Got "A" passes on SW without EB check in

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

For those of you who are worrying about getting A passes, as long as you check in at exactly 24 hours you should be fine!

There was no way I was going to spend another $80 to check in a few days early!

 

[disneyfan2]

we don't plan on paying for the extra charge either. glad it worked out for you

 

[Lewisc]

Maybe. Passengers getting B BPs at T-24 seem to be departing from airports (on flights) with a lot of connecting passengers. Flights from cities like BWI, MDW and LAS transport a lot of connecting passengers. Those passengers can get their BP for both flights an hour or more before your T-24. That seems to (currently) be a bigger issue then passengers who pay for EB.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

For those of you who are worrying about getting A passes, as long as you check in at exactly 24 hours you should be fine!

There was no way I was going to spend another $80 to check in a few days early!

Maybe. Passengers getting B BPs at T-24 seem to be departing from airports (on flights) with a lot of connecting passengers. Flights from cities like BWI, MDW and LAS transport a lot of connecting passengers. Those passengers can get their BP for both flights an hour or more before your T-24. That seems to (currently) be a bigger issue then passengers who pay for EB.

Exactly right, I wouldn't count on always getting "A" boarding passes when you check in at T-24. I have received early B passes when leaving from PHX at T-24, because it was a connecting flight.

We used EBCI for our recent flights to and from BWI and I liked the peace of mind that came with it. However, it is still early and if EBCI catches on you probabaly won't always get "A" passes either.

 

[brenda1966]

I don't like this early bird thing! Just checked in 24 hours early and got B11. On the way back I will be in WDW, probably Epcot, when my T-24 time is. Is there anywhere to go in Epcot? Can I have someone back home check in for me? If my flight is 11:00 Florida time, that's 9:00 Colorado time -- can someone in CO check in for me at 9:00 CO time??

ETA: Just saw the other thread and I guess the answer to my question is "YES!"

 

[Lewisc]

I don't like this early bird thing! Just checked in 24 hours early and got B11. On the way back I will be in WDW, probably Epcot, when my T-24 time is. Is there anywhere to go in Epcot? Can I have someone back home check in for me? If my flight is 11:00 Florida time, that's 9:00 Colorado time -- can someone in CO check in for me at 9:00 CO time??

ETA: Just saw the other thread and I guess the answer to my question is "YES!"

You flew from Denver? Good chance your flight had connecting passengers who were able to check in an hour or more before your T-24. Few, if any, passengers will be connecting in MCO.

 

[bavaria]

For those of you who are worrying about getting A passes, as long as you check in at exactly 24 hours you should be fine!

There was no way I was going to spend another $80 to check in a few days early!

There are many reports online of people using EBCI and getting B passes, and people checking in at T-24 and getting B passes.

As Lewis says, there are many factors involved, and readers should make their own decisions based on those factors and their own situation.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

We have to remember that the "Bird" is still relatively new.

I have just completed 3 trips in the last month....each with Early Bird. At each boarding when they announced they would board Business Select and then Early Bird passengers...there were plenty of people who had no idea what the "Bird" was.

I didn't pay attention until I read it here!

As more people catch on, I suspect this will become more popular.

DH and I just booked flights for another Disney trip yesterday. We are fans of Early Bird. I particularly like it for my business trips. I do not have to worry about being in front of a computer to checkin at T24 --- this generally falls in the middle of my work day when I'm on the road.

For us, it's simply the cost of our ticket now....like our luggage fee will be for our Air Tran flights in a couple of weeks.

Sure I hate fees as much as anybody but they are here to stay because the other choice for the airlines is to raise prices. Tough time to hold airline stock!

 

[ironz]

There are many reports online of people using EBCI and getting B passes, and people checking in at T-24 and getting B passes.

As Lewis says, there are many factors involved, and readers should make their own decisions based on those factors and their own situation.

AND....there are also many reports of people NOT using EBCI and getting A passes.

I've flown 4x on SW since it was instituted. Not using EBCI. I think worst was B6. 3 of the 4 were in the As.

Agree with the caution to use or not use it based on your personal circumstances.

 

[Lewisc]

A couple of times I wound up standing by for a different flight. My wife and I would up with middle seats a few rows apart. It wasn't the end of the world. Some of us obsess with getting a low sequence number. Generally most of the B's, and sometimes low Cs) can get seats together. Unless you're flying with a very young child being split up isn't the end of the world.

Trying to get a very low A made some sense for those passengers hoping to get an exit row seat. I suspect many flights those seats now wind up going to continuing passengers, business select passengers or A-Listers.

