Southwest flyers?

[DisneyGuess]

Is it worth it to pay the extra $10 pp each way for the early bird check-in?
What exactly do you get for doing it besides being able to check-in & print from home?

 

[yankee3366]

Good question, I'd like to know too.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

The Early Bird Check In for $10 dollars allows SWA to check you in 36 hours before your flight instead of 24. Whether or not you get EBCI, you can still print your boarding passes at home.

The advantage of getting EBCI is you don't have to be at a computer 24 hours before your flight to check in. This becomes even more advantageous when you are at the parks and it is more difficult to get to a computer exactly 24 hours before your flight.

EBCI does not guarantee an A boarding pass, but you will get earlier boarding numbers than those checking in at 24 hours.

I purchase EBCI for my family while on vacation so I don't have to worry about checking in.

 

[mb187143]

Just to clarify a point, if you purchase the EBCI, you don't physically "do" anything at 36 hours. You are checked in by SWA's computer. The EBCIs are assigned in the order that they were purchased, so if you decided to purchase it 48 hours before your flight, you might not have an "A" boarding position if a lot of other people bought it as well, especially if they bought it months ago. If you buy it, at any point from 24 hours and less before your flight, you could then go in and print your boarding passes. If you didn't buy it, you can also check in and print your boarding passes. If you buy it, realize that either way, you will not know your boarding position until the 24 hour mark - they don't let you even see the boarding pass until then, regardless of whether you have EBCI. I hope that helps.

As far as benefits, I think the PPs make the best point, if you can't be at your computer 24 hours ahead, especially for your return, and want to board as early as possible, it may be for you. We usually do it for that reason. That said, I've been in "C" boarding and never had a problem with where my DF and I sat.

 

[HelenParr]

We think it's worth it, particualrly coming home from WDW. You don't have to worry about how to check in, find computer, etc. We always buy it when we book the flights.

But agree with PPs, to get full advantage, you need to buy it when you book -- waiting pushes you down the list.

 

[goofy4tink]

Anyone flying SW can checkin and print their boarding passes at home...at that 24 hr window. Those who pay the addtl $10 pp, each way, for EBCI, get checked in at the 36 hr window...and SW does it for them. No need for you to do anything. You can print out your boarding pass after the 24 hr window passes.
Do I use it? Not all the time. I use it primarily when flying home from WDW. Why? I don't want to worry about where I am at that 24 hr window the day before I leave. No need to worry about where to go to checkin at the regular 24 hr window.

 

[DCTooTall]

Here's a question that's semi related.

Say you buy the EBCI when you first book your flight, but then later go and rebook the exact same flight in order to get credit due to a fare drop.

Does your place in the EBCI line reset as well? or do you keep your place in the EBCI line since it was a seperate transaction and the flights stayed the same?

 

[twinklebug]

Here's a question that's semi related.

Say you buy the EBCI when you first book your flight, but then later go and rebook the exact same flight in order to get credit due to a fare drop.

Does your place in the EBCI line reset as well? or do you keep your place in the EBCI line since it was a seperate transaction and the flights stayed the same?

I just did this, and noted that the new fares are dated as of the day I rebooked the lower fare. Assume this means our 3 EBCIs which I bought the day the fares came out will also be as of the rebook date.

I'll accept it if that's the way it is, but quite honestly these games SW has been playing are pushing me toward JetBlue and assigned seating more and more. The only thing SW has over JB in fact is they use PVD. LoganExpress wasn't too bad on our last trip using JB.

 

[lugnut33]

Our family was hanging at the MK and I had tried to remember to get on my smart phone right at 1:15 to check in so I could have a good boarding number. Totally forgot until almost 8 pm. I was thinking disaster becuase we got boarding #s B-45 thru B 49. We had no problem finding seating together. Totally fine. Glad I didn't spend the $10 on EBCI.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Here's a question that's semi related.

Say you buy the EBCI when you first book your flight, but then later go and rebook the exact same flight in order to get credit due to a fare drop.

Does your place in the EBCI line reset as well? or do you keep your place in the EBCI line since it was a seperate transaction and the flights stayed the same?

As long as your confirmation number stays the same, EBCI should stay the same. If your confirmation number changes, you lose your EBCI.

 

[Senator Tressel]

I am flying Southwest for the first time at the end of the month and got the Early Bird both ways because I like to be near the front of the plane so I can get off quickly. People take SOOOO long to get off of the plane and I'm so impatient!

 

[mattsmom2000]

We do it all the time. The most important reason being on the last day of our trip the last thing we want to have to do is remember that we need to "check in" for our flight 24hrs before to get good boarding passes. It is sad enough knowing that we are going home the next day, so it is out of our mind for the day! It also helps to know that we will be one of the first people on the plane! In my opinion it is totally worth it!

 

[CathrynRose]

I wanted to mention something.....

It was either last fall, or the fall before - I got the EBCI for myself, but not my son, I figured there's only 2 of us, I would just hold his seat (yeah, yeah... shame-shame )

I ended up deciding a few days before we flew, I wasn't even going to mess around because our flight was super early, and I didn't feel like waking up at 6am, just to check him in. I then purchased his EBCI, as well. $10 was worth me not waking up, early.

