Southwest Early Bird Checkin

[keishashadow]

I think you'll see people that pay the 'anytime' price get theirs assigned by when they bought the EB.. Then the 'wanna get away' get their numbers assigned by when they bought, then finally, the 'DING!' people getting theirs.

So Anytime - by time, then WGA by time, then DING by time.

don't see how they'd keep track of who bought the $10 spot when? imo, they'll just board all the anytime fares 1st, followed by the rest arbitarially @ cutoff time & just not publicize that fact.

We need two candidate's. One will purchase a business select ticket, or will qualify for medical pre-boarding. The other will wait and get their BP at the airport, hopefully a "C" BP. We need reports regarding passenger behavior on board and at the gate area. How many famlies abuse family "mid-boarding" for example.

.

ha ha, funny stuff here

yet i have a serious query as to how a family could possibly abuse mid-boardingother than multiple peeps piling into the group?

i thought it was restricted by having a child in your party under the magical cutoff age.

 

[Tara]

I admit I found this to be a little sleazy too.

The thing I'm "worried" about is the possible adjustments to ECBI. If you are a family boarding person, at this moment there's little need to take the gamble of paying ECBI unless you want the convenience of not having to do OLCI. But what happens if your flight is 2 months away and you don't go on and get in the ECBI queue now, then they change the policy to board all ECBIs before family boarding?

I understand why they did it - they desperately need to bring in more cash. But the roll-out does leave a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[disneyfreak71]

So here is my question. I am pooh sized. The last time I flew out of PHL I asked the counter agent i the flight was sold out. She checked the computer, said not close and handed me a pre-board slip. Since it was my first time (flew SW probably 15 times prior), I asked her what it was for. She told me since I was a larger person I would need to pre-board to make sure I would fit in one seat. Of course, I explained it had never happened before...yada yada yada...

So, my question is, if I go for this and the same thing happens again, do I get a refund? Or, should I just plan on the "larger person" pre-board policy to get on the plane first.

And...I fit fine.

 

[bicker]

Never count on anything that is not explicitly promised.

 

[dburg30]

don't see how they'd keep track of who bought the $10 spot when? imo, they'll just board all the anytime fares 1st, followed by the rest arbitarially @ cutoff time & just not publicize that fact.

It's all computerized, I dont see how they CANT know when someone buys the EBCI fee. But, we'll just have to see how they board as it becomes wider known and people report on it. That's the other thing we need in our experiment, now we need THREE people.. Anytime, Wanna get away, and DING! fares all bought at the same time with the EBCI and then see what #'s you get..

 

[Lewisc]

don't see how they'd keep track of who bought the $10 spot when? imo, they'll just board all the anytime fares 1st, followed by the rest arbitarially @ cutoff time & just not publicize that fact.
......
yet i have a serious query as to how a family could possibly abuse mid-boardingother than multiple peeps piling into the group?

i thought it was restricted by having a child in your party under the magical cutoff age.

According to a post on FT, by a SW employee, the date a customer purchases EB will determine the sequence number. Of course it's subject to change. Makes sense. Otherwise many of us would wait until a week before our flight and see how booked it it is before paying $10.

Some parents "forget" how old their kids are. They "forget" when they classify their child as a "lap baby". They "forget" when they ask for child pricing for theme park admission, restaurant meals or don't want to pay the charge for a third adult in a hotel room. They "forget" when the GA gives the age for family mid-boarding. They don't "hear" the GA when the announcement is made to limit pre-boarding to the child and one adult (or whatever the policy is for that flight). They assume the GA isn't going to take the time to ask for the age of the child (with a 5:00 shadow) or to restrict the number of adults boarding with the "child".

 

[bstnsprts]

Baggage fee is just crap and a HUGE RIPOFF!!!!
As they are doing NOTHING new or upgrading nothing, simply charging for you to take your bags, something they never did. This ploy is just to increase the bottom line period and to force you to pay for it, whats next, breathing air fee, seat belt fee, window cleaning fee, bathroom cleaning fee, all stupid but IMHO so is the baggage fee. This fee is nothing more then paying to not sit in front of the comp @ the 24 hr mark and letting SW assign you a boarding pass at their leasure...........I still think this is the start of fees on the no fee airline................

Ya, that's how a bussiness runs. Consumers pay for a service, the bussiness then pays it's bills and hopes to have a positive bottom line so they can continue to grow, pay investors, and create jobs. The purpose of a bussiness is to be profitable. You really think that your not paying the person who cleans the bathrooms and windows? I'm sorry to break the news to you but the wages of those cleaners are built into the fare. Use the bathroom or not, look out the window or not, your paying for those people. At least with fees you have the choice to pay and utilize a service, or don't pay and not use the service.

