booking SW question? Help please

[tarheel618]

We haven't flown in about 5 years.

I have enough rewards points to pay for one ticket. I need 4 total. How do I apply the points to cover one ticket and then purchase the other 3? Do I have to do it in a separate transcation?

The travel party includes my husband, myself and two kids. Does SW still allow parents and kids to board after A group or would it be beneficial to purchase the plan where they go ahead and assigned the boarding number. Or should I take my chances and make sure that I print my boarding passes exactly at the 24 hour ahead period?

 

[Minnesota!]

Two separate transactions...

We buy early bird, and do not count on family boarding...I have never had it offered on any flight I have been on. Especially to from Orlando.. So many families.

Worst case is you guys are split up and 1 parent loads with the kids alone.

 

[msmama]

2 separate transactions, but I think you can call and have them connected so you only have to do check in once.

If I know I'm at a computer 24 hours in advance I don't bother with early bird check in. I've boarded as late as early C and have been able to find 2 seats together. Family boarding is supposed to be for kids under 4 however I've always been told to board at that time(with a 6 year old) from my home airport (don't really remember from Orlando).

However, I do usually do early bird check in on the way home so I don't have to worry about checking in 24 hours in advance.

 

[puffkin]

Yes, 2 transactions.

I never do early bird. I have never been on a flight where they cancel family boarding and we fly 3-4 times a year with our kids and many of those flights are to MCO (usually out of PHL or BWI). I just check in 24 hours advance on my phone or computer and usually get somewhere in the low B to mid-B's. We do family boarding since I have a DS2, but there are usually plenty of seats together if we would board at our normal time.

I tend not to stress about this type of stuff and would rather save the money. It's basically the cost of one character meal at disney for us and we have always sat together with no issues.

 

[tarheel618]

Well my kids are 12 and 9 so after reading we wouldn't be eligible for the family boarding any ways.

I am thinking of taking my chances and not doing early checkin (that would be an extra 100 that I can use for the rental car) We would be flying out of either Orlando or Tampa (right now Orlando is cheaper). We are going to visit family so we would be able to check in right at the 24 hour mark on each leg of the flight.

I am thinking one DD can sit with me and the other with my husband. I am hoping that we can find 2 seats together. I just don't want the girls sitting alone without one of us.

I remember last time I did early checking in I was in the middle of the B's so Im thinking (hoping) I can get the same by checking in ourselves.

 

[dsneprincess]

Well my kids are 12 and 9 so after reading we wouldn't be eligible for the family boarding any ways.

I am thinking of taking my chances and not doing early checkin (that would be an extra 100 that I can use for the rental car) We would be flying out of either Orlando or Tampa (right now Orlando is cheaper). We are going to visit family so we would be able to check in right at the 24 hour mark on each leg of the flight.

I am thinking one DD can sit with me and the other with my husband. I am hoping that we can find 2 seats together. I just don't want the girls sitting alone without one of us.

I remember last time I did early checking in I was in the middle of the B's so Im thinking (hoping) I can get the same by checking in ourselves.

This has always been our experience. We don't pay for ECBI & have never had a problem getting the seats together. We like to do 3 & 1 and have always been able to do so using 24 hour previous. We check in my folks when they traveln24 hours out & they return favor for us. I can always find other ways to spend money!

 

[disneypharm]

We will never pay for early check-in again.
In the past, we always checked in right at 24 hours before the flight and received either high A numbers or B. For this last trip, we paid for early check-in for all 4 of us since we were returning from a cruise and didn't want to worry about messing with the computer 24 hours in advance. Well, we still got a B number and with all the early family boarding, business travelers, and all the seat savers (one person pays for check in and saves seats for other 4 or 5 people), we ended up in the back of the plane to get 4 seats together. So never again!

 

[danygirl]

Dad travels to/from college with our neighbor. He pays for early boarding and saves her a seat. You could ask a seat saver to move their stuff....frankly the kids were shocked that this does not happen.

I find sw boarding to be a hot mess and don't fly them myself because of this. But they are the cheapest to/from her school