If you've ever flown with Southwest, you know its boarding process is a little different than other carriers. The airline opts not to assign passengers seats ahead of time, instead allowing them to pick their own seats as they board. So, it's no surprise that most Southwest travelers will try everything they can to get an earlier boarding group so they can be among the first to choose. But it seems not everyone thinks this way, as one traveler has recently taken to Reddit to share the "advantages" of being one of the last to board. Read on to discover why this Southwest passenger has baffled everyone with their love of the C boarding group.
RELATED: Travelers Are Boycotting Southwest Over New Boarding Change.
Southwest has already come under fire for its boarding process this year.
iStockA lot of Southwest passengers are serious about being one of the first to board—so much so that they've come at the carrier this year when they made it harder to secure an earlier position. In June, one Southwest traveler took to X to allege that the airline allows certain people to abuse its wheelchair policy in order to board ahead of others. "Pre-boarding scam @SouthwestAir 20 passengers boarding using a wheelchair and probably only 3 need one to deplane," user @trendready wrote in a June 24 post.
Then in August, more Southwest customers became enraged with the carrier after it announced that it would be "limiting the number" of EarlyBird Check-In spots that are available for some of its flights. This service—which originally had no cap for each flight—lets customers check in before the typical 24-hour check-in for a fee, allowing them a better chance to get an A or B boarding group because Southwest doles out boarding positions based on when customers check in for their flight.
But now one passenger is trying to convince others that being among the last to board a Southwest flight may actually be a good thing.
RELATED: 5 Secrets About Flying on Southwest Airlines You Need to Know.
One passenger is now sharing their love for the C boarding group.
Richard H Grant / ShutterstockWhether it be alleged "pre-barding scams" or the limitation of EarlyBird Check-In, boarding problems appear not to phase some customers who have no problem with being in the last boarding group.
In a Sept. 24 post on the r/SouthwestAirlines subreddit, user @tundraduck explained just exactly how they've come to learn to love the C boarding group.
"I recently took advantage of my Wanna Getaway Plus ability to change flights from SAN to SMF same day and experienced the joy of being near last in C boarding group," the user wrote.
RELATED: 7 Southwest Boarding Tips to Always Get the Best Seat, Travel Experts Say.
They said there are some advantages to being one of the last to board.
ShutterstockUser @tundraduck explained that there were many things they "love about being (near) last on the plane," jokingly making light of some of the less-than-ideal parts about being one of the last to board. These included having to spend "less time waiting in the plane to taxi out" and fewer choices to make if you're feeling tired or overwhelmed. "Only two middle seats to choose from," they wrote. "Less stress, more action."
They also indicated that because "the Gods" get to decide their seatmate for the flight, they might be better off: "More likely to end up next to millionaire looking for good buddy to put in will to inherit estate rather than kids."
But what about when it comes to having to find any remaining luggage space? They found a light-hearted way to spin that in as well. "By having luggage near back of plane and my seat near middle of plane, have time to converse with friendly flight attendant while Frogger style moving up row by row as passengers exit plane," they wrote as their fourth advantage.
And for their fifth, they jokingly wrote, "See number four. Sense of completion as I watch most passengers exit as I retrieve bags from back of plane. Get to see all exiting passengers one last time. Meaningful eye contact with each one not possible with A boarding group."
The post was met with mixed reactions.
Elliott Cowand Jr / ShutterstockThe Reddit post has already taken off, with dozens of other users commenting to share their thoughts on user @tundraduck's positive spin on the C boarding group. "I love your perspective and your attitude. You are the person I want to sit in the empty seat next to me," one person responded. Another wrote, "Nope, I’ll take my A16 and the emergency exit row window seat 90 percent of the time."
But some even shared actual advantages to being in the last boarding group. For example, you may get to sit closer to the front of the plane without having to worry. "Also you can take the middle seat up front with no guilt when the people glare at you. I always feel like these people know the plane is full, why do they expect to keep this seat open. I plop my C self right up front," one person wrote. Another added, "Yes! This is the real perk of C! Suddenly you are front-of-plane eligible again!"
Others indicated that it was their preferred boarding group for different reasons. "The less time I have to spend on a cramped airplane, the better," one person wrote. Another commented, "By the time you get off the plane your luggage is well on the way to the carousel, so less waiting for your checked baggage!"
