How do you handle checking in 6 people on Southwest?

[bcbmommy]

I would like for all of us to be fairly close together. I'm considering having my iPad and desktop ready at exactly 6:05 a.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully since it's early, not everyone will be on at the same time doing this..

 

[Spunky946]

If you are all on the same confirmation number it will check everyone in together. If you have separate confirmation numbers buy the early bird. I can tell you from experience its a pain and even if you have different windows open they will all change to the same one you are working on and it can be a pain to get back to the original screen to check the next person in. We have ended up with numbers all over the place

 

[bjscheel]

Yeah, one time I had 4 tabs open for 4 check-ins (booked with points so all of us had a different confirmation number). It's been a few years, but I remember I clicked one button before moving on to the next tab- well that checked DH in 4 times. You can have 4 tabs open, but follow through to the point of knowing that person is checked in (I think there were two screens/clicks) before moving on to the next one.

Anymore I just pay for EBCI.

 

[bcbmommy]

Well, 3 of us are on the same confirmation number, and then 3 have separate for the flight there. On the way back, we may all have one number. Hmmm.... maybe I'll do EBCI for one way. It just adds a lot when you have 6 people flying. My youngest is 3, so am I correct in thinking that one of us can go on early with her? The only ones I'm really concerned about being separated from is the 3 and 11-year-old. My 15 and 18-year-old will be fine (although my preference would be to have them close).

 

[iheartpeterpan]

You can't go on early with her. You will each have your own boarding pass, and people can move back to all board together at the last pass, or you board in your position. They do have family boarding if you travel with a kid under 4 but it occurs between the A boarding group and the B boarding group.

 

[bcbmommy]

You can't go on early with her. You will each have your own boarding pass, and people can move back to all board together at the last pass, or you board in your position. They do have family boarding if you travel with a kid under 4 but it occurs between the A boarding group and the B boarding group.

That's what I meant by boarding early, between the A and B group. Not ideal, but hopefully would be able to get a couple seats together at that point. I just looked, and I guess my dh and 2 older kids are on one confirmation number, and the two younger kids and I have another number. On the way home, we have 4 different numbers, so that's probably when I'll spring for the EBCI.

 

[richmo]

I wouldn't sweat it too much. Even if you do one checkin after the other, the nature of the way you're splitting up (DH, with the 2 older kids, and your group) will keep each of the groups together. That you're checking in at all will at least get you into the B's. If your two groups of three are not that close together, does it really matter? You'll be in close contact for the rest of your trip. Your main focus should be you and the younger kids...DH and the older kids should be able to survive on their own.

Anyway, that was worst case. A couple comments above mentioned that opening multiple tabs wind up going against the same confirmation number. I've seen that happen. If you have a computer and an iPad, do one checkin on each. The other thing I've done is open one of the tabs as a "private window" or "incognito window". Different browsers call them different things... You should be able to handle both reservations pretty much at the same time that way.

 

[katie111]

We had 5 people on our last trip. I just had my sister check in 2 of us and I checked in the other 3 ( we all had different confirmation numbers). I checked in my oldest daughter first & she ended up at the end of A. My DS11 got the highest B out of our group. Then my sister, my DS7, and myself were near the back of B. When my DD and DS got on they just went near the back of the plane. One of them spread their stuff out onto 3 seats and one spread out onto 2 seats. When we got back there, there were still lots of empty seats so it's not like they were keeping people from getting seats.

I think you and your 2 youngest kids can get on with the child boarding. They have no way of knowing you have other adults with you so its not like they are not going to let your other child on with you. As long as your DH and other kids are in B, they should have no trouble getting seats together, especially if you sit near the back of the plane. I wouldn't pay for EB, it really adds up when you have a large party.

 

[Amanda999]

FWIW All 3 of us are always on the same confirmation #. Last month we got boarding numbers 30 numbers apart!

 

[bcbmommy]

Update: well, I was able to get all 6 of us checked in at exactly 24 hours before our flight, and got mid-A's all in a row! On our connecting flight, we got A-59 through B-4. Pretty relieved right now. .

 

[nkereina]

Glad it worked out. I was going to mention that even if you were seperated by a few numbers, you can still all board together at the highest boarding position in your group.

 

[maxiesmom]

We had 5 people on our last trip. I just had my sister check in 2 of us and I checked in the other 3 ( we all had different confirmation numbers). I checked in my oldest daughter first & she ended up at the end of A. My DS11 got the highest B out of our group. Then my sister, my DS7, and myself were near the back of B. When my DD and DS got on they just went near the back of the plane. One of them spread their stuff out onto 3 seats and one spread out onto 2 seats. When we got back there, there were still lots of empty seats so it's not like they were keeping people from getting seats.

I think you and your 2 youngest kids can get on with the child boarding. They have no way of knowing you have other adults with you so its not like they are not going to let your other child on with you. As long as your DH and other kids are in B, they should have no trouble getting seats together, especially if you sit near the back of the plane. I wouldn't pay for EB, it really adds up when you have a large party.

That seems like an awful lot of not exactly following the rules. Spreading stuff out on seats is never ok in my book. And you are always taking the risk that someone won't care, and will move a coat or bag to sit down.