? about southwest & earlybird checkin

[mckinley]

We are flying next month and our return flight is with southwest. In the past we have just checked in approx 24 hours in advance and got at least B boarding pass. It is important to us a family of 3 sits together. Our dd10 still gets a little sick/nervous when flying & dh is really tall so it makes it easier on him to stretch out if we are next to him. Is it still possible to be able to sit together if i dont take advantage of the earlybird checkin?

 

[staceyj2]

We are flying next month and our return flight is with southwest. In the past we have just checked in approx 24 hours in advance and got at least B boarding pass. It is important to us a family of 3 sits together. Our dd10 still gets a little sick/nervous when flying & dh is really tall so it makes it easier on him to stretch out if we are next to him. Is it still possible to be able to sit together if i dont take advantage of the earlybird checkin?

We've never had a problem as long as we check in right at the 24 hour mark.

 

[mckinley]

ok thanks

 

[Jestocost]

Numbers obtained at the 24-hour mark have been creeping higher and higher. If your flight originates somewhere else and continues on to MCO from your airport, here are the possible people that will be ahead of you in the seating race if you check in at the 24-hour mark:

1. Passengers who started on the flight at it's point of origin and stay on to MCO
2. Medical preboards and unaccompanied minors
3. Top-tier frequent fliers and business select ticket holders
4. Passengers who are changing to your flight from another flight that used EBCI. They get a few hours head start on the people using EBCI who are starting their travel on your flight.
5. Passengers on your flight who used EBCI.
6. Passengers who are changing to your flight from another flight that checked in at 24 hours. They get a few hours head start on the people checking in at 24 hours who are starting their travel on your flight.
7. If you wind up with 'B' passes add in everybody in the 'A' group and families traveling with small chilldren

Not all of those things are factors on every flight and it would be rare for everything on the list to impact a single boarding. But, while it's possible and maybe even likely that you will be able to sit together if you check in at 24 hours you should consider doing EBCI if sitting together is THAT important to you. If you are starting your travel at or connecting in BWI or MDW or certain other airports, you definitely should think hard about it.

 

[Danibelle]

Previous post states all the factors. If it were me and I needed for 3 people to sit together, I would purchase 3 EBCI's for the return flight. $30 is not that much to ensure an empty row.

 

[alldiz]

If it would be a hardship to not sit together I would pay the 30 bucks.

I am doing this on my Easter Sunday flight home thinking it will be crazy.
Sometimes peace of mind is worth it.

I also did it so on the last day of my vacation....I don't have to watch the clock and be near a computer for the 24 hr mark.....priceless.
Kerri

 

[goofy4tink]

When we are heading 'to' WDW it's not such a big deal. But, when flying home on SW, I like to just pay for EBCI for all of us and be done with it. That way, I don't have to worry about where I am at that 24 hr window....SW takes care of checking us all in at the 36 hr mark. I can just go about my fun that last day with no seat worries.
The other thing to think about is that there are a ton of families flying home from WDW on SW. And more and more of them are now paying for EBCI...for the same reasons I do. So..those who take their chances with the 24 hr window are finding themselves further and further down the line when it comes to boarding group. It used to be that you could get an A group when checking in at the 24 hr mark. Then, more people found out about EBCI and those without it starting getting low B's. Now?? Even more guests buying that EBCI, so higher B slots are going to happen. Will you get seated together? Most likely. But, why worry about it. Just buy EBCI for $30 and be done with it.

 

[kwdw]

I second this - pay the $30 for piece of mind!

 

[SDSorority]

I have never bought EBCI and have always been in the A group.

That said.... I am thinking about it this year.

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

Numbers obtained at the 24-hour mark have been creeping higher and higher. If your flight originates somewhere else and continues on to MCO from your airport, here are the possible people that will be ahead of you in the seating race if you check in at the 24-hour mark:

1. Passengers who started on the flight at it's point of origin and stay on to MCO
2. Medical preboards and unaccompanied minors
3. Top-tier frequent fliers and business select ticket holders
4. Passengers who are changing to your flight from another flight that used EBCI. They get a few hours head start on the people using EBCI who are starting their travel on your flight.
5. Passengers on your flight who used EBCI.
6. Passengers who are changing to your flight from another flight that checked in at 24 hours. They get a few hours head start on the people checking in at 24 hours who are starting their travel on your flight.
7. If you wind up with 'B' passes add in everybody in the 'A' group and families traveling with small chilldren

Not all of those things are factors on every flight and it would be rare for everything on the list to impact a single boarding. But, while it's possible and maybe even likely that you will be able to sit together if you check in at 24 hours you should consider doing EBCI if sitting together is THAT important to you. If you are starting your travel at or connecting in BWI or MDW or certain other airports, you definitely should think hard about it.

Now that's it's been laid out so well, I understand how we got into the mid-B's on SWA last week. We checked in right at the 24 hour mark too.

We still got to sit together. I was first in our B numbers and headed towards the back of the plane and found 3 seats 2 rows behind the wing.

There were 2 boys, around 11 or 12 years old, in the B group but separated by numbers. Eventually they met up with their parents on the plane who were in the A group, saving seats in the bulk-head row for them.

 

[dmoore718]

We bought early bird because we have 3 kids and all needed to be together. Glad I don't have to worry about check in while in Disney!!

