SWA checkin question

[fnkyyellow]

I hope someone can help, I don't know why I can't wrap my head around this!

When I booked our SWA flights, I had an option for an extra $10 to get an early check in. I didn't take the option at the time.

I called the airline yesterday, and she explained that for $10 they automatically check me in 36 hours before my flight. I think the alternative (for no extra money) is that I check myself in 24 hours in advance.

My real question/worry is how do I make sure that my family of 4 will be together? I'm sure I've heard/read somewhere that you have to check in early and that assigns your seat? Should I have paid the extra $?

Thanks for any input or experience with this!

 

[treehugnmama]

It is 10$ per person. We always fly southwest and I have never bought that and we have always sat together. At home I go on 24 hrs to the minute and do the pass and for the way home I go to the front dest whenever and get them to print it out for me. I just can't justify paying 80$ round trip. But then again I would rather split us 2 and to then pay the $80 for seat assignment. If I was to do it I would do it for way home only. If tou do your pass 24 hrs ahead you will not have a problem. Also if you have a child under 4 you get family boarding which is better yet

 

[mommyrosa2]

We fly SWA all the time and have never paid the $10 extra/pp. We always check-in 24 hrs. before the flt and have never been separated. When you print your boarding passes 24 hrs prior, you're given a boarding letter, ie: A, B, C, etc. You begin lining up on the day of your flight based on the letter you're given. With SWA, there are no seat assignments so basically you pick your own seats. The most important thing to remember is to check-in online 24 hrs before your scheduled departure and you should be fine. One more thing, if you have an infant or small child in a stroller, you will get priority boarding. They normally call business passengers, families with small children, and folks in wheelchairs to board first, then they begin boarding based on the letter you were assigned. Again, we've always gotten an A or B and have never had an issue choosing our seats together. We actually prefer SWA over any other airline!

 

[Jestocost]

They normally call business passengers, families with small children, and folks in wheelchairs to board first, then they begin boarding based on the letter you were assigned.

This is incorrect. Families with small children (four and under) board between the A and B groups. Medical preboards (with or without wheelchairs) and unaccompanied minors board first. After that comes the A group, with Business Select passengers in the A1-A15 spots.

It is unlikely that you will not be able to find at least two seats together at multiple locations around the plane as long as you have boarding numbers even well into the B group. There are certain airports--like Midway and BWI--where things can get a bit dicey, but for the most part checking in at 24 hours is sufficient.

If it is critical that your entire party sit together and/or that you get seats up close to the front of the plane, I would considering paying the $10 for EBCI and a lower boarding number than you would get at 24 hours. The biggest benefit to EBCI, IMO, is for the trip home so you don't have to worry about doing check in during the middle of your last day of vacation.

 

[mommyrosa2]

This is incorrect. Families with small children (four and under) board between the A and B groups. Medical preboards (with or without wheelchairs) and unaccompanied minors board first. After that comes the A group, with Business Select passengers in the A1-A15 spots.
It is unlikely that you will not be able to find at least two seats together at multiple locations around the plane as long as you have boarding numbers even well into the B group. There are certain airports--like Midway and BWI--where things can get a bit dicey, but for the most part checking in at 24 hours is sufficient.

If it is critical that your entire party sit together and/or that you get seats up close to the front of the plane, I would considering paying the $10 for EBCI and a lower boarding number than you would get at 24 hours. The biggest benefit to EBCI, IMO, is for the trip home so you don't have to worry about doing check in during the middle of your last day of vacation.

My apologies...I was commenting based on my experience just two weeks ago...you are correct that they boarded medical preboards first (with & w/out wheelchairs) but they then called families with small children before I was able to board and I had a business select seat in A. Not sure why but that's what happened.

 

[helenk]

My apologies...I was commenting based on my experience just two weeks ago...you are correct that they boarded medical preboards first (with & w/out wheelchairs) but they then called families with small children before I was able to board and I had a business select seat in A. Not sure why but that's what happened.

That is interesting, I have flown SW for nearly all of my flights, and since they made the change a few years ago regarding the family with small children, I have never been on a flight where they called the families before the A boarders.
I have flown out of MCO when there were so many families with young children that they advised they would not have them board after the A's but each family should board according to their boarding passes

 

[fnkyyellow]

Thanks to everyone who replied, I feel so much better now!

I don't know if I will be at our hotel the day before our flight exactly 24 hours before (which would be at 12:15 pm) to check in. It may be worth the $40 home to not worry about it while we are at WDW.

 

[maciec]

numbers even well into the B group. There are certain airports--like Midway and BWI--where things can get a bit dicey, but for the most part checking in at 24 hours is sufficient.

UGh! not what I wanted to hear. We are flying out of BWI and I was hoping that I could get away without buying EBCI.

DH will have the baby and the car seat, but I will have the 8 & 10yo's

 

[goofy4tink]

My apologies...I was commenting based on my experience just two weeks ago...you are correct that they boarded medical preboards first (with & w/out wheelchairs) but they then called families with small children before I was able to board and I had a business select seat in A. Not sure why but that's what happened.

Where did you fly out of??? I fly SW out of Providence routinely. They have boarded those with any medical issues first, followed by unaccompanied minors, then business select and then the A group. After the A group, families with kids under the age of 4 were then boarded, followed by the B group.
I would not have been happy to have families boarding before me if I had A16. The proceedure is supposed to be they board between A and B...SW made that change a few years ago, because families were abusing the priviledge.

