Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[Dean1953]

The only thing that I have going in my instance is that my flight, if on time, will arrive in Seattle (direct flight that stops in Phoenix) at 1 AM. My flight to Singapore leaves at 10:20 AM That leaves me 9 hours between flights. Only a cancellation will affect me. I’ll wait a few days but my inclination is to try to change my flight to late morning/early afternoon. If I do that, I’ll definitely need a hotel for that night.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The only thing that I have going in my instance is that my flight, if on time, will arrive in Seattle (direct flight that stops in Phoenix) at 1 AM. My flight to Singapore leaves at 10:20 AM That leaves me 9 hours between flights. Only a cancellation will affect me. I’ll wait a few days but my inclination is to try to change my flight to late morning/early afternoon. If I do that, I’ll definitely need a hotel for that night.

I'd go with your inclination. Having to go from Phoenix then to Seattle further complicates things. I did look the flight up and while it's not a plane change pilots or crew could time out, mechanical issues, etc. And you're flying leading up to Labor Day.

It used to be not as big of a deal with that long of a layover and in the past I wouldn't have likely worried about it (except for cruises where I would fly the day before been there done that when I was a teen missing half a cruise because we didn't do that). When I was giving the examples I was trying to show that cancellations are but one issue. We used to just have delays mostly weather sometimes mechanical but it usually wasn't catastrophic or as frequently but now you have high instances of mechanical, weather, pilot time outs/flight crew issues, air traffic controller issues, etc. You could even get stuck in Phoenix (fingers crossed of course that nothing like that happens) if there's an issue there weather, plane related, crew related, etc. It's just a much more instance than before and it really sucks from a stress standpoint

 

[LadybugsMum]

Ugh. Even with EBCI, our boarding numbers are B33-35. What’s the likelihood that we’ll be able to get a row to ourselves? My twins are too young to sit by themselves, but are too old (and too tall to pass) for family boarding.

 

[Mome Rath]

Just a reminder that you can also purchase an A1-15 boarding group at the airport if they haven't all been taken already. Have I before? Yup, once (I was in the C boarding group). Stinks to spend the money on it, but it is an option. And, you may be able to get away with just 1 person buying it and getting a row of seats.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Just a reminder that you can also purchase an A1-15 boarding group at the airport if they haven't all been taken already. Have I before? Yup, once (I was in the C boarding group). Stinks to spend the money on it, but it is an option. And, you may be able to get away with just 1 person buying it and getting a row of seats.

It’s just me with my kids; so they need to board with me. I tried to upgrade in the app, but it said it wasn’t available. However, it wanted me to use points to upgrade since I used points for the tickets and I don’t have enough for that. I’ll check at the airport when we get there.

 

[aokeefe]

Ugh. Even with EBCI, our boarding numbers are B33-35. What’s the likelihood that we’ll be able to get a row to ourselves? My twins are too young to sit by themselves, but are too old (and too tall to pass) for family boarding.

We never buy EBCI for my family of 4 and have always gotten a row of 3 and 4 sits close by. We usually get mid to high B group. Even with a boarding group C one time. Granted we are almost always towards the back of the plane but works for us.

 

[BillFromCT]

Does anyone know how the checkin for bags at MCO is these days? Last time I flew out of MCO was early March and it was AWFUL. The line to check bags was over an hour both inside and outside. I'm hoping it's better now!

We flew out of MCO last night. Got to MCO around 6:30pm. No issues checking our bags. There were a couple of Southwest employees managing the kiosks, but there was no one there so they weren’t really needed. Security had a sign that said 11-13 minutes. Now the lightening delayed flight, and putting us on the wrong plane is a different story all together.

 

[Kazi7]

We've flown 4 legs now with a WGA fare for hubby and a companion pass for me. Each time we've checked in separately at 24 hours and gotten back-to-back boarding positions. Is that just a lucky coincidence or are they somehow linked? I thought with different confirmation numbers, we wouldn't necessarily have adjacent boarding positions.

