Is Early Bird Check In worth it on SW?

[boswellnakia]

Thanks for the suggestion of not canceling and just changing to keep EB attached. I never thought about that, definitely will keep that in mind. This group is great!

 

[LisaS]

Thanks for the suggestion of not canceling and just changing to keep EB attached. I never thought about that, definitely will keep that in mind. This group is great!

I learned that here myself. I agree, this group is great!

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm fine wit that. We can be separated for 2 hours in order to save $150...just another way for airlines to make money. Which they have every right to, but I also don't have to agree to pay it. More money for Disney!

It may be time to just automatically figure on SW flights costing you $15 (or so) more and be done with it. Yes, the airlines all seem to be nickel and diming us to death. Drives me nutty. My poor dh is 6'4" tall. He really needs those extra leg room seats on JetBlue or at the very least an aisle seat. But with the addtl $35 or so JB charges for extra leg room seats, it gets expensive. And some flights can cost more for aisle seats! I know they have to be profitable. Sadly, people got spoiled by those $150, r/t fares to Orlando. Now? Airfares have almost doubled, and people feel cheated. It used to be that I would feel thrilled with a fare of $200 r/t. Then, fares dropped to $150....I was thrilled! Then they went to $250, then $300! Now? I'm happy if I pay less than $250 r/t! It's a fact if life now...flying isn't cheap.
I guess I prefer airlines to charge for specific things....checked bags, specific seats, food, early boarding, etc. better than raising fares across the board. This way I can decide what's important enough to me to pay extra for. I hate paying for something I'm not going to use!

 

[Sneezer01]

Do you still have to check in online with early bird check-in? Is it a day early?

 

[sam_gordon]

Do you still have to check in online with early bird check-in? Is it a day early?

No. If you purchase EBCI you will automatically be checked in 36 hours before your first flight. You can see your boarding assignment 24 hours before the flight.,

 

[JanaDee]

No. If you purchase EBCI you will automatically be checked in 36 hours before your first flight. You can see your boarding assignment 24 hours before the flight.,

That is why I buy EBCI, because I don't want to be bothered with trying to check in at the 24 hour mark from wherever I may be for the trip home. It is worth the extra $25 to me.

 

[kaetra]

I have seen many people have 1 person in their party get the EB, then they board and save seats for their entire party.

The whole non-assigned seating is my only peeve about SW, love them otherwise. I hate the idea of kids being separated from their parents, or worse yet, me being stuck sitting next to someone else's kid that has no parental supervision.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I posted about watching this fail just a few weeks ago. Man in front of me to board happily took the saved seat.

 

[kaetra]

I posted about watching this fail just a few weeks ago. Man in front of me to board happily took the saved seat.

I would have loved to see that. Those seat savers are annoying! No hiny in seat, then the seat is available!

Did he actually pick up their stuff and move it off the seat?

 

[Niagara2]

Usually we check in at the 24 hour mark for our flights. This week we were flying 5 hour direct flights across country. Myself and husband bought EB in June for October trip. Then DS decided to join us in September for same October trip. EB checks you in at 36 hour mark, well before anyone with a connecting flight would check in And get their second leg earlier than 24 hours out.
So, I check on line and have A58 and DH A59. Next day before we are on way to airport DS who just bought his ticket checks and says wow, I have A24.
So, we call. Told nothing can be done. Call customer service Monday when it opens. We were flying Saturday so that suggestion is no good. We got no less than 5 snotty answers why this could be. Then we see web site reads earlier you book, better EB number.
Ok, now at airport, the three people in front of us checked in at 24 hours ahead, and they are in front of us! We pay, and are behind them! DS at a24 could of got exit row, but we were so far behind him he didn't want to try to save seats. Yes, we sat together about 2/3 rd back end of plane.
We did call today. No resolution. So, will never buy again.
It is funny because DH is one flight away from a plus, and I am free already on companion pass. We are their more frequent customers and still no resolve.
I guess we shoukd be happy we had a seat in this day and age. I was shocked hiw uncaring the LUV airline was this weekend.

 

[goofy4tink]

Usually we check in at the 24 hour mark for our flights. This week we were flying 5 hour direct flights across country. Myself and husband bought EB in June for October trip. Then DS decided to join us in September for same October trip. EB checks you in at 36 hour mark, well before anyone with a connecting flight would check in And get their second leg earlier than 24 hours out.
So, I check on line and have A58 and DH A59. Next day before we are on way to airport DS who just bought his ticket checks and says wow, I have A24.
So, we call. Told nothing can be done. Call customer service Monday when it opens. We were flying Saturday so that suggestion is no good. We got no less than 5 snotty answers why this could be. Then we see web site reads earlier you book, better EB number.
Ok, now at airport, the three people in front of us checked in at 24 hours ahead, and they are in front of us! We pay, and are behind them! DS at a24 could of got exit row, but we were so far behind him he didn't want to try to save seats. Yes, we sat together about 2/3 rd back end of plane.
We did call today. No resolution. So, will never buy again.
It is funny because DH is one flight away from a plus, and I am free already on companion pass. We are their more frequent customers and still no resolve.
I guess we shoukd be happy we had a seat in this day and age. I was shocked hiw uncaring the LUV airline was this weekend.

There are many reasons this could have happened...someone who had already booked and paid for EBCI changed their flight...so their EBCI slot was now open. It happens a lot...more than most people realize. I don't buy EBCI for the lower boarding position...I buy it so I don't have to worry about checking in at the 24 hr window when I'm traveling.

