Last year, Southwest Airlines said they would be implementing a slew of new fees this year in an effort to raise 1 billion dollars in revenue for 2013.
Thus far they’ve kept their promise, announcing a fee for no-show customers, and now they’ve introduced another new fee for early boarding.
Customers may now pay an extra $40 to be part of a group of 15 people that gets to board the plane first. Since Southwest doesn’t have assigned seating, boarding in this select group provides access to the best seats. Travelers can also pay a $10 “Early Bird” check-in fee to move up their boarding position, but that fee doesn’t guarantee a place among the first people to board.
Source: CNN Money