Southwest Early Bird Question

[disneychick0412]

With Southwest Early Bird Check In, does everyone in the group have to get it?
There are 7 of us going. My husband and I are buying our tickets with Early Bird.
My sister and her husband are doing the same.
My parents are going and buying my 12 year old nieces' ticket with their reward points.
My parents don't need early bird, as my dad is in a wheelchair and moves slow and will therefore need to preboard. My mom will need to go with him.
That just leaves my niece, and I don't want her to have to board way back with a bunch of strangers.
So should I have my mom buy her ticket separate and add early bird, so at least she is somewhat farther up in line.
My parents have never flown, and I don't have experience with a group of this many people flying with us.

Thank you!!

 

[anonymousegirl]

There is a slight possibility that your niece might be allowed to board with your parents. However, the rule is typically one additional person per wheelchair customer, so your request might be refused. You will need to wait until the boarding gate to request. To be certain your niece can board with your group, you would need to buy Early Bird, but note that early bird boarding numbers are allotted based on purchase date, so try to buy all your EB tickets within the same hour or you may be separated by other passengers even with EB

 

[Lewisc]

Good chance your niece will be able to board with parents. Otherwise have sister and Brother in law save a middle seat for niece. Technically SW doesn't have a rule against it. Pax won't have issues with saved middle seats

 

[focusondisney]

With Southwest Early Bird Check In, does everyone in the group have to get it?
There are 7 of us going. My husband and I are buying our tickets with Early Bird.
My sister and her husband are doing the same.
My parents are going and buying my 12 year old nieces' ticket with their reward points.
My parents don't need early bird, as my dad is in a wheelchair and moves slow and will therefore need to preboard. My mom will need to go with him.
That just leaves my niece, and I don't want her to have to board way back with a bunch of strangers.
So should I have my mom buy her ticket separate and add early bird, so at least she is somewhat farther up in line.
My parents have never flown, and I don't have experience with a group of this many people flying with us.

Thank you!!

Either your sister or you book the niece with an adult. Your parents book the other adult instead of the niece. Niece will be with an adult. The adult with you parents will just board alone. There is no difference in price for your niece vs. an adult, so that’s not an issue. But FYI, if you book EBCI with the purchase, I think everyone must get it. But you can go in immediately after booking & add it separately. But doing that with the niece booked with the grandparents won’t solve your problem. Even if they book EBCI for her, there is no guarantee she will get a boarding number near or before the other adults. Everyone will still need to board in their spot. She could very well still be waiting alone at the gate for her place if she ends up with the highest boarding place. Someone could hang back & board with her, but she cannot move up to be with family with a lower boarding place. Book her with an adult who won’t be preboarding if you don’t want her waiting alone.

 

[disneychick0412]

Either your sister or you book the niece with an adult. Your parents book the other adult instead of the niece. Niece will be with an adult. The adult with you parents will just board alone. There is no difference in price for your niece vs. an adult, so that’s not an issue. But FYI, if you book EBCI with the purchase, I think everyone must get it. But you can go in immediately after booking & add it separately. But doing that with the niece booked with the grandparents won’t solve your problem. Even if they book EBCI for her, there is no guarantee she will get a boarding number near or before the other adults. Everyone will still need to board in their spot. She could very well still be waiting alone at the gate for her place if she ends up with the highest boarding place. Someone could hang back & board with her, but she cannot move up to be with family with a lower boarding place. Book her with an adult who won’t be preboarding if you don’t want her waiting alone.

I learned yesterday that everyone does not have to get EBCI. When you go to add it, the default is that everyone is selected, but you can unselect anyone you like and just get it for those you want to have it.

 

[EACarlson]

The best way to do this is for your parents to book the tickets for the three of them without EBCI, then go in and purchase it just for your niece. That should get her in the same ballpark of boarding positions. Then if she is ahead of the other adults, she waits and boards with them, if she is behind, then the adults wait and board with her. Don't try to have her board with your parents, that's only begging for issues if the gate agent applies the rules correctly.