Can I upgrade my SW boarding passes (EBCI?) at check-in?

[TJA]

We fly SW all the time and for the first time in my life I forgot to print our boarding passes at my 24-hr mark. So we are C36-39. I wouldn't care if we didn't have 2 young kids. Does anyone know if I can upgrade at the airport to EBCI or anything similar? Normally when we fly, the first A's are always empty, so I'm wondering if we'll be able to upgrade.

 

[Kassidysdad]

We fly SW all the time and for the first time in my life I forgot to print our boarding passes at my 24-hr mark. So we are C36-39. I wouldn't care if we didn't have 2 young kids. Does anyone know if I can upgrade at the airport to EBCI or anything similar? Normally when we fly, the first A's are always empty, so I'm wondering if we'll be able to upgrade.

From a News article on Jan 21, 2013

Now You have one more way to be among the first to board. Beginning today, Southwest Airlines will offer customers the opportunity to purchase one of the earliest boarding positions at the gate for $40 per flight, when available.

This new boarding option will only be offered at the gate on the day of travel, beginning 45 minutes before the flight departs. Customers will hear an announcement in the gate area and will be able to purchase an available boarding position via credit card from a Customer Service Agent. Customers will only have the opportunity to purchase these positions if available.

 

[goofy4tink]

And....that cost is per person, if there are any available spots up there.

 

[albarellic]

How young are your children? SW lets families with a child 4 and under board between A & B at no extra cost.

 

[sam_gordon]

How old are the kids? Do they qualify for family boarding? If not, I think you're going to need to spend $$$ to purchase the early boarding position (and that's if they're available, which they may not be).

Another suggestion, I don't know if this will work or not, is to offer money to swap BP's with someone. I might be willing to accept a middle seat (which is what C36-C39) for some cash if the flight isn't too long.

 

[Jestocost]

From a News article on Jan 21, 2013

Now You have one more way to be among the first to board. Beginning today, Southwest Airlines will offer customers the opportunity to purchase one of the earliest boarding positions at the gate for $40 per flight, when available.

This new boarding option will only be offered at the gate on the day of travel, beginning 45 minutes before the flight departs. Customers will hear an announcement in the gate area and will be able to purchase an available boarding position via credit card from a Customer Service Agent. Customers will only have the opportunity to purchase these positions if available.

I just want to add that I flew SWA RT to Orlando this month on flights with many empty spaces in the A1-A15 section and never once heard an announcement offering those spots for purchase at the gate. I wonder if this is something they are rolling out slowly that may not be available everywhere just yet?

 

[TXMemaw]

I fly SW 8-10 times a month and have only heard this announcement once in the last two months. You can probably check with the gate agent when you get there tomorrow to see if you can do this even if you don't hear the announcement.

 

[DebbieB]

I never even heard C's that high. Must be one of new larger planes. According to seat guru, the largest is 143 seats. 60 + 60 + 39 = 159. Unless they don't count the first 15, still would be over by 1.

 

[francie57]

Purchasing the EBCI wouldn't even be an option at the airport since the boarding passes are already taken. The only option would be to see if the $40 upgrade is available. As for the family boarding, remember that that is not a given. We have flown SW the last few years to MCO and they have not offered family boarding on any of our flights since it would probably include basically every family on the plane. I would look into getting EBCI for your return if you are flying SW since you wouldn't have to worry about the 24 hr checkin while at
Disney.

 

[TJA]

Thanks everyone. My kids are not under 4, so family boarding is not an option for us. I can't see paying $40 per person to board sooner, though. Maybe one adult and one child for $80 total, but I know people would get angry if we save seats for the other 2 in our family. Hmmmm, I'll ask the person at the gate what my options are. Every flight there is always a family (it seems) that boards last and the flight attendants have to ask if anyone is willing to change seats so the kids can sit with parents. I'm just trying to not be that family (lol) and also save time and aggravation of people having to switch seats.

 

[jayhawk74]

I never even heard C's that high. Must be one of new larger planes. According to seat guru, the largest is 143 seats. 60 + 60 + 39 = 159. Unless they don't count the first 15, still would be over by 1.

