How to get A BP on Souhwest

[M2DD's]

Our 24 hour mark is tomorrow at 11.am. What is the best way to get an A boarding pass? Is it just a matter of doing exactly 24 hr or is there a way to get all your info in before the time.
Anyone have any tips or tricks?

 

[rwdavis2]

You cannot do anything prior to the 24 hour mark except enter your confirmation number and name on the check in page and then wait for the time.

But to make sure you can hit the time exactly, in another browser window go to ustime.gov and choose your time zone. When that clock hits the 24 hour mark, immediately click the "Retrieve Reservation" button in the Southwest window. If SW is lagging then hit the "Back" button and then "Retrieve Reservation" again. Last 2 times I've gotten A16 and A17 doing so.

 

[hey_jude]

I put my info in prior to the 24 hr mark and wait until about 5 minutes before the appointed time. I hit submit and refresh until it goes through. I've managed A BPs in the 20s every time (4 flights - 5 people each time) but that was before their new service where you pay a fee to have Southwest do it for you. There is a sense that this could make it more difficult to get A BPs now.

Good luck and let us know how you do!

 

[TheWog]

SW now offers Early Bird Check-in for a fee. Here is a thread that discusses it at length.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2273607

Short of that, just have your windows open, keep hitting refresh and you are off to the races. You should be fine at the 24 hr window mark.

 

[M2DD's]

Thanks for the tips
I will have all my info in before my time. I just want to make sure I have seat with my girls (5,8) since I'm traveling by myself and I hate to sit in the back of planes!
I

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

Mine is tomorrow at 9am! I'll be online at 8:45, ready to race against time. Not taking any chances!

Good luck!

 

[M2DD's]

Mine is tomorrow at 9am! I'll be online at 8:45, ready to race against time. Not taking any chances!

Good luck!

Mine is at 11:10 if you have a chance let me know how you made out!
good luck

 

[candy0730]

I just checked in at the 24 hour mark for my flight on Saturday and got A34, A35 and A36. Seems pretty far back in the A group since I checked in at the very second that I could. I am happy but makes me wonder if there are that many connecting people that early in the morning or if the Early Bird check in is the cause. I am still trying to figure out what to do regarding my flight home. Good luck to the rest of you getting your boarding passes.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

Mine is at 11:10 if you have a chance let me know how you made out!
good luck

Followed the official US time suggestion. Clicked the button at 8:59:59. Got A25!

Less than two hours left for you! Good luck!

 

[msmayor]

Hit refresh? Nah...takes too much time.

I open up four or five tabs and enter all the information in each tab. At the 24-hour mark I just run through all the tabs and hit enter until the passes process.

Before the 'paid' passes were available, I'd always gotten somewhere between A-16 and A-25 using this method.

 

[prncess674]

I just checked in at the 24 hour mark for my flight on Saturday and got A34, A35 and A36. Seems pretty far back in the A group since I checked in at the very second that I could. I am happy but makes me wonder if there are that many connecting people that early in the morning or if the Early Bird check in is the cause. I am still trying to figure out what to do regarding my flight home. Good luck to the rest of you getting your boarding passes.

Followed the official US time suggestion. Clicked the button at 8:59:59. Got A25!

Less than two hours left for you! Good luck!

Funny how the first poster is bothered that they got A34 but yet the second poster is woohoo-ing over A25. Even getting a B pass is not bad. Just because you aren't the very first passenger on the plane does not mean you are going to be doomed to 3 middle seats in the back of the plane.

 

[candy0730]

Funny how the first poster is bothered that they got A34 but yet the second poster is woohoo-ing over A25. Even getting a B pass is not bad. Just because you aren't the very first passenger on the plane does not mean you are going to be doomed to 3 middle seats in the back of the plane.

I am not at all bothered by getting the A34 boarding pass - as I stated I am happy. I ws merely pointing out that checking in at the 24 hour mark did give me boarding passes towards the end of the A group. I have been trying to decide if I want to do early check in on our return flight since I will not be able to check in for our flight at exactly the 24 hour mark. I am traveling with a toddler and a car seat that I will be using on the plane so it does make a difference to me when I can board since the car seat is required to be placed in a window seat. I do realize there is family boarding but as we all know there could be alot of families trying to board at that time.

 

[prncess674]

I am not at all bothered by getting the A34 boarding pass - as I stated I am happy. I ws merely pointing out that checking in at the 24 hour mark did give me boarding passes towards the end of the A group. I have been trying to decide if I want to do early check in on our return flight since I will not be able to check in for our flight at exactly the 24 hour mark. I am traveling with a toddler and a car seat that I will be using on the plane so it does make a difference to me when I can board since the car seat is required to be placed in a window seat. I do realize there is family boarding but as we all know there could be alot of families trying to board at that time.

Let's look at this systematically.


A1-A15 are reserved for SWA frequent flyers and Business Select purchasers. These spaces may or may not be filled.

Southwest averages 25 rows x 2 section of 3 seats. Hence 50 groups of 3 seats. Even if every person prior to you took either an aisle or window, with no two people seated next to another person, which on a family intensive flight isn't likely. There would still be 40 pairs of seats at a minimum to choose from if you boarded with family boarding.

 

[tjmw2727]

I am not at all bothered by getting the A34 boarding pass - as I stated I am happy. I ws merely pointing out that checking in at the 24 hour mark did give me boarding passes towards the end of the A group. I have been trying to decide if I want to do early check in on our return flight since I will not be able to check in for our flight at exactly the 24 hour mark. I am traveling with a toddler and a car seat that I will be using on the plane so it does make a difference to me when I can board since the car seat is required to be placed in a window seat. I do realize there is family boarding but as we all know there could be alot of families trying to board at that time.

I guess its how you look at it - I don't see A34 as the end of A but rather the middle. There are 60 A boarding passes and the first 15 are reserved for A list and Business Select.

So the way I see it you were the 18th passenger to get your BP. Eiither 18 folks paid for EBCI or managed to "click in" before you at T-24.