Can someone explain the Southwest Boarding Pass?

[Catrin]

Hi there...

I have flown Southwest twice before... and never printed up a boarding pass from home... is this new??

What are the benefits of doing this at home? I am a little confused on the whole procedure. Does this mean you do not have to check in when you arrive?
I am travelling with my 10 yr old in June... the first time without my husband who always handles the tickets!
Thanks for your help,
Catrin

 

[inkkognito]

Yes, it is fairly new, and I highly recommend doing it! You can check in as early as 12:01 a.m. on the morning of your flight, and that virtually guarantees A passes for you. Then, at the airport, you don't have to bother to check in. You have your pass already, so you're all set. If you cannot print your passes at your hotel, you can have someone do the check in process for you and SW will print them for you at the airport. I LOVE online check-in! You don't have to do it at midnight, but I am an obsessive-compulsive night owl so I always do and always get an A.
Barb

 

[Figment2]

Unless you are checking luggage - then you can either stand in line for an agent or use the Rapid checkin which will show that you have a boarding pass but will ask if you want to check luggage.

Cyn

 

[Disney Planner Mama]

we did get "A" which in Southwest means you get to board first (Southwest is self-seating, rather than assigned seating). However, what we didn't realize is that if you have children under age 3 (can't remember if it was "3 AND under" or just "under 3") you can board before those with "A" boarding passes. Made it much easier to get seats together.

Did have to stand in line (a fairly long one) to check luggage though.

 

[inkkognito]

Four and under.
Barb

 

[mbw12]

So....let me get this straight.....if you print the boarding pass the night before...you just get the A, B, or C pass.....not a specicifc seat???

Also...Barb what did you mean when you said that if you don't have a printer, someone else can do the check in for you (or somethign to that effect??? sorry)

Flying SW for the first time in a few weeks with my husband and DD5, and DS7.

 

[Disney Planner Mama]

not getting a specific seat seemed strange to me as well. But if you can get A or B boarding passes it works out just fine. The last people in, if they were groups, seemed to be scrambling a bit.

 

[antkim]

So if you don't have luggage to check in you can just go through security with the printed pass? If you have luggage to check in you still have to wait in line though.

I just flew Song out of Boston a few weeks ago...I checked in online and when we were checking out luggage in I told the agent we had out boarding passes printed...told me I didn't need them as he was giving me the "real" boarding pass???

 

[disneyldwjr]

You no longer need to worry about printing the boarding pass before you get to the airport.
From my newsletter from SWA.

Reprint your Boarding Pass at the RAPID CHECK-IN KIOSK
Do you want to checkin online, but don't have access to a printer to print your boarding pass? Don't worry! To make your travel even easier, new functionality has been added to the RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosks found at the airport. If you have a Ticketless reservation and checked in online prior to arriving at the airport, you may use any RAPID CHECK-IN Kiosk to reprint your boarding pass. Getting a boarding pass has never been easier!

Even if you print your boarding pass at home and have baggage, you still need to check the bags. We opt for the skycap, they look at the boarding pass and just take care of the luggage.

 

[disneyldwjr]

So if you don't have luggage to check in you can just go through security with the printed pass? If you have luggage to check in you still have to wait in line though.

I just flew Song out of Boston a few weeks ago...I checked in online and when we were checking out luggage in I told the agent we had out boarding passes printed...told me I didn't need them as he was giving me the "real" boarding pass???

Regardless of the airline, if you have luggage you want to check you still have to stand in some sort of line even if you check in online.
As to Song, maybe he meant he was giving you a "hard paper" boarding pass.

 

[inkkognito]

mbw12,
In theory, if your hotel cannot do the check-in for you, a friend or family member back home can do it.
Barb

 

[Debbie123]

Will the Disney hotels do the online checking for you? Most of my family will be on vacation with me!! I am worried that my family will get split up on the flight home.

 

[julybride]

for online check in with SWA?

I remember last year that if you wanted to check in on line you had to "split" your reservations up into seperate reservations for each member of your travelling party. (i.e. I purchased tickets for my family of 4. I would have to call SWA and split this into four reservaton #'s for each member of my party and then check each person in seperately under their reservation number.) Is this still true or can I now check everyone in under the single reservation numer?

TIA

 

[disneyldwjr]

for online check in with SWA?

I remember last year that if you wanted to check in on line you had to "split" your reservations up into seperate reservations for each member of your travelling party. (i.e. I purchased tickets for my family of 4. I would have to call SWA and split this into four reservaton #'s for each member of my party and then check each person in seperately under their reservation number.) Is this still true or can I now check everyone in under the single reservation numer?

TIA

It has changed. Check the SWA website for details.

 

[disneyldwjr]

Will the Disney hotels do the online checking for you? Most of my family will be on vacation with me!! I am worried that my family will get split up on the flight home.

Yes, they will do it for you.

 

[julybride]

Thank you disneyldwjr. That will make things much easier.