Southwest question?

[sayhello]

You can also remember to check in 24 hours ahead of your flight online (ship's Internet is slow, but fast enough to handle online checkin). Where that gets you depends greatly on the flight. I usually get low B group numbers that way.

I had to check in for my flight (non-SWA) 24 hours before I flew after a DCL cruise, and it cost me $17 in Internet charges to do it. I think paying for the EB booking can be cheaper and is less of a hassle!

Sayhello

 

[juliebug1997]

SWA wouldn't let us check in at the terminal until either 3 or 4 hours before our flight time. I get it, but it was a hassle.

 

[lorenni]

As aggravating as it may be to some posters, if you are traveling with small children you can board after the As I think - or maybe after B30 - no matter what your boarding number is. I would suggest that letting me board ahead of you with my toddler and husband is far less annoying than having me and my toddler hop into the middle seat between you and your travel companion.

 

[wgeo]

When you actually get to the airport there is a shorter line to check bags at the terminal if you have already printed your boarding passes. We will be checking bags and understand that DCL doesn't work with SW to do this, however if we purchase EBCI and go down to guest services the night before our cruise ends will guest services print our boarding passes for us?

Thanks

 

[kshark1958]

Why is paying extra for EB check in a must after a DCL cruise? I asked my travel agent before my cruise to do the regular check in for me at 24 hours ahead and she got me B9. Had plenty of seating to choose from onboard.

The difference is you had your TA check you in 24 hours before your flight. I didn't use a TA to book my trip. I used DVC then booked my own flight. Without EB I wouldn't have been able to check until we got to port which was about 7 and I would have ended up with high C check in

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I see but even without a TA couldn't you have asked a trusted family member or friend at home to check in for you? I've done that before also. This is definitely the easiest and cheapest way. I definitely don't recommend trying to check in for any airline online on the ship because it was so slow the 1 time I tried and never even loaded the last page to confirm if it had gone through. I went immediately to guest services and complained and had the Internet charges removed.

 

[kshark1958]

I see but even without a TA couldn't you have asked a trusted family member or friend at home to check in for you? I've done that before also. This is definitely the easiest and cheapest way. I definitely don't recommend trying to check in for any airline online on the ship because it was so slow the 1 time I tried and never even loaded the last page to confirm if it had gone through. I went immediately to guest services and complained and had the Internet charges removed.

I'll have to do this next time. Probably get my son to do it. Thanks for the idea. I can't believe i didn't think of this before. Sometimes we get so used to convenience and paying what we think is a small charge we don't even think of how those small charges just keep adding up.

 

[DillWaters]

When you actually get to the airport there is a shorter line to check bags at the terminal if you have already printed your boarding passes. We will be checking bags and understand that DCL doesn't work with SW to do this, however if we purchase EBCI and go down to guest services the night before our cruise ends will guest services print our boarding passes for us?

Thanks

You can just find a kiosk near the checkin area and print them there, then go to the shorter baggage check line. The kiosks are usually near the outside windows/entry doors in most airports I've traveled to.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I'll have to do this next time. Probably get my son to do it. Thanks for the idea. I can't believe i didn't think of this before. Sometimes we get so used to convenience and paying what we think is a small charge we don't even think of how those small charges just keep adding up.

Happy to help. I try to avoid as many unnecessary, even if small, charges if at all possible with anything. Frees up more $$$ for things I really want to spend on!

 

[mmouse37]

When you actually get to the airport there is a shorter line to check bags at the terminal if you have already printed your boarding passes. We will be checking bags and understand that DCL doesn't work with SW to do this, however if we purchase EBCI and go down to guest services the night before our cruise ends will guest services print our boarding passes for us?

Thanks

No, they can't (or won't). Mostly likely because they probably get tons of people wanting them to print their boarding passes on a given cruise and it just becomes too much for them.

MJ

 

[noahdove]

I'm sure we will be flying SWA next April and I am concerned that we will have 2 small children with us and we NEED to sit next to them..how can we make this happen? I have always flown AirTran and purchased my seats....and now with this change I am fretting...thanks for an insite..

 

[lorenni]

If any of the kids are under 5 you get to board between the As and Bs - there will be plenty of seats together. You will be fine.

 

[noahdove]

We will have a 5 and 7 year old....

 

[lorenni]

I *think* the age is 5 for early boarding. The flight attendants will make sure that kids are sitting with their parents - I've heard some great announcements about who wants to trade their seat vs volunteer to babysit. You can also pay for EB for just one adult - most of the time they let the whole party board at once even if only one has that boarding number.

Most southwest planes are three and three seating so you'll need to split up anyways.

