SWA CC and Early Boarding

[SleepyDeb]

I have a SWA credit card and get 2 free EB per year. SW told me that I just buy the EB and then I get reimbursed. Anyone know how I get reimbursed? What do I need to do to get that done? I haven't purchased the EB yet.

 

[FCDub]

It’s automatically refunded on your statement

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just to clarify it's not early boarding it's Early Bird Check In (EBCI). This in no way gets you onto the plane faster just by purchasing this. It's about your boarding position.

EBCI assigns you a boarding position 36 hours in advance. However A-List and A-List Preferred get higher priority and are ineligible to purchase EBCI as it comes with the perk (irrespective of the fare purchased). Those with Anytime Fares gets EBCI automatically included now in the fare and thus are ineligible to purchase EBCI. Anytime Fares were and still are now ahead of WGA fares (WGA+ and WGA) in terms of EBCI.

Customers who purchase Business Select are ineligible to purchase EBCI as they are already given boarding positions A1-A15.

Even when purchasing EBCI (or having a fare that comes with it or status that comes with it) you will still need to physically check in for your flight.

This is a common oops in terminology but just trying to set your expectations. Early/Pre-Board) is very different than Early Bird Check-In.

 

[SleepyDeb]

Thank you. That was a typo.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Just to be clear, are you asking about upgraded boarding positions you get free with Southwest credit card?
That's not EB exactly
At least not as I have used it personally. What I have with the credit card is when I check in, if I get a late boarding position, I pay for A1-15 boarding and that gets refunded.
I've never seen them offer free EB as in what you buy when you buy your ticket (if that's what you are asking about)
It's 2 different things. Now they may offer free EB and upgraded boarding both, I'm not sure.
I just want to be certain you purchase the right thing based on what is offered free

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just to be clear, are you asking about upgraded boarding positions you get free with Southwest credit card?
That's not EB exactly
At least not as I have used it personally. What I have with the credit card is when I check in, if I get a late boarding position, I pay for A1-15 boarding and that gets refunded.
I've never seen them offer free EB as in what you buy when you buy your ticket (if that's what you are asking about)
It's 2 different things. Now they may offer free EB and upgraded boarding both, I'm not sure.
I just want to be certain you purchase the right thing based on what is offered free

They mentioned 2 EB, the SWA Premier CC gets 2 EBCI per year but not Upgraded Boarding. The SWA Priority CC gets you 4 Upgraded Boarding per year but not EBCI.

We have the Premier one personally speaking and have used the EBCI reimbursement on it.

 

[DVC-Don]

I get 4 upgraded boarding positions per calendar year. Purchase at the gate, if any openings in A-1 to A-15 you pay $40 and then get a $40 credit on our next CC statement.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Purchase at the gate,

As an FYI they recently added the functionality to purchase via the app. Expect more sell outs (and it appears to be working that way).

 

[Ralph&Pam]

As an FYI they recently added the functionality to purchase via the app. Expect more sell outs (and it appears to be working that way).

And I saw that it was $60 extra pp for A1-A15 boarding when I used the app to print our boarding passes for a flight tomorrow morning. That would have been on top of the EBCI fees of $20 pp that I paid at the time I booked. EBCI gave us B4 and B5, booking the day flights became available.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

And I saw that it was $60 extra pp for A1-A15 boarding when I used the app to print our boarding passes for a flight tomorrow morning. That would have been on top of the EBCI fees of $20 pp that I paid at the time I booked. EBCI gave us B4 and B5, booking the day flights became available.

Yes it's always been variable in pricing just like EBCI has been for a while. I bet you Upgraded Boarding will stay high with the app integration like it seems EBCI has gotten and people probably will pay even at the $60.

 

[EACarlson]

Yes it's always been variable in pricing just like EBCI has been for a while. I bet you Upgraded Boarding will stay high with the app integration like it seems EBCI has gotten and people probably will pay even at the $60.

I have a flight on Tuesday that I did not buy EBCI for. I'll see what I get when checking in at T24 and then if I get anything below Mid B I'll try to pay for upgraded, and probably buy EBCI for the return. I'm hoping the Christmas meltdown caused a lot of people to rethink their trip and the flight won't be very full.