Southwest EBCI...given Group B 20-25!!

[RainbowsMist]

So I'm just a little cranky.

We purchased our Southwest tickets and EBCI the DAY the dates were released back in August and I just went to check our Boarding Passes for our flight tomorrow and we were give. Group B 20-25!!! The whole reason I purchased EBCI is because of my fear of us not being together... it was THAT important to us. This is our first time flying Southwest


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[goofy4tink]

The other way to think of this is....Dear God, what spots would we have gotten without EBCI?????!!!!!!
EBCI does not promise you will get an A spot. It just doesn't. With more and more people buying it, it is only going to get worse. Pretty soon, EBCI people will be at the end of the B group and those that didn't pay for it will automatically end up in the C group.

 

[RainbowsMist]

The other way to think of this is....Dear God, what spots would we have gotten without EBCI?????!!!!!!
EBCI does not promise you will get an A spot. It just doesn't. With more and more people buying it, it is only going to get worse. Pretty soon, EBCI people will be at the end of the B group and those that didn't pay for it will automatically end up in the C group.

Thanks. I need to remember to always try to see the positive side of things Just a little stressed if we don't get to sit together. I have a terrible fear of flying so my anxiety level is a little elevated today....lol



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[maurene]

Wow - that seems crazy to me. That many people bought EBCI and bought it that early?? You never rebooked your reservation? Sorry. I still think you'll probably all get to sit together - but maybe divided into 2 groups and still near each other on the plane (if not all in the same row).

We added EBCI kinda late to our flight in 2 weeks. So I wonder what I'll get.

 

[tjmw2727]

That would annoy me as well; mainly because this puts you behind the family boarding. I would like to see family boarding moved to behind early bird somehow.

 

[goofy4tink]

That would annoy me as well; mainly because this puts you behind the family boarding. I would like to see family boarding moved to behind early bird somehow.

Would heartily agree with that!! I hate family boarding. If, and that's a big if, the gate attendants made sure that only one adult per under 4 child boarded, then sure, fine. But, many times the entire family gets to board together. And that's just not fair. Or, just make those that are going to want to board in between the A and B group pay for it. Now that those buying EBCI are routinely getting put in the B group, it hardly seems right that those paying nothing extra get to board prior to those that have paid more.

 

[rlduvall]

That is so frustrating. I certainly would understand if you had only recently added the EBCI, but considering you did it back in August right when the schedules opened up. Honestly, something just doesn't feel right about that. [not aimed at you, aimed at SW]

 

[Jestocost]

Wow - that seems crazy to me. That many people bought EBCI and bought it that early?? You never rebooked your reservation? Sorry. I still think you'll probably all get to sit together - but maybe divided into 2 groups and still near each other on the plane (if not all in the same row).

We added EBCI kinda late to our flight in 2 weeks. So I wonder what I'll get.

It's not necessarily just passengers starting at the OP's airport creating the backlog. If there are passengers that are connecting at the airport where the OP is starting their travel who purchased EBCI, then they got their boarding numbers assigned 36 hours before their original flight and would be ahead of the OP any anyone else (other than Business Select passengers) who is starting their travel at that airport. There also could be some kind of weird situation with a large group with EBCI that were checked in before the OP.

 

[RainbowsMist]

Wow - that seems crazy to me. That many people bought EBCI and bought it that early?? You never rebooked your reservation? Sorry. I still think you'll probably all get to sit together - but maybe divided into 2 groups and still near each other on the plane (if not all in the same row).

No we never rebooked. The morning the dates were released I sat there and kept refreshing, as soon as they showed up I purchased them and the EBCI at the same time.

Since my first post I've since called SW because I was so annoyed and I was nicely told EBCI does not guarantee a better boarding group...but rather a better boarding position than those that didn't buy ECBI and earlier access to the overhead bins. I nicely told her I find it hard to believe 85 people bought tickets and EBCI before I did given I bought them the moment they were released. I also asked how I can be sure SW checked me in at the 36 hour mark and could guarantee someone who didn't buy EBCI didn't get A boarding. Her answer, "I have no way of verifying that".....

Things that make you go "hmmm".

We added EBCI kinda late to our flight in 2 weeks. So I wonder what I'll get.

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[RainbowsMist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maurene

Wow - that seems crazy to me. That many people bought EBCI and bought it that early?? You never rebooked your reservation? Sorry. I still think you'll probably all get to sit together - but maybe divided into 2 groups and still near each other on the plane (if not all in the same row).

We added EBCI kinda late to our flight in 2 weeks. So I wonder what I'll get.

