cbs4 My 33 Header Logo

Business

Southwest Air Offering New Early Board Fee

View Comments
A view of Southwest airline jets  (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

A view of Southwest airline jets (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Tim Kephart

Reporting Tim Kephart

South Florida Crime

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Southwest Airlines has become the latest air carrier to give passengers the choice of paying a fee to get extra services.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Southwest has introduced an early-boarding fee option. The $40 charge would guarantee a passenger they will be one of the first 15 passengers on the flight.

Southwest had previously offered a $10 Early Bird Check-In service to bump passengers up the list of boarding. The new early-boarding fee option will be available online and at the gate up to 45 minutes before boarding, according to the Times.

Airline fees have become a gold mine for the once struggling industry. In 2012, the world’s largest air carriers collected $36.1 billion in revenue from fees for everything from roomier seats to wireless Internet service.

View Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus
Listen Live!

CBS Miami Sections

Shopping Around South Florida

Rockefeller Tree
Best Shopping Centers & Malls
From Sawgrass Mills to the Falls, these are your best bets for malls.
 Tis The Season
Best South Florida Thrift Stores
Malls too expensive? Check out the bargains and be thrifty.
 Tis The Season
Best Swimsuit Shops In Miami
It’s South Florida, you have to have the perfect look for the beach!
 Shopping Around South Florida
Best Small Boutique With Big Fashion
The perfect place to find high fashion in a small store.