Southwest Early Bird Check In

[crazyfordisney2000]

I have never flown Southwest, and I booked EBCI. The only thing I'm not sure on is do they choose your seats? Or do I choose my seats 36 hrs prior my flight? I get to board earlier, right? That was my understanding.

Thanks!!

 

[Gracie09]

You should read boarding school on southwests website. Sw doesn't assign seats at all. When you board you take any available seat. They assign you numbers that tell you the order in which you will board.

 

[eangel12]

There are no pre-selected seats on Southwest. EBCI means you are able to board earlier than other guests who didn't choose EBCI. Everyone boards and then you just pick a seat/seats

 

[Mkrop]

EBCI checks you in at the36 hr mark, at this point you are assigned a boarding number. Those who check themselves in at the 24 hour mark get a higher boarding number. This number appears on your boarding pass. When the call boarding they will call any preboarders first, these are people who need addl help. Then they will call the A group...there are poles near the gate with numbers. You line up according to your BP#. So if you are A30, you line up near the number 30. They then allow you to board in order, you then get to pick from whatever seats are open. So the sooner you get on the plane, the more seats to choose from. So A30 gets more choices than B1 but that doesnt mean B1 has lousy seats, they just might be further back. It is the C group that usually has the most issue getting seats together.

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

Great, thanks!!! We got them because I know my kids would freak out if they had to sit by themselves.

 

[LisaS]

There's some boarding information on Southwest's website here: https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-experience/boarding-your-flight/ including a link to this video that explains their boarding process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fagAJ5YSx8

With EBCI you will be assigned a boarding position automatically 36 hours from departure. At 24 hours or less from departure you can go to Southwest's website and click on the "Check in" button, provide your confirmation number and name and see what boarding position you were assigned. You can print your boarding pass at home and bring it with you or you can print it at an airport kiosk. In some airports you can display it on your smart phone instead of printing it. I haven't tried that yet. I always print it at home because I'm curious to see what boarding position I got and figure I may as well print it out and stick it in my carry-on bag.

 

[ChipAndOrDale]

With EBCI you are always part of the A boarding group, the first group to board. Otherwise it goes in order of when you check in online. Once you board you get to pick your own seat.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

With EBCI you are always part of the A boarding group, the first group to board. Otherwise it goes in order of when you check in online. Once you board you get to pick your own seat.

The only correct thing posted here is you chose your own seat. EBCI does not always put you in the A boarding group and boarding isn't assigned solely on check in time. Business Select boards first, no matter when they check in.

 

[LisaS]

We've been as far back as B10 with EBCI. It isn't fun to watch family boarding going on while you wait to board even though you shelled out for EBCI but it can happen. On our last trip I was at the very end of the A group (A60) even though I paid for EBCI months before our trip.

Since we purchase Wanna Get Away fares, even with EBCI we board after the Business Select passengers (A1-A15), then those who paid $40 to upgrade to A1-A15, then the A-List members, then those who purchased Anytime fares plus EBCI and finally anyone who purchased a Wanna Get Away fare and paid for EBCI before I did. At times that can put you pretty far back in the boarding queue!

 

[goofy4tink]

With EBCI you are always part of the A boarding group, the first group to board. Otherwise it goes in order of when you check in online. Once you board you get to pick your own seat.

EBCI merely gets you checked in 36 hrs before your flight vs 24 hrs. This will most likely get you a lower boarding slot...but not always. Those paying full fare, business select and those with medical issues will board first. Then the A group, followed by families with children under 4, then the B group.
There have been plenty of reports of people buying EBCI yet getting the B group.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

depending on time of day for your flight, even an A group boarding may mean hard time find seats together. people already on flight from earlier airport will have first choice of seats then the preboards. plane could be half or more full when it gets to your airport. best bet is to get early flight where plane overnights at your airport. have had a flight to Orlando where it was almost all families where they did not do a family boarding

 

[LBIJim]

With EBCI you are always part of the A boarding group, the first group to board. Otherwise it goes in order of when you check in online. Once you board you get to pick your own seat.

Not true. There have been plenty of reports here on the DIS of EBCI purchasers receiving B boarding positions, sometimes up the middle B's (B30 range.). Southwest flat out states that EBCI doesn't guarantee A boarding passes.

An often-posted bit of advice is to just buy EBCI for the return trip from Orlando. I've never heard of it happening, but it's conceivable that one might receive a C boarding pass. As far as I know, Southwest doesn't cut off the sale of EBCI.

 

[JJJDisneyBuckeyes]

While EBCI seems like a good idea, it doesn't guarantee A group. I won't pay extra when it's not just that. Our trip in Nov. we won't have to worry about it. We will be family boarding with our 2 year old!

 

[practicallyperfect77]

We've been as far back as B10 with EBCI. It isn't fun to watch family boarding going on while you wait to board even though you shelled out for EBCI but it can happen. On our last trip I was at the very end of the A group (A60) even though I paid for EBCI months before our trip.

