Southwest Airlines - first time using them

[Keancanuk]

We fly direct/non stop out of Buffalo to Florida, but we have never flown them before. It was always Jetblue. We did pay extra for the early bird seating or whatever it is.

Can someone please tell me how this all works ? We are 2A and 2c. Do I still need to check in on line 24 hours prior? How early should we be at the airport for boarding? And what are the chances of getting seats together.

Flying SW makes me nervous not knowing where we will sit, as we've always had pre assigned seating. And hearing of people fighting for certain seats.

Thanks for your help !

 

[nighttowll]

I fly them all the time, and have never experienced any problems. I wouldn't worry too much. You tend to here about issues not positive experiences on review boards and forums.

All you need to do is print your boarding pass at home, check any luggage when you get there, and then head to your gate. You will see signs at the gate marked with letters and numbers. When it is time for boarding to start, simply line up in the section designated for your letter number combination. This is the order you will board. Go in, choose a seat, sit down. It's that simple. I've never had an issue with finding an acceptable seat if I was in either boarding section A or B. With your number, you will be one of the first on the plane, after unaccompanied minors and such.

Just noticed, you said your other number is 2c. That doesn't make any sense. If you did the early bird you should be in at least A or B, and you wouldn't get a completely different letter booking two seats. It should be like A2 and A3 or something. Did you book seperately?

 

[Disneylover99]

If you've bought EBCI you don't need to check in. You can just check your boarding number at the 24 hour mark. We flew out of Buffalo on SW a few weeks ago for the first time. No problems sitting together (2A, 2C). We will definitely fly with them again and we will buy EBCI again as well.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Go to Southwest's website. All of your questions are answered there.

I don't know what you mean by 2a and 2c. Southwest does not have assigned seats.

A non-stop flight has no stops. A direct flight does.

 

[Disneylover99]

Go to Southwest's website. All of your questions are answered there.

I don't know what you mean by 2a and 2c. Southwest does not have assigned seats.

2 adults and 2 children

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

On the 24 hour mark you can go online and print your boarding passes. At that point you will see what your boarding number is. SWA boards by number. Its open seating so you can pick any seat.

 

[SGMCO]

I Southwest Airlines and fly them 2 times a year. Never had any problems, no delays, no lost luggage, flight crew have always been nice. You purchased the early boarding which means you will be some of the first to get on the plane and pick whatever seats your family would like to sit in, you don't have to check in with that. Then after the early boards are the family with kids, they still have great seating choices at that stage. I don't have any little kids so we have to check in 24 hours of our flight and still are able to find seat together, we are a family of 3, with an adult teen son.

 

[stacielee]

Early Bird Check-In is this: We'll automatically check you in and assign your boarding position within 36 hours of your flight's departure - that's 12 hours before general boarding positions become available. While EarlyBird Check-In doesn't guarantee an A boarding position, it improves your seat selection options to help you get your favorite seat.

So you don't have to check in at 24 hours, they will check you in at 36 hours. You can either print out your boarding passes from home or get them when you check your luggage. If you don't have any to check, they also have kiosks to print out your boarding passes if you don't do it ahead of time.

I fly SW a LOT! It's very easy, once you've done it.

I've never done the early bird check-in so I don't know if they email you or not once you've been checked in.

 

[wannagoback]

EI've never done the early bird check-in so I don't know if they email you or not once you've been checked in.

They don't email you, nor will you need to check in online. If you'll be checking bags, you don't even need to print your boarding pass before you go to the airport because you can print when you check your bags. While you will have the option to "check in" at the 24 hour mark, your boarding position is already determined and would be the same whether you checked in then, 10 hours later, or at the airport.

I have been on SW flights that started boarding 15 minutes before departure and flights that have finished boarding 15 minutes prior to departure. I'd be there at least 30 minutes early or you will risk losing your boarding position.

You will probably get A group boarding with your early bird check in but if you don't, they let families with young children board after the A group.

Also, they only give light snacks (chips) and beverages. There is no food available for purchase.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/airport-experience/boarding-school/

http://www.southwest.com/flight/early-bird-retrieve-reservation.html


We have been flying SWA several times per year since they came to Philly in 2005. Our kids were then 5 & 8. We've never been separated because we always check in at T-24 or buy EBCI. If people just show up at the airport and get checked in there, then yes, it's likely you could be separated.

OP, since you bought EBCI, SWA will check you in and establish your boarding position hours before the general public can check in so there's no need to stress about being separated.

Also keep in mind that the EBCI follows your confirmation #. So if you change your flights, you will still have your EBCI. If you cancel and use those funds to book another conf #, you will lose the EBCI that you paid for. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Keancanuk]

Thanks for all your help. Sounds like we will be just fine!

 

[formill]

We purchased EBCI for our trip at Christmas and were in the A group. One thing we did that we have not done before - on the return trip from Orlando to Buffalo-there was a huge line up to check luggage at the Southwest line- the lady guiding people asked if we had printed boarding passes- I said no as we have always just printed at airport since checking luggage anyway- although I always check in online so I know what group we are to board......anyway she said express baggage line has no line up -if we were to go to the little screens just off to the side and print our boarding passes it would be much faster.....so we did that- then just walked by the lines and lines of people to this express luggage check and at those screens you scan your boarding pass at the screen it brings up your whole group with one scanned ticket- check off on the touch screen how many bags for each person and then show ID for the over 18- they take your luggage and done! We then walked right by that huge line up on our way to the gate! It was fantastic and a real time saver that morning.