As for whether or not to buy EBCI...if you want specific seats (more toward the front for instance) then buy EBCI. I don't usually buy it for my flight to MCO, but I do buy it for my return flight. I hate having to worry about it while at WDW. With so many people buying EBCI now, those not buying it are getting boarding groups of high As and low Bs.
Usually, it isn't too hard to find seats together even in the high B's and low C's. You may have an issue getting 4 together though.

 

[ccgirl]

Thanks to everyone who replied, I feel so much better now!

I don't know if I will be at our hotel the day before our flight exactly 24 hours before (which would be at 12:15 pm) to check in. It may be worth the $40 home to not worry about it while we are at WDW.

Do you have a web enabled phone? I use mine to check in 24 hours in advance. Boarding numbers are assigned when you check in not when the boarding pass is printed. I just have the agent print the boarding pass at the airport when we check the bags.

 

[puffkin]

UGh! not what I wanted to hear. We are flying out of BWI and I was hoping that I could get away without buying EBCI.

DH will have the baby and the car seat, but I will have the 8 & 10yo's

You should still be fine as your family can just do family boarding after the A group since you have the baby!

I never pay the $10 and we sometimes fly out of BWI (or PHL). We have always gotten A's or low B's and we fly SW at least 3 times a year. If you have a smart phone it is really easy to check in on that. even if you don't hit the 24 hour mark exactly (like if you are on a ride or something) you should have no problems getting low enough boarding passes for seats together with very few exceptions.

 

[ccgirl]

Just wanted to add, I have even had C's and sat together. Have a great trip!

 

[Jestocost]

You should still be fine as your family can just do family boarding after the A group since you have the baby!

I never pay the $10 and we sometimes fly out of BWI (or PHL). We have always gotten A's or low B's and we fly SW at least 3 times a year. If you have a smart phone it is really easy to check in on that. even if you don't hit the 24 hour mark exactly (like if you are on a ride or something) you should have no problems getting low enough boarding passes for seats together with very few exceptions.

Depending on how the gate agent decides to play it, they may allow only one parent to board with the baby and child seat between the A and B groups, FWIW.

Also, the last few times I have relied on 24-hour check ins I have gotten low- to mid-B group numbers. That's fine, but I think reports lately indicate that more and more people are using EBCI and the numbers are inching up accordingly.

An additional problem with BWI is that a number of passengers stop there en route to their final destination without changing planes and many passengers connect there from other SWA flights and they are able to get their boarding passes 24 hours in advance of their FIRST flight. As a result, anyone starting out from BWI and checking in at 24 hours could have these people in front of them on the plane or in line:

1. Passengers continuing on the plane from a previous origination point
2. Medical preboards and unaccompanied minors
3. Business Select ticket holders
4. Top-tier frequent fliers
5. Passengers connecting from other flights who used EBCI
6. Passengers starting their travel at BWI who used EBCI
7. Passengers connecting from other flights who checked in at the 24-hour mark for their first flight

That can add up to a lot of people.

 

[puffkin]

Also, the last few times I have relied on 24-hour check ins I have gotten low- to mid-B group numbers. That's fine, but I think reports lately indicate that more and more people are using EBCI and the numbers are inching up accordingly.

We flew SW in May and just this past weekend and I have gotten the lowest boarding passes I have ever gotten All four flights we were in the high A30's a low A40's. I really don't think that many people use it.

I guess I am just not a big fan of paying unneccessary fees and am fine taking my chances....

 

[Andrea from PA]

If you don't have a smart phone and are in the parks, go to the customer service at the front of each park to check in. I have been checked in by cast mates at Studios and also at Sea World with no hassles.

 

[aprilmommy0205]

I was just pondering this myself. There are 4 of us but I am ok if they split us 2 and 2. As long as each child has a parent to sit next to, we should be fine.

 

[kamik86]

What I have always done is to buy for the way home but not the way down. I do have a smart phone now but just didn't want to deal with it this time.

It is a bit more important to me on the way down this time as there will be 3 of us and it is my moms first flight but even so I don't see having an issue getting three seats together.

 

[Tybug]

I also only purchase this for the return flight(s). I am on vacation and as such leave the smart phone in the safe, it's a small price to pay to have someone else check me in and I get to continue having fun on vacation!

 

[jdb in AZ]

We flew SW in May and just this past weekend and I have gotten the lowest boarding passes I have ever gotten All four flights we were in the high A30's a low A40's. I really don't think that many people use it. It varies from airport to airport, time of year, and lots of other factors.

I guess I am just not a big fan of paying unneccessary fees and am fine taking my chances....

We don't pay the fees either. When we don't have Internet access handy, we've been known to have a friend/rellie at home check us in at the 24-hr mark. It helps to call and remind them.

 

[nkereina]

I always pay the $10 per person and do the early bird check-in for the flight home. For the flight there, I don't mind doing it myself, however lately I have found that more and more people are using the early bird check-in so even if I check myself in exactly at the 24 mark, I still end up in the high A's or low B's because the people who paid $10 are already checked in. But I always do it for the flight home because I never know where I will be 24 hours ahead of time when we're going home. One time I was in Vegas and in line at the Concierge desk to check-in right at the 24 hour mark, and I was about 10 mins late because of the line and ended up in the high B's.

I have done the early bird check-in before with a party of 4 and we were all one right after the other - A15, A16, A17, A18 for example. We were all on the same reservation. If you have separate reservations, then there's probably no way to guarantee you will be one after the other in the boarding positions. But since it's open seating, you could move to the back of the plane since people tend to fill in the front first, and you can ask strangers to switch with you too. Most people will, especially if you small kids.