Southwest Early Bird Checkin

[chipper10]

We are flying from STL tomorrow and did not do Early Bird Check In for the way there. We did do it for the way back. DH and DS got A46&47 and I got A25. I'm taking a later flight. DH checked us in right at the 24hour mark. I will let you know how we do on our flight back from MCO with the EBCI.

 

[pixleyyy]

We flew Southwest to WDW in early December and I just wanted to share our experience.

I did not purchase early bird for the flight there (from Portland to Orlando) and just barely got an A boarding pass (A55-59), even though I was on the dot 24 hours beforehand to check in online.

We did use early bird check-in on our flight home, which we purchased about 6 weeks before flying. We had A 25-29 boarding passes.

Both were good enough for us. We got decent seats sitting together (there are 5 of us) both flights. It did pay off not to have to worry about checking in online at 24hours when we were spending our final day at the park.

 

[twinklebug]

Overall, From the experiences I'm reading here and on Flyertalk, it sounds like the consensus is:

Skip the EBCI going down to MCO if you'll be at a computer at T-24. However, if it's a heavily traveled day due to vacations or holiday it might be wise.

Buy the EBCI for the return trip home just so you don't have to worry about that T-24 time and just enjoy the last 24 hours of your trip. Also note that MCO has large numbers of family boarders, it's always good to be ahead of that line.

... as to how many you buy, that's up to you. Southwest does not cry "No savesies!" ... yet.

 

[agnes!]

Just got back going MCO/BWI earlier this week, we got A25 & A26 for DD & I and DH had A16 or 18 (he's an A-Lister). Probably didn't need it for the trip back because the plane wasn't sold-out, but it sure was nice not having to worry about checking-in exactly at T-24 when we were doing the parks.

agnes!

 

[msvlg]

Can unused travel funds be used to purchase EBCI?

 

[sters]

Not interested. For our family of four it would be $80 rt which is more than an extra rt ticket!!
I just hope we won't start seeing one person buying an early bird ticket then trying to save seats for the rest of their group.

That is exactly what you will see. (I would do it.)

 

[sters]

I think this is a deal breaker for me. I'll drive. At least I can sit with my family! For our family size, that's an extra $100 ($200 if I have a connecting flight), which makes a tight Disney budget that much tighter. Plus, it's still no guarantee that we can sit together, because I'm sure everyone flying out of Orlando will pony up the extra fee. Just raise the fare and be honest about it, instead of hiding behind cowardly "fees." I can unserstand electing not to pay it if your a solo passenger, but my children are already fearful of flying and in the event of an emergency, I'm a lot more comfortable having them with me and my husband than at the mercy of strangers, even kindly ones. It's a bad policy and one I hope Southwest will dump.

 

[Susiesnowflake]

MSVLG, it doesn't appear that using unused travel funds to pay for EBCI is an option. I had hoped it was. If it is an option, I didn't see it.

 

[fbb]

MSVLG, it doesn't appear that using unused travel funds to pay for EBCI is an option. I had hoped it was. If it is an option, I didn't see it.

You can't use travel funds to pay for EBCI. I called SW with this question a couple of days ago.

 

[msvlg]

Thanks to those who answered my question about paying for EBCI with unused travel funds. I really appreciate all the help I've received on these boards!!!

 

[krissyh]

Curious (and bored) what EBCI numbers have anyone received on the BUF-MCO route?
I purchased EBCI back in Oct. for a trip Jan 15-18.

 

[staticgirl50]

Confused-- Sorry I have never flown Southwest before.
Ok, so there are no assigned seats at all? So when people say I got A23 A24 etc those are not assigned seats? There will be 4 of us traveling, myself, my mother, husband and our daughter. If I buy passes for all of us it will be an extra $80, but our seats are still not assigned though? So we may not be able to sit together?

