Southwest-flight home

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Don't quite understand this advice. Which 'line' do you mean? Its been 5+ years since we flew Southwest, so I'm unfamiliar with their set-up.

I'm interpreting that there are two lines to check-in at the airport: one for folks who need boarding passes and/or have to check bags, and another for folks who have checked-in and only need to check bags. Did I interpret correctly?

I'm glad this was resurrected and you asked because I was thinking about this a few days ago, because it changed - boo! We flew home from MCO (from the Disney Wonder) on Sunday 2/19 and the SWA kiosks are still there however there now is only ONE line. It didn't matter if you had your boarding passes or not. I was dreading it thinking it would take forever based on what I had seen in the past and either we timed it right and it wasn't TOO busy (it's always busy to me) or it was how awesome they were at moving the people quickly and they had a bunch of people working. I asked the SWA person who checked us in and he said it had changed and it was MCO who said they could no longer do it and it was something to the effect the other airlines aren't doing it/can't do it, something like that and they were told to stop. He agreed it was completely dumb so who knows if it's permanent or not.

Thanks,
Heather

 

[cmph]

I'm glad this was resurrected and you asked because I was thinking about this a few days ago, because it changed - boo! We flew home from MCO (from the Disney Wonder) on Sunday 2/19 and the SWA kiosks are still there however there now is only ONE line. It didn't matter if you had your boarding passes or not. I was dreading it thinking it would take forever based on what I had seen in the past and either we timed it right and it wasn't TOO busy (it's always busy to me) or it was how awesome they were at moving the people quickly and they had a bunch of people working. I asked the SWA person who checked us in and he said it had changed and it was MCO who said they could no longer do it and it was something to the effect the other airlines aren't doing it/can't do it, something like that and they were told to stop. He agreed it was completely dumb so who knows if it's permanent or not.

Thanks,
Heather

Seriously, MCO?? Literally (I think) every other airport can do it this way, but you can't...

I know that not every airport is exactly the same. For example, Houston had the baggage check-in kiosks spread out all over, and after using them, everyone stood in one line to pass over their luggage. Every other airport I've used has you do the line-waiting to get to the kiosks themselves. Some make you roll them to the conveyor belts yourselves, most put them on conveyor belts themselves. But the one thing that's always the same is that there is a separate baggage-only line. So weird.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Seriously, MCO?? Literally (I think) every other airport can do it this way, but you can't...

I know that not every airport is exactly the same. For example, Houston had the baggage check-in kiosks spread out all over, and after using them, everyone stood in one line to pass over their luggage. Every other airport I've used has you do the line-waiting to get to the kiosks themselves. Some make you roll them to the conveyor belts yourselves, most put them on conveyor belts themselves. But the one thing that's always the same is that there is a separate baggage-only line. So weird.

I was really surprised too especially with the SWA employee said they were told they couldn't do it any more, even if it made sense and helped travelers. Very weird. Perhaps MCO will see it worked more efficiently the other way or maybe it didn't, lol. I'm there again a little over a week so I'll definitely scope it out again.

Heather

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Thanks for both replies.

 

[cheermom2four]

We purchased early bird checkin both times we flew southwest right after our cruises. Worked out well for us and we did have our daughter with us but most of the plane was families and there was no point for boarding B by the time all the families boarded.