What is priority boarding?
Boarding the plane in one of the first groups, before most passengers. Business class tickets include it.
Priority boarding, explained
Airlines board in groups. Business class passengers board early, usually after passengers who need assistance and after first class, and often through their own lane at the gate.
Boarding early gives time to settle in, store a bag in the overhead bin near the seat and order a drink before departure.
Many airlines also give business class priority check-in, an extra baggage allowance and bags that come off the plane first.
On a flight with several premium cabins, the order is usually first class, then business class, then premium economy, then the economy groups. Frequent flyers with high status can board with business class.
On a business class trip
At the gate for a flight to Dubai, business class passengers board through their own lane while the main boarding groups wait.
Related terms
- Fast track security
A separate, shorter security lane for premium passengers at many airports outside the US. In the US, TSA PreCheck is the usual faster lane.
- Lounge access
Use of an airline's lounge before a flight and between connections. Most international business class tickets include it, the airline's or a partner's.
- Baggage allowance
How many bags you can check and carry on, and how heavy they can be. Business class usually includes more than economy; the airline sets the exact allowance.
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