 

[Anal Annie]

Confused-- Sorry I have never flown Southwest before.
Ok, so there are no assigned seats at all? So when people say I got A23 A24 etc those are not assigned seats? There will be 4 of us traveling, myself, my mother, husband and our daughter. If I buy passes for all of us it will be an extra $80, but our seats are still not assigned though? So we may not be able to sit together?

Nope. No assigned seat numbers. They board by check-in time / boarding groups. If you don't do EBCI then you have to go online at 24 hours before your flight to check in yourself (you and with every other passenger on the flight who didn't do EBCI). When you do this you are assigned a group letter - A, B or C with A being the first group to board and C last. Within the lettered groups there are numbers so you get to the airport & line up according to your number. Sort of like a roulette or a crap shoot. With EBCI the computer gets your boarding number FOR you at 36 hours (you still have to go online at some point to check in though but you don't have to worry about what you're doing right at 24 hours before). So in theory, you should get one of the better boarding numbers with EBCI. There's just no guarantees. When you board a SW flight you basically just plop yourself down wherever you feel like it, as long as there's nobody else in the seat. If you have a 'C' boarding group & are very far down in that group you may or not find seats available together.

 

[staticgirl50]

Nope. No assigned seat numbers. They board by check-in time / boarding groups. If you don't do EBCI then you have to go online at 24 hours before your flight to check in yourself (you and with every other passenger on the flight who didn't do EBCI). When you do this you are assigned a group letter - A, B or C with A being the first group to board and C last. Within the lettered groups there are numbers so you get to the airport & line up according to your number. Sort of like a roulette or a crap shoot. With EBCI the computer gets your boarding number FOR you at 36 hours (you still have to go online at some point to check in though but you don't have to worry about what you're doing right at 24 hours before). So in theory, you should get one of the better boarding numbers with EBCI. There's just no guarantees. When you board a SW flight you basically just plop yourself down wherever you feel like it, as long as there's nobody else in the seat. If you have a 'C' boarding group & are very far down in that group you may or not find seats available together.

THANK YOU! I am so used to Delta and Jet Blue, that this is all new to me!

 

[Echo queen]

Just checked in without ebci A33.

 

[BYC]

I just got our boarding passes. I bought them the day they went on sale. We are 6 people, and we have A18-A23. Not sure if I would have gotten those numbers anyway, since I was able to check in right at 24 hours. But, for the coming home trip, it would be harder to do that, so I am glad I have it for that.

 

[ironz]

Just another data point to report:

NO EBCI, Not on A-list. Checked in this morning at T-24 hours for AUS to MCO and got A22. My travelling buddy checking in separately (also without EBCI or Alist) got A25.

Not using EBCI on the way home, either--we have web-enabled cell phones and will check in from the parks.

 

[rie'smom]

For a non busy non holiday trip, I got A16,17, 21, 22, 25 without EBCI. However at Thanksgiving with it, we got A 50 and up.
The lesson is, of course, busy time is a good time for EBCI, down time don't waste the $$$$.

 

[bakalorber]

I just decided to get the EBCI for my return flight. I want to gamble a little on my departing flight (I like Vegas as much as the D- World) We have a 1:50 return flight time and did not want to have to bother with checking in while we were at the park. With my two DD's ages 4 and 2 it might have been during a ride/potty break/tantrum/character meeting/snack/nap etc... and i am not the kind of person to tell mickey hold on while I confirm my flight from my phone. I figure I will bring my lunch to work (I usually buy everyday) a few days this month to equal the $40. And to me the money is really spent for my kids so we can get on the plane and situated early, well worth the forty.
And the other reason is DD turns 2 on Sat and I save 75 a week. Yes that is a week on daycare. Now that is something to celebrate!!

 

[love2driveinct]

So how do you define what a "busy time" is? We are traveling from PVD to MCO on Fri, February 5th, which I don't consider a particularly busy time.

However, we are returning on Monday, Feb 15th, which is President's Day and the start of a vacation week for some schools. I believe WDW considers this week a "peak week". But since we are traveling AWAY FROM Orlando, should I still consider it a "busy time"?