Southwest Early Bird Check In

[DisneyDeb83]

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.

I totally agree. I don't ever remember them allowing families to board first in Philly going to MCO, as it is mostly parents with young kids. Everyone just gets in line with their boarding position.

 

[DebbieB]

I totally agree. I don't ever remember them allowing families to board first in Philly going to MCO, as it is mostly parents with young kids. Everyone just gets in line with their boarding position.

Families with children 4 or under board between A and B, not first.

From Pittsburgh or Orlando, I've never seen them completely drop it. I have heard them say parents and children only, no grandparents, aunts, cousins, etc. I've seen them actually turn away grandparents when they tried to board.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I was on flight from Philly take did drop family boarding because 3/4 of people there would have been able to use.

 

[Aaeolien]

We just use Ebci for our return flights so we don't have to think about checking in when we are in a park or at dinner or just relaxing around the pool. Never had a problem just checking ourselves in at 24hours before our trip starts. We always remember because at that point we are counting hours till we leave. LOL The perk to Ebci to me is not having to worry about doing the checkin regardless of boarding number. I would hope that people would shuffle around a bit if you needed to sit together especially in this day and age of every flight being as full as they can possibly get them.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Reading about this seeming "boarding circus" and am thinking--wouldn't it be easier for everyone just to have an assigned seat when you buy a ticket????

 

[Aaeolien]

Reading about this seeming "boarding circus" and am thinking--wouldn't it be easier for everyone just to have an assigned seat when you buy a ticket????

I have found it to be the easiest boarding of any airline I have flown. Line up get on plane. Not sure why so many others out there think it's a crazy circus. Lol.

 

[Uncleromulus]

With an assigned seat--line up, get on plane, know exactly where you are sitting---

 

[Aaeolien]

With an assigned seat--line up, get on plane, know exactly where you are sitting---

That is just as effective in my opinion. at least it should be. Few times I have flown with assigned seats always seems to be a hassle getting on the plane and always takes longer. I don't know why though. Theoretically it shouldn't. Lol.

 

[tjmw2727]

With an assigned seat--line up, get on plane, know exactly where you are sitting---

Not always -

I find SWA one of the most orderly boarding airlines it does sounds more complicated that it is in real experience.

I also fly a couple other airlines with assigned seats and can never seem to maneuver past folks blocking the boarding gate before their zone. Then you have folks who can't find that assigned seat or mistake A for F ...... Add to that the frequency of the airlines with assigned seats change times and equipment resulting in a "re" assignment of seats. I have actually ended up separated from my kids on airlines when I had assigned seats but never on SWA.

Each method has its issues IMHO but I still find the boarding of SWA the least stressful. Line up by number when boarding is called, board the aircraft and sit in any open seat you like. It is also much quicker than the other two airlines I fly.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Just like riding a transit bus!!

Anyway--its SW no matter what I think! After this flight, I'll know more about how it really works.

 

[RooRach0906]

Is it 4 and under? I ask cuz my daughter is 4 and this will be our first time flying SW and well I have plane anxiety, I don't go crazy but I am internally freaking out. It helps tho if I can sit with my DH and DD or very close and I'm starting to freak out now that I will be all by myself.

 

[Lynzer4]

Is it 4 and under? I ask cuz my daughter is 4 and this will be our first time flying SW and well I have plane anxiety, I don't go crazy but I am internally freaking out. It helps tho if I can sit with my DH and DD or very close and I'm starting to freak out now that I will be all by myself.

.

Just make sure you check in right at the 24 hour mark. That way you will get a high boarding number and not have to worry.

But yes. Family boarding is after the A boarding group. Anyone with small children (seems each airport classifies small children differently but most the time its under 5). Your family can board together at that time and you should be able to find an empty row of three seats to sit together.

I've been on flights where the family was late because of a flight delay and children under 5 can't sit alone so people had to move. The plane won't leave until someone moves allowing the child and parent to sit next to each other.

Orlando flights are mostly families!

 

[Mkrop]

Reading about this seeming "boarding circus" and am thinking--wouldn't it be easier for everyone just to have an assigned seat when you buy a ticket????

