Southwest Early Bird Check In

[nkereina]

It's only a circus when there's people trying to board who have no idea how Southwest's boarding works. I recently flew from Buffalo and couldn't believe the people who didn't get (or listen to) how boarding works. People just standing wherever they wanted. Fortunately, the gate agent's scanner lets out a buzz sound when someone is trying to board that shouldn't be (wrong boarding group). The line got really backed up with the gate agent trying to explain to each of these people why they couldn't get on.

To top it off, I had a guy with my same exact boarding letter and number standing in my spot. After some head scratching, we finally figured out he was at the wrong gate!

 

[bookgirl]

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.

For the first time in all the years I've flown SW, I actually saw this happen. Coming home from Orlando, we were in the airport and there must have been 50 people in line over by the preboard area, families with strollers and multiple adults and siblings. The A's lined up and the agent looked at the line and said something and suddenly all the families moved back to their seats. A family in line with an early A that was next to me said that's why we buy EB. I'm sure the families didn't think it was funny but really they ran the gamut from PO'd to one adult giving the other the stink eye cause you know they must have said 'we don't need EB we'll just board with family boarding'.

I never really thought about it but I believe it now when people on Disney Boards say it happens on their flights often.

 

[DebbieB]

For the first time in all the years I've flown SW, I actually saw this happen. Coming home from Orlando, we were in the airport and there must have been 50 people in line over by the preboard area, families with strollers and multiple adults and siblings. The A's lined up and the agent looked at the line and said something and suddenly all the families moved back to their seats. A family in line with an early A that was next to me said that's why we buy EB. I'm sure the families didn't think it was funny but really they ran the gamut from PO'd to one adult giving the other the stink eye cause you know they must have said 'we don't need EB we'll just board with family boarding'.

I never really thought about it but I believe it now when people on Disney Boards say it happens on their flights often.

So what happened when they got on the plane? Was there a lot of people wanting to switch around?

 

[DIXIEDIVAMOM]

We had the same thing happen to us in Orlando coming home from a trip in Oct. The pre boards were so long you had to wonder what was going on. The family boarding lines and I say multiple lines was ridiculous. The gate agent was letting all the family members on including grandparents and teenage siblings. We had paid for EBCI and had a B30 number. By the time we were able to board there was no point in even having to pay the extra money. When all the B boarders were complaining the airline attendant on the plane basically said tough. I wrote to Southwest and they said it was up to the gate agent and as far as pre boards they can not ask what the disability is or make someone show proof. What ? Of all the hubs to let a gate agent make a choice Orlando should not be one of them. I have now decided that if we go again I will have to fly first flight out or last. Makes me mad

 

[bookgirl]

So what happened when they got on the plane? Was there a lot of people wanting to switch around?

Not a ton but a few. Mostly it was happening in the back and luckily we went into an almost empty plane. However there did seem to be a lot of splitting up and bags shuffling to bins all over.

 

[mb187143]

We had the same thing happen to us in Orlando coming home from a trip in Oct. The pre boards were so long you had to wonder what was going on. The family boarding lines and I say multiple lines was ridiculous. The gate agent was letting all the family members on including grandparents and teenage siblings. We had paid for EBCI and had a B30 number. By the time we were able to board there was no point in even having to pay the extra money. When all the B boarders were complaining the airline attendant on the plane basically said tough. I wrote to Southwest and they said it was up to the gate agent and as far as pre boards they can not ask what the disability is or make someone show proof. What ? Of all the hubs to let a gate agent make a choice Orlando should not be one of them. I have now decided that if we go again I will have to fly first flight out or last. Makes me mad

On my flights home from a couple work trips recently I noticed that southwest started allowing any a-listers who got a "B" or "C" boarding pass to board with the family boarding group. The first time I thought it was a fluke but I have heard it consistently the last couple of weeks. So that could also be why there were so many in family boarding too.

 

[DebbieB]

On my flights home from a couple work trips recently I noticed that southwest started allowing any a-listers who got a "B" or "C" boarding pass to board with the family boarding group. The first time I thought it was a fluke but I have heard it consistently the last couple of weeks. So that could also be why there were so many in family boarding too.

That's been a rule for awhile. I think they are supposed to go before family boarding.

 

[mb187143]

That's been a rule for awhile. I think they are supposed to go before family boarding.

I don't always fly SW for work, depends on the lowest fare but when I last flew them out of these same airports a couple months ago I don't remember hearing that. And they were invited to board with families traveling with children 4 and under, not before them.

I heard this announcement in the following airports: PHL, STL, MCI, TPA, BNA, and ORD on my flights between Nov 16 -20.

 

[LisaS]

And they were invited to board with families traveling with children 4 and under, not before them.

That's interesting because they are supposed to be allowed to line up at the end of the A group. DH is an A-Lister and the info he received when this went into effect stated that if he ever gets assigned a boarding position in the B or C group, he can just join the end of the A line.