SWA 24-hour check-in - A's getting snapped up!

[DrTomorrow]

Greetings!

Just a quick data point & comment. We fly out of Phoenix tomorrow (WOO HOO - 6 nights at WDW!) at 8:25 AM. This morning I waited until 8:25 on my PC clock, then checked in online. My pass was #22, DW's pass was #24 - yes they were "A" passes, but when I used to log in at midnight, I'd get single digits, usually under 5.

While I am thankful that I don't have to wait until midnight tonight then get up 5 hours later, I was amazed that there were that many people who got there ahead of me today. I'm guessing that it is either those companies that will check in for you or some kind of automated system that can glom a bunch at once.

Be well!

 

[Gary M]

Last Friday morning we were in Las Vegas and went to the desk at The Mandalay Bay for our SWA boarding passes for the next day. We were there a few minutes before the 24 hours. The person at the desk started getting our boarding passes at 10:25 am which was 24 hours before our departure time. We got numbers 45, 46, 47 and 48. The 45 was an A and the other 3 were B's. As DrTomorrow said people are using the computer to their advantage now.

 

[Braque]

Is it possible that there is an advance window of 5-15 mintes before your 24 hour point to log in and get your pass? Has anyone been successful in getting a boarding pass more than 24 hours in advance? I was hoping that I would not have to cut it so close, especially with the hotel concierge helping us.

 

[Lewisc]

Last Friday morning we were in Las Vegas and went to the desk at The Mandalay Bay for our SWA boarding passes for the next day. We were there a few minutes before the 24 hours. The person at the desk started getting our boarding passes at 10:25 am which was 24 hours before our departure time. We got numbers 45, 46, 47 and 48. The 45 was an A and the other 3 were B's. As DrTomorrow said people are using the computer to their advantage now.

It's 24 hours from your first flight. Passengers that connect from other cities have 24 hours from the date of their first flight. Many of those 44 passengers may have been able to get their BP an hour or more before you. Your flight may have originated in another city. All those passengers were able to get BP in advance as could any passenger that arrived to LAS in order to connect with your flight.

 

[owtrbnks]

Like Lewisc pointed out, if you are boarding a flight that is a continuation from another city, you could log on 24 hrs. prior to your depature and get BP#137 if there were 136 thru or connecting passengers.
It's only if you are boarding the flight in the origination city that the BP numbers start at 1.
I'll always remember the time a got a "C" BP. All the people in the front of the plane got to MCO before me!

 

[Bobb-O]

Its the Good, The Bad and the Ugly of Southwest

Good- Cheap Fares (usually) or least as good as other carriers and very easy to get an A or B BP.

Bad - No assigned seats

Ugly - All those people that go to the gate and stand or sit there about one hour before boarding to get the good seats.

Reality Check - If you have an A or B and are a group of two or three you will get seats together so let them all stand there 1 hour ahead while you sit and watch a movie on the laptop and get on towards the end of the group. If you have a C bp it shouldn't be that bad to find two seats together except if you are one of the last to board.

I remember a story I read about getting a child a very large and messy ice cream cone before getting on a plane then see who changes seats with you.

 

[chasbos]

OK, I think I learned something new today - and that is always a good thing!

My family is flying to Seattle from Detroit with a change of planes in Chicago. Now when I go online 24 hours before my flight to print off our boarding passes, I am going to be able to print off all 12 of them? (there are 6 of us flying)

Now that would be very convenient considering we fly on July 2 and July 1 is Canada Day and I really wanted to get some golfing in that day!

Thanks for the info!

 

[Perdita&Pongo]

Like Lewisc pointed out, if you are boarding a flight that is a continuation from another city, you could log on 24 hrs. prior to your depature and get BP#137 if there were 136 thru or connecting passengers.
It's only if you are boarding the flight in the origination city that the BP numbers start at 1.
I'll always remember the time a got a "C" BP. All the people in the front of the plane got to MCO before me!

Is there any way to determine if my flight originates in Chicago or if it is continuing on from someplace else?

 

[salmoneous]

Bobb-O,

Let me disagree slightly. Personally, I find Southwest's lack of assigned seats to be one of their best features. It opens up the best seats for me and, most importantly, it allows me to pick who I sit near.

On Southwest, I avoid the screaming babies. I avoid the seat-kicking 4-year olds. I avoid the 300 pounders. I avoid the huge pack of teenage girls (not that there is anything wrong with being any of the above - just that I will enjoy my flight more not sitting next to you.)

 

[ptmmg]

Let me disagree slightly. Personally, I find Southwest's lack of assigned seats to be one of their best features. It opens up the best seats for me and, most importantly, it allows me to pick who I sit near.

On Southwest, I avoid the screaming babies. I avoid the seat-kicking 4-year olds. I avoid the 300 pounders. I avoid the huge pack of teenage girls (not that there is anything wrong with being any of the above - just that I will enjoy my flight more not sitting next to you.)

LOL I guess I don't have to worry about you near me or my screaming 2yo, my kicking 4yo or my 2 teenagers, never mind my large dh!!!!!

 

[CarolA]

Deleted, because I was having a brain dump!

 

[kstinw19]

Bobb-O,

Let me disagree slightly. Personally, I find Southwest's lack of assigned seats to be one of their best features. It opens up the best seats for me and, most importantly, it allows me to pick who I sit near.

On Southwest, I avoid the screaming babies. I avoid the seat-kicking 4-year olds. I avoid the 300 pounders. I avoid the huge pack of teenage girls (not that there is anything wrong with being any of the above - just that I will enjoy my flight more not sitting next to you.)

Believe me...I wouldn't sit next to my screaming baby or my seat-kicking 4 year old either if I didn't have to...

But you really can't avoid the 300 pounder...they could always get on after you...

