select their seat upon boarding. Passengers board in alpha-numerical order, and your boarding position is determined by your fare, if you purchased EarlyBird Check-In, whether you're part of certain preboarding groups and how quickly you check in for the flight 24 hours ahead of departure.

If you are assigned to boarding group C on Southwest, expect to have fewer window and aisle seat options, and less overhead bin space. You may, however, secure a middle seat towards the front of the plane, which can mean earlier disembarkation. Though boarding Group C on Southwest isn't great, there are some possible upsides.

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Shady Southwest passengers are abusing the preboarding process — and fellow flyers are furious

Southwest’s laissez-faire approach to preboarding is causing turbulence.

Rule-abiding frequent flyers are calling out unscrupulous passengers who take advantage of the Dallas-based airline’s laidback attitude toward travelers who “need a little extra time” when boarding — with the carrier suggesting there’s little they can do to stop the bad actors.

Because Southwest doesn’t assign seats , preboarders get the run of the cabin, and a growing number of people — who reportedly are allowed to merely “self-identify” as disabled — are abusing the policy designed to give families with small children, the disabled and elderly a leg up, eagle-eyed observers insist.

Steve Maziarka, a national account manager based near Chicago’s Midway airport, a Southwest hub, told the Wall Street Journal he counted approximately 30 preboarders in line on a holiday period flight last year.

He reported seeing nearly as many on a Philadelphia to Chicago flight in February.

Every person in line meant Maziarka lost out on a prime seat he’d normally have access to. (Preboarders are prohibited from bagging sought after exit row seats.)

“People are taking advantage of the system,” says Maziarka, who has the airline’s top frequent-flier status. “It’s just gotten out of control.”

So out of control, in fact, that discussions on Reddit’s Southwest board have become heated to the point where moderators have repeatedly had to intervene, pleading for civility.

Because airlines can only pry so far into people’s personal situations, it’s difficult to prove that someone is preboarding under false pretenses.

This allows someone without scruples to use the longstanding policy to jump the line.

“Preboarding is offered to customers needing assistance for various reasons. We work hard to maintain the integrity of the boarding process while providing accommodations for all who fly,” followers of Southwest’s X feed will be used to hearing. “Since many disabilities aren’t visible, we’re unable to question the validity of preboarding requests.”

Spokesperson Chris Perry told the Journal that federal rules state all airlines are required to offer preboarding to any passenger self-identifying as disabled.

The outlet reported that the airline professes to ask a handful of questions to ensure that people qualify, but noted that the rep was unable to disclose details.

And even if the passenger runs into a skeptical gate agent, those who can’t get clearance to preboard are reportedly still allowed to join the family boarding group, which gets onto the plane after the A group.

The A group largely consists of frequent travelers and those who’ve paid extra fees for early boarding features.

Mike Worley, a fundraising exec who travels every week for work, told the Journal he has become less loyal to Southwest, upping his use of Delta Air Lines, partially due to the jetway jockeying.

On Delta, “you just never see preboarders go up to the counter en masse to get on,” he said.

While Worley’s status puts him in a good spot in Group A on Southwest, there are times he’s finding himself way too far back on the plane, he said.

“Ten or 12 rows back is 10 minutes to get off the plane,” the Charleston, S.C. traveler said. “That’s crucial time to me.”

Meanwhile, Southwest executives shrug, downplaying the complaints, the outlet said.

At least for now. The mood on the Southwest subreddit can at times appear to be almost ready to boil over, with passengers even posting photos of supposed scofflaws in an effort to publicly shame them.

The problem is now so bad, any post discussing pre-boarding is now being vetted for “ill-informed, unsympathetic” language,” moderators wrote. Videos of “alleged fakers taken by armchair physicians are going away,” they promised.

Passengers with actual disabilities who use the message board said they were heartened.

“While there is unfortunately a small category of people who abuse preboarding, there are tons of people with real and often invisible disabilities that truly need it for a safe and comfortable travel experience,” one said.

So far, suggestions from the subreddit on how to fix the nagging problem have gone unheeded by the airline — and even passengers say they’re kind of stumped themselves.

“I have actually wasted plenty of time contemplating how they can fix the problem,” frequent traveler Maziarka said. “I could never come up with a way to combat it.”

