Recent SWA experiences? Particularly @ BDL

[Fantasmic303]

We have a trip planned from Hartford on Southwest later this year. I'm trying to determine whether it's a waste of money for us to pay the extra $10 for Early Bird Check In, and I was wondering what recent experiences have been, both using the EBCI and checking in at 24hrs as usual.

I know people are going to say that $10 isn't a lot to pay ($20 for my sister and I each way, both of us are adults) to "guarantee" a better spot in line if that's important to us, but that's not the issue. I just want to get an idea of where we'd be without it.

If you've flown SWA since Early Bird started, what has been your boarding experience?

TIA!

 

[pooch]

yet but have flown SWA out of BDL forn the past three years. BDL is an originating airport so there will be no passengers already on the plane. My opinion is this:

I would not pay for EBCI for the trip down, I would just be on @ 24 hrs to check in. With 2 adults, I can't imagine you'll have trouble getting 2 seats together. DD and I, with A passes, always head to the back of the plane and the last 2 trips have had no one sit in the other seat in our row.

I would, and did, get EBCI for the tip home because of the CONVENIENCE of not having to take time from my day to do it.

SWA out of BDL is great!!

 

[Fantasmic303]

yet but have flown SWA out of BDL forn the past three years. BDL is an originating airport so there will be no passengers already on the plane. My opinion is this:

I would not pay for EBCI for the trip down, I would just be on @ 24 hrs to check in. With 2 adults, I can't imagine you'll have trouble getting 2 seats together. DD and I, with A passes, always head to the back of the plane and the last 2 trips have had no one sit in the other seat in our row.

I would, and did, get EBCI for the tip home because of the CONVENIENCE of not having to take time from my day to do it.

SWA out of BDL is great!!

Thanks, Pooch - we've done it many a-time as well (pretty much exclusively until we started using JetBlue from White Plains over the last couple of years), although their fares and schedules recently haven't been that impressive. Now they're making the seating thing a hassle, and I'm just getting annoyed, lol.

Thanks for your input...good point about it being an originating airport, I think that would make the biggest difference.

 

[Sonoma]

We flew out of CMH to MCO on Friday 9-11. I checked in right at the 24 hour mark and got 6 A boarding passes (we had 2 separate reservations). This was an evening flight and it was only about half full.

On the way home (9-19) , we checked in about 23 ½ hours before our flight and got B11-16 boarding passes. This flight was completely full. When we boarded there were still about 10-12 empty rows in the back of the plane so we had no problem sitting together.

I don’t plan to use the early bird service, we have a family of 6 so that $10 per ticket really adds up.

 

[disneyfan2]

DH just returned from a flight and because he was by himself, it did not matter where he sat so we did not pay the extra. The flight down, he fell asleep while wait to do the 24 hr boarding. Luckily i called him 15 min later and he went in right away to do it and got A-59 boarding on the way back he also had no problem. Even both flights were over booked and they were asking passengers to give up seats for the next day. He knew some people that had high B's and still found seats together but further back in the plane. I don't think i will use the EB fee in the future.

 

[Rpsemont]

We've flown SWA many times out of BDL - mostly to ORlando. If I am sitting at the computer at the 24 hour mark, historically I got low A's. If I check in within an hour or so, I would end up with high A's or low B's. I would say out of the 10 flights we've taken, most were full or almost full flights. Since there's just 3 of and we fill up a row, I'm not sure I'd pay for EB. Even when we've been high B's we have been able to find at least two seats together, but it doesn't matter if we don't. However, I like the idea of it.
If I have to check in outside of work hours, it might be nice not to have to worry about it. (when I'm at work, I'm on line all the time). I also might consider it for times when I can't plan to be near a computer at the world.
I have four different reservations at different times to check in late October. At this time, I do not plan to do EB. I'll let you know.

 

[Fantasmic303]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Looks like we'll skip it this time...

...but so help me God, if I find out all of you guys are Early Birds on my flight and take up all the As and good seats, well...I.....*shakes fist*