1st time flying SWA is early bird boarding worth paying for?

[Kayka]

We're a party of four. No young children. The plan is to sit two & two; either across the aisle from each other or one pair in front of the other. We're flying coast to coast so it's a long flight and being able to sit close together is important to us.

Can anyone with experience on Southwest tell me what it's like finding seats?
If you're among the last to board do you end up stuck in the middle of two strangers?
Is it worth paying extra for the early bird boarding? Or is checking in 24 hours prior good enough?

Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Thumper_Man]

Since you have a super long flight, and sitting close together is important for you, then I think paying for EBCI is worth it. This is what I would personally do.

You could take your chances and check in at the 24 hour mark. I've had good and bad outcomes with this. Mostly good though.

If you land up in C group, you will be scattered throughout the plane. In my experiences, if you're in the high B group, then chances of finding 2 seats together starts to become slim.

Although it is often discouraged, you could pay for EBCI for 2 people (check the other 2 in at the 24 hour mark) and then try to save 2 seats. If you do want to attempt this, best to go to the back of the plane. You'll have better success this way. SW is opening seating and anyone can take any seat.

 

[Lewisc]

Is your flight a continuing flight (with passengers already on board) or a flight likely to have connecting passengers (who will be able to get both BP 24 hours before their first flight)?

If either is true you should buy EBCI, for everyone. Otherwise you should be able to get two pairs of seats together with whatever number you get at T-24. You might not get both pairs in the same row (across the aisle) or even in adjacent rows. If that's important to you pay for EBCI.

 

[Kayka]

Thanks for the input. The flight originates in Philadelphia but stops in Denver (where we change planes) before arriving in San Jose, CA. But the way I read it the charge is per one-way (origin to destination) which means it covers both legs and will cost $25 per person.

I've paid that much to choose a seat on another airline, so I agree, it's worth it for peace of mind.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thanks for the input. The flight originates in Philadelphia but stops in Denver (where we change planes) before arriving in San Jose, CA. But the way I read it the charge is per one-way (origin to destination) which means it covers both legs and will cost $25 per person.

I've paid that much to choose a seat on another airline, so I agree, it's worth it for peace of mind.

The cost is $12.50 per direction, so the round trip will cost $25/person. That might be what you meant, but I just wanted to clarify.

A "middle" suggestion... purchase two EBCI. Those two people take two aisles (or two windows, whichever you prefer) in the back 1/2 of the plane. The other two check in at the 24 hour mark and once on board take the middle seats next to the folks already on board. The odds are HIGHLY against someone preferring middle seat and taking what you've "saved". If someone tries to sit there before the partners, I'd simply say "I'm trying to save this seat". If they say "too bad", so be it. I'd be willing to wager, especially regarding the rear of the plane, one middle seat is no different than any other.

 

[boBQuincy]

The practice of one person paying for EBCI and saving seats has become a problem, one that Southwest needs to correct. After seeing far too many people trying to save seats my answer is now "too bad" unless they are really nice about it.

I would pay the fee or try to get the boarding passes at T-24 hours to the second. This has usually resulted in A boarding passes.

 

[Huff]

We've never paid EB fee and checked in online exactly 24 hours prior. If in the parks at that time I use my smartphone. I almost always get A or B boarding and have always found plenty of seats available for our party. The people who have trouble are those that cannot book right at 24 hours and end up with a high C boarding number.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The practice of one person paying for EBCI and saving seats has become a problem, one that Southwest needs to correct....

Unlikely. The last thing FAs want to do (and don't have time for) is to play the role of seat saving monitor.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

The practice of one person paying for EBCI and saving seats has become a problem, one that Southwest needs to correct. After seeing far too many people trying to save seats my answer is now "too bad" unless they are really nice about it. I would pay the fee or try to get the boarding passes at T-24 hours to the second. This has usually resulted in A boarding passes.

I had never experienced this before until my last flight to Orlando. It blew me away. I would never have thought to do it bc it just seems so wrong. When I got on and there were multiple people saving multiple seats, I asked the man saving FOUR seats if it was allowed and he said yes. I didn't want to fight anyone on it so my sister and I just sat separately, even though we had BOTH paid for early bird check in and figured that SW flight attendants can't really monitor this problem. We decided to just call it bad manners for people do this. Either pay for your whole party or pay for no one and try your luck.

 

[Sandi]

It's worth it to me. I flew Flint, MI to Orlando last Friday and returned on Wednesday. I purchased EBCI for both me and my mom. I knew I'd be busy with work at the 24 hour mark before our trip and busy in the parks for the return trip. We got A-24 and 25 for the trip down and A-35 and 36 for the trip back. On the way down, we sat in row 5 an aisle and a middle seat. Then an older lady asked if she could have the window and she said she was traveling alone. We, of course, let her in for the window seat. I think we appeared non-threatening and we were all petite sized people. On the way home, I went a little further back and chose an aisle and middle seat in row 7. We ended up having the three seats to ourselves. We didn't observe any seat saving although I saw many cases of one member of a travel group board earlier than the other group members, but they went toward the rear of the plane.