One popular idea: Forcing preboarders to move deeper into the plane, leaving the front rows open.

The issue may take care of itself — for the first time in years, there’s been discussion of assigned seats , something that would perhaps lure new customers at a time when profits are down.

Southwest isn’t the only organization coping with line cutters.

In April, Disney announced lifetime bans for anyone caught abusing the theme parks’ Disability Access Service in order to receive park perks, including no-wait rides.

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Cruising Altitude: Progress for disabled travelers is not coming fast enough

I was on a family trip to Israel a few years ago and as soon as we landed, it was obvious something was wrong. I’d flown over from New York with my parents and we were supposed to be meeting some cousins from London, who’d arrived hours earlier to Tel Aviv.

But my British family was still in the airport when we touched down. EasyJet had left my little cousin Max’s wheelchair off the plane, meaning Max, who has Cerebral Palsy, had no reasonable way to get around. Because the airport didn’t have any child-sized wheelchairs available to loan out, we wound up needing to rent one for Max from a hospital and it took days for his own wheelchair to eventually get to us from England. In the meantime, he wasn’t able to sit properly in the rental chair and he was uncomfortable as we schlepped around to different tourist sites.

Last week's Cruising Altitude: What to know about getting bumped from a flight when airlines overbook

I’ve been acutely aware since that trip of how tough flying can be for disabled travelers. This year, I’m working on a project to highlight incidents of airlines in the U.S. mishandling mobility devices. But telling peoples’ individual stories is only one piece of the puzzle. Real change requires action from regulators and airlines, and I’m hoping to use my reporting to help push for some of that change.

Please reach out with one of your own stories.

According to the Department of Transportation, which has been required to track these incidents since 2019, airlines damage or otherwise mishandle about 1.5% of the mobility devices they transport each month, translating to 11,389 incidents reported in 2022. That number is hardly comprehensive. Not everyone reports their damage to the airline in the first place, but it does give a sense of how great the problem is.

“Imagine if Americans were to see that this particular airline broke 700 wheelchairs last year, but substitute ‘legs’ for ‘wheelchair,’ ” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told me during a recent phone conversation. “We would be calling for all sorts of fixes.” 

To that end, Duckworth introduced a bill earlier this month that, if passed, would require both Congress and airlines to do more to address these incidents beyond just tracking them.

And advocates say there’s so much more to be done to make air travel accessible to everyone, too. Not all disabilities require the use of a mobility device, they point out, meaning all the focus on mobility-related issues in air travel can leave other needs unaddressed.

'We want the aisle chair to go away'

“This is part of the work that I’ve been doing over time,” Duckworth, who uses a wheelchair, said. “The next thing we need to know is the extent of the damage and also it would be helpful to know for those who are traveling with assistive devices, whether the aircraft can carry their devices.” 

Duckworth was instrumental in getting Congress to pass the requirement that airlines report mobility device incidents separately from baggage mishandling, but she said that’s just a first step.

To properly enact change, incidents need to be quantified and responsibility assigned. 

Under the Mobility Aids On Board Improve Lives and Empower All (MOBILE) Act, which Duckworth introduced earlier this month with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the DOT would be required to evaluate the frequency and types of damage to mobility devices and develop a plan to research the technical feasibility of accommodating passengers in wheelchairs in the main cabin, among other provisions.

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“We want the aisle chair to go away,” Heather Ansley, associate executive director of government relations at Paralyzed Veterans of America , told me. In an ideal world, she said, “you’re either riding in your own device or transferring from your own device to the seat.” 

Many advocates say that having a dedicated space on board aircraft to secure wheelchairs to allow disabled passengers to fly using their own devices is a key goal.

“We do it on buses, we do it on trains,” Duckworth said. “In many ways, that is safer for the person with a disability, especially someone who has paralysis or is more medically fragile, to be strapped into a wheelchair which is basically molded to their body.” 

What else needs to happen?

Beyond the provisions in Duckworth’s bill, advocates say future regulations should consider a broader scope of disabilities.

