Southwest Upgraded Boarding
On a recent trip to Denver, my wife, daughter, and I were scheduled to fly home on Southwest. I checked in for our flight within 5 minutes of the 24-hour mark but still ended up with a C27 boarding group. Not surprising, since Denver is a Southwest Airlines hub, but I was disappointed nonetheless. But, then I remembered that the Southwest Performance Business card offers 4 upgraded boarding passes per year. This Southwest upgraded boarding perk is incredibly easy to use and can be worth hundreds of dollars, which is more than enough to offset the card's annual fee of $199.
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Southwest Performance Business Credit Card Perk
You can purchase a Southwest upgraded boarding between 24 hours and 30 minutes before departure. At the airport, I pulled up our reservation through the Southwest app and saw the option to upgrade our boarding group. The price was a steep $65 per person!
Before committing to paying for the Southwest upgraded boarding, I double-checked the terms of the benefit. I wanted to make sure there was no dollar limit to this perk. Here is what the card's terms & conditions state, in part:
“Each anniversary year you will be reimbursed for the purchase of up to 4 Upgraded Boardings which are positions A1-A15. […] Price of Upgraded Boarding is based on your itinerary. […] After you make your purchase with your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Card, you will receive a statement credit for the price of the Upgraded Boarding.”
The terms are clear that the price of the upgraded boarding can vary depending on the itinerary. But the terms don't mention anything about a cap on this benefit other than the limit of 4 upgraded boardings per cardmember year. This made me quite confident that our upgraded boarding would be reimbursed, regardless of the price. Also, there is no requirement to register or sign up for this benefit. The statement credits are automatic.
I went ahead and charged the Southwest upgraded boarding to my wife's Performance Business card to improve each of our boarding group numbers for a total of $195. We ended up with boarding group numbers beginning with A5. This meant the three of us got to sit together at the front of the plane, and be among the first passengers out when we landed at home.
Southwest Upgraded Boarding: ToP Thoughts
An earlier arrival, earlier bedtime, and less stress meant an easier Sunday night and a better Monday morning. All of this courtesy of the courtesy of the Southwest Performance Business card. This is just one of the reasons why we have kept this card despite no longer having the Southwest Companion Pass.
Have you taken advantage of this credit card perk before? Come share your experience in the ToP Facebook Group.