Keeping in mind, I had purchased *MY* EBCI months and months earlier, and his was purchased just days earlier - and *his* check in number was ...heck ...like 10 or 15 numbers before mine.

So.... he got on, and.... saved my seat. An exit row seat, at that. It was the first time flying at age 15, and we FINALLY could sit in the roomy row.

I don't get the rhyme or reason with their assignment of the EBCI numbers.

However, that being said - one of us is always the next person after the business dudes. I think it's worth it.

 

[goofy4tink]

I wanted to mention something.....

It was either last fall, or the fall before - I got the EBCI for myself, but not my son, I figured there's only 2 of us, I would just hold his seat (yeah, yeah... shame-shame )

I ended up deciding a few days before we flew, I wasn't even going to mess around because our flight was super early, and I didn't feel like waking up at 6am, just to check him in. I then purchased his EBCI, as well. $10 was worth me not waking up, early.

Keeping in mind, I had purchased *MY* EBCI months and months earlier, and his was purchased just days earlier - and *his* check in number was ...heck ...like 10 or 15 numbers before mine.

So.... he got on, and.... saved my seat. An exit row seat, at that. It was the first time flying at age 15, and we FINALLY could sit in the roomy row.

I don't get the rhyme or reason with their assignment of the EBCI numbers.

However, that being said - one of us is always the next person after the business dudes. I think it's worth it.

And that's the issue. If you get first 'dibs' on those boarding assignments, then fine. But, we are finding more and more that it isn't making any difference when you book that EBCI. It seems that it's anyone's guess as to where you'll fall in the line up. Someone who booked and paid for their EBCI a week prior to travel could very well end up ahead of you in the boarding line, even though you booked EBCI when you paid for your flight, months prior.

I no longer use EBCI as a way to be sure I get as close to the front of the line as possible. For me, it's just the convenience of not having to worry about checking in at that 24 hr window.

 

[Hoosier Mom]

We did not purchase the advance check in either. I checked in at exactly the 24 hour mark. We ended up in the B group.

Really it was okay. We ended up in the very back of the plane, but we were seated together, and there seemed to be plenty of overhead bin space left.

I'd love to be closer to the front next time (just for the sake of not waiting so long to get off the plane). Not sure it's worth the extra money though.

 

[DisneyGuess]

Does anyone happen to know what Southwest's policy is on boarding with children under 4? Some people have told me 1 adult & the child get to board in between A & B groups. Another told me our whole family will get to board between A & B groups.

Also, can anyone tell me, how do I print my boarding places while at Disney? We'll have our laptop with us, so checking in isn't a huge deal, but not sure how I'd be able to print them.

ETA: Nevermind, read on the SW site that I can check-in & then print at the airport if needed.

 

[mb187143]

I think SW policy is that family boarding is between A and B, usually the whole family with the youngster - age wise, it's up to the gate agent. I have also seen the gate agents allow only family with kids 3 and under or 2 and under, depending on how many families with young children are at the gate - one of the bigges peeves I have with SW is that their gate agents are subjective about some of the policies for boarding. I think your best bet is to ask the agent at the gate.

You can ask the front desk at the resort to print them. Sometimes they do it for you if you're using DME, i've had the boarding pass come with the express check out envelope the day of departure.

 

[CarolMN]

I think SW policy is that family boarding is between A and B, usually the whole family with the youngster - age wise, it's up to the gate agent. I have also seen the gate agents allow only family with kids 3 and under or 2 and under, depending on how many families with young children are at the gate - one of the bigges peeves I have with SW is that their gate agents are subjective about some of the policies for boarding. I think your best bet is to ask the agent at the gate.

You can ask the front desk at the resort to print them. Sometimes they do it for you if you're using DME, i've had the boarding pass come with the express check out envelope the day of departure.

In Orlando, where there are lots and lots of families flying, they often do not have the family boarding. They just tell everyone to board per their passes.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Does anyone happen to know what Southwest's policy is on boarding with children under 4? Some people have told me 1 adult & the child get to board in between A & B groups. Another told me our whole family will get to board between A & B groups.

It's ONE adult and ONE child for family boarding, not the whole family (this information is right on SWA's website):

http://www.southwest.com/html/generated/help/faqs/boarding_school_faq.html

An adult traveling with a child four years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs between the "A" and "B" boarding groups.

 

[goofy4tink]

Here's why SW has this policy.....a family with a 3 y/o would come along. Before the 'between A and B group' boarding came along, families with kids under 4 were allowed to board before the 'regular' passengers. So, there would be that one 3 y/o child, his mom, dad, three older siblings, grannie, grampa, uncle Joe, Auntie Sue and the nanny!! And they all got to board with that one 3 y/o child. People were really taking advantage of the policy.
So..it was changed to one adult with each child under 4 boards in 'family' boarding. Everyone else boards according to their boarding pass. BUT...having said that, SW will often make exceptions to that 'policy'. If it's a family of 5, mom, dad, 2 y/o, 4 y/o and a 6 y/o, they obviously allow all of them to board together in the family boarding group. But, if it's an extended family, then probably not. They would allow mom and dad to board with the young childrent, but everyone else would have to board within their grouping.