In March DH and I are flying Grand Rapids to Orlando and I purchase EBCI for both legs. For that trip, we'll both be choosing aisle seats near the front.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I had never experienced this before until my last flight to Orlando. It blew me away. I would never have thought to do it bc it just seems so wrong. When I got on and there were multiple people saving multiple seats, I asked the man saving FOUR seats if it was allowed and he said yes. I didn't want to fight anyone on it so my sister and I just sat separately, even though we had BOTH paid for early bird check in and figured that SW flight attendants can't really monitor this problem. We decided to just call it bad manners for people do this. Either pay for your whole party or pay for no one and try your luck.

Just as saving seats i s allowed, unrelated (to the saver) parties sitting in those seatsis also allowed.

 

[bumbershoot]

Just as saving seats i s allowed, unrelated (to the saver) parties sitting in those seatsis also allowed.

That's how I see "having no policy" as well. They won't stop you from saving a seat, but they won't stop someone else from sitting in that seat, either. There's NO policy.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I wouldn't fly SW without paying for EBCI. I like to sit near the front of the plane.

And you get better boarding numbers with EBCI the sooner you buy it. You will get a better boarding number buying your ticket 4 months out than a person who waits until 2 months out to buy EBCI.

I always book our flights at 4 months or so and buy EBCI for both legs for everyone.

If you don't buy it and wait and check yourself in at the 24 hour mark you could be in the C boarding group, be stuck way at the back and be stuck in the middle seat between two strangers.

Also if you do the thing where you keep watching the fares and hope for the price to go down so you can rebook at the lower fare, know this, your EBCI is rebooked too so you lose that early booking advantage. That is why once I book my flights I don't worry about them. Unless our flights went down a CONSIDERABLE amount I am not touching the booking once I do it.

We are always in the A boarding group and our numbers are usually between 21 and 29 somewhere in there. A1 through 15 is business select which there are never too many of those. So if I am A25 I could actually end up being the 10th person on the plane. You get your pick of seats. I try to sit in the first 5 rows at the front. Quick getting off the plane.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

And you get better boarding numbers with EBCI the sooner you buy it. You will get a better boarding number buying your ticket 4 months out than a person who waits until 2 months out to buy EBCI.

Not necessarily true. It is also based on price, cash v. RR seats, etc. My DH and I booked our cash seats for the DVC Member cruise much earlier than the RR seat we purchased months later for our DD. We were A 53 & 54, she was A29.

 

[goofy4tink]

More and more people are paying for EBCI when they buy their airfare as soon as the booking window, and are getting boarding spots in the high As-low Bs. It used to be the case that those booking early got lowers boarding spots......not so much anymore. SW has a double secret special way of deciding who gets checked in first nowadays.

 

[nkereina]

Its definitely worth it for the return trip - who wants to try and remember to check in exactly at the 24 hour mark on their last day of vacation. And sometimes people don't even have access to a computer. For the first flight, I think whether or not its worth it is debatable.

We flew direct Buffalo to Orlando back in November and took our chances on the flight down and did not purchase EBCI. I checked us in at the exact 24 hour mark, to the minute, and I go B10. My fiance was under a different confirmation number and I did his immediately after mine, and he got B25. It goes quick. For the return I had purchased EBCI and we got A28 and A29.

The Bs we got at the 24 hour check in were still good in terms of being able to sit together, but the As allowed us to get seats in the exit row. So that $25 was worth it to us!

 

[aml3679]

In our opinion, no. You pay $10 and they pick your seat and it is not always A.

 

[DebbieB]

In our opinion, no. You pay $10 and they pick your seat and it is not always A.

It's now $12.50. They don't pick your seat, they give you a boarding position that will be better than those who didn't pick EBCI.

 

[Scotch]

I'm also wondering whether this is worth it. We're heading to MCO this weekend, and the flight is soldout. I've never bought early bird boarding before, but with a coast to coast trip, I'm wondering whether this would be worth it to get the 4 of us close to each other (with at least one parent with one child). Our kids are not little enough for family board.

Does the $12.50 one way fee cover both flights on the one way itinerary? (We connect in Las Vegas.)

 

[Granny square]

I'm also wondering whether this is worth it. We're heading to MCO this weekend, and the flight is soldout. I've never bought early bird boarding before, but with a coast to coast trip, I'm wondering whether this would be worth it to get the 4 of us close to each other (with at least one parent with one child). Our kids are not little enough for family board. Does the $12.50 one way fee cover both flights on the one way itinerary? (We connect in Las Vegas.)

it covers the entire days flights