Impatience fee: Southwest dings passengers $10 to board first

That "ding" sound you hear on Southwest Airlines flights isn't its lovable commercials, but cash registers ringing for charging passengers who just insist on being first onboard the plane.

Southwest Airlines on Thursday is starting its $10 "EarlyBird Check-in" program, joining the airline game of dinging passengers with enough add-on fees to require stopping at a bank to get small bills on the way to the airport.

Forget "Ding, you are now free to move about the country." Try "Ding, that will be $10 for boarding first." The fee is one-way.

How about paying $10 get off the plane first? That might be worth something.