 

[goofy4tink]

Baggage fee is just crap and a HUGE RIPOFF!!!!
As they are doing NOTHING new or upgrading nothing, simply charging for you to take your bags, something they never did. This ploy is just to increase the bottom line period and to force you to pay for it, whats next, breathing air fee, seat belt fee, window cleaning fee, bathroom cleaning fee, all stupid but IMHO so is the baggage fee. This fee is nothing more then paying to not sit in front of the comp @ the 24 hr mark and letting SW assign you a boarding pass at their leasure...........I still think this is the start of fees on the no fee airline................

You know...airlines have to make some money. They are businesses, they need to pay employees. When passengers insist on paying rock bottom fares, the airlines need to do something to make up the difference. I seldom use more than one checked bag....so, I try to fly JB or SW. I can bring that one checked bag free. If I fly Delta, I'm charged for both. I make a choice to not fly with Delta because that baggage fee raises my fare.
You can make a choice about what airline fits your needs when booking a flight. But, there are going to be changes made by the airlines. I'm surprised SW hasn't started charging for any bags at all. I don't care for the whole EBCI program. And that means I will most likely fly another airline if I don't like what I hear in the next few weeks/months regarding the EBCI.
But baggage fees are a rip-off? I guess you are entitled to your opinion.

Well, we made it through 22 pages of civility. I guess we don't get a prize now, do we Mom?

Close but no cigar this time around I guess. We tried...we failed. But, things do seem to be on a more even keel now.

 

[keishashadow]

According to a post on FT, by a SW employee, the date a customer purchases EB will determine the sequence number. Of course it's subject to change. Makes sense. Otherwise many of us would wait until a week before our flight and see how booked it it is before paying $10.

Some parents "forget" how old their kids are. They "forget" when they classify their child as a "lap baby". They "forget" when they ask for child pricing for theme park admission, restaurant meals or don't want to pay the charge for a third adult in a hotel room. They "forget" when the GA gives the age for family mid-boarding. They don't "hear" the GA when the announcement is made to limit pre-boarding to the child and one adult (or whatever the policy is for that flight). They assume the GA isn't going to take the time to ask for the age of the child (with a 5:00 shadow) or to restrict the number of adults boarding with the "child".

i never knew only 1 adult was permitted w/each child, i was going by the large groups i've observed, fancy that...i learn so much here

appears as though SW gate personnel follows the pirate code...they're not rules as much as guidlines...arrgh

guess we'll all pull up a chair and wait for the reports to be posted here

 

[Lewisc]

Depending on how many famlies want to "mid-board" the GA might allow more then one adult or even raise the age. One of the reasons for moving family boarding to after the A's was the unfairness of extended famlies pre-boarding combined with the difficulty GAs were having enforcing the rules.

My point is how many famlies "don't hear" the annoucement that limits mid-boarding to one adult, both parents or even just the immediate family. Grandparents, uncles, friends.....

i never knew only 1 adult was permitted w/each child, i was going by the large groups i've observed, fancy that...i learn so much here

appears as though SW gate personnel follows the pirate code...they're not rules as much as guidlines...arrgh

guess we'll all pull up a chair and wait for the reports to be posted here

 

[twinklebug]

OK, I've been following the conversations on several boards and was happy enough to have EB for 3 of our 4 flights (one has a transfer we may be seperated on). The final flight I was willing to toss into the experimental bin until I came across:

appears as though SW gate personnel follows the pirate code...they're not rules as much as guidlines...arrgh

You (and the flyertalk folk) scared me into dishing out another $30 just to be sure I'm with my kids. Even if they are over 10 I don't think they want to be with strangers and likewise I'd much rather be with them.

Final score: SWA 4 -- TB 0 (... or should I make that -120 )

 

[MarkinNM]

Why bother? Anything SW does is great according to him. Anything any other airline does is lousy. The end.

Why bother? Because it’s called a conversation, period, the end...

Perhaps you would rather a couple of legacy domestic carriers go out of business and then we'll see what fares are like when Southwest has even less competition? I can give you plenty of fare comparisons out of my city that show how Southwest compares. I can also tell you that when I fly to visit family, I always take Northwest and there is nothing about having an assigned seat, paying a reasonable fare and paying for 1 checked bag that feels like a ripoff to me.

