Southwest Early Bird Checkin

[mareed]

Last night I checked in right at T-24 for flight from Hou to MCO without EBCI and got A57 & A59. From my past experience, there are likely many others connecting with this flight and we typically get boarding passes in the A30's, so I'd say that EBCI bumped us back 20-30 places.

 

[JLKennedy]

I did NOT purchase the ECBI and just checked in all 4 of us for tomorrow from PHL (9am flight)

Got: A27, A29, A31 and A32

How do they stack up?

 

[TheWog]

I did NOT purchase the ECBI and just checked in all 4 of us for tomorrow from PHL (9am flight)

Got: A27, A29, A31 and A32

How do they stack up?

Stacks up great. You will have your choice of seat locations.

 

[TheWog]

It doesn't say you'll get an A, though - just "better boarding position" than those checking in at T-24. Why do you think that should be guaranteed based on the website language?

I don't think there is an implied guarantee, but it is the vague marketing ploy and language that has a consumer believe that if you use the service you will get the prime seat choices, overhead bins, etc. to entice you to pay the fee for the service. While they do not guarantee you an A boarding pass or anything like that, they lead you to believe you will be able to board before other passengers. It says "LUV is boarding earlier" and leave it at that. I am sure there are clear definitions and guidelines of the policy, but many consumers are not going to go digging around the website to find those (yes, I know it is their fault and buyer beware, etc., but real world practice is they won't) and purchase it based on the advertisements given by the site. Which may induce some bad feelings from consumers toward SW and this promotion/fee based service when they do not get what they expected based on the not completely clear language they set out.

 

[pam931]

Tara,

TheWog better explained my reasoning than I did myself. The website doesn't say "better boarding position than at T-24", it says "better boarding position". It's that vagueness that is the problem -- you know what it means and I know what it means but others ....

And for me personally, having always gotten great numbers, I may pay and now get worse numbers than when this whole thing started. That bums me out, but I do realize the risk/reward of the process.

Pam

 

[katieandemismom]

Just checked in at exactly 10:05. We got A38, 40, 42, and 44. I thought it was odd there were people in between us as we are all on the same reservation number. Regardless - it's all good. We'll just let 39, 41, and 43 ahead of us so we can board together (my girls are 7 and 6).

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I just check my daughter & friend in at exactly T-24hrs for their 3:50 flight tomorrow out of Islip, LI to Ft Myers... didn't purchase early boarding....and this is a full flight...no tickets available to purchase at any price...they are A 33 & A 37...so I'm very happy I didn't spend the extra $20

 

[pooch]

lead me to believe that EBCI will be more popular (at least for MCO) on the return flight? People use it for the convenience of not having to give up valuable park time to check in @ T-24. That is certainly the reason I signed up for our return trip.

 

[goofy4tink]

lead me to believe that EBCI will be more popular (at least for MCO) on the return flight? People use it for the convenience of not having to give up valuable park time to check in @ T-24. That is certainly the reason I signed up for our return trip.

That's what I would do. I don't think I would bother with it for my flight from home, but for the flight back, it would be so much more convenient to know that someone else was doing the checking in for me....that way I can enjoy my last day of vacation, rather than running around trying to find a computer or CM to check me in.

 

[seashoreCM]

How much did those sites from the days of yore (e.,g. boardfirst dot com) charge you to snipe at Southwest at T-24 and get your boarding number for you?

Also, this T-24 has been around for awhile. Any frequent Southwest flyers want to comment on what the demography of C pass holders is these days? Singles? Families? Men? Women? No particular demography?

 

[Mkrop]

How much did those sites from the days of yore (e.,g. boardfirst dot com) charge you to snipe at Southwest at T-24 and get your boarding number for you?

Also, this T-24 has been around for awhile. Any frequent Southwest flyers want to comment on what the demography of C pass holders is these days? Singles? Families? Men? Women? No particular demography?

People who have no clue, who still think you line up cattle call style. there are post on here all the time asking about how to fly SW, this is my first time flying etc.

The only other person I knew who got C was a friend of mine flying at the last minute bc her dad died in Ohio and she had to get there. She had never flown SW before but after talking to her I told her about T24 and then they used SW for a family vacation.

 

[clanmcculloch]

lead me to believe that EBCI will be more popular (at least for MCO) on the return flight? People use it for the convenience of not having to give up valuable park time to check in @ T-24. That is certainly the reason I signed up for our return trip.

That's exactly why I signed up for it for my return flight. I'll be online at T-24 for our departing flight but i didn't want to be bothered while I'm at WDW.

 

[famsen]

I just checked in for a flight tomorrow morning.
I purchased Early Bird Check In a couple of weeks ago and I got A20 and A21.

 

[ski37]

Just checked in for our flight from DEN to MCO tomorrow at 8am
I bought EB and we got boarding passes A22 & A23

ski

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

Just checked in.
Route: bwi-mco
Time synchronization: tested x3 prior to go-live (the failure to retrieve box has the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, in the lower right), to synch my chronograph with their clock. I feel confident I was, at most, 2 seconds after the appointed hour.
EBCI? NO
BP numbers: A54, 55

In the past, I believe the highest numbers we've had were in the mid 20's (2006, per records)

 

[ski37]

I know, that's why I bought the EB.
We were on free fights from SW so I didnt mind paying the extra $20.

ski

 

[Disneysnel]

Just checked in for our flight from DEN to MCO tomorrow at 8am
I bought EB and we got boarding passes A22 & A23

ski

We're on the same flight! We bought EB as well and got A20 & A21.

 

[ski37]

Nice!
Well look for you in line...right in front of us.
We have to leave at 5:00 am from Dillon. I'm tired already!

ski (John&wife Diane)

 

[Disneysnel]

Nice!
Well look for you in line...right in front of us.
We have to leave at 5:00 am from Dillon. I'm tired already!

ski (John&wife Diane)

We get to sleep an extra hour from Parker but still early. See ya there!!

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

I am cheap and did not pay for early bird. I just logged on at exactly 24 hours out and nabbed A 36, 37, &38. We will still have to check in at the desk tomorrow morning to pick up our "boarding pass" for our lap baby, but I am pretty pleased.

We are flying from El Paso, Tx on the 9:05 flight.

With the baby I would have been able to board after all A passengers, but we want to keep the family together for the flight.

I needed a little pixie dust, and this fits the bill.