Is SW raising Early Bird seating prices?

[clh2]

Wow…looks like Sw is raising EB seating up to $99 per segment.

 

[AgentMama]

Read an article about it yesterday, some will apparently go as high as $149.

 

[pens4821]

They are making it tough to continue to use them. Last year we paid for it and got B although I know A isn’t guaranteed. We were flying out of Denver so not a lot of family groups, but it would worry me flying them out of somewhere like Orlando. If they allowed EBCI people before family boarding I would be more ok with it (not sure how realistic that is as far as implementing because it would always be different).

Between that and all the issues they’ve had the last year or two I say I’m not going to book them again. However I did book for a trip to Houston around Labor Day. They quit flying into the airport we were going to fly into, and have changed our flights probably 3/4 times in the last month.

I have quite a bit of credits to use, so I will fly them again. However, after that I’m probably done if this continues. $99 to not be guaranteed to sit with my family is too much. Although I’m sure less people will do it.

 

[TinkAgainU]

Wow. I already found Early Bird charges borderline. Charging more completely voids any "free baggage" benefit to me (plus moving the EB to a changed flight does not always seem to work). Actually thinking of dropping my Chase SWA card as I struggle to justify flying SWA (honestly, more because of fewer direct flights).

 

[ltalley1]

I too am sad about the rate increases, but often when pricing the cost of other airlines with checked bags fees and paying an upgrade fee to choose my seat or buy a window or aisle seat- that can equal $150 with tax (2 bags and upgrade seat) especially with the baggage rates increasing over the last year.

Just did some research on this and this is what I got:
The Early Bird check in rates still start at $15 but now can go as high as $99, The Upgrade your seat rates still start at $39 but can go as high as $149. While Early Bird does not guarantee an A boarding slot, I fly a a lot and I get A group almost on every flight that I purchase Early Bird. The upgrade your seat option is a guaranteed A 1-15 and is available to purchase anytime after the check-in window begins. The number of ugrades available for sale is what is left after the Business select seats are filled- Business select rates include guaranteed priority seating. I assume the price will be determined on surge pricing, but not sure.

I also noticed The Southwest Credit Cards offer two complimentary EarlyBird check-ins per year and their Priority Card and Business Cards offer four Upgraded Boarding passes per year.

Will be interesting to see how this affects them. Hope this research helps someone else. Safe travels everyone!

 

[MillauFr]

They are making it tough to continue to use them.

Isn't seeing miracle and miracle on Southwest worth paying extra? So many immobile people who can barely walk getting onto the plane are miraculously cured during he flight and their mobility is restored by landing. They have Jesus on every flight.

 

[klmall]

I gave up on Southwest when both times that I paid Early Bird check-in fees ($25 each time) at the gate were a waste of money. The first time when I boarded the plane several people were holding seats for others who had NOT paid the Early Bird fee. Spreading out their belongings they had 'reserved' most of the seats in the first three rows on both sides of the plane! Yes, I still got a window seat in the fourth row but several of those seats were never filled because of their greediness. I truly felt that others had outsmarted the system and I was the stupid one.

The second time I boarded early and watched as a woman in the row in front of me kept refusing to let people sit in the two seats to her left. The plane was almost filled to capacity and she had denied those seats several times to people who asked when finally a teenager boarded her row and proceeded to raise the arms and stretch out across two seats. She had obviously been holding those two seats for him so he could stretch out (and saved $25).

Yes, sour grapes on my part but I was really disappointed.

 

[TinkAgainU]

Yes, sour grapes on my part but I was really disappointed.

I'm usually happy in the first 10 rows on SWA even with Early Bird - but I feel your pain for paying to upgrade while others were allowed to Game the system. I would feel free to send a complaint to at least get my EB refunded if that was the case. Maybe not for $25, but worth an email for more than that...

