earlybird check in SWA

[Ro Z]

Leaving tomorrow for 11 days in the World. YEAAAAAAAAA
Booked flight in June. Added early bird check in at that time. Just checked and we got B-5 and B-6. WHAT!!! I know it could be alot worse but I am so frustrated with SW between the shortage of nonstop flights (I had to pick from 6am or 3pm) and now this.

 

[SaraJayne]

Leaving tomorrow for 11 days in the World. YEAAAAAAAAA
Booked flight in June. Added early bird check in at that time. Just checked and we got B-5 and B-6. WHAT!!! I know it could be alot worse but I am so frustrated with SW between the shortage of nonstop flights (I had to pick from 6am or 3pm) and now this.

I understand your frustration but EBCI is assigned in the order you bought the tickets. So everyone that bought tickets before you (or most of them) bought EBCI, too.

You also have a choice in what airline you fly. If one airline doesn't have good flight times, you're welcome to choose a different airline with more agreeable flight times.

 

[Ro Z]

Just had to vent!!!!!!!

 

[Disneybuckeye]

You still should be able to sit together so don't panic. I do understand your need to vent. Have a great trip!

 

[DebbieB]

I understand your frustration but EBCI is assigned in the order you bought the tickets. So everyone that bought tickets before you (or most of them) bought EBCI, too.

You also have a choice in what airline you fly. If one airline doesn't have good flight times, you're welcome to choose a different airline with more agreeable flight times.

I've heard it also goes by the fare class you paid. Also, if your flight is continuing or a connection, people on the first flight will get passes before you.

 

[momto2inKC]

That's still really not bad. We were at the end of the A's on our last flight and got seats together just a few rows back from the front.

 

[TxDisFans]

I agree though.... It is so frustrating to shell out extra $$ and end up with a b number! This has happens to us and it always turns out fine..... But still, frustrating.

 

[mossy1]

Wow...that would be frustrating to say the least. Not only do you have to pay a little extra but but now you have to get your tickets early too....hmmm. I still wonder what you might have gotten with the self registration...perhaps a D??? I like the feature for the return trip because on a travel day it's one less thing to do...now I may just add it for both legs of our trip. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[vacationclub]

This is a natural result of the evolution of SWs boarding policy and the travelling public that is forced to play the game and adapt. Since EBCI began, more and more people are using it, making it less and less of a guarantee that it will have the value you want it to have. Eventually, it's possible that every passenger gets EBCI (in theory), which essentially makes it pretty much useless as a way to guarantee early boarding and thus get seats together. Then what do they offer, another "add on" to get super-preferred EBCI?

 

[bytheblood]

I understand the frustration. We never pay for early-bird check-in for this reason. It is extra money for no benefit. However, I would rather have this than to fly American, United, Delta, etc and pay crazy prices if I have to change my plans.

 

[LisaS]

Eventually, it's possible that every passenger gets EBCI (in theory), which essentially makes it pretty much useless as a way to guarantee early boarding and thus get seats together.

Those who purchase EBCI early in the booking window will still get better boarding positions even if every passenger purchases EBCI. The situation you describe could only happen if they assigned boarding positions randomly rather than in the order in which passengers purchase EBCI or if every passenger purchased EBCI at the same moment in time or if everyone else is an A-lister or paid the highest fare category.

If you want to get the most out of EBCI you need to purchase it as early in the booking window as possible, especially as more passengers become aware of it and decide to purchase it.

 

[DebbieB]

Even though it's frustrating, if you waited until the 24 hour mark, you may have ended up with a high B.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Also, anybody connecting on that flight would have received their boarding pass assignments before you as well. Remember, EBCI does not guarantee an A.

 

[vacationclub]

Those who purchase EBCI early in the booking window will still get better boarding positions even if every passenger purchases EBCI. The situation you describe could only happen if they assigned boarding positions randomly rather than in the order in which passengers purchase EBCI or if every passenger purchased EBCI at the same moment in time or if everyone else is an A-lister or paid the highest fare category.

If you want to get the most out of EBCI you need to purchase it as early in the booking window as possible, especially as more passengers become aware of it and decide to purchase it.

Sure, but you can't always do that, and even when you do buy, you have no idea how long the tix have been available, or how many others have already bought EBCI. And even if you did, there's nothing you can do about it. Buying EBCI isn't a guarantee of anything, compared to paying for picking your own seat assignment, which you can do on other airlines even days before the flight and know exactly where you will sit. EBCI suffers from the fact that it's only good if others don't know about it or don't choose to use it. Once they all do, you're back to square one.

 

[LisaS]

Sure, but you can't always do that, and even when you do buy, you have no idea how long the tix have been available, or how many others have already bought EBCI. And even if you did, there's nothing you can do about it. Buying EBCI isn't a guarantee of anything, compared to paying for picking your own seat assignment, which you can do on other airlines even days before the flight and know exactly where you will sit. EBCI suffers from the fact that it's only good if others don't know about it or don't choose to use it. Once they all do, you're back to square one.

I was responding specifically to your comment that if every passenger purchases EBCI it makes it pretty much useless. That is not the case. Many people here book their travel the first day SWA opens the schedule. If you add EBCI at that time you will get a good boarding position even if every passenger purchases it, provided they do not all purchase it at the same moment in time which is extremely unlikely.

 

[vacationclub]

I was responding specifically to your comment that if every passenger purchases EBCI it makes it pretty much useless. That is not the case. Many people here book their travel the first day SWA opens the schedule. If you add EBCI at that time you will get a good boarding position even if every passenger purchases it, provided they do not all purchase it at the same moment in time which is extremely unlikely.

Yep, I understood that. But as I said, not everyone can or does do that. Essentially it reduces the value of EBCI to simply a list based on who bought first, which, unless you are monitoring everyday and buy as soon as the tix are available, is difficult to determine. You would (in my example) have no idea if the 10 bucks will help you much or not.

