EBCI with family boarding

[jack'smom]

Would you buy EBCI if you qualified for family boarding on Southwest? We will have a 22 month old with her own seat, a 5 year old, an 8 year old, and 2 adults. We are looking at flights at the end of March, so I'm not sure how low of a number we would get at this point...

 

[robhawk]

I would if it were me. Takes the stress out of the equation!

 

[rwdavis2]

Buy it. I have read that if there are too many families on a flight then they don't even do family boarding. Everyone boards at the assigned numbers.

 

[dsneygirl]

Nope. I have never been a on flight where they didn't do "family boarding" (20+ roundtrips to MCO) but I have heard of it. Worst case you could be 2 and 3 split up but the $$ for 5 would add up.

We checked in right at 24 hours last weekend and were B1-4 but went with Family boarding.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I wouldn't waste the money. You will be fine with family boarding.

 

[FreeTime]

I would. I have seen family boarding not be available. when it is available we normally we allow our teen daughters help grandpa who is disabled board, and SW lets them board with him for preA boarding. The last time, The attendant helped grandpa on, we waiting for our boarding number, and there was no family boarding so no extras allowed with the disabled.

 

[goofy4tink]

There are very few instances where family boarding isn't allowed. I know people here say it happens all the time but in 'all the time' is a relative term. If it were me? I would buy it only for the trip home....and that would be just for the convenience of not having to check the family in at the 24 hr mark. Let SW do it at the 36 hr mark. If you get A spots, great, board then. If not, just board with the family groups.

Here's what I wish SW would do....those that are boarding in the family boarding group would have to move to the rear area of the plane for seats. Why? Simple. If you have a family group of, say, 6 boarding in that group, and they haven't paid for EBCI, it doesn't seem quite fair that they get their choice of seats when there are very probably a bunch of people boarding in the B group that did pay for EBCI. If you have 4 families boarding at this time, there could possibly be up to 30 seats that are taken before EBCI people can board.
Either that, or have families pay for the privilege of boarding inbetween A and B...maybe a per person charge, similar to EBCI.