How do I get priority boarding for free?

You can often get priority boarding for free through specific passenger qualifications, earning airline loyalty, or leveraging certain travel credit card benefits.

Here are the primary ways to secure priority boarding without an additional cost:

Leverage Your Status or Situation

Many airlines offer priority boarding to passengers who fall into specific categories or have achieved a certain level of loyalty.

Elite Airline Status

Achieving elite airline status is one of the most reliable ways to receive priority boarding without directly paying for it. Airlines reward their most frequent flyers with various perks, including early boarding.

• How it works: You earn elite status by accumulating a certain number of miles flown, segments traveled, or qualifying spending with a particular airline within a year.
• Benefits: Once you've reached an elite tier (e.g., Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond), priority boarding is typically an automatic benefit on most, if not all, of your flights with that airline or its partners. This also often includes benefits like complimentary upgrades, which also come with priority boarding.
• Example: A Delta SkyMiles Medallion Platinum member will receive priority boarding on all eligible Delta flights.

Qualifying Passenger Groups

Airlines often extend complimentary priority boarding to certain groups of passengers to enhance their travel experience or accommodate special needs.

• Families with Young Children: Many airlines allow families traveling with infants or young children (typically under a certain age, like 2 or 5) to board early, giving them extra time to settle in and secure overhead bin space.
• Passengers with Disabilities: Individuals requiring special assistance or extra time to board due to a disability are almost always given priority boarding.
• Military Personnel: Active duty military members often receive priority boarding as a courtesy, sometimes alongside other benefits like free checked bags.
• First or Business Class Passengers (Complimentary Upgrades): While upgrading to these classes usually costs money, if you receive a complimentary upgrade due to your elite status or a last-minute seat availability, the priority boarding benefit comes along for free.

Utilize Credit Card Perks

Certain travel credit cards offer priority boarding as a core benefit, making it "free" once you hold the card, although most premium cards come with an annual fee.

Airline Co-Branded Credit Cards

Many airlines partner with banks to offer co-branded credit cards that come with various travel perks, including priority boarding.

• How it works: By simply being a cardholder, you often qualify for priority boarding when flying with that specific airline, regardless of your elite status. The perk is embedded in the card's benefits.
• Considerations: While the perk itself is "free" once you have the card, these cards often have an annual fee. However, the value of the priority boarding and other benefits (like free checked bags, companion passes, or lounge access) can easily offset this fee for frequent travelers.
• Example: A United℠ Explorer Card holder typically receives priority boarding (Group 2) on United flights. Similarly, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers four complimentary A1-A15 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.

Summary of Free Priority Boarding Methods

To help you decide the best approach, here's a quick overview of how these methods deliver free priority boarding:

By exploring these avenues, you can often enjoy the convenience of early boarding and secure overhead bin space without incurring additional costs on your next flight.