Southwest Early Bird Check-In?

[Autumnslight]

Reading another thread about EBCI has me pretty confused! People here seem very knowledgeable about Southwest's boarding and seating policies, so maybe someone could help me out?

We're flying Southwest from BUF to MCO for the first time in late September. We have 6 people - three adults, two six year olds, and a three year old. Obviously we'd all prefer to sit together, but as long as we have at least one adult with each child, we can survive.

We didn't pay for EBCI, and we don't have any special memberships or statuses. I know we can check in online 24 hours before our flight, and then we get our boarding group/number. Since we have a three year old with us, it looks like just one adult and that child can board after the A group, then the rest of us would board with whatever group we get?

Buying EBCI would cost an additional $150 for all six of us, or $100 if only four of us bought it. It's not a ton, but we weren't planning on that. Looking now, it appears that our flight is sold out. What are the chances that we'd actually get to sit together if we don't buy EBCI? And even if we do buy it, there's still no guarantee that we'd be able to sit together, right?

If we ended up with a kid sitting by themselves, it would be kind of a big problem, for everyone involved, for multiple reasons. Does that actually happen - a little kid being separated from their parents on the plane? It seems crazy that that could really happen.

 

[richmo]

I guess it could, but they're usually pretty good about getting people to move around a bit so that little kids aren't sitting by themselves. Look at it this way: if you were an adult, would you want to be sitting next to someone elses unattended two year old? I'd be inclined to trade...

 

[Thumper_Man]

You mentioned 3 adults. What is the break down of adults?

Example: 2 male, 1 female? 3 females, no males?

What is the break down of the kids? 2 boys,1 girl.

Reason I ask, is because lets say if a kid is separated and has a boarding position to the back, I would have an adult trade boarding passes with the child so that the adult boards later.

Example: John and Jane are traveling with their children Jan and Joe.

John, Jane and Jan get boarding positions B1, B2 & B3, while poor Joe gets boarding position B10. They will not check ID's anymore, so I would switch Joe's boarding pass with John, so Joe can at least board with Jane and Jan. John being the adult can board later.

Also, some airports will allow the entire family to board at family boarding, while some may not. Check with the counter when you get there to find out if this allowed. I know sometimes MCO will enforce the limit or suspend family boarding all together if there are too many families on a particular flight.

 

[DebbieB]

Reading another thread about EBCI has me pretty confused! People here seem very knowledgeable about Southwest's boarding and seating policies, so maybe someone could help me out?

We're flying Southwest from BUF to MCO for the first time in late September. We have 6 people - three adults, two six year olds, and a three year old. Obviously we'd all prefer to sit together, but as long as we have at least one adult with each child, we can survive.

We didn't pay for EBCI, and we don't have any special memberships or statuses. I know we can check in online 24 hours before our flight, and then we get our boarding group/number. Since we have a three year old with us, it looks like just one adult and that child can board after the A group, then the rest of us would board with whatever group we get?

Buying EBCI would cost an additional $150 for all six of us, or $100 if only four of us bought it. It's not a ton, but we weren't planning on that. Looking now, it appears that our flight is sold out. What are the chances that we'd actually get to sit together if we don't buy EBCI? And even if we do buy it, there's still no guarantee that we'd be able to sit together, right?

If we ended up with a kid sitting by themselves, it would be kind of a big problem, for everyone involved, for multiple reasons. Does that actually happen - a little kid being separated from their parents on the plane? It seems crazy that that could really happen.

Most likely they will allow the parents, 6 year olds and 3 year old go with family boarding.

I don't think they would allow a 4 or under to sit by themselves. 5 or older are eligible to fly as unattended minors so there's no rule that they can't sit by themselves.

 

[Autumnslight]

Our group is composed of:

Adult female (me)
Adult male (my husband)
Adult female (friend)
Six year old boy (our son)
Three year old girl (our daughter)
Six year old boy (friend's son)

I guess we can plan to have my husband and our daughter do the family boarding, if they only allow her and one adult. Then our friend and I, and the two boys, can figure out the best combination for the four of us, depending on our boarding groups.

If they will allow my family of four to do family boarding, but not our friend and her son, then I guess we could grab the aisle and window seats in two sections (child at window, adult at aisle), and hope no one wants the middle seat before our friend and her son board. If someone does, then we can just have the adult move over to the middle seat. And by chance, if the random stranger actually prefers to sit between one of us and one of our children, instead of on the aisle, well, more power to them! LOL

We're going to be taking a car seat on the plane for our daughter as well, but I don't imagine that'll change anything, since she can do the family boarding regardless.

 

[jillianml]

You could potentially have one adult buy early bird then save seats! I know I am going to get flamed for saying this lol! We always pay for early bird its one less stressor to worry about! I know it seems like a lot $150 total but try to think about it by person lol

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

You could potentially have one adult buy early bird then save seats! I know I am going to get flamed for saying this lol! We always pay for early bird its one less stressor to worry about! I know it seems like a lot $150 total but try to think about it by person lol

And you can watch the business travelers take your saved seats. And crying to the FA does no good.

Rude just gets treated rudely on SW

 

[Gracie09]

And you can watch the business travelers take your saved seats. And crying to the FA does no good.

Rude just gets treated rudely on SW

Seriously. Saving one seat is something saing four other seats is just rude and likely not going to happen.