 

[LWQuestie]

I think the benefit of EBCI depends entirely on your perspective. If you go in with the expectation that you will get a particular level of boarding number, you are bound to be disappointed.

I buy EBCI for my return flight because I can't be bothered to schedule my last day of vacation around the time I would need to be at a computer (or even on my phone) to check in at the 24 hr mark. It takes that issue off my plate and allows me to relax for that final day.

 

[goofy4tink]

Sure, but you can't always do that, and even when you do buy, you have no idea how long the tix have been available, or how many others have already bought EBCI. And even if you did, there's nothing you can do about it. Buying EBCI isn't a guarantee of anything, compared to paying for picking your own seat assignment, which you can do on other airlines even days before the flight and know exactly where you will sit. EBCI suffers from the fact that it's only good if others don't know about it or don't choose to use it. Once they all do, you're back to square one.

And here we go yet again. If I book my SW in June, and buy EBCI at that time, I am going to be much better off than if I booked in June but didn't checkin until 24 hrs prior to departure. I am going to still be ahead of those people that didn't buy EBCI...period. I don't much care about how many others have bought EBCI.
Supposedly, I am better off paying for EBCI when I book my Nov airfare in June, then those who book their Nov flights in Sept and buy EBCI at that point. Does it absolutely work this way??? Can't say for sure. But I am still better off than those who haven't purchased EBCI at all. Worst case scenario?? I pay $10 to be one slot ahead of someone who paid nothing. And I realize that going in. So be it.

EBCI was never supposed to guarantee that you get an A spot..it merely allowed you to be checked in at the 36 hr mark, without having to do it yourself, putting you ahead of those who were checking in at the normal 24 hr mark. For me, it's a convenience..and that's all. I usually pay for EBCI for my flights back home from WDW...seldom for my flights to WDW.

Those with B boarding slots should have little trouble finding seats together...well, unless you are traveling with a group of 6 or more!!! But smaller groups will be just fine.

Long story short?? If you feel that buying EBCI for your group is beneficial, go for it. If you feel it isn't going to benefit you at all, then don't buy it.

 

[vacationclub]

And here we go yet again.

Here we go yet again? Where are we going?

f I book my SW in June, and buy EBCI at that time, I am going to be much better off than if I booked in June but didn't checkin until 24 hrs prior to departure. I am going to still be ahead of those people that didn't buy EBCI...period. I don't much care about how many others have bought EBCI.
Supposedly, I am better off paying for EBCI when I book my Nov airfare in June, then those who book their Nov flights in Sept and buy EBCI at that point. Does it absolutely work this way??? Can't say for sure. But I am still better off than those who haven't purchased EBCI at all. Worst case scenario?? I pay $10 to be one slot ahead of someone who paid nothing. And I realize that going in. So be it.

Yes, thank you for confirming and re-stating everything I've already said.

EBCI was never supposed to guarantee that you get an A spot..it merely allowed you to be checked in at the 36 hr mark, without having to do it yourself, putting you ahead of those who were checking in at the normal 24 hr mark. For me, it's a convenience..and that's all. I usually pay for EBCI for my flights back home from WDW...seldom for my flights to WDW.

Yes, but EBCI's implied advatage (and actual real advantage in many cases) is that it helps you work the system. My original point, which you seem to simply be confirming and re-stating in different ways, is that EBIC is only as valuable as the number of people not choosing to use it. If everyone eventually uses it, it becomes nearly useless to help bypass their system, at that point you're helpless to do anything but hope you booked early enough.

Those with B boarding slots should have little trouble finding seats together...well, unless you are traveling with a group of 6 or more!!! But smaller groups will be just fine.

Really? Is this based in any data? Does the SW say this? Because I can tell you it may not. Recently, two of us checked in at exactly 24 hours to the second... we were in the first 10 of the B's. We keep looking until we got to the very back of the plane there were just a few spots where two seats were together, and just one entire row left which we took to get a window seat... 3 rows from the back. There were already through-passengers on the plane before anyone boarded. It completely depends on the makeup of the people in front of you...it's random. If there are a lot of single riders they will quickly eat up rows leaving only middles rendering many rows useless to parties of 2 or more.

I think the benefit of EBCI depends entirely on your perspective. If you go in with the expectation that you will get a particular level of boarding number, you are bound to be disappointed.

Why else would anyone buy it? Why would anyone pay to check in to an at exactly the 24 hour (or earlier) mark instead of doing it at 18, 12, 8 hours before, or even at the airport? Answer: because checking in early is how you work the system of not getting left to find no seats in a group. No other airline charges you $10 to check in early; no one would buy it because it has no value on other airlines. EBIC's value....it's one and only value, is to help avoid what everyone worries about when boarding any SW aircraft.

If you read the thread you'll see there's never been any mention of getting a particular boarding number when buying EBIC, in fact my point was just the opposite: EBIC becomes less and less a way to get on early (regardless of what specific number you get) as more people get wise to it and use it. That was my only point....still is.

 

[nkereina]

Due to the increased popularity of EBCI, the sole advantage for me at this point is to not have to worry about checking in 24 hours ahead for my flight home. Pre-EBCI, I used to be panic stricken on that second to last day of vacation, worried I wouldn't be at a computer or printer at the 24 hour mark to check-in and I'd get the last C boarding position. Of course that's silly, but I did end up with some high B's and low C's due to not being able to check-in at the 24 hour mark. Now at least with EBCI, I don't have to scramble to be at a computer checking my watch and my odds of getting a decent boarding position are still good, even if I am in the low B's. That alone is worth the $10. There's still plenty of open rows if you get a low B, you just won't be in the first row of the plane or an exit row.