I paid to last-minute upgrade to Alaska Air on a recent flight out of MCO (which was a couple hundred dollars) and was so disappointed - the upgrade was pretty much worse than what I had prior (I ended up in Row 1 with no place to put anything, literally ended up with my baggage back at Row 10 since they allowed preboards to fill the front bins) which meant I had to wait until everyone deplaned before I could go back for it and get off, I simply considered it "educational" so they'll never trick me into doing That again

 

[TinkAgainU]

[Will someone let me know if you go to "Like" a post in this thread, is it treating that like you clicked an Ad link? I commented to the tech forum but just curious if anyone on this thread is having that issue?]

 

[pinkxray]

I would much rather just pay $99 to pick my seat. I hate the SW boarding process. I always pay for EBCI because I want to sit with my kids. This year I got A23. Yay! My 6 and 8 year old, who I purchased all together with me, got A43/44. Last year, one of us got B. We tend to be flying to and from Orlando, so family boarding usually ends up being half the flight.

 

[LadybugsMum]

[Will someone let me know if you go to "Like" a post in this thread, is it treating that like you clicked an Ad link? I commented to the tech forum but just curious if anyone on this thread is having that issue?]

That happened to me several times yesterday on various threads.

 

[reddog21]

while I hate the SW boarding group nonsense, it comes down to flight times/direct flights. I like to fly out of a smaller airport that SW is really the only carrier flying direct to Orlando with good flight times so I'm kind of forced to deal with there stupidity. I'm resigned to the fact that every company is using surge pricing on everything now so SW is just getting in line with everyone else.

 

[TinkAgainU]

That happened to me several times yesterday on various threads.

I just hit "Like" on this and was sent to Amazon.com -- I was VERY careful to assure Disboards was at full screen and held over the Like button a second before hitting. Something is off here.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I end up paying for Business Select if I'm flying to/from MCO - the amount of groups family boarding means that if I'm in a B group, I'm getting a middle seat in the back somewhere. EBCI doesn't even seem worth it for Orlando since it seems like everyone buys it IMO. I'm really bummed that Jetblue pulled out of BWI. I loved flying them to Orlando but now the options are Southwest and Spirit.

I flew Southwest a few weeks ago and was glad I did Business Select. Many people in the later groups had to check their carry ons due to all of the bins being completely full.

 

[Kim&Chris]

That happened to me several times yesterday on various threads.

This site is loaded with click bait, I believe.

 

[gottalovepluto]

[Will someone let me know if you go to "Like" a post in this thread, is it treating that like you clicked an Ad link? I commented to the tech forum but just curious if anyone on this thread is having that issue?]

Report it on the tech board if it's still happening.

 

[Henlady]

Once at MCO we paid for EBCI for 4 of us. 15yo grandson got last A # rest were beginning B. Wouldn’t have been bad but there were 38 family boards before our B was able to board.

 

[beccasmom]

We prefer non-stop flights and SWA no longer offers very many of them from our airport - maybe one a day in each direction. Many routes would have us fly mid-morning to St. Louis (or Midway, etc.) from PHL and arrive in Orlando at six in the evening. We are very fortunate that Orlando is a bit over 2 hours by air from PHL. A flight that takes 5+ hours and isn’t much less expensive is not very appealing. My mom (now deceased) used to travel to WDW with us quite a bit and she loathed their boarding process.

We’ve been flying American instead and it’s been fine. The pricing isn’t much different and we use our AA credit card so we don’t pay luggage fees. No, it isn’t perfect, but nothing is.

 

[Mle8308]

Isn't seeing miracle and miracle on Southwest worth paying extra? So many immobile people who can barely walk getting onto the plane are miraculously cured during he flight and their mobility is restored by landing. They have Jesus on every flight.

Amen, sister! Praise be!

 

[Mle8308]

I think when they allow family boarding before EBCI (especially on flights to and from MCO), then those families should have to sit in the back 10-15 rows of the plane. Advertise it and announce it at the gate prior to boarding families. Families would be able sit together, and if they want to be closer to the front, then pay for EBCI.