Since we purchase Wanna Get Away fares, even with EBCI we board after the Business Select passengers (A1-A15), then those who paid $40 to upgrade to A1-A15, then the A-List members, then those who purchased Anytime fares plus EBCI and finally anyone who purchased a Wanna Get Away fare and paid for EBCI before I did. At times that can put you pretty far back in the boarding queue!

Were you able to sit together when you were in B10? I'll be traveling with my sis, BIL, niece and 2 nephews. As long as a kid can be paired up with an adult we'll be fine. Although would be nice to have 3 in front and 3 behind or even across the aisle. I don't really care where we sit though...back of the plane will work. I haven't flown SWA in forever so not sure what the best bet is. My niece will have just turned 5 so we won't be able to board family boarding.

 

[mguilford1]

I asked about this when I called SW. I bought EB and could end up at the end of B they said, but not likely. I was also told if you have kids under 4 it is the child 4 and under and one parent allowed to board during family boarding not an entire family (I specifically asked this). I hope I was given the correct information by customer service. Otherwise I probably wasted my money. If the plane is headed to Disney the majority of the families probably have at least one child 4 and under

 

[maxiesmom]

While EBCI seems like a good idea, it doesn't guarantee A group. I won't pay extra when it's not just that. Our trip in Nov. we won't have to worry about it. We will be family boarding with our 2 year old!

Before making that decision, make sure you will not be boarding a plane that already has passengers on it. And while it doesn't happen often, family boarding can be skipped if the agents decide there so many families, that the plan would almost be full by the time they all loaded.

 

[goofy4tink]

Were you able to sit together when you were in B10? I'll be traveling with my sis, BIL, niece and 2 nephews. As long as a kid can be paired up with an adult we'll be fine. Although would be nice to have 3 in front and 3 behind or even across the aisle. I don't really care where we sit though...back of the plane will work. I haven't flown SWA in forever so not sure what the best bet is. My niece will have just turned 5 so we won't be able to board family boarding.

The times that I have flown SW, those boarding in the B group had no issue finding seats together. Now, if it was a group of 7, then no, they didn't all get to sit together. But, a family of 3 should be able to find an empty row, towards the rear. And if it's a larger group, then at least pairs of seats will be available. It's only when you get into the C group that you start seeing groups really split up!

I asked about this when I called SW. I bought EB and could end up at the end of B they said, but not likely. I was also told if you have kids under 4 it is the child 4 and under and one parent allowed to board during family boarding not an entire family (I specifically asked this). I hope I was given the correct information by customer service. Otherwise I probably wasted my money. If the plane is headed to Disney the majority of the families probably have at least one child 4 and under

Yes, SW will tell you that it's one child, one parent. But in reality, they do allow the immediate family to board together. It used to be that the one child under 4 allowed mom, dad, the two elder sisters, elder brother, gram, grandpa, uncle Joe, Auntie Mary, the three cousins and the nanny to all board together. It got ridiculous. It is always at the gate attendants discretion as to who can board in the family boarding group..but in my experience they allow mom, dad and the kids to board, as long as one child is under 4.

I'm in the 'get EBCI for my return flight' camp. I hate having to worry about where I am at the 24 hr window. Much easier to just pay for EBCI and not worry about it. I think of it as part of the airfare.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Before making that decision, make sure you will not be boarding a plane that already has passengers on it. And while it doesn't happen often, family boarding can be skipped if the agents decide there so many families, that the plan would almost be full by the time they all loaded.

Where.do I look to see if there will already be folks on the plane?

 

[LisaS]

Were you able to sit together when you were in B10? I'll be traveling with my sis, BIL, niece and 2 nephews. As long as a kid can be paired up with an adult we'll be fine. Although would be nice to have 3 in front and 3 behind or even across the aisle. I don't really care where we sit though...back of the plane will work. I haven't flown SWA in forever so not sure what the best bet is. My niece will have just turned 5 so we won't be able to board family boarding.

It was just the two of us and we had no problem finding seats together. If I remember correctly, we were over the wing so not very far back in the plane. Many of the first to board are traveling on business and are alone so they take a window or aisle, leaving two seats empty in their row so it's not too difficult to find two seats together for those at the head of the B group provided that your plane was empty to begin with and not a connecting flight. If there are more than two in your group, as goofy4tink said, just head to the back of the plane until you find empty rows.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

It was just the two of us and we had no problem finding seats together. If I remember correctly, we were over the wing so not very far back in the plane. Many of the first to board are traveling on business and are alone so they take a window or aisle, leaving two seats empty in their row so it's not too difficult to find two seats together for those at the head of the B group provided that your plane was empty to begin with and not a connecting flight. If there are more than two in your group, as goofy4tink said, just head to the back of the plane until you find empty rows.

Thanks much. My niece and nephews have never flown before so just not sure what to expect. I think we'll be flying out of Indy on a 1:30ish flight and heading to Tampa for a couple days at the beachnfirst. Then driving to WDW for Orlando fun. And flying out of mco on a 12 something flight. For all 6 of us the EBCI will cost $150 both ways. Which I'll pay but if it's not necessary on the flight down I can save that money for souveniers. =)