Southwest EARLY CHECKIN: DO YOU ALWAYS GET "A"?

[HeatherC]

Hi There:

Sorry about another SW question. Looked but didn't see the answer. Anyway...if I do early check in are you pretty much guaranteed "A" passes?

Only because we're traveling with our kids (5 of us) am I even considering paying the money.

We only fly once or twice a year so we want to sit together.

Thanks!

 

[Jestocost]

SWA does not guarantee 'A' boarding numbers for passengers using EBCI. I have read a couple of reports of people getting 'B' passes through EBCI, but those are not common and generally have been at airports where SWA does a lot of connecting flights, such as MDW or BWI. There's a very high probability that most passengers using EBCI will get 'A' passes, but it's not 100 percent certain.

 

[HeatherC]

Thanks so much! I guess I'll go ahead and get them.

We are flying out of Manchester, NH 7:30am Tuesday morning. Still considering this leg....hmmmm

Then we are flying home on Friday the 19th (end of school vacation week) and harder to check in ahead of time from a resort...so this one I think I'll definitely do.

 

[dburg30]

Thanks so much! I guess I'll go ahead and get them.

We are flying out of Manchester, NH 7:30am Tuesday morning. Still considering this leg....hmmmm

Then we are flying home on Friday the 19th (end of school vacation week) and harder to check in ahead of time from a resort...so this one I think I'll definitely do.

Well, honestly I dont know if I'd mess with it or not at this late of a date if you can check in at 24 hours. Especially if you bought ding or the 'cheap' fares. They have stated this on their site..

Yes, Customers who have purchased Anytime Fares will receive priority over other fare types during the initial boarding position assignment.

No one knows for sure, but they could also easily base it not only on fare level, but also time it's bought. If they randomize it for those that bought EBCI then I guess it doesnt make as big of a deal, but I bought it on one flight just a couple of days before our flight (wasnt going to be around a computer / able to check in via mobile at 24)and my BP #'s were in the mid A's so it sure appears they add it by when you bought the EBCI also. Now I have to admit I didnt actually get to chat with people and see if they had used it as that flight was canceled due to weather

I agree with heading home that for the ease of it I would use it then.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Thanks so much! I guess I'll go ahead and get them.

We are flying out of Manchester, NH 7:30am Tuesday morning. Still considering this leg....hmmmm

Then we are flying home on Friday the 19th (end of school vacation week) and harder to check in ahead of time from a resort...so this one I think I'll definitely do.

I've been watching the thread about EBCI to see what kinds of experiences people have been having in and out of MHT. I've been surprised that out of other airports, people without EBCI have been getting low A positions still but out of MHT, without EBCI people are all getting Bs at T-24. I'll now always pay for EBCI. On our return flight from MCO on 12/29, with EBCI which was purchased within the first couple weeks of EBCI becoming available (half the flight likely didn't even know about it because it didn't come out until at least a couple months after many of us already purchased our tickets and SWA sent no notification) we still got A28-A31. I have an autistic child so I'm not willing to take a chance. Out of curiousity I may decide to not buy it for DH on a couple upcoming trips just to see what difference we would have at T-24 (I sit with the kids anyway while he sits across the isle chatting with whatever stranger ends up next to him so if he's not sitting with us it's no big deal).

 

[HeatherC]

Well I just did it to save me the grief and frustration at the 24 hour mark. Plus the day before we leave will be busy anyway and I really don't have time to sit on the computer then. So for this trip I hope it's worth it.

At any rate, it's done, right? I'll post when we get back how it worked.

 

[dburg30]

Well I just did it to save me the grief and frustration at the 24 hour mark. Plus the day before we leave will be busy anyway and I really don't have time to sit on the computer then. So for this trip I hope it's worth it.

At any rate, it's done, right? I'll post when we get back how it worked.

That is exactly what it's made for. You now dont have to worry about it. I'm sure in Oct we will pay for it down, or at least the ones of us that wont be boarding with small children, and I know we'll do it for the trip back.

 

[Jestocost]

No one knows for sure, but they could also easily base it not only on fare level, but also time it's bought. If they randomize it for those that bought EBCI then I guess it doesnt make as big of a deal, but I bought it on one flight just a couple of days before our flight (wasnt going to be around a computer / able to check in via mobile at 24)and my BP #'s were in the mid A's so it sure appears they add it by when you bought the EBCI also. Now I have to admit I didnt actually get to chat with people and see if they had used it as that flight was canceled due to weather

I agree with heading home that for the ease of it I would use it then.

I booked EBCI just a week or so ahead of a flight out of STL on Dec. 23—which I assume was a heavy travel day—and had A18-A21. So, it was clear that probably very few people had even bothered to use the service. I think that where you are flying out of has a lot to do with what your experience will be, so it's impossible to generalize about it. If you're starting your travel out of MDW or BWI, for example, EBCI is the only way you're going to get ahead of all the passengers that are connecting from earlier SWA flights that started elsewhere and probably will be more valuable. If you're flying out of STL, on the other hand, it doesn't seem to be that much of an issue IME.

 

[chickie]

I did this for our trip in March, flying from/to St Louis. But, I just paid to add this to my ticket, not all 3 of ours. I figured I can just get on the plane and save the other 2 seats in the row for my dh and dd. Is that okay to do?

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I did this for our trip in March, flying from/to St Louis. But, I just paid to add this to my ticket, not all 3 of ours. I figured I can just get on the plane and save the other 2 seats in the row for my dh and dd. Is that okay to do?

Southwest has no policy regarding saving or not saving seats. However, I would try to check in at T-24 for your family members to get as close to the front as you can to lessen the number of people you will have to say "Sorry, these seats are taken" to.