Southwest return flight following cruise

[Grumpy_74]

I am cruising with my dad and step mom. I have purchased EBCI for my family. They did not and are flying southwest. Will guest services help them get checked in for their flight Friday? Or do I need to find someone not traveling to help them it and check them in at the 24 hour mark?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

If you sign up for wifi, you will get 50MB for free. You could use this to check them in via smartphone, tablet, or laptop. I don't believe guest services will do this. Your dad and step mom could still purchase the EBCI. You can add it after purchase of the tickets. The $25 cost would be worth it. I always purchase the EBCI for our return trips even if we are not on a cruise just so I don't have to worry about where I am and what I'm doing 24 hours before our flight.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

You can purchase early bird check in at any time, although their boarding group will obviously be higher than yours. Would they consider doing this? Otherwise, you would need to have someone else lined up for 24 hour checkin; guest devices only prints boarding passes for passengers using the onboard airline checkin service, where their bags are taken from the ship by Disney and magically reappear at your home airport. Unfortunately, Southwest is not one of those participating airlines.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Seems like a small thing for guest services to do---?? Takes all of 5 minutes.

This does not help the OP but Concierge has always printed out our SW Boarding Passes

 

[WIFamily]

If you sign up for wifi, you will get 50MB for free. You could use this to check them in via smartphone, tablet, or laptop. I don't believe guest services will do this. Your dad and step mom could still purchase the EBCI. You can add it after purchase of the tickets. The $25 cost would be worth it. I always purchase the EBCI for our return trips even if we are not on a cruise just so I don't have to worry about where I am and what I'm doing 24 hours before our flight.

Great answer, the only thing I can add here is that our on-board WIFI wasn't working well enough - I couldn't get us checked in. Luckily I had a backup and and a friend not traveling checked us in. So it might be a good idea to add the EBCI on, or have a backup.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Seems like a small thing for guest services to do---?? Takes all of 5 minutes.

So, say, only 1/4 of the guests onboard are using SouthWest, that's over 60 hours to get all of them checked in.

 

[Grumpy_74]

Thanks everyone - I'm going to see if Southwest will let me pay to upgrade them. Dad truly doesn't have the money - I've paid for a large part of this vacation for them as its his 1 year remission / celebration from diagnosis / treatment of Stage 4 oral cancer. Since I'm not leaving the same time as them and he's never flown SWA, the $25 out of my pocket is worth my piece of mind knowing they'll be checked in and good to go

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Thanks everyone - I'm going to see if Southwest will let me pay to upgrade them. Dad truly doesn't have the money - I've paid for a large part of this vacation for them as its his 1 year remission / celebration from diagnosis / treatment of Stage 4 oral cancer. Since I'm not leaving the same time as them and he's never flown SWA, the $25 out of my pocket is worth my piece of mind knowing they'll be checked in and good to go

You can do it online as long as you have their SW confirmation numbers. If you don't have those already, then ask your dad for them and say you need to give them to a friend who will check them in.

ETA: I forgot. If your dad gave SW an email address for confirmations, I believe adding EBCI to the flight will generate a confirmation email.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Hard to say how many guests are even flying--much less SW. They seem to manage getting all the other airlines squared away...and I am talking just printing out a boarding pass--nothing more.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Hard to say how many guests are even flying--much less SW. They seem to manage getting all the other airlines squared away...and I am talking just printing out a boarding pass--nothing more.

We fly SWA 90% of the time and I always buy EBCI leaving MCO so that I don't have to worry about checking in while on the ship or at WDW. I have asked on two different occasions if Guest Services could just print the boarding pass and they said no. It wasn't a big deal and I honestly didn't expect them to but thought I'd ask.

OP - if you are leaving from MCO, you might or might not be aware there are kiosks set up next to the Southwest check in area lines. It takes 20 seconds to log in there and print out your boarding passes when you arrive. I also highly recommend you do this because the SWA agents will ask if you have your boarding passes and if you do, you get in the much shorter line to check your luggage. If you don't have them already printed the line is always very long and I can't imagine how long it takes.

Heather

 

[professorandmom]

Another option: check in when you get to port and get a "C is for center" boarding pass.
I did this last December after the Wonder and sat between 2 large gentlemen - each added an elbow just under my rib cage...a VERY difficult trip...was it worth the money?...well, I had decided before the cruise that I'd rather have the early bird fee in my onboard account...