Also, if he has a Business Select ticket, I would just check in at 24 hours with my companion ticket and get whatever position I get, correct? He also has an Anytime ticket coming up so I went ahead and bought EB for myself so hopefully we can both be in A. It's all so confusing. I know about upgrading to Priority boarding at the gate, but it's been sold out sometimes when we tried to get it, so I'm nervous about relying on that.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Does anyone know how the checkin for bags at MCO is these days? Last time I flew out of MCO was early March and it was AWFUL. The line to check bags was over an hour both inside and outside. I'm hoping it's better now!

We flew out last Monday evening and no wait to check bags - no wait at kiosk to print labels and no wait to hand off bags. It was busy but they must have been very efficient because we didn’t wait at all. Getting our bags when we landed in Orlando was a different story. Took forever for them to arrive at the carousel.

 

[focusondisney]

It’s just me with my kids; so they need to board with me. I tried to upgrade in the app, but it said it wasn’t available. However, it wanted me to use points to upgrade since I used points for the tickets and I don’t have enough for that. I’ll check at the airport when we get there.

Upgrading to A1-15 (if available) can only be done at the gate on the day of your flight. I think getting an A with EBCI is gonna happen less & less going forward. Anytime fares include EBCI and now 2 of the SW Visa cards included 2 EBCI each year. There are only 45 spots in the A category & more people seem to be using it. So I think getting B spots will be more common.

 

[sophy1996]

We've flown 4 legs now with a WGA fare for hubby and a companion pass for me. Each time we've checked in separately at 24 hours and gotten back-to-back boarding positions. Is that just a lucky coincidence or are they somehow linked? I thought with different confirmation numbers, we wouldn't necessarily have adjacent boarding positions.

With a Companion Pass, they are somehow connected even though they are separate numbers. My husband is A-list, and I have the Companion Pass, and when he is my companion we always get consecutive numbers based on his A-list status.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Upgrading to A1-15 (if available) can only be done at the gate on the day of your flight. I think getting an A with EBCI is gonna happen less & less going forward. Anytime fares include EBCI and now 2 of the SW Visa cards included 2 EBCI each year. There are only 45 spots in the A category & more people seem to be using it. So I think getting B spots will be more common.

Last trip we barely made A group - 58&59. I wouldn’t mind B if so many didn’t do family boarding. I know EBCI is not supposed to be anything more than earlier checkin to improve boarding position but putting it behind family boarding is annoying. Also seeing them let everyone and their brother into family boarding on some flights doesn’t help. I saw a family with teenagers who had c boarding group go up and talk their way into family boarding recently. I didn’t think they would succeed but they boarded very soon after us and we were A group so they must have succeeded.

 

[maui2k5]

All this frustration with boarding groups makes me wonder if the less expensive price on SW over United out of Houston is really worth it.

 

[teawar]

We've flown 4 legs now with a WGA fare for hubby and a companion pass for me. Each time we've checked in separately at 24 hours and gotten back-to-back boarding positions. Is that just a lucky coincidence or are they somehow linked? I thought with different confirmation numbers, we wouldn't necessarily have adjacent boarding positions.

Also, if he has a Business Select ticket, I would just check in at 24 hours with my companion ticket and get whatever position I get, correct? He also has an Anytime ticket coming up so I went ahead and bought EB for myself so hopefully we can both be in A. It's all so confusing. I know about upgrading to Priority boarding at the gate, but it's been sold out sometimes when we tried to get it, so I'm nervous about relying on that.

The companion pass is linked through your rapid rewards number. Depending on when you check in, the companion pass will be back to back with your pass. This works for A-list too. I have A-list and my companion is always close to me when I book the 3 lower fares.