The largest aircraft that SWA has is a -800 and they have 175 seats. So with C36-39 it sounds like they are on an -800.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thanks everyone. My kids are not under 4, so family boarding is not an option for us. I can't see paying $40 per person to board sooner, though. Maybe one adult and one child for $80 total, but I know people would get angry if we save seats for the other 2 in our family. Hmmmm, I'll ask the person at the gate what my options are. Every flight there is always a family (it seems) that boards last and the flight attendants have to ask if anyone is willing to change seats so the kids can sit with parents. I'm just trying to not be that family (lol) and also save time and aggravation of people having to switch seats.

I would prepare the kids that they may not be sitting with mom & dad. Just because FA's ask for someone to switch doesn't mean A) they will do so on your flight and even if they do B) enough people will switch.

So, teach the kids what they need to know to be "self sufficient" for the duration of the flight. Yes, things may work out, but I'm one who believes in "planning for the worst".

 

[brymolmom]

Thanks everyone. My kids are not under 4, so family boarding is not an option for us. I can't see paying $40 per person to board sooner, though. Maybe one adult and one child for $80 total, but I know people would get angry if we save seats for the other 2 in our family. Hmmmm, I'll ask the person at the gate what my options are. Every flight there is always a family (it seems) that boards last and the flight attendants have to ask if anyone is willing to change seats so the kids can sit with parents. I'm just trying to not be that family (lol) and also save time and aggravation of people having to switch seats.

If sitting together is imperative - you should ask for and purchase the $40 per ticket upgrade for EVERYONE who wants to sit together. The rest of your family will be boarding so late that the TA's will already be announcing 'no seat saving' and it will likely be impossible to save a seat for that long.

How old are your kids? I forgot to check in right at 24 hours once. My kids were 6 and 7. I just prepared them upfront and had them help me pack a backpack with their own things - toys and snacks - for them to have at their own seat. I explained that Daddy or I would be right across the aisle from them - in the middle seat (I figured that we LIKELY could get a single person sitting in a middle seat to move one row forward or back so that we could at least sit close to each other - Of course, this might not always even be possible). We were able to sit together (at least 2 and 2) on all flights - but it was VERY close on one of the flights. Basically my ds was walking back to where I was and one man was looking for two spots together for himself and his 10-ish year old looking boy. So he didn't take the one seat available in my row. So my ds got the seat (we were able to be 3 in a row - dh sat elsewhere in a middle seat). The Dad meanwhile kept saying out loud to the TA 'I just need 2 seats together' - and the TA was saying 'it looks like all the seats are taken'. So they ended up splitting up - but the dad wasn't happy about it.

Anyway - we were prepared - and I think that's what you need to do is prepare your family for that possibility. When it almost happened to us we were a high B boarding number - and dh and dd were in the LOW C's. I can't imagine there's much of any possibility of seats together with high C's.

Good news is that you know ahead of time, can try for the $40 upgrade and nto let it ruin your trip even if you're not together.

Best of luck.

 

[maxiesmom]

Thanks everyone. My kids are not under 4, so family boarding is not an option for us. I can't see paying $40 per person to board sooner, though. Maybe one adult and one child for $80 total, but I know people would get angry if we save seats for the other 2 in our family. Hmmmm, I'll ask the person at the gate what my options are. Every flight there is always a family (it seems) that boards last and the flight attendants have to ask if anyone is willing to change seats so the kids can sit with parents. I'm just trying to not be that family (lol) and also save time and aggravation of people having to switch seats.

Just so you are aware, the FA does not HAVE to ask people to switch so that kids can sit with their parents. They may do it to be nice, but they don't have to do it. And they don't always.

 

[kamik86]

Just so you are aware, the FA does not HAVE to ask people to switch so that kids can sit with their parents. They may do it to be nice, but they don't have to do it. And they don't always.

On my last flight to orlando their were a lot of late boarding families that got split up because there were so many kids. Someone near us was asking the flight attendant to ask people to move and they still wouldn't because their were so many.

I have seen the requests for movers more on my business flights that only had a few kids on them and alot of solo fliers.

 

[TJA]

OP here. Just wanted to update. We did pay the $40 per person and it was well worth it. Absolutely nobody was in A1-15, so we got A1-4 and are sitting right up front. Thanks for all the advice!