Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Southwest Airlines’ EarlyBird Check-In, the paid option that once automatically checked eligible passengers in before the standard 24-hour window, is no longer available. Southwest retired EarlyBird when assigned seating began on January 27, 2026. If you’re used to the old system, here’s what replaced it, how today’s boarding groups work, and what to choose when you want an earlier boarding time or seats with your travel companions.
Quick Answer
Southwest discontinued EarlyBird Check-In when assigned seating began on January 27, 2026. Most travelers now select seats based on their fare, while Priority Boarding can be purchased beginning 24 hours before departure to board ahead of Group 1. Current Priority Boarding prices run from $10 to $75 per segment, per passenger.
Warning: EarlyBird Check-In is no longer sold. Southwest retired both EarlyBird Check-In and the old Upgraded Boarding product when assigned seating replaced the A/B/C open-seating system on January 27, 2026. Older articles that describe EarlyBird as a current purchase option are out of date.
Key Takeaways
- EarlyBird used to automatically check eligible travelers in 36 hours before departure; it no longer exists on current Southwest flights.
- Southwest now uses assigned seats and boarding Groups 1 through 8 instead of A/B/C positions.
- Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra include different levels of seat selection at booking; Basic normally receives a Standard seat at check-in.
- Priority Boarding currently costs $10–$75 per segment, per passenger and can be purchased starting 24 hours before departure when available.
- Families on the same reservation receive the same boarding group, but that does not by itself guarantee adjacent seats.
What happened to EarlyBird Check-In?
What EarlyBird used to do
Under Southwest’s old open-seating system, your boarding position mattered because there was no assigned seat waiting for you onboard. EarlyBird Check-In automatically checked eligible passengers in 36 hours before scheduled departure, ahead of the normal 24-hour check-in opening.
That generally gave EarlyBird customers a better chance at an earlier A/B/C boarding position than someone who waited until standard check-in opened. It did not guarantee a particular boarding number or seat.
Why Southwest discontinued it
EarlyBird existed largely because Southwest did not assign seats. Your place in the boarding line helped determine which seats remained when you entered the cabin.
That premise disappeared when Southwest began assigned seating on January 27, 2026. Most customers can now select or receive a specific seat before boarding, so checking in 36 hours early no longer determines which open seat you can claim.
What replaced it
No single product replaced every part of EarlyBird. Southwest split the old benefit into two separate decisions:
- Where you sit: Your fare, Rapid Rewards status, credit card benefits, or a separate paid seat upgrade determines which seats you can select.
- When you board: Your fare, seat type, status, credit card benefit, or a separate Priority Boarding purchase determines your boarding group.
Southwest’s current fare bundles are Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra. Travelers who specifically want to board ahead of Group 1 can consider Priority Boarding, while travelers who care mainly about seat location should focus on the seat included with their fare or a paid seat upgrade.
How Southwest boarding and seating work now
Southwest now assigns a seat to every passenger. Your ability to choose that seat depends on your fare and any Rapid Rewards status or qualifying Southwest credit card benefits.
- Basic: Normally receives a Standard seat assignment at check-in or, when necessary, at the gate. Eligible tier members and some Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers can receive earlier seat-selection benefits.
- Choice: Includes selection of an available Standard seat at booking.
- Choice Preferred: Includes an available Preferred seat near the front of the cabin or any available Standard seat at booking.
- Choice Extra: Includes selection of any available seat at booking, including Extra Legroom seats.
Southwest also sells separate seat upgrades when inventory is available. Its current optional travel charges list paid seat upgrades at $4–$250 per segment, per passenger. Seat sales generally end 60 minutes before the original scheduled departure for domestic flights and 90 minutes before international departures.
Current Southwest boarding groups
Southwest now uses Groups 1 through 8. The airline assigns boarding priority based on fare, seat type and location, Rapid Rewards tier status, and eligible credit card benefits.
| Boarding category | Who generally boards there |
| Preboarding | Eligible passengers with disabilities who need additional boarding assistance or time, plus Unaccompanied Minors |
| Priority Boarding | Passengers who purchase Priority Boarding when available |
| Before Group 1 | A-List Preferred members; active-duty U.S. military also receive early boarding treatment in Southwest’s boarding sequence |
| Group 1 | A-List members and Choice Extra fares |
| Group 2 | Extra Legroom seats purchased or selected with Choice or Choice Preferred fares |
| Groups 3–4 | Choice Preferred customers in Preferred or Standard seats |
| Group 5 | Eligible primary Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers who do not already qualify for an earlier group |
| Groups 3–7 | Choice fares, with the exact group affected by seat location and any higher boarding benefit |
| Group 8 | Basic fares unless another status, card, seat, or boarding benefit applies |
You can verify the current sequence on Southwest’s official boarding-process page. All passengers on the same standard reservation are assigned the same boarding group, although Group Travel reservations work differently.
