Flying Southwest for the 1st Time, any tips?

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

We just booked some great fares for our upcoming trip to WDW, staying at the Beach Club Resort.

We leave out of New Orleans, non stop flight to Orlando on Sunday,November 29th. We return home on Sunday, December 6th.

This is our first time flying Southwest. What are some tips and some in's and out's that will make our flights less stressful. We are a party of four adults, me, my wife, and my two parents.

Since, at this time, Southwest is not a Resort Airline Check-in participant, how does this affect our return trip?

I have heard that it's a good idea for our return home flight to check in for our flight 24 hours in advance. Can we do this at the concierge desk at the Beach Club? Do they or can they print our boarding pass there at the resort?
If they can do this what is our next step when arriving at MCO? Or should we just check in at MCO?

Any tips and help would be appreciated!

thanks!

 

[pooch]

check in for both legs of the trip at the 24 hr mark. For your return trip, this can be done at the resort desk or Guest Services at any park. People have also had someone check them in from home (they'll need your confirmation #) and then you can print your boarding passes at MCO. Personally, I am too anal retentive to leave this to someone else. I always check in from whichever park I'm in, very easy. Your boarding passes will have a letter and a number. When you get to the gate, you'll line up by letter (A, then those w/small kids etc, B & C) and then the numbers within those letters. We always go to the back of the plane. Really, it only lands a few seconds after the front!!! Actually, I think the back lands first!! Then we let the mad dashers exit & we thank the staff & exit calmly.

We've always flown SWA - never had a problem.

 

[popgfd]

We've done SW 2 times per year for app 12 years to WDW from Providence. we land early and sometimes even leave the gate early wihen everyone is already on board.

if you try for boarding passes at exactly 24 hours before departure time you priobably have a good chance to be in the first boarding group with the business class --ECV's and families with infants go first.

if you miss the first 10 minutes into the window you will be in the second group and a couple of hours late and you be in the C /last group. But it is all open seating.

SW does really well with the baggage and the stews advise one and all that you are "renting" a seat for a few hours and they are all basically equal so sit.

the only issue i've encountered is the curbside baggage check-in which runs 30 to 40 minutes. it got to be such a pain in the A, that I started shipping via UPS to and from so i just avoid the lines with carry-on and go directly to security.

It's a well run airline. I'd advise give yourself the proper leadtimes and relax.

Pop

 

[CarolAnnB]

Definitely check in 24 hours prior. You can also do it from your mobile phone, get your number and reprint your boarding pass at the airport. I do not usually have internet on my cellphone, but I do it just for that and I think it is a 4.95 charge, which is worth it for me. I just checked in while waiting in line for Ariel at MK the other day. It was more convenient for me than getting to guest services.

 

[DISNEYNY]

We do the same. Check in 24 hours ahead and get in the A group so we can all sit together. There are no assigned seats on SW. I have gotten my return boarding pass at the hotel & at Guest Services at the park I am in. I have never used curb side check-in so I don't know about that. We always go to the counter and have had a very short wait with our luggage. We love SW & no bag fees!!

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

bumping, any other tips or hints?

 

[DonnaL]

Regarding your baggage check-in.......counter vs. curbside. It really depends on the airport and when you're traveling as to which is better. We fly from Philadelphia to Orlando several times a year and sometimes use curbside ...sometimes not. SWA counter checkin can be seen from the curbside at PHL, so, we always look in the window and check out how long the line is inside. MCO is another matter........ the inside line is ALWAYS long there. Sometimes we'll drive our rental around the airport to curbside checkin first, and everyone but one person will check the bags.......that one person then will just drive back around to take the rental back and meet up with us at the security check point. However, if we're all adults......traveling lightly......it's just as easy to take the car back and follow the signs for bag check-in and then scoot outside to the curbside check rather than waiting inside in a long line. Sometimes the line is a bit long outside, but, never as long as inside.