 

[melk]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I have a SW question. We won our tickets for our upcoming trip. I asked SW if I could still get EBCI and they wouldn't let me purchase it because of the vouchers we are traveling on. I don't have an a issue with checking in 24 hours before our flight down but what about our flight back? We have a 3:00 pm flight, we will probably be in a park 24 hours before that. Should I instead try to be at our resort (YC) 24 hours ahead to do online check in? Will they print out our boarding passes? Also, we are doing ME, will they just take our luggage at the resort?

Thanks for any info, I am stressing a little about the 24 hour mark check in as I am traveling alone with my three kids and while I know we don't have a good chance of sitting together I would at least like to be able to sit with my youngest, who is 12.

 

[dsneprincess]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I have a SW question. We won our tickets for our upcoming trip. I asked SW if I could still get EBCI and they wouldn't let me purchase it because of the vouchers we are traveling on. I don't have an a issue with checking in 24 hours before our flight down but what about our flight back? We have a 3:00 pm flight, we will probably be in a park 24 hours before that. Should I instead try to be at our resort (YC) 24 hours ahead to do online check in? Will they print out our boarding passes? Also, we are doing ME, will they just take our luggage at the resort?

Thanks for any info, I am stressing a little about the 24 hour mark check in as I am traveling alone with my three kids and while I know we don't have a good chance of sitting together I would at least like to be able to sit with my youngest, who is 12.

Do you have someone, friend family member or other, who you could give your confirmation numbers to that could be at a computer 24 hours prior to your return flight to online check you in. My family all flies SW & we just check each other in for return trips so travelers don't need to worry. Ie. Mom and Dad needed checking from Las Vegas, DSis was in a meeting, so I did the online checking with their flight confirmation numbers. I sent text to M&D with their boarding numbers, they reprinted passes at airport when they checked their bags. No time out of their vacation to do their check-in. I will expect the return favor on my vacation.

 

[dislovrbham]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I have a SW question. We won our tickets for our upcoming trip. I asked SW if I could still get EBCI and they wouldn't let me purchase it because of the vouchers we are traveling on. I don't have an a issue with checking in 24 hours before our flight down but what about our flight back? We have a 3:00 pm flight, we will probably be in a park 24 hours before that. Should I instead try to be at our resort (YC) 24 hours ahead to do online check in? Will they print out our boarding passes? Also, we are doing ME, will they just take our luggage at the resort?

Thanks for any info, I am stressing a little about the 24 hour mark check in as I am traveling alone with my three kids and while I know we don't have a good chance of sitting together I would at least like to be able to sit with my youngest, who is 12.

Do you have a smart phone? There's a southwest app and I've always checked in through the APP. We just planned a small break right before check in time. I found somewhere to sit, then checked in, and was back at touring the park all within 5 minutes.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Do you have a smart phone? There's a southwest app and I've always checked in through the APP. We just planned a small break right before check in time. I found somewhere to sit, then checked in, and was back at touring the park all within 5 minutes.

Even my ancient flip phone had internet access (pay per use) years ago. I cud set an alarm about 20 mins ahead to remind me. Once ur boarding position is established by someone checking you in you can reprint at mco.
I wouldnt bother returning to the resort for this.

 

[treeface]

We always buy EBCI because of my ocd and need for a window seat, preferably towards the front, and have always had A boarding group. That said, 2 years ago on a midday flight from Dallas to Chicago with a plane change in Kansas City, even with A 20 something passes for 3 of us, when we boarded in Dallas, there were no 2 seats together because it was a flight that had originated elsewhere and all of us were separated. My DH sat about 5 rows ahead of my DS (9 at the time) and I sat directly behind my son. I did have one gentleman offer to change seats with me so I could sit by DS, but I was Ok with the seating arrangement as it was. There were many separated families on that flight, not sure how it happened.

We have flown SW more times than I can count and this was the only time that ever happened. At the end of that flight, I had many fellow passengers and crew members comment on how well DS had handled himself and how polite he was throughout the flight.

 

[kristenrice]

Do you have a smart phone? There's a southwest app and I've always checked in through the APP. We just planned a small break right before check in time. I found somewhere to sit, then checked in, and was back at touring the park all within 5 minutes.

This.

DH and I used our iPhones and checked in for our flight while we were waiting in line for Spaceship Earth. It took less than 2 minutes.

 

[dzndft]

Thanks for the app tip - need to add this to my tech officer's to-do list (aka my DD )

 

[MacDalt]

Do you have a smart phone? There's a southwest app and I've always checked in through the APP. We just planned a small break right before check in time. I found somewhere to sit, then checked in, and was back at touring the park all within 5 minutes.

Yep! Us too! Checked in while having a snack at Backlot Express(?) at Hollywood Studios! Took maybe 2 minutes. I was planning to print passes at the airport but they were already printed and hanging on my door when I checked out of the resort!