- Southwest Airlines is raising the fee range for EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding.
- The new fees are $15-$99 one-way per passenger for EarlyBird Check-In and $30-$149 per passenger per segment for Upgraded Boarding.
- Some passengers may be eligible for these perks without purchasing them separately.
Southwest Airlines passengers may have to pay a little more for certain perks.
Southwest announced it was raising the fee range for EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding late last month.
The new fees are $15-$99 one-way per passenger for EarlyBird Check-In and $30-$149 per passenger per segment for Upgraded Boarding. The previous caps for these ancillary fees were $25 and $80, respectively.
“Prices can vary based on flight length and demand. Price points within the new range are subject to change at any time, as they do today,” a Southwest spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement. “This price range increase is a result of our regular evaluation of pricing for ancillary products based on market trends and customer demand and will generate incremental revenue in support of the company.”
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Both EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding allow Southwest passengers to receive a priority boarding position, meaning they’re more likely to get their choice of seats under the airline’s open seating plan.
According to the airline, it has yet to sell these perks for top-of-the-range prices.
Frequent flyers with elite status on Southwest Airlines, passengers who purchase Business Select fares and those who have some of the airline’s co-branded credit cards may be eligible for these perks without purchasing them separately.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].