SW and early bird option.....

[edk35]

OKay we have not flown to Disney since spring of 2013. We have been driving....however we are flying out of BWI in MD on the 18th. My guess is that "A" boarding is impossible to get with this new option.....AM I CORRECT?? I am debating on whether to pay for this new service or not.

ALSO, my 16 year old son has a peanut allergy (as do all three of my kids) and "usually" we have boarded early to be able to wipe down tray tops and all. I am assuming because of his age that they might let him board ahead without myself or my husband. Does anyone know if they let all guests traveling together.... board together still? The last time we flew it was my daughter who was 22 and he was 13 and we all three boarded together. I don't want to pay 37.50 if we were all allowed to board together.

 

[Allison]

Are you talking about EBCI being new? It is not a new option. People buy EBCI to get the best position they can which means they are hoping for A boarding but it certainly goes into B. Are you flying the 18th of this month? If so and you purchase EBCI, you will probably be towards the back of that group and could end up with B boarding. It just depends on how many bought EBCI and how many are on the plane in total.

 

[ToddyLu]

We always purchase it for the simple reason we do not have to be on a computer to check in at the 24 hour mark with SW. Those that check in at the 24 mark get the best boarding positions...with EBCI they automatically check you in at 36 hours. I can tell you on a Friday flight from MCO to MSY ( New Orleans) you want EBCI because those flights are always booked solid. It gives us a small edge. If the flight you are leaving on is a connecting flight then there may be passengers allowed to stay on the plane taking up those seats. With a holiday fast approaching it would be worth it to me to have it for security and convienence of not having to check in at 24 hours while I am vacationing. I would at least get it for the return trip. DH and I have always had consecutive numbers like A30 and A31. A group is not gauranteed but it is a little security. SW experts would be better able to tell you if the Holiday crowd would have already purchased many of the EBCI positions. IDK?!?

 

[edk35]

Are you talking about EBCI being new? It is not a new option. People buy EBCI to get the best position they can which means they are hoping for A boarding but it certainly goes into B. Are you flying the 18th of this month? If so and you purchase EBCI, you will probably be towards the back of that group and could end up with B boarding. It just depends on how many bought EBCI and how many are on the plane in total.

I don't recall SW having this in 2013 but maybe they did. So I should have already booked this option because people are "already ahead of me"??

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

You can all board together, in the group of the last person. So you could buy EBCi for just your son, but he would have to board by himself and potentially have to deal with saving seats, something that can get awkward. Even if you all board in B, just walk to the back and take a moment or 2 to wipe down the surfaces your son could come in contact with.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I don't recall SW having this in 2013 but maybe they did. So I should have already booked this option because people are "already ahead of me"??

Yes. EBCI is based on when you purchase EBCI and they don't cap how many can get it. So anyone who has purchased it before now will be ahead of you in EBCI payment order. EBCI has been around for a while, but it is getting more and more popular.

 

[sam_gordon]

Is the best case for the OP to have her DS go as a "medical preboard" and wipe down his immediate area (assuming he can do so himself)?

If he picks a seat toward the back of the plane and sits in the aisle, there's a pretty good chance one of you will at least be able to sit in the middle seat beside him if you check in right at 24 hours.

 

[Allison]

Just as an fyi for anyone who may be interested, EBCI started in 2009.

 

[edk35]

Just as an fyi for anyone who may be interested, EBCI started in 2009.

Had NO idea. I guess because we always boarded early with peanut allergic kids.....

 

[edk35]

Is the best case for the OP to have her DS go as a "medical preboard" and wipe down his immediate area (assuming he can do so himself)?

If he picks a seat toward the back of the plane and sits in the aisle, there's a pretty good chance one of you will at least be able to sit in the middle seat beside him if you check in right at 24 hours.

True......and yes he could wipe things down.

 

[nkereina]

Is the best case for the OP to have her DS go as a "medical preboard" and wipe down his immediate area (assuming he can do so himself)?

If he picks a seat toward the back of the plane and sits in the aisle, there's a pretty good chance one of you will at least be able to sit in the middle seat beside him if you check in right at 24 hours.

This is what I was going to say. In the case of medical pre-boards, do they allow one companion to board with you? If so, maybe OP can board with her son and allow her husband to check-in at the 24 hour mark without EBCI. Highly doubtful someone will take their middle seat before the husband boards, if he checks in at the 24 hour mark.

But if they don't allow someone to board with the medical pre-board, I still think chances are good you'll get to sit together if you check-in at the 24 hour mark if he sits near the back.

 

[hsmamato2]

just be aware that SWA hands out little bags of peanuts on every flight.....I don't know how allergic your ds is, but they do.

 

[dancin Disney style]

just be aware that SWA hands out little bags of peanuts on every flight.....I don't know how allergic your ds is, but they do.

I've been on many SW flights that they only gave out crackers.....no peanuts. Just as many with peanuts. I think it depends on what they have onboard but also if they are made aware of nut allergies. I have been on board when they announced that a passenger had a nut allergy and they asked others to refrain from consuming nut products.

I agree with the others, ask for a medical preboard. They do allow one companion with that person. If your DS is allergic I would be inclined to do the wiping down for him...not allowing him to touch anything. Also, make sure the ground agents are made aware of the allergy. They can have the crew and/or cleaners pre clean an area for your family. The last thing they want is for a passenger to go into anaphylaxis while airborne.

