Southwest Check-In

[finny1981]

Ok so I have never flown with Southwest before so I am new to the whole thing, but when I purchased my tickets back in February I also purchased EBCI which I understood as Southwest checking me in 36 hours before the flight. Now fast forward to this morning, my flight is tomorrow at 7:15 am and I just logged in to print my boarding passes and I had only the option to check in which I did and then printed my boarding passes. The thing I just want to do is be sure that even though I had to click check in to print the boarding passes that Southwest had in fact checked me in 36 hours early...is it normal to have to click check in even with Early Bird? I am more concerned with the trip home since I bought it to not have to worry about check in from the parks.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Yes. Even though SWA checked you in you still needed to check in. They just need your acknowledgement that you will be flying on this flight is all.
On your trip home you can do check in at anytime. Remember you have already been assigned your boarding number so you can check in as late as I believe 45 minutes before your flight takes off. But of course you will have already done that. While at Disney you can go to any resort check in desk with your confirmation number and they will print your boarding pass for you. If you happen to be at a park simply go to the guest services or even at DTD guest services can print your boarding passes.

All is good

 

[finny1981]

Thanks so much!!!

 

[LisaS]

...my flight is tomorrow at 7:15 am and I just logged in to print my boarding passes and I had only the option to check in which I did and then printed my boarding passes. The thing I just want to do is be sure that even though I had to click check in to print the boarding passes that Southwest had in fact checked me in 36 hours early...is it normal to have to click check in even with Early Bird? I am more concerned with the trip home since I bought it to not have to worry about check in from the parks.

With EBCI, Southwest checks you in automatically 36 hours out. At some point you need to print your boarding pass ** so at 24 hours or less from departure, you can go to Southwest's website to view and print your boarding pass or you can have it printed for you if you use RAC at a Disney hotel or you can wait to do it at the airport. But at 36 hours out, you are checked in for the flight.

If you want to view or print your boarding pass online, it is confusing. That "Check In" button is really the "Check In if you didn't buy EBCI; View/Print your boarding pass if you did buy EBCI" but that's too much text to fit on a button!

** ETA: Actually, you don't need to print your boarding pass. You can access your boarding pass on Southwest's website from a smart phone and show it on your phone at Security at the airport and again to the gate agent when boarding the flight.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

We've flown SWA a few times and used EBCI - love it.

I do have a question. We've never purchased airfare using SWA RR points; we've always paid cash and I purchased all the tickets. My DH & I are thinking of maybe going to Las Vegas in March and would like to use our RR points. I would use my RR points for my airfare and he would use his RR points for his airfare. We'd both get EBCI. I know when we purchased our airfare all together as a family our EBCI positions would be something like A27-A29. I assume DH & I would not get positions right together but how far off would they be? Not a big deal - I was just wondering what other DISers experiences were.

TIA,
Debbie

 

[MrPTato]

Following this...I am using RR points and wife/DD have paid tickets. Curious as to the positions.

 

[LisaS]

The boarding positions might still be sequential or separated by just a position or two. DH and I often get boarding positions with someone in between the two of us. We line up at whichever position is furthest back in the line and the let the person(s) in between us board ahead of us. Sometimes our boarding positions are interleaved with those of another couple, for example one couple gets A24 and A26 and the other couple gets A25 and A27. In that case we usually work it out with the other couple as to who boards first. If we had A24 and 26 we would go first, if we got A25 and 27 we would insist that they board first.