There are always plenty of seats available for us during the Family Boarding process - including on peak school vacation weeks when flights were 100% sold out. And not once have I come even close to having an issue. Since my kids are two and five years old, still within the Family Boarding age range, I have boarded with Family Boarding on every single flight.
I am a huge Southwest fan and have never once purchased Early Bird Check-In or an Upgraded Boarding Position. At all other times, I typically see only a few families in line, which does not significantly affect getting seats together. Of course, if you are traveling during a big school vacation break or to Orlando, the family boarding line will most likely be longer than normal. This is boarding group is absolutely free, regardless of your assigned boarding position, so you can throw away the extra expense of the better boarding passes. You are essentially boarding before the majority of the passengers on the plane. So as long as someone in your family is between the ages of 0 and six, regardless of whether you have older children with you, the entire family can board during Family Boarding, after the "A" group and before the "B" group. Why don't we recommend families buying up to board early and sit together? Largely because Southwest offers Family Boarding, which is available to any family traveling with a child six years or younger.
#Southwest airlines boarding pass a60 and b01 family for free
Of course, the sign-up bonus points received on this card also count toward the Southwest Companion pass, which will allow a family member to fly with you for free for nearly two years! Family Boarding Comes in Handy When. This means, if available, you can get boarding position A1–A15 on the day of travel, which will ensure you snag your desired seat when boarding the plane. One of the major benefits of this card (which is our top Southwest credit card pick for families) is that it comes with four complimentary Upgraded Boarding positions per year.
If you really do want that upgraded boarding position for the peace of mind, but definitely do not want to pay for it, consider signing up for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. That is a lot of money just for early check-in. You are looking at spending anywhere between $60 to $100 each way, or $120 to $200 total for your round-trip flights, if you purchase Early Bird Check-In. Let's say you are a family of four traveling on Southwest. With Early Bird Check-In now costing anywhere between $15 to $25 each way per passenger, that is a lot of money to shell out to hopefully get a better boarding position.
It all comes down to how many passengers purchase this early check-in option, how many "A-listers" are on the flight, how many "Anytime" fare tickets were purchased (as they receive higher boarding positions), etc. With that said, there is no guarantee that you'll actually receive an "A" boarding position. In actuality, Southwest checks you in prior to the 24 hour mark, so you should theoretically receive a better position than someone who does not pay for this option. This is otherwise known as Early Bird Check-In. For those who do not want to have to worry about checking in online exactly 24 hours in advance, you can pay for Southwest to check you into your flight. You are able to check in exactly 24 hours prior to your flight departure so the earlier you check in, the better your boarding position will be. Your boarding position is tied to when you check in for your flight. If you are flying with young kids, I promise you that your family will not be split up, like you might face with some other airlines. Spoiler alert: I find the prices ridiculously expensive and absolutely not worth it. Southwest will allow to you purchase two different opportunities to get a better boarding seat. Ultimately A-1 will be the first to board, after any passengers who need assistance boarding.
When you check in to your Southwest flight 24 hours in advance, you will receive an "A," "B" or "C" boarding pass and each group includes numbers 1–60. The lack of assigned seats can frighten families even more if there is anxiety about being potentially split up from their kids.
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