 

[mckinley]

I think i am going to pay the extra $30 so i don't have to worry about checking in while at disney. I was just able to get a $30 credit since our flight prices dropped so i wont be out any extra.

 

[brymolmom]

Now that's it's been laid out so well, I understand how we got into the mid-B's on SWA last week. We checked in right at the 24 hour mark too.

We still got to sit together. I was first in our B numbers and headed towards the back of the plane and found 3 seats 2 rows behind the wing.

There were 2 boys, around 11 or 12 years old, in the B group but separated by numbers. Eventually they met up with their parents on the plane who were in the A group, saving seats in the bulk-head row for them.

But don't forget saving isn't really allowed. When we had an issue with checking in at 24 hour mark and ended up with C boarding passes, I was all ready to call someone out on saving if I had to - in order to get at least 2 seats together for me and 6 year old. Don't get me wrong - I made the mistake and was ready to sit apart if I had to (by following the rules) but the rules state that there is no saving allowed, so I would have made someone move their purse or other if it was going to be the only available 2 seats together for dd and I.

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

x

 

[Jestocost]

But don't forget saving isn't really allowed. When we had an issue with checking in at 24 hour mark and ended up with C boarding passes, I was all ready to call someone out on saving if I had to - in order to get at least 2 seats together for me and 6 year old. Don't get me wrong - I made the mistake and was ready to sit apart if I had to (by following the rules) but the rules state that there is no saving allowed, so I would have made someone move their purse or other if it was going to be the only available 2 seats together for dd and I.

Unfortunately, the rules at SWA don't say that saving is not allowed nor do they say it is allowed. That means people can try to save seats and if no one challenges them it works. It also means that people can just sit down in a "saved" seat and that probably will work too. How it plays out depends very much on the flight attendants on a given plane. Some are more inclined to prevent seat saving, others are more inclined to stay out of it if at all possible. All of that leads to a murky situation and the potential for some real clashes.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have never bought EBCI and have always been in the A group.

That said.... I am thinking about it this year.

When was the last time you flew SW??? I know that when my dh flew home from WDW in August, he had EBCI, and he got a very high A slot. More and more travelers are telling us that they are getting put into the B group at the 24 hr window.

Saving seats?? SW policy is very 'fluid'. They won't say anything if you save a seat in your row, but don't try to save a few rows. I have seen a family of about 8 spread out over 4 or 5 rows, trying to save seats for their late arriving group as well as trying to keep some empty seats around them. Yep, you should have seen them scrambling when the FA announced it was a completely full flight and there would be no empty seats...they were all rushing around, trying to get together with each other so they didn't have strangers sitting with them!!!
So, long story short...you can save a seat, or maybe two, but don't try to save more than that. It's just not fair.

 

[alldiz]

When was the last time you flew SW??? I know that when my dh flew home from WDW in August, he had EBCI, and he got a very high A slot. More and more travelers are telling us that they are getting put into the B group at the 24 hr window.

Saving seats?? SW policy is very 'fluid'. They won't say anything if you save a seat in your row, but don't try to save a few rows. I have seen a family of about 8 spread out over 4 or 5 rows, trying to save seats for their late arriving group as well as trying to keep some empty seats around them. Yep, you should have seen them scrambling when the FA announced it was a completely full flight and there would be no empty seats...they were all rushing around, trying to get together with each other so they didn't have strangers sitting with them!!!
So, long story short...you can save a seat, or maybe two, but don't try to save more than that. It's just not fair.

.
I have purchased the EB for my Easter Sunday flight.... my DD's father is joining us last minute. I didn't purchase for him and I expect busy. I will save a seat in our row for him.
I haven't flown since Nov 09 WDW and I don't even know if they had that $10 option.
What I do know is I was at the front desk of somewhere at WDW at my 24hr mark and i was at the very tail of A. This was when I thought the only upgrade was the new "A" category Boarding.
Now with this extra 10 dollar early checkin.

IMO it would be foolish not to do at any time if you want to sit with family.
For me it is Priceless to not have to worry on my last day at my favorite place about SW airline checkin at 24 hr mark
Kerri

 

[mckinley]

We have not used SW in quite a while, but the last time we did 1 of us got A and the other 2 got B and we was allowed to board all with A

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

I haven't flown SW before. We leave for Disney in five days! I just purchased the EB for our flight home. Does this mean I don't need to worry about checking in or printing boarding passes until Magical Express drops us at MCO?

 

[hurleysweety]

We only fly SW, and have been in A, all but once, over the past five years (we fly 1-3 times a year). Of course, lots has changed in five years. Since its just the two of us, we don't worry about finding seats. Our strategy on full flights is to find a non-grumpy person sitting by themselves in a row Even when we had B, we were only mid-way back.

If there were three of us, that would make it tricky and we would have ended up towards the back. Individual travelers tend to load with the pattern of sitting in a row by themselves. I'm not sure why, but they do. Also, many people on your flight are probably headed on vacation too with their families. The past two trips to MCO, we've had a flight attendant ask people if they are willing to change seats so a young child can sit next to his/her mother. But I've never heard anyone ask to free up a whole row. All that said, if you can swing the $30, I'd do it for the peace of mind.