A website that charged Southwest passengers $5 to ensure that they’d nab the coveted “A” boarding pass has shut down after giving up its legal battle against the airline.

BoardFirst.com used passenger’s confirmation codes to log them in 24 hours before their flight, thus ensuring the mythical “A” boarding pass. Southwest sued the site, claiming that it violated a clause in their terms of use prohibiting commercial use of their website.

Kate Bell, the owner of the site, says she expects Southwest to begin selling “A” passes itself.

We’ve never really understood the allure of Southwest. The lack of assigned seats gives us anxiety. It’s like the world’s most awkward, crowded movie theater.

Southwest’s win kills boarding-pass Web site [Arizona Republic]
(Photo:Jay Adan)

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