Your post pointed something to me, its not the airlines that bother me but the LACK of choices here in ABQ. SWA is a HUGE player and the bully of the block here, at times it feels like the other airlines here locally, overprice themselfs so we are forced to use SWA. I too enjoy knowing I will be in assigned seat BUT when that occasional time comes when I do have to pay for the 2nd bag, SWA will win everytime.......

You're right about the poster I responded to.

Care to elaborate????

Ya, that's how a bussiness runs. Consumers pay for a service, the bussiness then pays it's bills and hopes to have a positive bottom line so they can continue to grow, pay investors, and create jobs. The purpose of a bussiness is to be profitable. You really think that your not paying the person who cleans the bathrooms and windows? I'm sorry to break the news to you but the wages of those cleaners are built into the fare. Use the bathroom or not, look out the window or not, your paying for those people. At least with fees you have the choice to pay and utilize a service, or don't pay and not use the service.

You know...airlines have to make some money. They are businesses, they need to pay employees.
But baggage fees are a rip-off? I guess you are entitled to your opinion.

True, but when a business charges for a service that was previously PART of the price, then all of a sudden they need to boost up revenue they take it out and try to fool the public that now its going to cost you, rip-off no other way to go around it. Its like McDonalds now charging extra for ice or the bun because they want to boost up their bottom line. Here’s some food for thought why not improve the bottom line by boosting up customer satisfaction, improve services, hummmmmmmmmmm ………………

BTW part of a business is to STAY in business………………….

 

[mousemom11]

Here's a scenario I haven't seen addressed yet. We're a family of 4, 2 kids ages 10 and 8, so not eligible for mid-boarding. We decide not to pay for EBCI, so when I do OLCI @ 24 hours we get the dreaded C passes (speaking hypothetically here). The flight is full, so by the time we board there are only scattered middle-seat singles throughout the plane. So guess what? 2 of you who paid for EBCI now get my DD8 sitting next to you! I have absolutely no problem sitting 2 rows back from her. It's only a couple of hours, she'll live without me sitting next to her. Not sure what shape you'll be in when we arrive though. Oh, and to the person next to me in the aisle seat who paid for EBCI, don't mind my getting in and out of my seat 25 times during the flight to deal with DD8's spilled drink, snack requests, helping put her seat belt back on, taking her to the bathroom, etc, etc.

You'll notice that I did not ask someone to give up the seat that they paid extra for. I respect your right to do so. Nor will I be traumatized if I can't sit next to my kids on the plane. In fact, talk about a blessing in disguise!!

 

[MarkinNM]

Here's a scenario I haven't seen addressed yet. We're a family of 4, 2 kids ages 10 and 8, so not eligible for mid-boarding. We decide not to pay for EBCI, so when I do OLCI @ 24 hours we get the dreaded C passes (speaking hypothetically here). The flight is full, so by the time we board there are only scattered middle-seat singles throughout the plane. So guess what? 2 of you who paid for EBCI now get my DD8 sitting next to you! I have absolutely no problem sitting 2 rows back from her. It's only a couple of hours, she'll live without me sitting next to her. Not sure what shape you'll be in when we arrive though. Oh, and to the person next to me in the aisle seat who paid for EBCI, don't mind my getting in and out of my seat 25 times during the flight to deal with DD8's spilled drink, snack requests, helping put her seat belt back on, taking her to the bathroom, etc, etc.

You'll notice that I did not ask someone to give up the seat that they paid extra for. I respect your right to do so. Nor will I be traumatized if I can't sit next to my kids on the plane. In fact, talk about a blessing in disguise!!

I know of at least 3 whom I would love that to happen too......

 

[Tara]

Here's a scenario I haven't seen addressed yet. We're a family of 4, 2 kids ages 10 and 8, so not eligible for mid-boarding. We decide not to pay for EBCI, so when I do OLCI @ 24 hours we get the dreaded C passes (speaking hypothetically here). The flight is full, so by the time we board there are only scattered middle-seat singles throughout the plane. So guess what? 2 of you who paid for EBCI now get my DD8 sitting next to you! I have absolutely no problem sitting 2 rows back from her. It's only a couple of hours, she'll live without me sitting next to her. Not sure what shape you'll be in when we arrive though. Oh, and to the person next to me in the aisle seat who paid for EBCI, don't mind my getting in and out of my seat 25 times during the flight to deal with DD8's spilled drink, snack requests, helping put her seat belt back on, taking her to the bathroom, etc, etc.

You'll notice that I did not ask someone to give up the seat that they paid extra for. I respect your right to do so. Nor will I be traumatized if I can't sit next to my kids on the plane. In fact, talk about a blessing in disguise!!

