In 2009 Southwest introduced EarlyBird Check In, this service automatically checks you into your flight 36 hours to departure. Regular check in opens 24 hours to departure, the reason travelers care about checking in with Southwest is that the earlier you check in the better your boarding position is and this matters for travelers wanting to get the better seats. When introduced EarlyBird check in cost $10, it now costs $15 one way. Starting on August Southwest will move to a dynamic pricing model for EarlyBird and it will cost $15-$25 per one way flight, Southwest will use two factors to determine the price:
- Length of flight
- Demand for EarlyBird on that route
They won’t be changing pricing base on the day of the week or time of the flight. Obviously makes sense to charge more on longer routes and I suspect this is being done ahead of the Hawaii expansion to maximize auxiliary revenue as much as possible. Upgraded boardings give you even better boarding positions and cost $30-$40 so I wonder if people will start just buying those instead. Chase Southwest Priority card comes with four upgraded boardings annually and the EarlyBird check in fees are eligible for the $75 credit as well.
Hat tip to TPG