 

[Uncleromulus]

We fly SWA 90% of the time and I always buy EBCI leaving MCO so that I don't have to worry about checking in while on the ship or at WDW. I have asked on two different occasions if Guest Services could just print the boarding pass and they said no. It wasn't a big deal and I honestly didn't expect them to but thought I'd ask.

OP - if you are leaving from MCO, you might or might not be aware there are kiosks set up next to the Southwest check in area lines. It takes 20 seconds to log in there and print out your boarding passes when you arrive. I also highly recommend you do this because the SWA agents will ask if you have your boarding passes and if you do, you get in the much shorter line to check your luggage. If you don't have them already printed the line is always very long and I can't imagine how long it takes.

Heather

Of course there's the line AT the Kiosks to deal with!!! Frankly, the SW area at MCO is a zoo and anything to get you through that easily into the other zoo (TSA) is a good thing.

Wonder what DCL would do if SW suddenly decided to participate in the check in program?????

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Of course there's the line AT the Kiosks to deal with!!! Frankly, the SW area at MCO is a zoo and anything to get you through that easily into the other zoo (TSA) is a good thing.

Wonder what DCL would do if SW suddenly decided to participate in the check in program?????

Oddly enough we haven't encountered a line at the kiosks as there are several there and if it's one person ahead of us, we just wait. It really is quick and easy (not sure you've done it before so you might know what I'm talking about ).

SWA and DCL did test this out and I don't remember the exact timeframe although I know others might chime in and from I remember reading/hearing it was very successful but seemed too successful and perhaps they couldn't keep up with the demand. I know SWA is quite popular but not sure how many use them vs. the other airlines combined. It was tested only a short time within the last two years I'd say. It'd be nice to have it come back but honestly we are so used to doing it ourselves it really isn't too much trouble.

Heather

 

[jdb in AZ]

Of course there's the line AT the Kiosks to deal with!!! Frankly, the SW area at MCO is a zoo and anything to get you through that easily into the other zoo (TSA) is a good thing.

Wonder what DCL would do if SW suddenly decided to participate in the check in program?????[/QUOTE]

They experimented with it and decided it wasn't a good idea.

 

[plenam]

We booked a day room at the Hyatt after our cruise, being our SW flight don't leave till 5:00 PM, and we have EBCI, I believe we can print all of our stuff there at the hotel.

 

[emilymad]

When we check in online from the ship we always choose to have our boarding passes emailed to us. Then you can just show your email on your phone to check in, TSA, etc. It saves having to get in the longer line to print your boarding pass vs just checking bags.

 

[Mark D.]

Frankly, the SW area at MCO is a zoo and anything to get you through that easily into the other zoo (TSA) is a good thing.

On my last trip through MCO, the line for TSA was far worse than the SW line to print boarding passes and check luggage. Middle of the day on a weekend, and we spent maybe 15-20 minutes in the SW line, but over an hour in the TSA line -- they only had two metal detectors running during a peak time.

 

[mmouse37]

Hard to say how many guests are even flying--much less SW. They seem to manage getting all the other airlines squared away...and I am talking just printing out a boarding pass--nothing more.

I understand it seems like a small thing but unfortunately when one is allowed others find out and want to have GS print out theirs as well. Even if a small percentage of guests ask GS it can add up. Many people don't want to get the internet package and want GS to print out boarding passes so it could be more people asking than just SW customers. I can easily see it getting out of hand each cruise.

MJ

 

[ksucats]

I understand it seems like a small thing but unfortunately when one is allowed others find out and want to have GS print out theirs as well. Even if a small percentage of guests ask GS it can add up. Many people don't want to get the internet package and want GS to print out boarding passes so it could be more people asking than just SW customers. I can easily see it getting out of hand each cruise.

MJ

Yup and with my status on American, I can select the premium economy seats for free if they are available at 24 hours out. I want them to check for me and select them if they are available, but only if all 4 of us can sit together. And then I will need them to do it again 3 hours later for my connecting flight.

 

[Uncleromulus]

When we check in online from the ship we always choose to have our boarding passes emailed to us. Then you can just show your email on your phone to check in, TSA, etc. It saves having to get in the longer line to print your boarding pass vs just checking bags.

TSA will accept an e-mail on a cell phone as a legit Boarding Pass?????