“This is a problem across the disability spectrum,” Laura Saltzman, a transportation policy analyst at Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago , told me. “The number of people I talk to over an entire range of disabilities who don’t want to make a stink about it … This can intersect issues of race or a combination of disabilities where people might feel less comfortable.” 

Ansley also said that travel can be difficult for those with other kinds of disabilities as well.

“People who are deaf or hard of hearing, announcements on aircraft are not accessible, they’re barely accessible if you can hear sometimes,” she said. “It is true that air travel discriminates against just about every group of people with disabilities.” 

Saltzman said airlines should consider taking a page out of the book of their existing best practices in other areas to figure out how to treat their disabled customers better.

“Checklists are mandatory for safe flights,” she said, wondering why there isn’t a more standardized procedure for how to accommodate disabled passengers. “A checklist for: This is what I have to do for wheelchairs to make sure the wheelchair is secured and not rained on and a piece is not broken off.” 

A very important component: Restroom access needs to be improved too

Ansley also said that lavatory access on airplanes can be a huge problem for travelers with mobility issues. 

“Having access to a lavatory on board, that means having a safe, usable onboard wheelchair that can get you to that accessible lavatory,” she said. “If you change the structure of air travel you can actually eliminate a lot of the barriers and make it a little less labor intensive in terms of physically moving and lifting people, and instead just being there to assist as the person needs.” 

Single-aisle airplanes like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, some of the most popular aircraft in the sky today, are not required to have accessible bathrooms by the DOT. 

Charlie Brown, president of Paralyzed Veterans of America , said being transferred in and out of a wheelchair can be dangerous for travelers who rely on their devices to get around too.

“Our devices, which were modified for us or built for us specifically, are put in the cargo hold,” he said. “I was dropped to the jetway one time being transferred from (my) chair to the aisle chair and it broke my tailbone,” resulting in an infection and a monthslong hospital visit.

All the advocates I spoke to for this column said airlines need to face steeper penalties for damaging mobility devices or otherwise not providing the proper accommodations for disabled travelers. 

Story continues below:

Is the Department of Transportation doing anything?

The DOT released a bill of rights for disabled airline passengers last summer, but in a statement this week, the department acknowledged there’s more to do to make air travel accessible to everyone. 

“USDOT is using all the tools available to make air travel more accessible – from formal rulemaking processes on wheelchair handling and lavatory size, which inherently are more long term, to more immediate actions like instituting the first Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, expanding enforcement of the Air Carrier Access Act, and working directly with the airlines to ensure all passengers are treated with dignity,” a department spokesperson said Tuesday in a statement to USA TODAY. The statement also said the DOT is working on making airports and other forms of public transit more accessible as well. “Everyone deserves safe, efficient and accessible travel,” the statement said.

It’s clear that there’s still much work to be done to make flying truly accessible for all travelers, and I’m committed to continuing to cover this important topic.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected]

Russia says it has captured 5 villages in…

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Russia says it has captured 5 villages in northeast ukraine as more than 1,700 civilians flee.

VOVCHANSK, Ukraine (AP) — Moscow’s forces captured five villages in a renewed ground assault in northeastern Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday, and Associated Press journalists in the city of Vovchansk described multiple buildings destroyed after Russian airstrikes and barrages of Grad rockets.

Ukrainian officials didn’t confirm whether Russian had taken the villages, which lie in a contested “gray zone” on the border of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and Russia.

Ukrainian journalists reported that the villages of Borysivka, Ohirtseve, Pylna and Strilecha were taken by Russian troops on Friday. Russia said the village of Pletenivka was also taken.

In an evening statement Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said fighting was still ongoing in the settlements of Strilecha and Pletenivka, as well as Krasne, Morokhovets, Oliinykove, Lukyantsi and Hatyshche.

“Our troops are carrying out counterattacks there for a second day, protecting Ukrainian territory,” he said.

The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that geolocated footage confirms at least one of the villages was seized. The Washington-based think tank described recent Russian gains as “tactically significant.”

The renewed assault on the region has forced more than 1,700 civilians residing in settlements near the fighting to flee, according to Ukrainian authorities. It comes after Russia stepped up attacks in March targeting energy infrastructure and settlements, which analysts predicted were a concerted effort by Moscow to shape conditions for an offensive .