 

[fredgirls]

Just returned from first flight with SW.
I bought our flights on the day the flights became available, and also bought early birds at that time.
We still had B57-60.!
We got 2 of only the 3 rows left with 2 seats together.
So we did get to sit with our kids.
But I would not do it again. Too much uncertainty. Not a stress-free start to our holiday!

And also, for our flight anyway, they let families with children less than 4 years old to board after the A's. There was only one of those families on our flight.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Just returned from first flight with SW.
I bought our flights on the day the flights became available, and also bought early birds at that time.
We still had B57-60.!
We got 2 of only the 3 rows left with 2 seats together.
So we did get to sit with our kids.
But I would not do it again. Too much uncertainty. Not a stress-free start to our holiday!

And also, for our flight anyway, they let families with children less than 4 years old to board after the A's. There was only one of those families on our flight.

I think it depends on the agents operating the particular flight what age of kids they allow to do the pre-board between A&B. On a SWA flight last year from Philly to Orlando, which had a lot of kids obviously, being that it was going to Orlando- they let anyone with any kids of any age pre-board- well past age 4 or 5. It was literally like the entire plane. The parties of adults around me were in disbelief, and many of them had paid for the EB check in. I would have been livid if I had and filed a request to refund the charge when I got home if I were them. By the time I got on with a very low B number, even though I was travelling solo, to get an aisle seat I had to go to the 2nd to last row of the plane at that point. There were a lot of unhappy adults on that flight.

 

[kshark1958]

Just returned from first flight with SW.
I bought our flights on the day the flights became available, and also bought early birds at that time.
We still had B57-60.!
We got 2 of only the 3 rows left with 2 seats together.
So we did get to sit with our kids.
But I would not do it again. Too much uncertainty. Not a stress-free start to our holiday!

And also, for our flight anyway, they let families with children less than 4 years old to board after the A's. There was only one of those families on our flight.

Wow B57 never heard it being that long down the list with EB. Don't let that discourage you for a first time on SW. They are a good airline. But I will say they are not always the cheapest even when you add in baggage fees. They used to be but not anymore. Like anything just do the research

 

[TmlndSpdwy03]

When you actually get to the airport there is a shorter line to check bags at the terminal if you have already printed your boarding passes. We will be checking bags and understand that DCL doesn't work with SW to do this, however if we purchase EBCI and go down to guest services the night before our cruise ends will guest services print our boarding passes for us?

Thanks

Use curb side checking. Line is shorter 90% of the time, no separate line if you have/dont have boarding pass and they will print your boarding pass for you. Sure, you should tip them but IMO its worth it.

They also have computers in the Orlando airport just to the right of the check in area where you should be able to print your boarding pass if they line is really that much longer for people without their passes already printed.

 

[fredgirls]

Wow B57 never heard it being that long down the list with EB. Don't let that discourage you for a first time on SW. They are a good airline. But I will say they are not always the cheapest even when you add in baggage fees. They used to be but not anymore. Like anything just do the research

Yes, we were surprised!
Especially as I booked the hour they became available! Guess everyone else did too!
We got an amazing price, so I can definitely absorb that negative. crew were great and process easy.

But...One other factor that tips the negative quite substantially is that the planes were disgustingly dirty. I am absolutely not a clean freak at all, and I realise that turn around is almost immediate, but the seats and tray tables were really awful. Gum under the chairs stuck to my daughter's bag, sticky seats, multiple old drink drips down the back of chair in front, visible grime on tray tables and half eaten food in the pockets in front.
We have flown hundreds of times and i've never seen anything like it.
I just kept thinking...'these flight were an amazing price'!
Not sure i'll do it again though.

 

[kshark1958]

Yes, we were surprised!
Especially as I booked the hour they became available! Guess everyone else did too!
We got an amazing price, so I can definitely absorb that negative. crew were great and process easy.

But...One other factor that tips the negative quite substantially is that the planes were disgustingly dirty. I am absolutely not a clean freak at all, and I realise that turn around is almost immediate, but the seats and tray tables were really awful. Gum under the chairs stuck to my daughter's bag, sticky seats, multiple old drink drips down the back of chair in front, visible grime on tray tables and half eaten food in the pockets in front.
We have flown hundreds of times and i've never seen anything like it.
I just kept thinking...'these flight were an amazing price'!
Not sure i'll do it again though.

Sounds to me like you had the ULTIMATE first time bad luck experience for a SW flight or any airline flight. All flights no matter what airline they do a quick turn around to get the flight in the air. Kind of like cruise ships.Do me a favor and don't judge SW just by this one flight. I have flown them plenty and never had a bad flight. I have flown other airlines also. Actually my favorite airline is Frontier. Unfortunately their routes are very limited.