 

[gwynne]

just be aware that SWA hands out little bags of peanuts on every flight.....I don't know how allergic your ds is, but they do.

As mentioned above, if someone tells the gate agent they have a nut allergy, they make announcements and stock the plane with pretzels.

 

[nkereina]

Yep - I was just on a flight last week where the flight attendant announced before take-off that a peanut allergy was onboard and asked everyone to refrain from taking out any peanut products. We got a snack mix with pretzels and crackers instead of peanuts that flight.

 

[kamik86]

If someone has a medical preboard they are allowed one companion always. Sometimes they will allow 2 if tht means the whole party is together, or more if it would cause an issue (example say mom was injured and on crutches, Dad needs to be companion to help her with bags, if they had two small children they would be boarded too, because no one is going to want to leave a 4 year old in the terminal alone.

So in your case two can board early due to the allergy. At that point just sit window and aisle after wiping down and most likely you will be able to keep the middle seat. Since you only have three people you should be fine. If someone asks about the middle seat say you were hoping to save it for your husband and most will move on. Just know there is a chance someone could cause a fuss and sit there anyway.

 

[edk35]

I've been on many SW flights that they only gave out crackers.....no peanuts. Just as many with peanuts. I think it depends on what they have onboard but also if they are made aware of nut allergies. I have been on board when they announced that a passenger had a nut allergy and they asked others to refrain from consuming nut products.

I agree with the others, ask for a medical preboard. They do allow one companion with that person. If your DS is allergic I would be inclined to do the wiping down for him...not allowing him to touch anything. Also, make sure the ground agents are made aware of the allergy. They can have the crew and/or cleaners pre clean an area for your family. The last thing they want is for a passenger to go into anaphylaxis while airborne.

I called SW this morning and made sure the peanut allergy was listed. I have always boarded with him so I usually wipe down the stuff. Then again when all 5 of us fly together and 3 out of the 5 are allergic our entire family boarded early. I was not sure if they allowed it because there was three with the allergy and therefore they let us all go early. Of course he is capable but I like to wipe stuff down before he touches anything. I have never been on a SW flight with any of my peanut allergic kids where they served peanuts, but we have seen them on the floor from previous flights. I konw if you take the first flight out you will have a completely clean plane. They usually make an announcement too. I always have the epi pens and benadryl pills too.

 

[FreeTime]

There is not a guarantee that the first flight out means a clean plane. They don't clean every plane from top to bottom every night. I always take the first flight out and frequently find used napkins and other trash in the seat pockets.

Since you don't want to pay for ebci and you don't have a tong child, I am not quite sure I understand why all three must sit together. I would have one adult preboard to help clean (what will your son so when he flies alone someday?) and the other adult sit where they can.

 

[edk35]

There is not a guarantee that the first flight out means a clean plane. They don't clean every plane from top to bottom every night. I always take the first flight out and frequently find used napkins and other trash in the seat pockets.

Since you don't want to pay for ebci and you don't have a tong child, I am not quite sure I understand why all three must sit together. I would have one adult preboard to help clean (what will your son so when he flies alone someday?) and the other adult sit where they can.

Every time we have flown SW and I call to make sure the "peanut allergy" did get added from me adding it online, they always say that we should try and travel on the first flight. Here is the info from their website: We suggest that Customers with peanut dust allergies book travel on early morning flights as our aircraft undergo a thorough cleaning only at the end of the day.

We also like to sit together because personally we don't want someone sitting next to him that might whip out a peanut candy or peanut product. It is just one more precaution. Can we always do that?? NO....one day he might travel alone just like our older son has done a few times and our daughter. She actually had someone sit next to her that had peanuts and she kindly asked the man if he could refrain from eating them while on the plane. He was very nice and didn't. However if at least ONE of us can board with him....that makes it easier to wipe down stuff fast as others are boarding. If my husband can't board then of course he will board when it's his time. If he can't sit with us, then if someone else sits there and they whip out peanuts we will hope they will be nice enough not to eat them too. My point about EBCI is I don't really want to pay for all 3 of us if they end up preboarding all of us anyway. In previous trips we always preboarded together. That is the point I made

 

[kamik86]

Every time we have flown SW and I call to make sure the "peanut allergy" did get added from me adding it online, they always say that we should try and travel on the first flight. Here is the info from their website: We suggest that Customers with peanut dust allergies book travel on early morning flights as our aircraft undergo a thorough cleaning only at the end of the day.

We also like to sit together because personally we don't want someone sitting next to him that might whip out a peanut candy or peanut product. It is just one more precaution. Can we always do that?? NO....one day he might travel alone just like our older son has done a few times and our daughter. She actually had someone sit next to her that had peanuts and she kindly asked the man if he could refrain from eating them while on the plane. He was very nice and didn't. However if at least ONE of us can board with him....that makes it easier to wipe down stuff fast as others are boarding. If my husband can't board then of course he will board when it's his time. If he can't sit with us, then if someone else sits there and they whip out peanuts we will hope they will be nice enough not to eat them too. My point about EBCI is I don't really want to pay for all 3 of us if they end up preboarding all of us anyway. In previous trips we always preboarded together. That is the point I made

I would think having just one person would give the protection of not having anyone next to him with peanuts. Him at the window you in the middle.

Yeah the person at the aisle could take out a bag, but so could the person sitting behind him and honestly that person is closer.