Southwest check in

[stitchlovestink]

I just wanted to share that I just checked in for our Southwest flight tomorrow. I was within 60 seconds of the 24 hour mark and we got boarding positions C18 and C19. I am in NO Way complaining, but I have flown SW TONS and have only ever gotten a C boarding position when I waited until I got to the airport to check in. I checked our flight and it is definitely not sold out at this time....there are still "wanna get away" fares available (pricey but available!)

 

[n2mm]

I just wanted to share that I just checked in for our Southwest flight tomorrow. I was within 60 seconds of the 24 hour mark and we got boarding positions C18 and C19. I am in NO Way complaining, but I have flown SW TONS and have only ever gotten a C boarding position when I waited until I got to the airport to check in. I checked our flight and it is definitely not sold out at this time....there are still "wanna get away" fares available (pricey but available!)

Your flight might be others connecting flight which means their 24 hour window opened before yours. I flew SW a couple of weeks ago and while our flight was a non stop from bwi, it was the connecting flight for many folks coming from the north.

 

[kamik86]

Your flight might be others connecting flight which means their 24 hour window opened before yours. I flew SW a couple of weeks ago and while our flight was a non stop from bwi, it was the connecting flight for many folks coming from the north.

Another possibility is that there is some type of large group that all got their numbers together (or did EBCI) I had one flight that had a LARGE group of spring break kids going to DC for an 8th grade trip... like half the plane. I tried to check in 3-4 hours late (had forgotten) and didn't even get a number (on SW the last few numbers aren't assigned until you get to the gate... I don't know why as its the only time this ever happened, but you just get a security document not a boarding pass and then have to get your number when you get there) I forget what the awful high C one of the last few on the plane number was, I didn't board there that flight was the one that would give me A list status so the gate agent was super nice and marked on my pass that I was a list already so I could board with family.

 

[IvyMom]

I fly SW pretty constantly for work and I have only had that happen when there are a couple of large groups that all paid for early bird registration.

 

[mcd2745]

Like others have said, I do think it was a probably a large group on the flight. Having said that, I do also think more and more people are doing EBCI. I always do it for our return flight, but check in at the 24-hr mark for going down to MCO and it seems like we're getting worse and worse boarding numbers exch time...not mid-C, but not mid-A anymore either.

 

[nkereina]

Like others have said, I do think it was a probably a large group on the flight. Having said that, I do also think more and more people are doing EBCI. I always do it for our return flight, but check in at the 24-hr mark for going down to MCO and it seems like we're getting worse and worse boarding numbers exch time...not mid-C, but not mid-A anymore either.

Agree. The increasing popularity of EBCI is also evidenced by the price increase. When it started, I believe it was around $10 and now it's $12.50...

 

[jimandami]

Interesting. 9 of us flew SW last week and all got A boarding passes for both legs by checking in at the 24 hour mark.

 

[jayhawk74]

I just wanted to share that I just checked in for our Southwest flight tomorrow. I was within 60 seconds of the 24 hour mark and we got boarding positions C18 and C19. I am in NO Way complaining, but I have flown SW TONS and have only ever gotten a C boarding position when I waited until I got to the airport to check in. I checked our flight and it is definitely not sold out at this time....there are still "wanna get away" fares available (pricey but available!)

With the numbers that you have if all the Business Select (A1-A15) there would be 4 seats still available, if none were sold then there would be 19 seats available.
You don't say where you are flying from but if there are passengers connecting on your flight then they get to check in ahead of you as they check in at the 24 hour mark of the original flight. BWI , for example, has flights that connect to MCO from ALB, BDL, BOS, BUF, CLE, ISP, MHT, ORF, PIT, PWM, PVD, and ROC. All the passengers from those cities get to check in at least 2 hours (most likely 3) before the 24 hour mark for any BWI passengers. If there were 2 families of 4 each connecting from those cities that is 96 passengers checked in before anyone from BWI. Adding in the 15 Business Select positions that is 111 boarding positions gone. Now you also add in 4 BWI families of 4 each doing EBCI that means 127 boarding positions are gone before any BWI passengers check in at the 24 hour mark.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Just to follow up....There was no one onboard. The plane was empty. As it turns out we had one of the newer SW planes that seats 175ish people which is 30ish more people than the 'traditional' planes which seat 142ish. I do suspect that had something to do with it. Our flight was not full.