This sort of scenario comes up all the time here - people make "threats" about their children misbehaving, throwing up, or otherwise bothering people who won't give up the seats they paid for or made the effort to get (whether they're asked to give up seats or not). This isn't new with the EBCI change. What is there to address?

I understand people not being happy about these changes, but what I don't understand is the tendency to take out that unhappiness on fellow travelers rather than directing it at the airline itself.

 

[bavaria]

I understand people not being happy about these changes, but what I don't understand is the tendency to take out that unhappiness on fellow travelers rather than directing it at the airline itself.

I can think of a few reasons. Hopefully people have more decency and self-respect than to actually behave that way in person, and are just using empty threats on a website. It is easier to bully people here and blame those using logic and common sense than it is to actually behave that way to the airline, in person. It is easier to try and make the logical posters look 'stupid' or 'evil' rather than to take the effort to write a well-reasoned letter.

I enjoy discussion and debate when it is based on reason and facts. I cannot abide by the hyperbole and drama that some posters seem to think constitutes valid contribution to a discussion. Unfortunately there is a distinct lack of logic and common sense on this website these days, and hence we see posts spewing venom towards 'the evil companies' or 'the evil passengers'. I tend to not to bother to respond to those types of posts anymore as they are so far from fact and reason that it is clear that the poster has no interest in dealing with facts.

 

[bicker]

Depending on how many famlies want to "mid-board" the GA might allow more then one adult or even raise the age. One of the reasons for moving family boarding to after the A's was the unfairness of extended famlies pre-boarding combined with the difficulty GAs were having enforcing the rules.

It just strikes me as strange the extent to which Southwest has gone, adding complexity on top of complexity to their boarding procedure, simply to avoid seat assignments. This aspect has always been our reason for avoiding Southwest, but now it almost seems comical just how far they have to go to deal with the behavioral (or misbehavioral) issues that stem from that one decision of theirs.

I know that there were good reasons for their seating policy to start with, but I have to wonder, now, given all the complexities they've added to it, if that reason is gone, and they're simply sticking with the old policy, content to tack on band-aids and such, just as a matter of pride -- so that they don't have to admit that assigned seating works better.

Just sayin'.

 

[bicker]

Your post pointed something to me, its not the airlines that bother me but the LACK of choices here in ABQ. SWA is a HUGE player and the bully of the block here, at times it feels like the other airlines here locally, overprice themselfs so we are forced to use SWA. I too enjoy knowing I will be in assigned seat BUT when that occasional time comes when I do have to pay for the 2nd bag, SWA will win everytime.......

That's a pretty common consumer cop-out: "I don't have options because there is only one option I like best," or "... because I've already made certain choices that eliminated my other options." I see this all the time on the television-related forums; it's really bad there. There really needs to be a renaissance among consumers, coming to grips a bit better with reality and accepting that our own choices affect the options available to them and no one owes them precisely what they want for how much they want to pay for it.

True, but when a business charges for a service that was previously PART of the price, then all of a sudden they need to boost up revenue they take it out and try to fool the public that now its going to cost you, rip-off no other way to go around it.

Sure there is. Direct, rational, measured, balanced: It's called unbundling of fees. It's called listening to the marketplace and coming to understand what drives consumer purchasing behaviors. Painting piece of plastic black doesn't change the fact that it is a piece of plastic. It just makes it dark.

 

[MAH4546]

True, but when a business charges for a service that was previously PART of the price, then all of a sudden they need to boost up revenue they take it out and try to fool the public that now its going to cost you, rip-off no other way to go around it. Its like McDonalds now charging extra for ice or the bun because they want to boost up their bottom line. Here’s some food for thought why not improve the bottom line by boosting up customer satisfaction, improve services, hummmmmmmmmmm ………………

Except airfare continues to go down in price. Year after year it gets cheaper and cheaper to buy an airline ticket, while costs for the airlines go up.

These charges are absolutely neccessary to keep the fares that consumers want as low as possible and continue bringing in revenue.

Don't like the fees? Fly Southwest or fly enough on a legacy carrier to become an elite flyer.

 

[bicker]

This sort of scenario comes up all the time here - people make "threats" about their children misbehaving, throwing up, or otherwise bothering people who won't give up the seats they paid for or made the effort to get (whether they're asked to give up seats or not). This isn't new with the EBCI change. What is there to address?

And I think they are empty threats. I'm not going to service someone else's child. I'll expect the child to behave properly or I'll make the flight attendants rue the day they decided to work for an airline that put them in the position of having to nursemaid an effectively unattended minor and a 50 year old man acting like a child.