 

[Bobb-O]

switching no assigned seats from bad to good. Although some people do not like it it was only a stretch. There has to be something bad about SW. Annoying FA's maybe? NO just kidding FA's. Hmmm. is nothing bad about SW?

 

[tmt martins]

My paintball team was flying to MCO a few years ago on SW from BWI.We always go right to the back of the plain as we can get a bit noisy (9-15 of us).

So we see this mom draging this kid on almost last one to board middle seats only .She's asking people to move and nobody's moving.My buddy starts to put up his hand to offer our seats and I tell him no wait they will give you some free drikes when the attendants get involved.

Well this very nicely dressed man says to the MOM maybe you should show up a bit earlier next time.The MOM plops the kid down next to him turns around just as a man boards and says HONNY I found some one who wants to help did Johnny take his meds. And off to the front she goes.

We get our FA attention and tell her they can have our 3 seats and she smiles and says OH NO I want to see how this plays out.

The guy gets up without saying a word and goes and sits in a middle seat about 3 rows back.We started laughing with the FA so bad I almost wet my self.The poor lady at the window seat then gets up and moves and here's this poor little boy sitting all alone .FA finnally goes up and gets MOM & DAD and we never stopped laughing the entire flight.


I love the cattle call lines as DW is not a very good flyer so if we ever got split up it would just be 2 hours of rest for me.DD is OK but someone will get up when she starts talking away.

 

[lovesdumbo]

Is it possible that there is an advance window of 5-15 mintes before your 24 hour point to log in and get your pass? Has anyone been successful in getting a boarding pass more than 24 hours in advance? I was hoping that I would not have to cut it so close, especially with the hotel concierge helping us.

I recently was thinking my flight was 10:05 but it was really 10:10. I tried at 10:08 and it didn't work-even when my PC said 10:10 it didn't work. So I'd say it is exactly 24 hours ahead. I didn't realize it gave you a number. I'll have to notice next time.

 

[Tink9748]

My paintball team was flying to MCO a few years ago on SW from BWI.We always go right to the back of the plain as we can get a bit noisy (9-15 of us).

So we see this mom draging this kid on almost last one to board middle seats only .She's asking people to move and nobody's moving.My buddy starts to put up his hand to offer our seats and I tell him no wait they will give you some free drikes when the attendants get involved.

Well this very nicely dressed man says to the MOM maybe you should show up a bit earlier next time.The MOM plops the kid down next to him turns around just as a man boards and says HONNY I found some one who wants to help did Johnny take his meds. And off to the front she goes.

We get our FA attention and tell her they can have our 3 seats and she smiles and says OH NO I want to see how this plays out.

The guy gets up without saying a word and goes and sits in a middle seat about 3 rows back.We started laughing with the FA so bad I almost wet my self.The poor lady at the window seat then gets up and moves and here's this poor little boy sitting all alone .FA finnally goes up and gets MOM & DAD and we never stopped laughing the entire flight.


I love the cattle call lines as DW is not a very good flyer so if we ever got split up it would just be 2 hours of rest for me.DD is OK but someone will get up when she starts talking away.

That is priceless Serves the man right for being so mean. I wish I would have been on that flight to see it play out.

 

[salmoneous]

But you really can't avoid the 300 pounder...they could always get on after you...

That's why, on full flights, I think the best time to board is at the end of the A's. Instead of picking an empty row to sit it, sit by people that are already seated (Which also emphasizes Bobb-O's point - why the heck are those people waiting in the A line?)

Anyway, I think the system works out for everybody. Because people will self-select, if there are a few open seats, they are likely to be next to the larger guys.

 

[georgina]

Greetings!

Just a quick data point & comment. We fly out of Phoenix tomorrow (WOO HOO - 6 nights at WDW!) at 8:25 AM. This morning I waited until 8:25 on my PC clock, then checked in online. My pass was #22, DW's pass was #24 - yes they were "A" passes, but when I used to log in at midnight, I'd get single digits, usually under 5.

While I am thankful that I don't have to wait until midnight tonight then get up 5 hours later, I was amazed that there were that many people who got there ahead of me today. I'm guessing that it is either those companies that will check in for you or some kind of automated system that can glom a bunch at once.

Be well!

Thanks for the alert - I will be sure to check in at the 24 hour mark. With 5 of us flying, we don't all have to sit together, but would prefer to be within shouting distance.

Should I assume a 7:45 PM flight from PIT to MCO would have originated somewhere else, I wonder?

 

[NotUrsula]

To find out if a SWA flight is a continuing flight leg, you can use the flight status feature of their web page. To be sure that it is accurate, check on the same day of the week that your own flight will be on, ex. Monday. (The feature shows status only for flights scheduled on the day you are looking.)

Input the flight number and the arrival airport (which would be your departure airport), ostensibly checking to see if the scheduled arrival is on time. It will either show you where it left from, or it will error, which means that there is no service on that flight number INTO your airport, which would mean that your airport is the originating airport for that flight.

 

[NotUrsula]

To find out if a SWA flight is a continuing flight leg, you can use the flight status feature of their web page. To be sure that it is accurate, check on the same day of the week that your own flight will be on, ex. Monday. (The feature shows status only for flights scheduled on the day you are looking.)

Input the flight number and the arrival airport (which would be your departure airport), ostensibly checking to see if the scheduled arrival is on time. It will either show you where it left from, or it will error, which means that there is no service on that flight number INTO your airport, which would mean that your airport is the originating airport for that flight.

Be aware that some SWA flights are so-called "milk runs" that may make more than two stops. You can find out if yours is one of them by continuing to use the flight tracker to track backward, checking the arrival time into the airport that it will leave from to head to your airport, and then the one it left from to get there, etc.