When you check in for a flight, either by printing a boarding pass on your computer or by using a mobile device, you’re provided with a boarding group. This lets you know when you’ll be getting on the plane. Getting group 3 on one airline might be great, but it could be terrible for another airline.
Regardless of that number, know you’re not getting on the plane when the boarding process starts unless you’re a super-elite frequent flyer or a disabled passenger using a wheelchair. The passengers with loyalty status and ones who paid for first class will go next. Why not stay seated until your group (or at least the one right before it) is called? Because you’re going to have a long wait to have your ticket scanned, and all you’re going to do is stand on the jet bridge for a while before actually getting on the plane.
Just be patient and don’t be like the people in this video from JetBlue:
Airlines are constantly tweaking the policies around the edges — adjusting elite-tier perks here, shifting boarding group privileges there — but it’s rare to see a wholesale change to the boarding process itself. (Southwest’s upcoming move to assigned seating in 2026 will be one of those rare exceptions.)
Listed in the order of the total number of passengers carried, here are the boarding orders for major U.S. airlines.
United Airlines
- Pre-boarding
- Customers with disabilities
- Unaccompanied minors
- Anyone flying with children 2 or younger
- Active military members
- Global Services® and Premier® 1K® members
- Group 1
- Premier Platinum and Premier Gold members
- Star Alliance™ Gold members
- Travelers in United Polaris®, United First®, and United Business® cabins
- Group 2
- Premier Silver members
- Star Alliance™ Silver members
- Travelers with Premier Access® or Priority Boarding
- United℠ Explorer Card, United Quest℠ Card, United Club℠ Infinite Card, United℠ Business Card, United Club℠ Business Card, United MileagePlus® Awards Card, United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card, and United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Business Card
- Group 3
- Economy Plus® or United Economy® travelers in window or exit-row seats
- Group 4
- Economy Plus or United Economy travelers in middle seats
- Group 5
- Economy Plus or United Economy travelers in aisle seats
- Group 6
- Travelers in Basic Economy*
- Travelers who do not have a boarding group number listed on their boarding pass
American Airlines
By Piergiuliano Chesi [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
- ConciergeKey® members
- First
- Flights ticketed as First on domestic routes or Flagship® First on international routes
- Business
- Flights ticketed as Business on domestic routes or Flagship® Business on international routes
- Family boarding
- Families with children under 2 years old
- Group 1
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum® members
- Active duty U.S. military with valid military I.D.
- Group 2
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro® members
- oneworld® Emerald℠ members
- Group 3
- AAdvantage Platinum® members
- oneworld® Sapphire℠ members
- Group 4
- AAdvantage Gold® members
- oneworld® Ruby℠ members
- AirPass℠ members
- Premium Economy passengers
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive cardmembers
- Travelers who purchased Priority boarding
- Group 5 (Preferred Boarding)
- Main Cabin Extra (excluding Basic Economy)
- AAdvantage® members who have earned 15,000 Loyalty Points
- Eligible AAdvantage® credit cardmembers*
- AAdvantage Business Select™ travelers
- Group 6
- AAdvantage® members
- Groups 7–8
- Main Cabin
- Group 9
- Basic Economy**
Delta Air Lines
- Pre-Boarding
- Customers needing assistance or additional time to board
- Active Duty U.S. Military with military ID
- Zone 1
- Delta One® customers
- Delta First customers
- Zone 2
- Delta 360° Members
- Diamond Medallion® Members
- Delta Premium Select customers
- Early Access
- Customers traveling with car seats and strollers
- Zone 3
- Delta Comfort® customers
- Zone 4
- Platinum Medallion® Members
- Gold Medallion® Members
- Flying Blue Platinum and Gold Members
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold Members
- SkyTeam® Elite Plus Members
- LATAM Pass Black Signature, Black and Platinum Elite Members
- WestJet Rewards Platinum and Gold Elite Members
- Zone 5
- Silver Medallion® Members
- Delta Corporate Travelers
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold, Platinum and Reserve American Express Card Members
- Flying Blue Silver Members
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver Members
- SkyTeam® Elite Members
- LATAM Pass Gold+ Elite Members
- WestJet Rewards Silver Elite Members
- Delta Main Extra customers
- Zone 6
- SkyMiles Members in Delta Main Classic
- Zone 7
- Non-SkyMiles Members in Delta Main Classic
- Zone 8
- Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy)
Southwest Airlines
Note: Current open-seating boarding process remains in place through January 26, 2026. Southwest will introduce assigned seating beginning January 27, 2026.