 

[spidet1964]

Seriously. Saving one seat is something saing four other seats is just rude and likely not going to happen.

I agree, you don't want to risk getting thrown off the plane before your vacaion starts and it has happened. Do not take that bad advice please.

 

[Autumnslight]

Not to worry, I have no intention of saving seats.

We'll check in right at the 24 hour mark, and see what happens. I can't imagine anyone is going to really want to sit next to a young child who is by themselves, so I'm sure it'll work out one way or another.

I'm actually not quite so worried about our flight down there, more of the flight coming back. I guess we could always pay for EBCI for just the flight home, right?

 

[goofy4tink]

You could potentially have one adult buy early bird then save seats! I know I am going to get flamed for saying this lol! We always pay for early bird its one less stressor to worry about! I know it seems like a lot $150 total but try to think about it by person lol

Seriously? I cant figure out why some people feel that their needs outweigh everyone else's needs.

To the OP...it probably won't be an issue. Be right online at the 24 hr window. Are you all on the same itinerary? I would imagine that your friend and her child might be on their own itinerary. When the 24 hr window opens up, waste no time ...be sure to click on each person's name and then submit.
You should be able to board your entire family of four in family boarding. Your friend may end up on her own..but that's just two seats. With four of you, someone is going to be sitting by themselves..so they could feasibly take the row behind you and the two kids and then your friend could take those two empty seats.

I always get EBCI for the flight homed...so much easier than worrying about being near a computer at that 24 hr window.

 

[Autumnslight]

I booked all six flights, so we're all on the same itinerary. So I have to check in each person separately then? It would be nice if you could just check in everyone together, but oh well.

If the four of us board earlier than our friend and her son, I think what we'll do is try to grab either one full row of six across the plane, or two rows of three, one behind the other. Then we can put a kid in each window seat, and a parent in each aisle seat, and we'll just hope that no one asks for the middle seats before our friend and her son board. If they do, then we'll have the parent move to the middle seat, and let the stranger take the aisle. Or maybe move one of the kids to the other row with the other kid and one parent, so that the stranger is sitting with one parent, and an empty seat.

Hopefully I'm just over thinking this, LOL. Our flight home is longer, with a stop, but no plane change, and runs later at night. It may be worth springing for EBCI for that flight. We'll have to see how the flight down there goes.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

You can check everyone in at the same time!

Be prepared to sit in groups of two and no one will be disappointed!

Don't waste your money on EBCI.

 

[Kim1964]

We flew SWA last week and when they called for family boarding they said, "This is a courtesy for Mom, Dad, and the kids," so I think you will be able to board as a family, without your friend.

EBCI for the flight home is a good idea.

 

[mmouse50]

And this is where I will be flamed - I have purchased EBCI for the flight coming home from MCO and have gotten B's - I got stuck behind all the families (not just one child and one adult) so by the time I got on the plane - I might have well not gotten EBCI at all.

I wish that Southwest would not do the family boarding out of Orlando at all. Families really don't take much longer to board than the person with the carry on that doesn't exact fit into the overhead bin but is going to try to shove it in to the first bin instead of going on down the aisle and try to put it a bin at the back closer to their own seat.

 

[Autumnslight]

Yeah, I'm hesitant to spend the extra money on EBCI when it's still not even guaranteed. If most of the flight is families doing family boarding and A-status or business class or whatever, then it doesn't sound like EBCI would really give you much advantage.

We'll prepare for worst case of sitting in groups of two, and just hope that it turns out better than that.

We're going to have a car seat to bring on the plane, so it probably will take us a little bit longer to board and get situated than normal. I feel like that's the sort of situation that family boarding is meant for though.

 

[lnv1122]

If each of you split up with one child you all should be able to participate in family boarding

 

[Autumnslight]

If each of you split up with one child you all should be able to participate in family boarding

I read the policies, and it said that family boarding is for ages four and under. Our daughter is three, but the boys are six. I'll ask at the gate when we get there, and if they let us all board, awesome. If not, then we'll figure it out. As long as each kid is with at least one adult, then we'll survive.

 

[mikehn]

You pay for the right to check in early. That's it. It doesnt give people the right to do anything else. People read waaaayy too much into this. Southwest is laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[goofy4tink]

I booked all six flights, so we're all on the same itinerary. So I have to check in each person separately then? It would be nice if you could just check in everyone together, but oh well.

If the four of us board earlier than our friend and her son, I think what we'll do is try to grab either one full row of six across the plane, or two rows of three, one behind the other. Then we can put a kid in each window seat, and a parent in each aisle seat, and we'll just hope that no one asks for the middle seats before our friend and her son board. If they do, then we'll have the parent move to the middle seat, and let the stranger take the aisle. Or maybe move one of the kids to the other row with the other kid and one parent, so that the stranger is sitting with one parent, and an empty seat.

Hopefully I'm just over thinking this, LOL. Our flight home is longer, with a stop, but no plane change, and runs later at night. It may be worth springing for EBCI for that flight. We'll have to see how the flight down there goes.

You can check everyone in at once, sort of anyway. I just made the mistake of clicking on the first person in the itinerary!!! Then had to go back and check everyone else in!!! Duh moment for me. You will open up the itinerary, and see each person listed....just click the box for each person. I thought that one click would do us all...wrong!!!

You'll be fine. Try not to worry!!