It is not a circus once you are used to doing it. I prefer it over USAir and Air Tran (the only other airlines I have flown). It goes very quickly it seems.

 

[LisaS]

Reading about this seeming "boarding circus" and am thinking--wouldn't it be easier for everyone just to have an assigned seat when you buy a ticket????

It is about the furthest thing from a circus that I've ever experienced. My DH travels a lot for business and can choose any airline he wants. He chooses Southwest both for the Rapid Reward points to use for WDW trips but also because he finds it a pleasant experience. If it was a circus he would not fly them no matter what benefits he was giving up as a result.

I think the reason it works so well is that there is no one crowding around the gate area ready to jump as soon as their zone is called. With Southwest, you know exactly when you will board. Prior to that time, you can sit and relax until your group is called. And once they call you up there is an area where you line up in order so again, there is no crowding or jostling. It is orderly and efficient.

Once on the plane you can take a quick look at what seats are open and choose where you want to sit. It's just DH and me so we decide before we board whether we want a window + middle or an aisle + middle and we decide who takes the middle on the way down and who takes it on the way home. Once we are on the plane we look at what seats are open that match what we want. If there is a pleasant looking person* already seated next to two open seats, we ask if the seats are available (some people try to save seats for family boarding later). If they are available, we sit down. We don't usually need overhead bin space but if we do, we look for two open seats under a bin with the space we need.

And in case you're thinking that having to choose a seat slows things down, it doesn't. I think people tend to plop down as soon as they see something open that seems suitable. I've never seen anyone hold up the boarding process while they weighed their options or try to turn around to take that open seat in row 7 that they passed up at first. As the last passengers board, the process does slow down since seats are scarce at that point and it's not so easy to spot the open ones.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised how well it works.

* I don't mean to imply that there are unpleasant people flying Southwest. Over the years I've had a few seatmates on flights on various airlines that I would not have chosen to sit next to if I had had a choice. With Southwest, you have a choice unless you are among the last to board. If you are a party of two and choose seats in an open row then you have no control over who takes that remaining seat but overall we've been pretty lucky there too.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thera a reason SW manages to turn their planes around more quickly than other airlines. When you're on a flight with assigned searing, you always see people trying to figure out where their row is, then which seat they're in! They plop in A, when they should be in F ( just happened to me...lady was in my seat). Then there's a kerfluffle while everyone gets where they should be.
Nope, SW's boarding process works very well, as long as you understand how it works.

 

[ItsOnlyMoney]

nevermind... my questions were answered

 

[jevs]

Hi, just have a a sw question.

Our flight from SFO stops at Atlanta for 50 minutes and we have to change planes to go to Orlando. Is this one of those cases where the plane might already have passengers on it? We have EBCI and I don't want to be scattered all over the plane if we can help it (will change flights if this is the case).

Second question, please tell me we don't have to pick up our luggage at the plane swap and check in again....not sure we would have enough time for that. Would phone but more cost effective to ask here.

Cheers

 

[DebbieB]

Hi, just have a a sw question. Our flight from SFO stops at Atlanta for 50 minutes and we have to change planes to go to Orlando. Is this one of those cases where the plane might already have passengers on it? We have EBCI and I don't want to be scattered all over the plane if we can help it (will change flights if this is the case). Second question, please tell me we don't have to pick up our luggage at the plane swap and check in again....not sure we would have enough time for that. Would phone but more cost effective to ask here. Cheers

It's possible it's a continuing stop for some on the plane since Atlanta is a hub.

You don't have to pickup your luggage.

 

[sam_gordon]

Hi, just have a a sw question.

Our flight from SFO stops at Atlanta for 50 minutes and we have to change planes to go to Orlando. Is this one of those cases where the plane might already have passengers on it? We have EBCI and I don't want to be scattered all over the plane if we can help it (will change flights if this is the case).

Second question, please tell me we don't have to pick up our luggage at the plane swap and check in again....not sure we would have enough time for that. Would phone but more cost effective to ask here.

Cheers

I'd say it's probable there will be some people already on the flight. It's also possible if your plane is late the other flight will have already started boarding when you get there.

No, you don't have to get your luggage.

 

[jevs]

Thanks

Phew, was slightly worried about the luggage.