Paid extra for SW Early Bird and got B15+

[Searc]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

I am holding one in my hand - on the left hand side it clearly says EARLY BIRD in bold letters.

DIGITAL boarding passes do not show EBCI. I checked my last two from my flights a couple weeks ago.

 

[Searc]

FYI Your name is clearly showing.

 

[tjmw2727]

FYI Your name is clearly showing.

Thanks I deleted it - I don't see a need to repost as it clearly says Early Bird but if necessary I will go back at it with a sharpie and repost.

I have two - one from 3/30 and one from 4/3 both say Early Bird.

I guess they don't always show EBCI?

 

[s.r.disney nut]

I highly doubt they will be able to board between A&B. You can try to save seats for them.
(I understand the frustration. I had B12(ish) in February with EBCI and we were in the second to last row because half the plane was medical preboard and family boarding.)
Best of luck tomorrow!

You're not supposed to save seats for passengers that board after you do.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You're not supposed to save seats for passengers that board after you do.

We know . It's a serious point of contention.

The actual policy is, there is no policy. Southwest will allow passengers to save seats. Southwest will allow other passengers to sit in those seats. If the issue becomes too contentious, none of those passengers will be sitting in those seats. They'll all hwve been removed from the plane, and the pilot won't wait.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Nope, EBCI is not printed on a SW boarding pass.

It’s printed on mine right now.

 

[Searc]

It’s printed on mine right now.

*sigh* It is not on digital boarding passes.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

*sigh* It is not on digital boarding passes.

A digital pass isn’t really printed tho

 

[goofy4tink]

A digital pass isn’t really printed tho

No, it is not. BUT.....by this line of reasoning, if SW gate agents were to start checking boarding passes to see who had purchased EBCI, then looks like those of us who have a 'digital' boarding pass are out in the cold! Whether or not this is on your boarding pass makes absolutely no difference. I have never seen it on my dh's paper boarding pass. So, it is not the norm. There is no reason it would be listed. It has nothing to do with boarding. It has to do with when you check in for your flight.

And the question of semantics and age of a child...3 and up is usually considered a preschooler. There is a reason that most airlines cut off the lap baby age younger than 3.

I've said it before, and I'll say it yet again...not every airline is going to work for every person. If you don't care for the way SW operates, you are free to fly with a different airline. Period.

 

[pixiedustedme]

My 4yo son is a toddler. Not sure what the definition is, not do I care, but he is not in school, nor will he be in school next year. So he is a toddler. If this definition is too broad for your liking maybe you should join a board that adheres to exact definitions more closely.

A toddler is a child who is just learning to walk. So that ranges from about 12 months to 2 years. A 4 year-old is far from a toddler. You could call him a preschooler, but being a toddler has nothing to do with school. No animosity here- just explaining why people pointed that out.

 

[mom2rtk]

A toddler is a child who is just learning to walk. So that ranges from about 12 months to 2 years. A 4 year-old is far from a toddler. You could call him a preschooler, but being a toddler has nothing to do with school. No animosity here- just explaining why people pointed that out.

I don't consider 4 a toddler but fail to see why it matters in the context it was brought up here. Some might have a different opinion because clothing goes up to size 4 toddler.

 

[pixiedustedme]

I don't consider 4 a toddler but fail to see why it matters in the context it was brought up here. Some might have a different opinion because clothing goes up to size 4 toddler.

The PP got angry when someone pointed it out, so I explained why it was pointed out. It's a word with a definition that you can easily look up. It's not a matter of opinion about what it means. But whatever. Letting it go...

 

[goofy4tink]

I don't consider 4 a toddler but fail to see why it matters in the context it was brought up here. Some might have a different opinion because clothing goes up to size 4 toddler.

Ok...I'm going to bite. Sure, it's a 4T. But that doesn't mean the 4T is for a 4 y/o. My ds was wearing 4Ts when he as 2!!! My girls wore it when they were 3! Whether or not a child is in school doesn't matter as far as toddler vs preschooler. It's an age issue. Everyone is free to use whatever terminology they want.
Now back to the discussion at hand...SW boarding. Please.

 

[s.r.disney nut]

Toddler - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toddler
A toddler is a child 12 to 36 months old. The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is derived from "to toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, like a child of this age.

 

[Kteacher]

I feel your pain. I booked EBCI for me and my husband, booked the minute the fares opened up, and we got B14 and B15 (BDL-TPA). By the time family boarding was finished between A and B the seats were basically middle. We lucked out because there was a row with a windowless window seat that no one wanted, so we were able to sit together. The majority of passengers seated were saving seats. It was very frustrating. I go back and forth between Southwest and JetBlue, depending on the price. This flight may make me stick with JetBlue from now on.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not if you're going to Disney during Spring Break and 99% of the plane will have toddlers and gets on before the B group.

Fwiw it’s not spring break for everyone. The 4 school districts within 10 miles of me are all done with theirs for over a week now. Even the catholic schools in the area are done with theirs!

