Southwest Newbie

[richmo]

Love Southwest!!! I always do the check in for our flight down myself, exactly at the 24 hour mark. ...However, I do always pay for the early bird check in for the return flight. I just don't want to worry about it while in a park or at dinner or whatever. Just leave it to them to do the return check in. You can then stop by the concierge desk at your resort and they'll print your boarding passes. Super easy.

I get it since you've got a couple kids to account for. My kids are older, so it wouldn't kill us if we had to sit apart for a couple hours.

Anyway, I've never bothered with EBCI for the return trip and we haven't had a problem sitting together. For one, I'm pretty good about making sure I still check in wherever I happen to be, which is usually wandering around a park. However, I'm not nearly as precise about exactly hitting the 24 hour mark coming home, but I'm usually within 5 or 10 minutes. Still, I've been getting decent boarding positions (usually early B's) because I think most people coming from Orlando are in the same position...they're not at their home computer waiting to jump in, but are out and about so the boarding pass competition isn't quite as intense.

 

[philharmagic fan]

We have never flown out of Rochester either. What was your experience with the airport as far as parking, security, etc?

Hi - I fly Rochester to Orlando on Southwest 6-8 times per year. For parking, I recommend one of the shuttle lots - there's one on the left (the Yellow lot) as you approach the terminal on the airport road, currently $7.50 per day, and one (Red lot) across Brooks Ave. that's slightly cheaper. Shuttle drivers watch where you park and come pick you up at your car; when you return, there's a bus shelter (with heat lamp) just outside from baggage claim with an intercom so you can call and request a pick-up; they will drive you right to your car, and sometimes they ask me if I want help shoveling out or scraping my windshield. If you plan to use a skycap, ask to be dropped off at the center door, not at Southwest. I now have TSA Precheck but never waited more than perhaps 10 minutes for regular security.

 

[Laura Kelly]

Anyone flown SW out of Dallas Love field airport? I've gone out of Dallas FW but not love field, how was your experience??