Southwest 1st time check in pre board ?

[ironz]

This is the piece everyone should take out of this. There is so much drama here on the DIS and the Internet in general. Thousands of flights take off every day void of the drama that is shown here.

Everyone just take a deep breath and relax. It will be fine!

Duds

Duds...they should take all of it! Not just that piece! haha!
But, right....especially that part.

I think I feel very fortunate that travel just doesn't stress me out very much. I do it all the time. It takes me 3 flights to get to one of my work locations in Alaska. I seriously VERY RARELY see major issues with people and seating and such.

 

[ironz]

Why aren't you eligible for EBCI?
As far as having to get off the plane in Denver and reboard, I can't tell you. Does your plane just stop in Denver and board more passengers? Or is it a connecting flight, where you have to get off the plane and onto another one to continue your flight? If the plane is just stopping to get more people, then you don't even get off. But, if it's a connecting flight, then you should have a boarding number already assigned to you when you check in for the original flight.

....


It's too bad that they didn't start this at the same time as the latest schedule and to have put a limit on how many EB BPs are available. I would say that once the A's are gone, they're gone..no EB that puts you into a B spot...period.

...QUOTE]


B&P Disneymom....if you stay on the same plane in Denver, then not only will you most likely not get off, but if your seats on the first segment of your flight are not ideal for you, you may have the opportunity to move seats before they board the passengers from Denver.

If you change planes, you will have a separate boarding pass for the next flight.

And I agree with Goofy4Tink...I foresee that SW will likely institute some limits on how many EBCI they will sell, because people won't want EBCI and a middle or high B pass. Maybe they will limit it and raise the price? I could see that, too.
After all the money they spent at multiple gates in many airports putting up all those lettered and numbered signs, I don't anticipate they are going to change the 1-60 groupings.

 

[mousefan1972]

Then, respectfully - don't fly Southwest. If your location tag is correct, you have several airport and multiple airline options. All those other airlines DO allow you to select your seats. Keep in mind, though, that anything - equipment change, delays, computer glitch - can 'unassign' those seats. All that's guaranteed is passage from point A to point B on the given day, and not even that if the conditions are beyond the airline's control.

Respectfully, I purchased our airline tickets (on SW) for next week back in April. Early Bird Check in was announced on September 2nd. I most certainly will not be flying SW anymore after our trip next week. You are right, I can fly Delta or Jetblue nonstop from Boston, and they will have our exclusive business from now on. As I said in my PP, I will gladly pay a bag fee if it means I can choose my seats and sit with my young children. This Early Bird check in thing is just that... for the birds.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And, because I can see future issues with many people paying extra to checkin at the 36 hr mark but being given BPs in the C group (down the road), it is going to really anger passengers.

Not if they stress that the entire point of EBCI is convenience rather than guaranteeing the passenger will be able to be among the first to board.

As I said in my PP, I will gladly pay a bag fee if it means I can choose my seats and sit with my young children.

And as I said in my post that you quoted, even advance seat selection on an airline that allows it does not guarantee that those are the seats the passenger will get. Equipment changes, flight cancellations, etc., could result in seat assignments being changed or lost. The only thing an airline ticket guarantees is passage from point A to point B on the given day - and even that goes out the window if circumstances are beyond the airline's control.

 

[tjmw2727]

Respectfully, I purchased our airline tickets (on SW) for next week back in April. Early Bird Check in was announced on September 2nd. I most certainly will not be flying SW anymore after our trip next week. You are right, I can fly Delta or Jetblue nonstop from Boston, and they will have our exclusive business from now on. As I said in my PP, I will gladly pay a bag fee if it means I can choose my seats and sit with my young children. This Early Bird check in thing is just that... for the birds.

I agree that SWA should/could have rolled out EBCI prior to the new release.

However, you can still chosee EBCI if you like or check in at T 24. If your children are 4 or under you can still use family boarding.

In the future, you can choose your airline, pay your bag fee and select your seat but no airline will guarantee your seats.

I have been separated from my young kids on Delta depsite early booking and reserving seats together. It happened more than once even when we selected less desirable seats toward the rear in hopes they would "stick". Most times we got no help from the gate agent or the FA's but every time a passenger gave up a seat so I could sit with at least my youngest.

I have been separated from my kids on JB but they were the most helpful in trying to re-seat us.

We used to fly the legacy's and JB and book our seats in advance but since your only booking "adult fares" the computer makes changes and doesn't know there are children in the party. If the equipment changes or the schedule changes even by a few minutes you can loose your seats. So check often and if the seats get scrambled get online or on the phone asap and hope for the best.

If you keep an eye out on here on the transporation board I can almost guarantee you will see a post weekly about how airlines have re-assigned someones seats. Titles like "we booked xx airline and now our seats have changed" or "can XX airline do this?" etc

AFAIK SWA is the only airlines that pre-boards families and I agree that young kids should be sitting with a parent/adult. Older kids should be prepared (as should their parents) to sit apart on the off chance it happens. I make sure they have a backpack with all their needs and the confidence that it will be ok and a set of rules for behavior.