And families who are beholden to spring break don’t necessarily also have kids that allow them to do family boarding. You do, but by no means do all families have school kids and littler kids.

OK, semantics.... but OK. I still think that if you're paying for ECBI you should board before any (non-handicapped) individual at all that didn't pay the ECBI. Regardless of age/etc. ECBI should be exhausted before those that didn't pay. OR eliminate family preboarding. Either/or I'm fine with.

You wouldn’t be saying this if you’re gotten A 56-60...

I love flying southwest and understand all sides of these arguments which made me wonder why southwest doesn't just let people pick their seats? even if it is for a fee so they arent loosing the EBCI profits. Im sure theres probably a whole thread about this

They do let you choose your seats. Directly. Once on the plane.

They do it because it is well studied and known to speed up the boarding process.

I wonder if people who are counting on Family boarding , do they checkin at 24 hrs or figure it doesn't matter since they have family boarding.

The one roundtrip flight I took advantage of family boarding for, yes, I did check in. Because I knew that sometimes they suspend it. And that’s when family boarding WAS pre-boarding.

That set of flights taught me that boarding early with my kid was simply not bright because it just made the flight experience that much longer for him.

2. SWA at the gate told me “yes EBCI does not guarantee you an A boarding and actually with a child under 6 you shouldn’t have even bought it. Call back and explain and try to get a refund. I specifically asked if it was just me and my “TODDLER” or if the whole family can board after A. She said “absolutely the whole family can board.”

So you boarded with 5? And became part of the problem you were so worried about when you had B16+ passes?

But again, it does not mean you are going to get into the A group..it means you don't need to worry about checking in for your flight.

Exactly.

You're not supposed to save seats for passengers that board after you do.

They have no policy saying that.

The actual policy is, there is no policy. Southwest will allow passengers to save seats. Southwest will allow other passengers to sit in those seats.

Exactly.



If southwest has no policy I wish we’d stop pretending there’s a policy.

I also wish we’d stop pretending we know who is saving seats. Think about it. What strangers are willingly going to squash into window and middle without the 100% knowledge that someone is going to join them? No. Strangers will leave that seat between. Seeing a window and an aisle filled is not necessarily a family saving seats.

With me and my son, we sit in aisles across from each other. All it takes is two solo travelers to take seats, someone sees people talking (i am not adverse to talking with a seatmate), and strangers will think there’s seat saving, when nothing could be further from the truth.

There is a reason that most airlines cut off the lap baby age younger than 3.

“The Federal Aviation Administration requires all children who have reached their second birthday to occupy their own seat and travel on their own ticket.”

Not just airline-based And it stops when they turn 2.




Fwiw the 3-5 year old ballet classes at the YMCA I go to are called preschool classes. Just to chime in on toddler vs preschool lol.

 

[brockash]

Sure they will – if there's another adult who will be able to watch the 9-year-old.

Lol, this is so ridiculous. OP was correct in stating that there's no way they're not going to allow you to board with the kid 6 or under and any other person under 18... honestly I dont think I've ever seen them turn away anyone child/adult in the immediate family. I have seen them deny grandparents or extra (more than 2 adults) but there is NO WAY they're going to make your 9 year old not board with you - in fact it would probably be certainly against any policy they have and perhaps even illegal for them to have you board without your minor child. I routinely travel with my 3 kids alone... currently 17, 12 and 4 and we always board together in family boarding.

If you personally want to choose to have your child wait with another adult that's obviously your right, but don't mislead ppl looking for information regarding SW's policy. There is no way in the world they would refuse to let a minor child board with their parent in family boarding. Good grief.

 

[FCDub]

Lol, this is so ridiculous. OP was correct in stating that there's no way they're not going to allow you to board with the kid 6 or under and any other person under 18... honestly I dont think I've ever seen them turn away anyone child/adult in the immediate family. I have seen them deny grandparents or extra (more than 2 adults) but there is NO WAY they're going to make your 9 year old not board with you - in fact it would probably be certainly against any policy they have and perhaps even illegal for them to have you board without your minor child. I routinely travel with my 3 kids alone... currently 17, 12 and 4 and we always board together in family boarding.

If you personally want to choose to have your child wait with another adult that's obviously your right, but don't mislead ppl looking for information regarding SW's policy. There is no way in the world they would refuse to let a minor child board with their parent in family boarding. Good grief.

But there is LITERALLY another adult to board with the 13-year-old and 17-year-old. LITERALLY another adult.

I'm not misleading anyone. The website policy is clear.

 

[sponica]

@disneyfan2kids I'm just curious, how did boarding go this weekend? Obviously no rush since you're in the happiest place in the world.

 

[kaytieeldr]

@disneyfan2kids I'm just curious, how did boarding go this weekend? Obviously no rush since you're in the happiest place in the world.

Oh, they went to DisneyLand?