Southwest "Home-Printed" Boarding Pass

[bwbuddy5]

If I go online and print my boarding pass at home within 24 hours of flight, would that most likely get me an "A" seating group?

 

[salmoneous]

With more and more people checking in online, try to get as close to the 24-hour mark as possible if you want an A pass.

 

[Sammy]

I would say, "likely", but not guaranteed. We checked in online back in February....right at the 24-hour mark, and got "B's". I'm hearing more and more people who are getting B's lately. As the previous poster said, try to get as close to thta 24-hour mark as possible.

Sammy

 

[Gary M]

A few weeks ago I checked in exactly 24 hours ahead of time. I got 1 A (#45) and 3 B passes (#'s 46,47 & 48). I suppose it varies from flight to flight.

 

[beattyfamily]

I hope the OP doesn't mind but I have a similar question (s).

I am going to fly Southwest for the first time this August.

Do they have curbside check in? (that is all I have ever done with Delta and Jetblue).

So you check in 24 hours before to get your boarding pass and to get assigned the best boarding letter (A, B, C etc...) which is how they board the plane, right?

Is that also when you get your seats? I'm very interested in this question/answer because I'm flying alone with two children ages 6 & 10. I want to be sure we are seated together.

Then I must get my boarding passes home at the resort 24 hours before? How can I do that at the All Stars? What if I bring my laptop; will that help me? How would I print it?

Again sorry, OP.

Hopefully someone can help me out. I'm so nervous flying alone AND with a new airline.

 

[NotUrsula]

Is that also when you get your seats? I'm very interested in this question/answer because I'm flying alone with two children ages 6 & 10. I want to be sure we are seated together.

You get your seats when you put your tushes in them. There are presently no seat assignments on SWA. You board with your lettered group, and you sit in any open seat except those in the exit rows. If you get an A boarding pass (even one A, in your case, since they won't make your kids board without you) you are assured of finding 3 seats together. Even with a B you probably would, but with B's it is worth standing in line at the gate to make sure of it.

You can check in at the resort by use a web-enabled cell phone, a laptop, or by taking your reservation number to the Guest Services desk at your resort or a park and asking the CM to do it for you. It is OK if you cannot print the BPs when you check in online, you can "reprint" them at an airport kiosk.

Curbside checking varies by airport; some airports have it, some don't.

 

[beattyfamily]

You get your seats when you put your tushes in them. There are presently no seat assignments on SWA. You board with your lettered group, and you sit in any open seat except those in the exit rows. If you get an A boarding pass (even one A, in your case, since they won't make your kids board without you) you are assured of finding 3 seats together. Even with a B you probably would, but with B's it is worth standing in line at the gate to make sure of it.

You can check in at the resort by use a web-enabled cell phone, a laptop, or by taking your reservation number to the Guest Services desk at your resort or a park and asking the CM to do it for you. It is OK if you cannot print the BPs when you check in online, you can "reprint" them at an airport kiosk.

Curbside checking varies by airport; some airports have it, some don't.

Thank you! I'm glad I asked. I thought when you got your letter, you got your seat assignments. Good to know!

I'm sure it will be find.

Thanks again.

 

[Pinnie]

You need to check in as close to that 24 hour mark as you can. Here is a reason why;

When I check in for my flight on SWA from Detroit to San Antonio I am going to make a connection in Nashville. Say my flight leaves DTW at 8:00 a.m. My connecting flight leaves BNA at 9:30 a.m. When I check in at my 24 hour mark in Detroit the day before for my DTW-BNA flight, I will also get my boarding pass for the BNA - SAT flight BEFORE the pax in Nashville reach their 24 hour mark.

Also, keep in mind that there may already BE passengers on the plane when you get on. This happens a lot when I travel to MCO from DTW making stops in either MDW, STL and BNA.

pinnie

 

[NotUrsula]

If your flight is direct from where you are getting on, you can find out ahead of time if there are likely to be passengers already on your flight.

One way is to call SWA and ask if your flight is continuing, and how many stops it makes before it arrives at your airport. If for some reason that doesn't work for you, you can use the Flight Status feature on the website. This tool only shows same-day flights, so you need to do the check on the same day of the week that you will be flying (Saturday, for example. The routing for a given flight number is always the same on the same day of the week). Put in the flight number and the arriving airport, which is your airport. It will tell you where the flight is coming from. If it tells you that the info isn't available, then the flight originates at your airport.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Don't be crushed if you get a B pass. We just flew SW 2 days ago from Niagara Falls (Buffalo) and got B's for the 1st time. We were so busy sightseeing I wasn't thinking of the 24 hr. mark for our return flight. I ended up checking in about 6 hrs prior to flight. We weren't even in the front of the B line, probably about 12th and there were still about 4-5 empty rows in the back of the plane. There was not a single unsold seat and the last pax to get on were a mom and little girl. The FA asked if anyone would change seats so they could be together and someone volunteered. I've never had a B in MCO so it may be different there, many more young children. Good luck!

 

[Pinnie]

I flew once from BNA to DTW with a "B" boarding pass and stll snagged a seat in the EXIT ROW!

pinnie

 

[DJNOWICK]

I just flew BWI to Phoenix and return and the last to board was a family of 4, incl 2 small kids -- the FA offered free drinks to anyone who gave up 2 adjoining seats to accomodate them.


Jackie