Help, Early Bird Check In!!!!

[PrncessA]

HELP! Need help with Southwest checkin, first timer! I paid for the early check in months ago and changed my flight the next day. They promised me that the early bird check in would transfer. I fly out tomorrow at 4:55pm. I didn't receive an email from SW saying I was checked in, so I checked and it said check in, so I did, it gave me A39-42. Is this normal? Anyone use the early bird check in before and have to check in on the site as well or did they not check me in at the 36 hour mark? If so I am going to call them to complain. So confused!!! Thank you!

 

[Ed J]

A boarding is good you're fine.

 

[PrncessA]

I am glad we have an A boarding, but having to check in after the 24 hours wastes the $48 that I paid for Early Bird check in and didn't get the service I paid for.

So I guess the main question is, if you pay for an early bird check in, do you have to "check in" again, or should it have been a "print boarding passes" button?

 

[PrncessA]

Never mind, I am an idiot, who is obviously suffering from the stress of trying to get everything ready for tomorrow. It states plainly on the ticket "EARLYBIRD Check-In", in orange letters to beat it all! LOL As if I didn't already have enough stress before this trip, I have to imagine some as well.

 

[DebbieB]

I did early bird last week, got A37. A1-A15 are sometimes not used so you got good numbers and are before family boarding.

 

[LisaS]

I am glad we have an A boarding, but having to check in after the 24 hours wastes the $48 that I paid for Early Bird check in and didn't get the service I paid for.

So I guess the main question is, if you pay for an early bird check in, do you have to "check in" again, or should it have been a "print boarding passes" button?

It is confusing! That "check in" button is really a "check in if you didn't buy EBCI or look up your boarding position if you did" button. Those who purchased EBCI don't need to click that button unless they want to see what boarding position they got and print their boarding pass at home. EBCI passengers can also opt to wait until they get to the airport and print a boarding pass using one of the kiosks there. In some airports you can access your boarding pass information on your smartphone and use that to go through security and at the gate.

We're always curious to know what boarding position we got so at some point once we are inside the 24-hour window we go online at our convenience and click that counter-intuitive "Check in" button and view and print our boarding passes.

Never mind, I am an idiot, who is obviously suffering from the stress of trying to get everything ready for tomorrow. It states plainly on the ticket "EARLYBIRD Check-In", in orange letters to beat it all! LOL As if I didn't already have enough stress before this trip, I have to imagine some as well.

You are not an idiot. It is confusing! The first time we bought EBCI I went online, expecting to see a "Print Boarding Pass" button. It took me a while to figure out I had to go through the check-in procedure even though I was already checked in for my flight.

 

[cherylsmike]

I was wondering, obsessively, "Will I have a check-in button or print boarding pass button with EBCI" so thank you for posting!

 

[luvmy2babies]

Don’t feel bad. I had that same confusion when I went to print our boarding passes. I was like, “Why am I seeing a “check-in” button when I bought ECBI?” I was so nervous when I clicked on it because we had been running around doing last minute stuff and were already 3.5 hours past the 24 hour mark when I logged on to print them. But of course once I clicked on it, all was good.

 

[paults]

If you pay for EARLY BIRD ALL THAT THEY DO IS CHECK YOU IN AT 36 HOURS. If you want your BP before you leave you still have to check in to get it at 24 hrs and not before . Your number has already been picked at 36hrs and waiting for you. Just because you got ECBI it doesn't mean you'll get an A BOARDING PASS. It depends on how people bought ECBI for that flight and when.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you pay for EARLY BIRD ALL THAT THEY DO IS CHECK YOU IN AT 36 HOURS. If you want your BP before you leave you still have to check in to get it at 24 hrs and not before . Your number has already been picked at 36hrs and waiting for you. Just because you got ECBI it doesn't mean you'll get an A BOARDING PASS. It depends on how people bought ECBI for that flight and when.

Look at what you capitalized. SW "CHECKS YOU IN" at 36 hours before your flight. So, the "newbie" (no offense OP) EBCI flyer who purchased EBCI goes to the website and sees a button that says "Check In". Can you not see why that would be confusing? Why should they have to check in if SW already checked them in at T-36? It sounds like SW needs to at least change their labeling to "Check In/Print Boarding Pass". Ideally the computer would know who is already checked in (whether by EBCI or otherwise), and you get a 'Check In' button OR 'Print Boarding Pass' button.

 

[helenk]

HELP! Need help with Southwest checkin, first timer! I paid for the early check in months ago and changed my flight the next day. They promised me that the early bird check in would transfer. I fly out tomorrow at 4:55pm. I didn't receive an email from SW saying I was checked in, so I checked and it said check in, so I did, it gave me A39-42. Is this normal? Anyone use the early bird check in before and have to check in on the site as well or did they not check me in at the 36 hour mark? If so I am going to call them to complain. So confused!!! Thank you!

I use EBCI all the time, I have never gotten an e-mail telling me I was checked in. I do not think that is part of the program. I have gotten B boarding passes with the EBCI, and other times I have gotten A-20 it can vary.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

one thing to remember with a 455pm flight expect a number of people to already be on plane when you board as they are already on plane from another airport. you will be able to guess how many are on plane by how many are at the gate waiting. small group waiting more full the plane. plane could be half to 3/4 full before A group starts boarding. as they are already on they will get first choice of seats