It's not necessarily just passengers starting at the OP's airport creating the backlog. If there are passengers that are connecting at the airport where the OP is starting their travel who purchased EBCI, then they got their boarding numbers assigned 36 hours before their original flight and would be ahead of the OP any anyone else (other than Business Select passengers) who is starting their travel at that airport. There also could be some kind of weird situation with a large group with EBCI that were checked in before the OP.

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[RainbowsMist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jestocost

Quote:

Originally Posted by maurene

Wow - that seems crazy to me. That many people bought EBCI and bought it that early?? You never rebooked your reservation? Sorry. I still think you'll probably all get to sit together - but maybe divided into 2 groups and still near each other on the plane (if not all in the same row).

We added EBCI kinda late to our flight in 2 weeks. So I wonder what I'll get.

It's not necessarily just passengers starting at the OP's airport creating the backlog. If there are passengers that are connecting at the airport where the OP is starting their travel who purchased EBCI, then they got their boarding numbers assigned 36 hours before their original flight and would be ahead of the OP any anyone else (other than Business Select passengers) who is starting their travel at that airport. There also could be some kind of weird situation with a large group with EBCI that were checked in before the OP.

This would make sense except, we are flying Manchester, NH non stop to FLL. I can't see that being the case.


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[robhawk]

I hear ya!
We booked our flight the first hour they came out. We got B18-19 coming back from MCO.
Doesn't 40 people line up for family boarding! Yikes!
As said above, family boarding should be after EBCI.

 

[taylor3297]

I guess I have been real lucky when leaving MCO. Since there were so many families that would qualify for family boarding, the gate agent skipped it all together.

Now this past August when we flew to MCO, we bought EBCI and we got A1-4. I was like Wow! We didn't purchase business class. Well when we got on board the plane was already almost full. When I purchased the tickets I didn't know we were a "stop" from a previous destination. Luckily there were seats towards the back, which is where we like to sit anyway.

Even with a B boarding pass. Sometimes there aren't many people who actually have the A1-15. So that puts you a bit closer.

 

[ccgirl]

Which is why JetBlue is becoming my airline of choice.

My DH and myself had boading numbers similar to the OP and we ended up getting split up. One of the reasons is that even though the row "looked" like it was open, someone was magically always in the bathroom. I didn't know the bathroom held that many people. IMHO, they should make you purchase EBCI for all members of your party.

OP - I would be prepared to be split up into at least two groups.

 

[elaine amj]

wow - gettig a bit worried now. still, gotta be better than what u would get without EBCI, right?

we bought our flights just a month or two back...so really late and we're buying EBCI for our return flight next week, maybe tonight or something.

Hope we get a decent number! This is our first SW flights with stops. Hope all goes well!

 

[taylor3297]

I leave a week from tomorrow and since this was a late planned trip, it will be interesting to see what boarding number my friend and I get. She booked her ticket the same time I booked mine. We also paid for EBCI.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Bummer! Sounds like MCO passengers really use the EBCI a lot more than other airports. Two weeks ago I flew from Phx to Los Angeles, checked in at the 24-hr mark without EBCI and was an A-lister.

 

[RainbowsMist]

Bummer! Sounds like MCO passengers really use the EBCI a lot more than other airports. Two weeks ago I flew from Phx to Los Angeles, checked in at the 24-hr mark without EBCI and was an A-lister.

I'm not even flying into MCO...we're flying into FLL but we are flying back from MCO..
that should be real ugly


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[PlutoPony]

Doesn't the fare paid play into this now? SW has been pretty cagey about saying exactly how EB order is figured but think they admitted that how much you pay is part of it.

There are frequent posts on FT about people who check in < T24 and get high positions like A-16, in those cases it's thought to be because of a late cancellation from someone already checked in. From discussions over there it does sound like this is very much airport dependent, and MCO must make big $$ from EBCI

 

[goofy4tink]

Doesn't the fare paid play into this now? SW has been pretty cagey about saying exactly how EB order is figured but think they admitted that how much you pay is part of it.

There are frequent posts on FT about people who check in < T24 and get high positions like A-16, in those cases it's thought to be because of a late cancellation from someone already checked in. From discussions over there it does sound like this is very much airport dependent, and MCO must make big $$ from EBCI

I believe those that have paid more for their fares are probably checked in sooner, then those who bought EBCI, but at cheaper rates, get checked in according to when they bought the EBCI. But, that is open to debate.
If there are more than 15 passengers paying full fare, then they are going into the A16 and up spots. The first 15 that paid full fare will be put into A1-15.
Now, if someone cancelled at the last minute, and they were going to be in A22, then quite possibly someone who bought EBCI later than others could be slipped into that spot. It's all the luck of the draw, so to speak.