Is SW early bird worth the 12.50?

[conniehar90]

Since you have 4 confirmation #'s you most likely will be split up - but it shouldn't be that far apart. My advice is to open up 4 browsers and have all the information entered and ready to go ahead of time. Or if your DH can help, he can do two and you can do two. I would consider spending the extra funds for EBCI on your way home. It is really a pain to have to worry about that on your last day of vacation!

 

[goofy4tink]

The way our tickets worked out, we have 4 separate confirmation numbers. So looks like we will have to check in 4 separate times. even doing this at the 24 hr mark, its going to be very annoying. I'm really worried we're all going to have separate boarding numbers and going to be split up from the kids. We'll figure it out but it will be a bit of a hassle.

On the way home, it will be even more interesting. It will mean checking at 3pm on the Sunday. Not sure which park we will be in - but we'll try to schedule a break during that time so we can be in the hotel's business centre to check in. I'm starting to debate if its worth it to pay for 2 EBCI. That way, DH can go on with one child to get an aisle and a window seat. The next child can then go in whenever and take the middle seat. I can just sit wherever.

Or maybe we should just make the kids deal with sitting separately. They get the heebie jeebies sitting next to strangers though. It drives me batty, but they hate doing it, even in rides and shows. Maybe this is a sneaky way I can force them to deal with it *mean mom hat on*.

You will, most likely, be split up. But, you can still board together. Let's say one person gets A38, second person gets A49, third gets A60, fourth gets B3. You can all go back to the B group, and get in line with the B3 person, allowing everyone between A38 and B2 move up to fill in the three empty slots.
Or just move two people...probably parents, back to be next to a child.
Or pay for the 2 EBCI, save that one middle seat for one of the kids boarding later, and a parent takes any old single seat they find.

 

[gmeh1]

Unless you get a business traveler like me who just takes your "saved" seat. And we are over the "Rude" trick LOL!

SW will not assist you when you run crying to the FA about someone taking your 'saved' seat.

I love it!!!
Good for you!

 

[gmeh1]

That's what we usually do. I'm not going to interrupt my vacation (especially the last, precious day) to check in. I have no problem interrupting my work, to check in for the flight the down, though!


And I just noticed, they upped the EBCI fee to $12.50 so I'm glad I beat that by a few weeks. They're also likely to institute change fees later this year for "Wanna Get Away" fares - can bag fees be far behind? I'm not liking the direction they are heading.

Where did you hear about : instituting change fees?

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

There is nothing formal out there, but some of us who watch the airline industry see SW becoming more and more like the old "main line" (All the while doing misleading commericals...)

Huh? Bags fly free - and the CEO has said they have no plans to change that?
Or which commercial are you referencing?

SW will start charging for people who book get away fares and then no-show. So if you cancel your flight, you still get full credit - but if you just dont show up - you won't - there will be a penalty.

 

[bjscheel]

You will, most likely, be split up. But, you can still board together. Let's say one person gets A38, second person gets A49, third gets A60, fourth gets B3. You can all go back to the B group, and get in line with the B3 person, allowing everyone between A38 and B2 move up to fill in the three empty slots.
Or just move two people...probably parents, back to be next to a child.
Or pay for the 2 EBCI, save that one middle seat for one of the kids boarding later, and a parent takes any old single seat they find.

I will be in the same boat- when booking with points apparently it is 4 separate checkins for us. Your example above is helpful. I think if we were that example, we would have a parent and child with A38 and A49 line up at A49, and a parent and child with A60 and B3 line up at B3. Actually at ages 14 and 11 maybe my kids would decide pair up instead of parent/child. But they would definitely prefer to be with a family member over a stranger! Say I get A38 and DD14 gets A49...do we have to be the ones lined up at A49, or can we give the boarding numbers to whoever we want within our party?

I also forget how this works- when we have a layover and board the next plane, do we have the same numbers as for the previous plane? Or do we get separate numbers at checkin for the separate planes?

I am definitely doing EBCI for the return. We may or may not have a smartphone, and with 4 separate checkins, I don't want to take my chances on getting online at just the right time on vacation.

 

[mcd2745]

I have not heard of them adding anymore fees this year? I know EBCI just went up to $12.50 and they are talking about adding a "no show" fee (if you don't fly and also don't cancel the flight) but have heard nothing else.

Could you please share where you heard this? Thanks!


As for the poster who recommended only one person buying EBCI and then saving for the whole family, I truly hope you don't try it. If you have seen the reaction on this thread alone, you can imagine what is going to happen if you actually try it on a plane...

Where did you hear about : instituting change fees?

http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/...e-fees-from-united-southwest.html?id=14212696

 

[edk35]

On the going down flight, I am usually by a computer at the 24 hour mark and the way SW opens the booking windows, I don't have to buy EB round trip just on the return flight. We usually get a "B" boarding when I do it from home. Coming home though I have always used it. I don't want the hassle of remembering to check in while at the parks. We again, got B but that was ok with us.

I didn't know it had gone up to $12.50 but still better than paying for bags. Our flights always seem to be sold out so we do like the convenience.

True paying for the bags is a lot more than this. Airtran fares are usually cheaper but you pay 25 now for bags so SW still beats them. I hope SW doesn't start charging for bags when they are fully merged.

