Quick Southwest Question

[emmocakeysari]

Do families get preferred seating now? It would add $60 to our total cost if we get the early bird check in...is it worth it?

 

[sunlover13]

Not worth the $ in my opinion. If you check in online at the 24 hour mark, you will definitely get an A boarding pass and should have no problem finding seats together.

If you have young children, you get to preboard after the A group, before the B group if you ended up getting a B or C boarding pass.

If you do not have access to a computer to check in at the 24 hour mark, you can check in on your phone, or at the hotel, or at a Disney park and then print your boarding passes at the airport.

 

[debsays]

We did the "Early Bird" check in when we traveled in Oct. and we were very pleased. We had single digit A's and A's board prior to children. Also it was nice not having to worry about being at a computer at a certain time, especially if one is working. It was also nice not having to worry about being at a computer prior to departing our vacation spot. I would most definitely do it again next time we travel.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Don't pay the extra money...we got A boarding passes without paying the extra money last week...no problem! The only group you have to work about is C and if you have a child under 4 you board between A and B anyway!

 

[Dziactor]

I went for it, just one less thing for me to worry about.

 

[CarolMN]

I got it for the return trip so that I didn't have to worry about checking in the day before we leave, when we'll probably be in a park.

Didn't think it was worth it for tthe trip down since I can easily do the check in myself.

 

[CowboyCO]

I got it for the return trip so that I didn't have to worry about checking in the day before we leave, when we'll probably be in a park.

Didn't think it was worth it for tthe trip down since I can easily do the check in myself.

We just went to the concierge desk at the hotel (Contemporary - we were staying at POP but had ressie at Chef Mickey's) and with confirmation #, they were able to get us our boarding passes a ahead of time. Piece of cake.

 

[DVC-Don]

We were already signed up for the return trip next week, but I just signed up for the flight down as I just realized we would be in church at the 24 hour mark.

 

[Jestocost]

As noted, there is family boarding for children four or under between the A and B groups. However, if there is only one child that qualifies and you have a family of five, there's no guarantee that they will allow your entire group to board in family boarding; they may just allow one parent to board with the younger child and make the rest wait until their assisgned spots. If you all get As then this is a non issue, of course, as you will all board before the family boarding.

Since your location is Maryland and that probably means you are departing from BWI, you may want to more carefully consider the EBCI option. SWA doesn't operate a hub system per se, but BWI is one of their busier tranfer points and that can make it harder to get A passes if you are starting your travel there. That's because anyone who started flying from somewhere else earlier in the day and will be changing to your flight at BWI will have been able to get their BP for your flight when they checked in for their first flight, which gives them at least an hour head start over you.

 

[bellemeeko1]

I agree with the PP unless you have very young children,under 4, you wont be guaranteed A! We are a family of 6 and everytime we have flown, no matter how many are with us at the time, we fly SW all the time, we always get C and have a hard time sitting together. This time around my one DS's g/f is going with us and has never flown so I forked out the extra $$ for EBI, this way SW cks us in 36 hrs before hand, both going and coming home, then all I have to do, if I want to, is print out my passes at the 24hr mark! I like the peace of mind and not having to think about cking in and have the greater chance of sitting together!

 

[CPer'sMom]

We did the "Early Bird" check in when we traveled in Oct. and we were very pleased. We had single digit A's

single digits??

 

[dburg30]

Not worth the $ in my opinion. If you check in online at the 24 hour mark, you will definitely get an A boarding pass and should have no problem finding seats together.

.

As EBCI becomes more popular, this statement doesnt really hold true. Actaully already there are posts from people that didnt do EBCI and got 'B' passes. The only way to get an 'A' BP is to purchase business select.

We did the "Early Bird" check in when we traveled in Oct. and we were very pleased. We had single digit A's and A's board prior to children.

If you actaully had honest single digit A's, you would have had business select as A1-A15 are saved for business select. You could have had A16 or so, but I have to question single digit A's...

 

[twinklebug]

As EBCI becomes more popular, this statement doesnt really hold true. Actaully already there are posts from people that didnt do EBCI and got 'B' passes. The only way to get an 'A' BP is to purchase business select.


If you actaully had honest single digit A's, you would have had business select as A1-A15 are saved for business select. You could have had A16 or so, but I have to question single digit A's...

Agreeing with both of the above and noting that travel crowds on standard weekdays are very different from weekends or holiday time travel crowds. Just becuase T-24hr check in on a Tuesday yields an A-24, that same approach on a Friday before a holiday might just push you back to late Bs. Only SW IT folk will be able to tell you for sure what to expect, and I don't think any of us have here one of those folk in our back pocket.

It will also depend on your departing city and if there are a lot of through/transfer fares there, as they will almost assuredly be ahead of any EBCIs originating from the airport.

I encourage the OP go go check out the SW flyertalk forums to find out what she may expect from her departing airport as for T-24hr checkin vs EBCI.

 

[goofy4tink]

We did the "Early Bird" check in when we traveled in Oct. and we were very pleased. We had single digit A's and A's board prior to children. Also it was nice not having to worry about being at a computer at a certain time, especially if one is working. It was also nice not having to worry about being at a computer prior to departing our vacation spot. I would most definitely do it again next time we travel.

The only passengers who will get a single digit boarding pass number are those paying the full fare or select business passengers. Those booking the lower fares will get bp's from A16 on up.

But...here's the thing. EBCI is not for preferred seating! It is basically for the ability to forget about having to worry about getting to a computer and get checked in at the 24 hr. mark...period. Yes, you will most likely get a lower grouping number if you pay for EBCI. Many have not paid for the EBCI and gotten high A's and lower B's.
Anyone boarding with kids under 4 will be allowed to board in between the A and the B groups in any case.
Would I pay the extra for EBCI?? Possibly. Not from home, but from MCO I might. I just hate having to worry about finding computer access at that 24 hr mark. And yes, I realize I can go to Guest Services or to a resort front desk to do that for me....I just prefer not to have to trek around to do that.

 

[IggyLans]

I just did EBCI for our returning flight from Orlando. One less thing to worry about when at WDW!

 

[CarolMN]

We just went to the concierge desk at the hotel (Contemporary - we were staying at POP but had ressie at Chef Mickey's) and with confirmation #, they were able to get us our boarding passes a ahead of time. Piece of cake.

Yes, but my point was I didn't want to worry about having to be at a Guest Services desk or a Concierge desk in the middle of the day. We will most likely be having fun at a park when the 24 hour mark rolls around. I got EBCI for the convenience of not having to worry about it. That was worth the $10 each to me.

 

[cbsnyber1]

I got EBCI for the convenience of not having to worry about it. That was worth the $10 each to me.

Absolutely agree with you on this point. I'm paying SW to do this for me - paying for a service.