SW Early Bird

[joeathome167]

Hi all. Just curious. I was looking around the SW website and I saw an option of paying $10 per ticket to get 36 hour advance check in.

Has anyone used this service to ensure an early boarding pass. We leave for MCO from PVD Saturday morning and was wondering if I should do this. Do I still need to go on 24 hours ahead of time to print boarding pass so I can do curbside check in? Anyone have any info on this or better yet an experience of using it.

Thanks for the info.

 

[dburg30]

Here is a LONG thread about it, over 50 pages now
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2273607

All it is, in it's simpliest form, is they check you in before the t-24 crowd, they assign them starting at 36 hours before. Dont read more into it. Yes, you will get a better pass number then someone checking in at t-24, but you arent promised or guaranteed an "A" pass, although IMO until lots start using it, you probably will get one. You can print out your boarding pass at home, at the airport, where ever, after the t-24 time, it wont change what BP number you get.

 

[joeathome167]

Thanks. I searched Early Bird Check in and nothing came up. Can I do it now for coming home on the 13th of Dec. I am worried about getting checked in 24 hours out for getting home.

Did that make sense? I would be willing to pay $50 to make sure we are checked in for the return trip.

Thanks again.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Yes, you can sign up for it anytime before your flight. Just remember that others may have already purchased EBCI and passes are given in the order that people signed up for any given flight.

We used it in October for our flights to and from BWI. It was very nice not having to worry about being at a computer at T-24 or having someone do it from home. In my opinion, it was worth the extra $.

 

[joeathome167]

Do you suggest doing it or not. I am flying with a 4, 6 and 9 yr old. I worry a lot about flying SW and getting stuck sitting apart. Last time we got A30, 31 etc. and it worked fine. Now though, I'm worried a lot of people pay the extra $$. Any ideas?

 

[dburg30]

Do you suggest doing it or not. I am flying with a 4, 6 and 9 yr old. I worry a lot about flying SW and getting stuck sitting apart. Last time we got A30, 31 etc. and it worked fine. Now though, I'm worried a lot of people pay the extra $$. Any ideas?

How many other adults are going to be with you? You can board with the 4 year old, and the other 2 can board with you between A's and B's. Of course there are only 3 seats across, so I dont know if you were going to do the 3 of them, and then you on the aisle across, you and the 4 and 6 year old and the 9 year old across the aisle?

from SW's site..

An adult traveling with a child four years old or younger will board between the “A” and “B” boarding groups. If you have an “A” boarding pass, please feel free to board with that boarding group. With an all-jet fleet outfitted with comfortable, leather seats, our families with small children are easily accommodated together.

 

[joeathome167]

2 adults, so can we all board between A and B or just 1 adult and 4 yr old?

Also, our flight is Saturday. So I figure anyone doing EBCI has already done it and paying $50 now will do little good at this point. Do you agree? Thanks for the advise. Flying SW with kids makes me nuts.

 

[DebbieB]

2 adults, so can we all board between A and B or just 1 adult and 4 yr old?

Also, our flight is Saturday. So I figure anyone doing EBCI has already done it and paying $50 now will do little good at this point. Do you agree? Thanks for the advise. Flying SW with kids makes me nuts.

I wouldn't pay for it. I've never seen them restrict it to 1 adult with the 4 year old, it's the whole immediate family. They will sometimes restrict other family members - grandparents, aunts, etc.

For the return, you can get your boarding pass printed at any resort, park or Downtown Disney. You should be fine if you get A or B, it's usually the C's that split up.

 

[dburg30]

I wouldn't pay for it. I've never seen them restrict it to 1 adult with the 4 year old, it's the whole immediate family. They will sometimes restrict other family members - grandparents, aunts, etc.

For the return, you can get your boarding pass printed at any resort, park or Downtown Disney. You should be fine if you get A or B, it's usually the C's that split up.

Yep, I agree, dont pay for it. I just wanted, as this post points out, to make sure there werent 5 other adults . They will let 2 adults and all the kids board together. Save your money, or spend it on other fun stuff

 

[disneyfaninaz]

If I were you, I would check in at T-24 and hope to get A boarding passes. If you get B boarding passes, then you can board between the A's and B's. You shouldn't have any problem finding seats with at least 1 adult with each child sitting next to each other.

 

[disfan07]

We're doing it for our flight next week for 1 reason only:
because I am in class when our 24 hour mark comes up adn my mom always forgets to check in

If i was going to be home that morning i wouldnt do it. We've never not gotten an A boarding pass at the 24 hour mark

 

[joeathome167]

I decided to wait and check in at the 24hr. mark. However, I was just wondering how many people do pay $10 per tic to do EBCI. For 2 people it's just $20 but for four or five it gets pretty expensive. These are people trying to get the lowest fares, isn't that why they choose SW in the first place.

What percentage of SW flyers actually pay the fee?

SW advertises constantly that they have no fees. Seems funny to me.

Thanks to all for the advice.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's not a fee - you can choose to use this or not. That is not a fee - it's an option.

I don't use it but I'm flying alone.

If you're freaked out about checking in for the return trip at least it will take a load off your mind. But then your whole family can probably board with the four year old between A and B groups, if you do not get A passes. You shouldn't worry about a parent sitting near the children unless you get C passes.

The other set of passengers who might have problems are those who do not wish to sit in the back of the plane, which is where most of the seats together will be after the A group has boarded.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I dont' look at EBCI as a fee. I look at it as an opportunity cost and convenience of not having to check in at T-24 hours. I stress over things like that and it was much less stressful when we used it and therefore woth it.

 

[joeathome167]

Just checked in at 24 hour mark and got A34-38.

Glad I saved the $50.

Thanks for the info everyone.

23 hours and 51 minutes to takeoff.

 

[puffkin]

We checked in at 24 hours exactly and got B20-B25. It is me, DH, DS3, DN9 and my mom. I am going to have all of us except my mom preboard between A and B. Hopefully when my mom gets on there will still be a seat with us, if not she can sit by herself somewhere.