SW Early Bird Check In necessary?

[kristenrice]

I only purchase it for our return flight. I don't want to worry about checking in at the 24-hour mark while we are in the park. My sister forgot to do it last year and ended up with "C" passes. Fortunately, she'd purchased it for her husband and DD5 and they got late-A passes. She boarded with her DD2 (who was still in her car seat) in family boarding so it all worked out OK.

 

[Rhody Red]

We get the Early Bird Check-In for both our Flights. It just makes things easier for the 4 of us. I'm pretty sure we'd be okay without paying the extra $100 because we split up between aisles (only 3 Seats per row, obviously wouldn't work for 4 of us). I sit with our Daughter, Husband sits with our Son. You'll get Family Boarding with your 3-year-old, but if you want the added security of getting the row of Seats together, it's definitely worth it. Your Resort also checks you in for your return flights, and we've found that our boarding positions are pretty much the same as our arriving positions. Good luck!

 

[jayhawk74]

I have seen them limit Family boarding to child and immediate family only. No aunts, adult siblings, or grandparents. Mom, Dad, Kid and young siblings.

Family Boarding doesn't include aunts, adult siblings, or grandparents. It only includes Mom, Dads, and children IF one of the children is 4 years old or younger. So when you say Family Boarding was limited to child and immediate family only it was just being properly enforced.

 

[bookgirl]

Family Boarding doesn't include aunts, adult siblings, or grandparents. It only includes Mom, Dads, and children IF one of the children is 4 years old or younger. So when you say Family Boarding was limited to child and immediate family only it was just being properly enforced.

That's what I meant, that I have seen them enforce the letter of the policy. I've also seen them let grandparents board as well, and they do it enough for people to think it is allowed.

 

[vicarrieous]

Can you clarify the policy for Family Boarding? A Southwest rep said our entire family (mom, dad, 5 year old, 2 year old) would ALL get to board with family boarding, while a few other posters and policies I have read seem to say one individual with a child under 4. Thoughts?

 

[bookgirl]

Can you clarify the policy for Family Boarding? A Southwest rep said our entire family (mom, dad, 5 year old, 2 year old) would ALL get to board with family boarding, while a few other posters and policies I have read seem to say one individual with a child under 4. Thoughts?

It depends on the amount of family's who want to use family boarding. If it's a not so crowded flight then they will let the immediate family board and maybe even one or two family memebers like grandparents. But if it's a crowded flight with many families that might make the B passes a disadvantage (plus there are often EBC folks in the B's), then they will go very strict and in some cases only let the under 4 (not 4, but UNDER 4) and one parent board and the rest of the family will have to board with their pass letter/number.

The flight I was on coming back from WDW last year had a plane change in either Atlanta or St Louis (can't remember) but when A lined up about 30 or so people, maybe more as you couldn't see the little ones, went to line up in the preboard section, Parents, kids, strollers, grandparents, older siblings, etc. The agent took one look at them and announced that there would be no family boarding for this flight and that families needed to go line up with their boarding pass number. The people still seating (probably B's) looked very relieved. In that case they could have just said the small child and one adult but I think they just didn't want to argue with people about why they needed both parents or older kids to board with them.

 

[Nohal]

Have peace of mind and book it for your return flight. This way you won't have to check in at 24hr while you are in the parks. I wouldn't bother on the way to MCO and just use family boarding but would still check in at the 24hr mark just in case they don't allow it. After all most people going to MCO are families going on vacation with little ones.

 

[FreeTime]

We always purchase EBCI and our kids are 14 and 15. We purchase it so we don't have to worry about checking in during the last rush day at work and we don't have to remember to do so during the last park day. Even with EBCI we often don't sit together. We all want an aisle seat. Sometimes we are adjacent, sometimes not. Don't flame me by saying with EBCI we should take up one row and one aisle please. When you pay for it, you get to choose your seat. It doesn't say you have to choose them together. Also, we did have C passes one time from MCO with EBCI purchase. So I would definitely purchase it on the return in hopes of getting an A or B.

 

[buzz2400]

What is the normal procedure, A's, then family boarding and wheelchairs, B's and then C's. Also if I bought the early bird for just me coming home, can I save seats for my son and his girlfriend so that we can sit together. We would still check in 24 hours in advance since they both have their cell phones so we would most likely get in the middle B's.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Can you clarify the policy for Family Boarding? A Southwest rep said our entire family (mom, dad, 5 year old, 2 year old) would ALL get to board with family boarding, while a few other posters and policies I have read seem to say one individual with a child under 4. Thoughts?

You can check the official policy on Southwest's website. Whether or not it is enforced on your flight will depend on the gate agents.

 

[tjmw2727]

Can you clarify the policy for Family Boarding? A Southwest rep said our entire family (mom, dad, 5 year old, 2 year old) would ALL get to board with family boarding, while a few other posters and policies I have read seem to say one individual with a child under 4. Thoughts?

The SWA website is actually very user friendly - check out the section called "boarding school". It clearly states "An adult traveling with a child four years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If the child and the adult are both holding an “A” boarding pass, they should both board with the “A” boarding group"
https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-experience/boarding-your-flight/index.html

If I were in that position I would be prepared to separate and decide which adult would board with the 2 year old if they hold fast to the above, that person should have everything the 2yo will need for the duration of the flight in case your separated. IMHO I would have the 5yo carry his/her own backpack with whaty they will need for the flight. I am sure SWA will make sure they are seated with an adult but depending on your boarding position you may or may not all be sitting together. When my kids were that age I was prepared for everything!

 

[tjmw2727]

What is the normal procedure, A's, then family boarding and wheelchairs, B's and then C's. Also if I bought the early bird for just me coming home, can I save seats for my son and his girlfriend so that we can sit together. We would still check in 24 hours in advance since they both have their cell phones so we would most likely get in the middle B's.

Again the SWA website is the best resource on this - I posted the link above.

But in my experience they board wheelchair/extra assistance passengers, Business Select, A listers, A boarding group, Family Boarding, B, C -

If you purchase EBCI you get automatically checked in T36 and a higher boarding position than those who don't (not always A position ). Seat saving is highly debated but SWA has no official policy on this so the FA won't stop you from trying but if someone wants the seats you are trying to save and decides to sit there they won't interfere. Your best bet to accomplish this would be toward the very back of the aircraft.