Priority Boarding: the closest current option to EarlyBird
At a Glance: Priority Boarding
| What it does | Lets you board ahead of Group 1, subject to Southwest’s preboarding and other early-boarding procedures |
| When you can buy it | Starting 24 hours before the flight’s original scheduled departure and up to 30 minutes before departure, when available |
| Current price | $10–$75 per segment, per passenger |
| Connections | Sold by flight segment, so a connecting itinerary may require separate purchases for each flight |
| Payment | A credit card is required |
| Refundability | Normally nonrefundable; Southwest provides refunds in specified Southwest-caused cancellation or significant-disruption situations |
Priority Boarding is the closest current product for travelers whose main goal is getting onto the aircraft early. It does not change your assigned seat and it does not recreate EarlyBird’s old 36-hour automatic check-in.
Instead, it gives you earlier access to the cabin and overhead-bin space. That can matter when you have a carry-on, but overhead-bin availability is never guaranteed.
Pro Tip: Before paying for Priority Boarding, check whether you already receive an earlier group. A-List Preferred members board before Group 1, A-List members board in Group 1, and eligible primary Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers receive a Group 5 benefit when another benefit does not place them earlier.
How to choose the right seat option today
Because seats are assigned, the most important question is no longer “Should I buy early check-in?” It is whether you care more about the seat itself, your boarding time, or both.
Choose Basic when price matters most and you are comfortable having Southwest assign a Standard seat at check-in. Basic passengers can still purchase a seat separately when eligible inventory is available.
Choose Choice when you want to select an available Standard seat at booking without moving into a premium fare bundle.
Choose Choice Preferred when you want an available Preferred seat near the front of the cabin, along with earlier general boarding. An Extra Legroom seat can still be purchased separately when available.
Choose Choice Extra when you want the broadest included seat choice, including available Extra Legroom seats, plus Group 1 boarding.
Remember that seat choice and Priority Boarding are separate. Buying Priority Boarding will not move you into a better assigned seat, while buying a better seat does not always mean you need Priority Boarding.
What if you already booked?
You may still be able to improve your seat after booking. Southwest allows eligible customers to manage their reservation through Southwest.com or the app and select or purchase another available seat. Seat sales and changes generally close 60 minutes before domestic departure and 90 minutes before international departure.
If you simply want an earlier boarding position, check for Priority Boarding once your flight is within the 24-hour purchase window.
What families and groups should know
For families who want to sit together, booking everyone on the same reservation is important, but it does not guarantee adjacent seats. It does mean passengers on the same standard reservation receive the same boarding group.
Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares let families select eligible seats at booking, subject to availability. With Basic fares, seats are normally assigned at check-in. Southwest says it will endeavor, to the extent practicable, to seat a child age 12 or younger next to one accompanying passenger age 13 or older on the same reservation at no additional cost.
Note: Being on the same confirmation number means the family receives the same boarding group; it does not automatically guarantee adjacent seats. If a child age 12 or younger is not seated next to an accompanying passenger age 13 or older on the reservation, Southwest directs customers to ask a Gate Agent or Flight Attendant for help.
If adjacent seats cannot be arranged, Southwest says a Gate Agent can offer the option to move to the next available flight with adjacent seats. Families using Basic fares should check in when the 24-hour window opens so they can review their assignments as early as possible.
The U.S. Department of Transportation family-seating dashboard currently does not list Southwest as making the dashboard’s broader commitment to guarantee, subject to its listed conditions, adjacent seating for a child age 13 or younger and an accompanying adult at no additional charge across all fare types. That makes it especially important to read Southwest’s own current policy rather than relying on the old open-seating family-boarding rules.
Potential drawbacks of the new system
Assigned seating removes much of the uncertainty that EarlyBird was designed to manage, but it can create several separate upgrade decisions. A traveler may pay for a higher fare or upgraded seat to get the seat they want and then still consider Priority Boarding for earlier cabin access.
Current optional charges illustrate the difference: paid seat upgrades run from $4 to $250 per segment, per passenger, while Priority Boarding runs from $10 to $75 per segment, per passenger. Actual seat prices vary with the seat and flight.