 

[jayhawk74]

mcd2745
The article you quote said that SWA will be tightening the restrictions to their Wanna-Get-away fares and you believe that it means starting to charge a change fee. Well from what SWA has told the employees the new restrictions is that the new no show fee will be applied only to the Wann-Get-Away fares. There are no plans to start charging a change fee!

 

[mcd2745]

We'll see. There's also this article:


http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/...o-tighten-rules-on-wanna-get-away-fares.html/


I hope it doesn't happen. If I had to pick one or the other, though, I'd rather they add change fees before they add a baggage fee.

 

[Familytradition]

So ..... I bought the EBCI for all 4 of us ...but I think I'm misunderstanding something ..... Since I've paid for the early bird I don't need to check in at the 24 hour window to get Boarding A ??? Is that right ?

 

[DebbieB]

So ..... I bought the EBCI for all 4 of us ...but I think I'm misunderstanding something ..... Since I've paid for the early bird I don't need to check in at the 24 hour window to get Boarding A ??? Is that right ?

Correct, you don't need to check-in at 24 hours. But there's no guarantee you will get an A. I checked it at exactly 24 hours this morning and got B23, so some EBCI's most likely got B's.

 

[Familytradition]

Ok ....so what did I pay extra for then ???

 

[DebbieB]

Ok ....so what did I pay extra for then ???

To be ahead of the people checking in at 24 hours.

 

[BigTigger]

There is nothing formal out there, but some of us who watch the airline industry see SW becoming more and more like the old "main line" (All the while doing misleading commericals...)

Hahaha ... so they're becoming the Toyota of the airline biz - makes sense since the federal agencies don't enforce false advertising anymore.

 

[BigTigger]

We'll see. There's also this article:

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/...o-tighten-rules-on-wanna-get-away-fares.html/

I hope it doesn't happen. If I had to pick one or the other, though, I'd rather they add change fees before they add a baggage fee.

If you read that article link, the J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Streeter is pretty clueless for someone who supposedly covers the industry. Hartford has SWA and JetBlue direct flight competition. SWA has one more direct flight than JetBlue right now (3 vs. 2), but by late summer JetBlue will be back to offering the same number of direct flights as SWA out of Hartford.

 

[elaine amj]

Since you have 4 confirmation #'s you most likely will be split up - but it shouldn't be that far apart. My advice is to open up 4 browsers and have all the information entered and ready to go ahead of time. Or if your DH can help, he can do two and you can do two. I would consider spending the extra funds for EBCI on your way home. It is really a pain to have to worry about that on your last day of vacation!

We plan to use 2 smartphones and 2 laptops to check in...the kids can help! We're caving and paying for 2 EBCI when we return. That way we only have to di 2 check ins onnour smartphones from the park. Gonna cross my fingers and hope for decent wifi signals. Last trip was dreadful at the parks.

I will be in the same boat- when booking with points apparently it is 4 separate checkins for us. Your example above is helpful. I think if we were that example, we would have a parent and child with A38 and A49 line up at A49, and a parent and child with A60 and B3 line up at B3. Actually at ages 14 and 11 maybe my kids would decide pair up instead of parent/child. But they would definitely prefer to be with a family member over a stranger! Say I get A38 and DD14 gets A49...do we have to be the ones lined up at A49, or can we give the boarding numbers to whoever we want within our party?

I also forget how this works- when we have a layover and board the next plane, do we have the same numbers as for the previous plane? Or do we get separate numbers at checkin for the separate plane
I am definitely doing EBCI for the return. We may or may not have a smartphone, and with 4 separate checkins, I don't want to take my chances on getting online at just the right time on vacation.

I have the same problem with the layover ...not sure how that works? All my SW flights have been nonstop so far.

4 separate checkins is a huge pain. Last SW flight was just DH and I and with 2 separate checkins, we were about 4-5 numbers apart. We ended up boarding together because the ppl standing between us decided to sit suddenly.

Oh i need to ask, with EBCI, do we still need to check in?

 

[goofy4tink]

Hahaha ... so they're becoming the Toyota of the airline biz - makes sense since the federal agencies don't enforce false advertising anymore.

There is no false advertising here. SW does not tell you that if you buy EBCI you'll get an A boarding spot. That is no longer something one can assume. Most of us, that understand how it works, buy it for convenience, or to get a jump on those not buying it. Without it, you are almost assured of getting into the late B group. SW tells us that you are checked in before those not paying for EBCI. Below is what SW states on their site......


What do I get?
AUTOMATIC CHECK-IN
Whether you choose to print your boarding pass the day before or just hours before the flight, your confirmed boarding position will be ready and waiting for you. Now you can print your boarding pass as your schedule allows.
BETTER BOARDING POSITION
We'll automatically check you in and assign your boarding position within 36 hours of your flight's departure - that's 12 hours before general boarding positions become available. While EarlyBird Check-In doesn't guarantee an A boarding position, it improves your seat selection options to help you get your favorite seat.
EARLIER ACCESS TO OVERHEAD BINS
Got bags? We've got room. By boarding earlier you'll get your pick of available overhead bin space.



So....no false advertising here. They actually say you may not get an A spot.

 

[hsmamato2]

I usually buy it for my return trip,as being on vacation,I;m never sure about checking in myself.....

 

[hsmamato2]

one more (silly) question.... if I get EBCI for a connecting flight, do they automatically check us in to both legs of our flight? (I don't do connecting often)
no wait,I have one more,if I buy EBCI,and change the flight (fare drop,etc) will it transfer to the changed flight,or do I lose out?