Southwest pre-boarding and early bird check in

[JustineMarie]

Hello All!

My husband and I are taking both of our mothers with us to Disney World at the end of this month. It will be the two of them, my husband, me and my two girls. My girls are 14 and 17 if that makes a difference.

Anyway, I bought early bird check in for my husband and myself and did not for my daughters or the mother's. My mom is in a wheelchair and my mother in law walks with a cane and slowly at that, so I actually may get her a wheelchair at the airport to make things easier for her. She's stubborn though so she may not allow it. I figured that both the girls would just board with their grandmothers as their companions and then my husband and I would board with the regular boarding but now Im thinking that maybe I should have bought my girls early bird check in too, just in case they aren't able to board with them.

I have no problem paying for the EBCI at all! I just didn't want to spend $50 if it wasn't needed!

So, My question is, should I buy EBCI for my daughters or should I leave it as is?

Thanks!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Unless the mother's are otherwise incapacitated, they don't actually need co-boarders. The airline employees will take the wheelchair(s) down the getaway.

You should purchase EBCI for everyone who doesn't need to preboard.

 

[JustineMarie]

Thank you! I ended up calling Southwest and asked what I should do and they told me that there was no reason to purchase the EBCI for my girls since my mother and mother in law are pre boarding and they will be their companions. Also they said they always let companions board with pre-boarders to help with the pre-boarders bags and getting them belted in. So I feel better now.

 

[georgina]

Thanks for the update. I was just having this discussion yesterday with my SIL as she and MIL are flying SW today. She did check them both in and get A boarding passes, though she wasn't sure if she would need to worry about an A pass for herself or could board with her mom.

 

[bookgirl]

Agree that they let one companion board with a pre-boarder. I've never had SW say otherwise. Even had one tell the third person in a party of three to go ahead and board as well.

With your configuration I would not buy EBCI for the girls.

We have a family friend who travels with us and we always send my step dad on with her because he has had knee surgery and really does need more time and less crowded boarding, but he hates asking to pre-board since you can't really see his problem (he has a slight limp when he's tired or he's walked to much but mostly he's just slow and it's hard for him to get himself seated and get his knee in a position that protects it).

If it's just us I buy EBCI for us all, it's just easier than fighting with him.

 

[goofy4tink]

Agree that they let one companion board with a pre-boarder. I've never had SW say otherwise. Even had one tell the third person in a party of three to go ahead and board as well.

With your configuration I would not buy EBCI for the girls.

We have a family friend who travels with us and we always send my step dad on with her because he has had knee surgery and really does need more time and less crowded boarding, but he hates asking to pre-board since you can't really see his problem (he has a slight limp when he's tired or he's walked to much but mostly he's just slow and it's hard for him to get himself seated and get his knee in a position that protects it).

If it's just us I buy pre-board for us all, it's just easier than fighting with him.

Just a technical point here....you can't buy pre-boarding with SW. If you have any type issue that necessitates you taking more time to board, then you are considered a 'medical preboard'. As stated above, you are allowed a companion to board with you to help you get situated. The only 'extra' you would buy, with SW, is EBCI, which gets you checked in at the 36 hr window, vs the 24 hr window.
Just wanted to be sure there were no misunderstandings.

 

[bookgirl]

Just a technical point here....you can't buy pre-boarding with SW. If you have any type issue that necessitates you taking more time to board, then you are considered a 'medical preboard'. As stated above, you are allowed a companion to board with you to help you get situated. The only 'extra' you would buy, with SW, is EBCI, which gets you checked in at the 36 hr window, vs the 24 hr window.
Just wanted to be sure there were no misunderstandings.

I meant I buy EBCI for all three of us not per board.

 

[seashoreCM]

... he has had knee surgery and really does need more time and less crowded boarding, but he hates asking to pre-board since you can't really see his problem (he has a slight limp when he's tired or he's walked to much but mostly he's just slow and it's hard for him to get himself seated and get his knee in a position that protects it) ...

Let him know in advance that he is the donor of the favor and the airline will be the recipient of the favor. Then he will feel more at ease asking. What he says to the gate agent should still be in the form of a question.

The sooner the gate agent and flight crew are advised of persons who need more time to board the easier it is for the crew to customize the boarding order to speed up the total boarding.