Whenever I book Business Select, I check my companion in first at the 24 hour mark, trying to get them a better boarding pass. Sometimes I’ve lucked out with higher A group, other time it’s B group. I don’t worry about checking in when I’m business select, since I’m automatically a1-a15. I’ll check myself in last, and everyone else in my party first.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I travel for work and I have seen southwest not offer family boarding on more than one occasion. They announced there were to many people in family boarding and to use your boarding assignment. I have seen this in Orlando 4 times. It’s something I haven’t seen anyone mention and families were flipping out because they assumed there would be family boarding and didn’t check in right at 24 hours.

If I were flying with someone and I wanted to assure I was seated with I would purchase early bird check in or use another airline that guaranteed seats together. It’s interesting to me people assume someone will give up a seat because I’ve also seen everyone refuse to move. They paid extra for early bird check in for that seat for a reason and southwest doesn’t give it back to you if you move.

 

[Angelboys3]

In a way, I think it’s nice that SW offers family boarding, but I guess I also don’t understand why families just don’t buy EBCI if they want to increase their chances of sitting together. We’ve always purchased EBCI even when our sons qualified us for family boarding.

Sometimes EBCI isn’t available depending on how you book. We booked a group rate since there’s 15 of us and you can’t add it to the tickets. I looked at doing it for everyone and for just some of us. So we will use family boarding if it’s offered for part of our group

 

[Lsdolphin]

EBCI is tied to your reservation number. If you simply change your reservation for price benefits then there should be no impact to your position.
If you change your reservation to a different flight #, departure city, etc. then you'll be reassigned based on the date/time stamp of that change and fall behind those who already have been assigned EBCI for that flight. That's how I understand it, but full disclosure I'm sure there's an algorithm that's a little more complex than my simple thinking!

I travel for work and I have seen southwest not offer family boarding on more than one occasion. They announced there were to many people in family boarding and to use your boarding assignment. I have seen this in Orlando 4 times. It’s something I haven’t seen anyone mention and families were flipping out because they assumed there would be family boarding and didn’t check in right at 24 hours.

If I were flying with someone and I wanted to assure I was seated with I would purchase early bird check in or use another airline that guaranteed seats together. It’s interesting to me people assume someone will give up a seat because I’ve also seen everyone refuse to move. They paid extra for early bird check in for that seat for a reason and southwest doesn’t give it back to you if you move.

It’s amazing to me just how many people board at the last minute and there is the announcement asking for a “volunteer” to give up a seat....I always pay for the EB and I have ended up giving up my window seat multiple times and ending up in a middle seat. I have never been offered any compensation. One time I did go to the counter after my flight and request a refund for the EB but I was told “no”. I know no one is forcing me to give up my seat but I do think that when someone does so they should have the EB refunded.

 

[LoveDaisy]

It’s amazing to me just how many people board at the last minute and there is the announcement asking for a “volunteer” to give up a seat....I always pay for the EB and I have ended up giving up my window seat multiple times and ending up in a middle seat. I have never been offered any compensation. One time I did go to the counter after my flight and request a refund for the EB but I was told “no”. I know no one is forcing me to give up my seat but I do think that when someone does so they should have the EB refunded.

It’s why I have not given up my seat. If Southwest offered me that money back I would consider it, but honestly I planned appropriately and others should too. When I fly with those who need to be seated together (small children, elderly, those with other needs) I choose a different airline, pay a little more and know I have assigned seats.

 

[Jules123]

I am traveling in November with my 3 year old nephew and 2 other adults. It will be my first time utilizing family boarding. I know it’s just 2 adults allowed to board with the child so I was thinking of buying EBCI for myself so hopefully I could get a seat semi-close to them? Or do I try to board with them?

 

[focusondisney]

I am traveling in November with my 3 year old nephew and 2 other adults. It will be my first time utilizing family boarding. I know it’s just 2 adults allowed to board with the child so I was thinking of buying EBCI for myself so hopefully I could get a seat semi-close to them? Or do I try to board with them?

You know the rules for family boarding but you’re asking if you should try to break them anyway??? Ok…….. Pay for EBCI. Why should 3 adults board with 1 kid???? You won‘t all sit in 1 row anyway.