 

[Gracie09]

Usually we check in at the 24 hour mark for our flights. This week we were flying 5 hour direct flights across country. Myself and husband bought EB in June for October trip. Then DS decided to join us in September for same October trip. EB checks you in at 36 hour mark, well before anyone with a connecting flight would check in And get their second leg earlier than 24 hours out. So, I check on line and have A58 and DH A59. Next day before we are on way to airport DS who just bought his ticket checks and says wow, I have A24. So, we call. Told nothing can be done. Call customer service Monday when it opens. We were flying Saturday so that suggestion is no good. We got no less than 5 snotty answers why this could be. Then we see web site reads earlier you book, better EB number. Ok, now at airport, the three people in front of us checked in at 24 hours ahead, and they are in front of us! We pay, and are behind them! DS at a24 could of got exit row, but we were so far behind him he didn't want to try to save seats. Yes, we sat together about 2/3 rd back end of plane. We did call today. No resolution. So, will never buy again. It is funny because DH is one flight away from a plus, and I am free already on companion pass. We are their more frequent customers and still no resolve. I guess we shoukd be happy we had a seat in this day and age. I was shocked hiw uncaring the LUV airline was this weekend.

My guess is your free companion ticket has something to do with it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Usually we check in at the 24 hour mark for our flights. This week we were flying 5 hour direct flights across country. Myself and husband bought EB in June for October trip. Then DS decided to join us in September for same October trip. EB checks you in at 36 hour mark, well before anyone with a connecting flight would check in And get their second leg earlier than 24 hours out.
So, I check on line and have A58 and DH A59. Next day before we are on way to airport DS who just bought his ticket checks and says wow, I have A24.
So, we call. Told nothing can be done. Call customer service Monday when it opens. We were flying Saturday so that suggestion is no good. We got no less than 5 snotty answers why this could be. Then we see web site reads earlier you book, better EB number.
Ok, now at airport, the three people in front of us checked in at 24 hours ahead, and they are in front of us! We pay, and are behind them! DS at a24 could of got exit row, but we were so far behind him he didn't want to try to save seats. Yes, we sat together about 2/3 rd back end of plane.
We did call today. No resolution. So, will never buy again.
It is funny because DH is one flight away from a plus, and I am free already on companion pass. We are their more frequent customers and still no resolve.
I guess we shoukd be happy we had a seat in this day and age. I was shocked hiw uncaring the LUV airline was this weekend.

What is your complaint? You got the A boarding group and got seats together. What did you want Southwest to do?

I suggest you fly an airline which offers advanced seat assignments.

 

[bumbershoot]

What is your complaint? You got the A boarding group and got seats together. What did you want Southwest to do?

I suggest you fly an airline which offers advanced seat assignments.

Because the specifics weren't the way it's supposed to work. That's bothersome.

 

[LilyWDW]

Because the specifics weren't the way it's supposed to work. That's bothersome.

How so?

The PP got checked in at the 36 hour mark. That is all EBCI guarantees. No on knows the formula the SW computers use besides SW. People have guessed, but who knows if they are correct.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Because the specifics weren't the way it's supposed to work. That's bothersome.

Yes, it did. Check-in was at 36 hours before flight, just as promised. Position isn't just determined by the time of purchase. Other factors come into play, including the class of fare purchased.

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/faqs.html?topic=earlybird_checkin

I still don't understand what the OP wanted Southwest to do.

 

[jayhawk74]

I have seen many people have 1 person in their party get the EB, then they board and save seats for their entire party.

We had a passenger out of MCO today who bought EBCI and tried to have the other 6 members of his family (who all had C Boarding positions) board with him in the A group. The Ops Agent told him to board by himself or board with his family with the C group. He boarded with the A group but once on board the F/As wouldn't let him save seats.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We had a passenger out of MCO today who bought EBCI and tried to have the other 6 members of his family (who all had C Boarding positions) board with him in the A group. The Ops Agent told him to board by himself or board with his family with the C group. He boarded with the A group but once on board the F/As wouldn't let him save seats.

Good for those Southwest employees.

 

[pigletto]

We had a passenger out of MCO today who bought EBCI and tried to have the other 6 members of his family (who all had C Boarding positions) board with him in the A group. The Ops Agent told him to board by himself or board with his family with the C group. He boarded with the A group but once on board the F/As wouldn't let him save seats.

Good.. that's the way it should work.

 

[DonnaL]

I agree with above poster who stated the importance of checking in exactly at the 24 hour mark. Personally, we have only used EBCI maybe one time and if I remember correctly it was because neither my DH nor I were available to check-in at the 24 hour point and we were traveling with our younger (I think he was about 9 at the time) grandson. However, please keep in mind there can be a few variables here. If the flight you are boarding has originated elsewhere, that plane conceivably could already be 3/4 full when you board, decreasing your chances of sitting together anyway, so now it becomes even more important to have either A or high B boarding passes. Also, you don't say whether you are traveling with very young children (I think it's still under age 5)if so, you can use family boarding which occurs between the A and B boarding. However, if traveling with a large group keep in mind only the immediate family of young children can board during this time......not grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins....unless those cousins and their parents meet the criteria for family boarding. But, please don't assume EBCI automatically gives you guaranteed seating together because that's not the case.