On Saturday, Russia continued to pummel Vovchansk with airstrikes and Grad rockets as police and volunteers raced to evacuate residents. At least 20 people were evacuated to safety in a nearby village. Police said that 900 people had been evacuated the previous day.

AP journalists who accompanied an evacuation team described empty streets with multiple buildings destroyed and others on fire. The road was littered with newly made craters and the city was covered in dust and shrapnel with the smell of gunpowder heavy in the air. Mushroom clouds of smoke rose across the skyline as Russian jets conducted multiple airstrikes.

The AP journalists witnessed nine air attacks during the three hours they were there.

“The situation in Vovchansk and the settlements along the border (with Russia) is incredibly difficult. Constant aviation strikes are carried out, multiple rocket missile systems strikes, artillery strikes,” said Tamaz Hambarashvili, the head of the Vovchansk military administration.

“For the second day in a row, we evacuated all the inhabitants of our community who are willing to evacuate,” he said. “I think that they are destroying the city to make (local) people leave, to make sure there are no militaries, nobody. To create a ‘gray zone.’”

Evacuees bade tearful goodbyes to their neighbors as they were taken away from their homes.

“You lie down and think — whether they will kill you now, or in an hour, or in three,” said resident Valentyna Hrevnova, 75. “I hope that they (Russians) will not come, but ours (Ukrainians) will be here.”

Vera Rudko, 72, was among those who left.

“We drove through Vovchansk in the city center,” Rudko said. “I can’t look at this without tears. Everything is trembling. We didn’t sleep these two nights at all.”

Russia’s recent push in Kharkiv seeks to exploit ammunition shortages before promised Western supplies can reach the front line, and pin down Ukrainian forces in the northeast and keep them away from heavy battles underway in the Donetsk region where Moscow’s troops are gaining ground, analysts said.

Russian military bloggers said the assault could mark the start of a Russian attempt to carve out a “buffer zone” that President Vladimir Putin vowed to create earlier this year to halt frequent Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod and other Russian border regions. Fears also mount that without adequate supplies, Russia might even be able to cut supply routes and besiege the city of Kharkiv, where 1.1 million people reside.

Ukrainian officials have downplayed Russian statements about captured territory, with reinforcements being rushed to the Kharkiv region to hold off Russian forces.

On Telegram, Kharkiv region Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that heavy fighting continued in the areas around Borysivka, Ohirtseve, Pylna and Oliinykove, but that the situation was under control and there was no threat of a ground assault on the city of Kharkiv.

In the meantime, artillery, mortar and aerial bombardments hit more than 30 different towns and villages in the region on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring five others, Syniehubov said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Friday evening that Russian forces were expanding their operations. He also called on the country’s Western allies to ensure that promised deliveries of military aid would swiftly reach the front lines.

“It is critical that partners support our warriors and Ukrainian resilience with timely deliveries. Truly timely ones,” he said in a video statement on X. “A package that truly helps is the actual delivery of weapons to Ukraine, rather than just the announcement of a package.”

The attack was launched from two areas in the Kharkiv region early Friday, Ukrainian officials and analysts said. Russian assault groups attempted to break through Ukrainian defensive lines in the city of Vovchansk and in the region north of the village of Lyptsi.

Separately, Ukrainian forces also launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Friday night, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said, with air defense systems downing 21 rockets and 16 drones over Russia’s Belgorod, Kursk and Volgograd regions. One person died in a drone strike in the Belgorod region, and another in the Kursk region, local officials said.

Another strike set ablaze an oil depot in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Luhansk region, killing four people and wounding eight more, Leonid Pasechnik, the region’s Moscow-installed leader, said on the messaging app Telegram on Saturday.

There was also shelling in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region Saturday, where three people died when an explosion hit a local restaurant, said Denis Pushilin, the area’s Kremlin-appointed leader. Eight more people were wounded, including a child.

In the war’s early days, Russia made a botched attempt to quickly storm Kharkiv but retreated from its outskirts after about a month. In the fall of 2022, seven months later, Ukraine’s army pushed them out of Kharkiv . The bold counterattack helped persuade Western countries that Ukraine could defeat Russia on the battlefield and merited military support.

Katie Marie Davies contributed to this report from Manchester, England.

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