I suspect some of us overstate the advantage of a low sequence number.

 

[bavaria]

AND....there are also many reports of people NOT using EBCI and getting A passes.

I've flown 4x on SW since it was instituted. Not using EBCI. I think worst was B6. 3 of the 4 were in the As.

Agree with the caution to use or not use it based on your personal circumstances.

True. I don't think that there is enough data far enough into the program to make any assumptions at all, although I vote that we have Lewis create a giant program with city of origin, connections, time of day, number of people, date EBCI purchased, etc so that we can get some definitive data.

Personal circumstances and route should defintely dictate decisions. For some people the middle seat IS the end of the world (or the flight at least) But then again, those people should probably choose a carrier with assigned seats and/or purchase EBCI.

It also depends on ones personal comfort level.

 

[Lewisc]

True. I don't think that there is enough data far enough into the program to make any assumptions at all, although I vote that we have Lewis create a giant program with city of origin, connections, time of day, number of people, date EBCI purchased, etc so that we can get some definitive data.

There are a couple of threads on flyertalk. Read them and you'll get an idea as to what sequence numbers passengers are getting with and without EBCI. No reason to create a database. Virtually every poster who got a B BP, checking in at T-24, was on a flight with connecting passengers. No reason to create a database. A hint, very early flights are less likely to have connecting passengers. Flights from cities like BWI, MDW, LAS, PHX...are likely to have connecting (and continuing) passengers.

Some of the posters on FT think flights to MCO may have more famlies willing to pay for EBCI then passengers flying to other destinations.

Passengers who absolutely can't handle a middle seat might consider paying for EBCI. Might even consider booking an airline that assigns seats.

A full flight suggests 1/3 of the passengers will wind up with a middle seat. Some of those middle seats will wind up going to a family member who wants to sit next to the other 2 passengers. We would all like an empty middle seat next to us but an airline won't be profitable if almost 1/3 of the seats are unsold.

 

[bavaria]

Are you trying to get out of your homework assignment?? I completed the one you gave me on overhead bin weight limits, remember? Actually, I believe that crashbb is the resident expert when it comes to statistics, so maybe the two of you could pair up and present something together to the class.

 

[Lewisc]

Are you trying to get out of your homework assignment?? I completed the one you gave me on overhead bin weight limits, remember? Actually, I believe that crashbb is the resident expert when it comes to statistics, so maybe the two of you could pair up and present something together to the class.

Less then 10% of the FT posters who checked in at T-24 got B BPs. All but one of those posters was on a flight that was likely to have a lot of connecting passengers. All available evidence suggests connecting passengers have a greater impact on BP sequence number then the small number of passengers who pay for EB.

SW is counting on EB revenue. SW will have to look for other sources of revenue if too few passengers pay for EB. I doubt SW anticipated the number of famlies that will pay for EB for just one passenger. I don't think charging for the second checked bag will generate revenue. Passengers will make due with one checked bag, and carryon. I think offering, a limited number, of assigned seats makes the most sense

My suggestion, passengers on flights likely to have connecting passengers should consider paying for EBCI.

 

[keishashadow]

other than program just being rolled out, it's not exactly high season in FLA either; time will tell

 

[Lewisc]

One passenger who paid for EB is going wind up boarding just before one passenger who checked in at T-24. Does it matter if you paid for EB and got A-50 vs checking in at T-24 and getting A-51?

I think a bigger issue is the number of connecting passengers who can get their BPs an hour or more before you hit T-24.

 

[nanceliz]

I agree with those of you who said it's too early to really tell if EB makes much of a difference.
The ONLY reason I knew anything about it was because of these boards. It wasn't on the SW web site when I purchased tickets so I would have never known about it.

 

[Goofygirl17]

Is there a way to tell if your flight is a connecting flight? We're flying out of Providence non-stop in April. My older daughter has anxiety so we have to at least be able to sit in pairs. I didn't pay for EB yet but I'm considering it.

Thanks!

 

[Brian Noble]

In your situation, I would spring for at least the two of you, just for peace-of-mind.

 

[Rpsemont]

The ONLY reason I knew anything about it was because of these boards. It wasn't on the SW web site when I purchased tickets so I would have never known about it.

Interesting. I actually got an e-mail a couple days before my flight "reminding" me of my travel plans. I didn't really read it, but I think EB was mentioned as an alternative.

Meanwhile, I checked in DH and DBIL yesterday at T-24 - 2itineraries. One got A34, one got A46. Today I checked in DD and me for tomorrow's flights - one got A33, one got A42. There are mid day non stops BDL-MCO probably not connecting flights