Priority Boarding also has an important restriction: the purchase is generally nonrefundable. If you voluntarily change or cancel the flight, the previously purchased Priority Boarding for that segment is normally forfeited. Southwest provides refunds in specified cases when Southwest cancels the flight or when certain significant Southwest-caused disruptions lead you to cancel.
Basic fares offer the least included seat control because Southwest normally assigns the seat at check-in, although a paid seat purchase, eligible tier status, or qualifying credit card benefit can change your options.
Ways to board earlier without buying Priority Boarding separately
You may already have an earlier boarding benefit without purchasing Priority Boarding for that flight:
- A-List Preferred: dedicated boarding before Group 1.
- A-List: Group 1 boarding for flights departing on or after April 30, 2026.
- Choice Extra: Group 1 boarding is part of the fare.
- Extra Legroom seat with Choice or Choice Preferred: generally Group 2.
- Eligible Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardmember: Group 5 when another fare, seat, or status benefit does not place you earlier.
Passengers who qualify for disability-related preboarding and Unaccompanied Minors continue to have separate early-boarding procedures. Families, however, should not rely on the old family-boarding phase: under the assigned-seating system, customers on the same regular reservation instead receive the same boarding group.
So Southwest has not eliminated ways to board early. It has separated the old EarlyBird concept into assigned-seat benefits, fare-based boarding groups, loyalty and credit card benefits, paid seat upgrades, and Priority Boarding.
If you’re looking to learn more about the terms and conditions behind Southwest Airlines bookings, you may also want to review this article on TakeTravelInfo. Checking fare and seating restrictions before booking is especially useful now that seat selection and boarding benefits vary by fare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EarlyBird Check-In still available on Southwest Airlines?
No. Southwest discontinued EarlyBird Check-In when assigned seating began on January 27, 2026. EarlyBird and the old Upgraded Boarding product are no longer sold for current Southwest flights.
What replaced EarlyBird Check-In?
Assigned seating replaced the open-seating system EarlyBird was designed around. Seat selection now depends on your fare, status, credit card benefits, or a paid seat purchase. Travelers who specifically want to board ahead of Group 1 can separately purchase Priority Boarding when available.
How much does Southwest Priority Boarding cost?
Southwest currently lists Priority Boarding at $10–$75 per segment, per passenger. It becomes available beginning 24 hours before the flight’s original scheduled departure and may be purchased until 30 minutes before departure, subject to availability.
How do Southwest’s new boarding groups work?
Southwest uses Groups 1 through 8. A-List Preferred members board before Group 1. A-List members and Choice Extra customers are generally Group 1, Extra Legroom seats on Choice or Choice Preferred are Group 2, Choice Preferred generally uses Groups 3–4, eligible credit cardmembers receive Group 5 when no earlier benefit applies, Choice generally falls within Groups 3–7, and Basic is normally Group 8.
How can I board earlier without buying Priority Boarding?
A-List Preferred or A-List status, a Choice Extra fare, an eligible Extra Legroom seat, or qualifying Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card benefits can provide earlier boarding without a separate Priority Boarding purchase.
Do I still need to check in 24 hours before a Southwest flight?
Yes. Southwest’s online check-in still opens 24 hours before the flight’s original scheduled departure. EarlyBird no longer automatically checks current passengers in at 36 hours. Checking in promptly is especially useful for Basic travelers because their Standard seat is normally assigned at check-in.
Does Southwest guarantee that my family will sit together?
Passengers on the same regular reservation receive the same boarding group, but that alone does not guarantee adjacent seats. Southwest says it will endeavor, when practicable, to seat a child age 12 or younger next to one accompanying passenger age 13 or older on the same reservation. Families who are separated should ask a Gate Agent or Flight Attendant for assistance.
Sources
- Southwest Airlines: Assigned Seat Selection — current Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra seat-selection rules
- Southwest Airlines: Boarding Process — current boarding sequence and Groups 1 through 8
- Southwest Airlines: Priority Boarding — purchase window, per-segment treatment, payment, and refund rules
- Southwest Airlines: Optional Travel Charges — current Priority Boarding and paid seat-upgrade price ranges
- Southwest Airlines: Family Seating Policy — current adjacent-seating guidance for families and Basic fares
- U.S. Department of Transportation: Airline Family Seating Dashboard — current federal consumer comparison of airline family-seating commitments