- Boarding positions A1–A15 are reserved for Business Select fares. Customers can also purchase these spots (based on availability) for $30–$80 up to 24 hours before departure. Cardholders of the Southwest Priority Card receive up to four reimbursements per year.
- A-List members are assigned check-in positions 36 hours before the flight.
- For all other passengers, boarding position is based on check-in time or by purchasing EarlyBird Check-In.
- If an A-List member books or changes a flight less than 36 hours before departure and gets a B or C group, they can board between Groups A and B.
- Children age 6 or younger and one guardian may board between Groups A and B.
Alaska Airlines
- Preboarding
- Guests with disabilities who need help or a little more time to board
- Priority Boarding
- First Class
- Atmos™ Titanium members
- Note: Some aircraft do not have First Class seating; group boarding on those flights will begin with Group A.
- Group A
- Atmos™ Million Milers
- Atmos Platinum members
- Atmos Gold members
- Families with children under the age of 2
- Active members of the military
- Group B
- Atmos Silver members
- Guests in Premium Class seats
- Note: Some aircraft do not have Premium Class seating.
- Group C
- Eligible Atmos™ Rewards Visa® cardholders who book their flight using an Atmos Rewards Visa card
- Group D
- Guests in Main seats located in the back half of the aircraft
- Group E
- Guests in Main seats located in the front half of the aircraft
- Group F
- Guests in Saver seats
JetBlue Airways
- Pre-boarding
- Customers with disabilities
- Mint® and Mosaic 3 & 4 customers
- Mosaic 1 & 2 customers
- EvenMore® customers (Group A)
- Courtesy Boarding
- Active military personnel
- Customers traveling with children in car seats and strollers
- Group B
- Group C
- Group D
- Group E
- Group F
- All remaining customers
Note: Unaccompanied minors will be escorted to the aircraft and will board last.
Spirit Airlines
- Pre-boarding
- Passengers needing extra time or assistance to board
- Spirit First
- Passengers seated in the Big Front Seat
- Includes Priority Check-In, Group 1 boarding, complimentary snacks and drinks, gate-to-gate Wi-Fi, and carry-on and checked bags
- Premium Economy
- Passengers with extra-legroom or blocked-middle-seat upgrades
- Includes Group 2 boarding and a carry-on bag
- Group 3
- Free Spirit Silver or Gold members
- Spirit Mastercard holders
- Passengers who purchase Shortcut Boarding
- Active duty military personnel
- Group 4
- Passengers seated in rear cabin rows
- Group 5
- Passengers seated toward the front of the aircraft
Frontier Airlines
- Pre-boarding
- Customers with disabilities
- Active-duty U.S. Military personnel
- Families traveling with children under 2 years old
- Group 1
- Frontier Miles Elite Diamond members
- Passengers who purchased the Board First option (available when adding a carry-on bag)
- Group 2
- Frontier Miles Elite Platinum and Gold members
- Passengers who purchased bundles including a carry-on bag
- Courtesy Boarding
- Families traveling with small children or any customer needing extra assistance
- Groups 3–5
- Remaining passengers by zone
Hawaiian Airlines
- First / Business Class Lane
- Pre-boarding
- Guests needing assistance
- Unaccompanied minors
- Premium Cabin
- First Class
- Business Class
- Zone 1
- Pualani Platinum Members*
- Zone 2
- Pualani Gold Members*
- Premier Club Members*
- Pre-boarding
- Main Cabin Lane
- Early Boarding
- Active duty military personnel
- Families with children under 2
- Zone 3
- Guests in Extra Comfort seats
- Zone 4
- Main Cabin seats**
- Zone 5
- Main Cabin Basic seats
- Early Boarding
*Pualani Platinum, Pualani Gold, and Premier Club members may be joined in the boarding line by two guests.
**If you do not have a zone number listed on your boarding pass, please board with Zone 4.
Final Thoughts
So there it is: the order in which the U.S. airlines board their planes. That is, until one of the airlines changes its process next week. If one thing is sure, some airlines will decide that they have figured out the quickest way to load a plane.
In my experience, airlines that don’t charge excessive fees for bags, like Southwest, or those that charge for all bags, like Spirit and Frontier, have the quickest boarding times. If the airline is checking every carry-on bag at the gate to see if it’s the correct size, it’s going to take a long time to get on the plane.
No matter what you do, please don’t stand up and block the path to the plane as soon as boarding starts. We have a name for you, and it’s not a nice one.
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