SWA Early Bird Check-In

[HelloChum]

Has anyone used early bird check-in? Was it worth the extra $10?

Thinking of adding it on our return flight to our summer trip--24 hours before our flight we may not have access to a printer--

Can 1 person on reservation use early bird and then save seats for the rest of the family? Sounds cheap of me, but I don't feel like spending $50 extra

Any experiences with this? Glad you added it to flight? Not worth it--take my chances and get in the C line ?

Thanks!

 

[debsays]

We LOVE the Early Bird Check In. You board before first. We feel it's worth the money. Also, you don't have to worry about being at a computer 24hrs prior to, to sign in to get your boarding pass. You can do it before you leave if you wish and it's there for you. We do it all the time now. A Wonderful Thing. But that's just my opinion. I'm sure there are others who feel it's not worth it.

 

[debsays]

Forgot to mention we get the Early Bird for each of us. Not fair for one to go and save seats.

 

[pjm-guy]

We used it in December from Philly to Orlando, 7 people, and it was fantastic. the extra $10/person was worth it IMHO because there was no need to worry about the 24 hour mark. Especially while in the parks the last day.

 

[KCMiller]

That's why we got it - no worries about getting online exactly 24 hours before our flight home.

As for saving seats, I'd be OK with saving ONE, but if you're planning on saving 5 additional seats, I'd think that was VERY rude, and I doubt the crew would allow it, especially if the flight was crowded.

KC

 

[mrsstats]

I sent SW an email about saving seats. They have no policy on it and expect people to save seats. That said, it is open seating and if there is no one in the seat and someone wants it, they can have it. I dont have a problem either with saving 1 seat but I got EB for both of us.

 

[clanmcculloch]

SWA states that they do not stop seat saving but that when people board they can choose any free seat which means that if you're saving a seat and somebody wants it then they have every right to sit themselves down it in. Flight attendants will not make the person move. If you do decide to get EBCI for only one person in your party, please be courteous and go towards the back of the plane to save the seats and also try to get as low of a boarding position for the rest of your party as possible by logging in to check them in as close to 24 hours as possible. You don't want to start or end your vacation with an arguement with other passengers.

In December we paid for it for all of us for our return flights so that we wouldn't have to worry about where we would be at T-24. We didn't pay for it for our flight down but I knew I'd be able to be online right at T-24.

For our upcoming June trip, I paid both ways. For our flight down, we all have different confirmation numbers (I needed to split things up in order to use all 12 parts of our credit) and I'd like to be sure we board near each other. I know I could still do the checkin myself but the $40 was worth my peace of mind and sanity. For our flight back, I don't want to worry about where we'll be at T-24.

I think part of whether it's worth if for your family or not is also the trends for your airport. I've followed some of the boarding positions people have gotten in and out of my airport and some without EBCI at T-24 have gotten mid B boarding positions. One of my girls is autistic and the other is prone to ear pain when flying so I need to be sure that I'm with them. I suppose I do qualify for the blue sleeve but it seems wrong to get special accomodations when I am perfectly capable of taking the necessary steps to ensure that we sit together (EBCI). For my family it is DEFINITELY worth it. I'm not about to take a chance of messing with my vacation for a mere $80 ($40 each way).

 

[alwaysmom]

I did EBCI for both ways for our next trip but only purchased for 2 (myself & 1 DS) of 4. It doesn't really matter where we sit as long as each child is with a parent. Our hope is to sit 2 & 2 one behind the other, each child wants a window seat. Check-in at the 24 hour mark going won't be a problem. Might possibly add 2 more EBCI for the flight home but was told that since I didn't do it all together and it's based on order of purchase, they won't be boarding with us. Sooo what would be the difference.

PS: We are on the last flight of the night.

 

[bookgirl]

Has anyone used early bird check-in? Was it worth the extra $10?

Thinking of adding it on our return flight to our summer trip--24 hours before our flight we may not have access to a printer--

Can 1 person on reservation use early bird and then save seats for the rest of the family? Sounds cheap of me, but I don't feel like spending $50 extra

Any experiences with this? Glad you added it to flight? Not worth it--take my chances and get in the C line ?

Thanks!

I fly SWA probably 50% of the time. I usually do not pay for early bird.

However I recently flew back from Houston and was checked in at the exact check in window and was in B group, so obviouly lots of them pre checked in. So I think it may be a matter of how busy your airport and flight is. At my home airport it's not as big or a hub so I would probably not need it. But Houston or Kansas City or one of those busy hub connection points it might be worth it.

I did use it last week because I was taking a flight down to meet my dad so that I could help him drive vehicles on his move back up to OK. I was driving back from Austin the day before my flight and knew I would not be able to get to a computer and didn't know where I could stop along the way for wifi at the right time and I was going with carry on only. So I prepaid (one way flight, one leg so only $10). Turns out my flight was only half full so it wouldn't have mattered. Plenty of seats and overhead space, but the peace of mind was worth the $10 bucks, well that and I was on early enough (#A20) that I got my favorite seat.

If you have any heavy use airports or popular flights with lots of carry on, it may be worth the extra money. If you only really need your underseat carryon space and think your flight will have seats in A or B group then I wouldn't worry about it.

If it's important that you have overhead bins, seats together, or you know you will not be able to check right at 24 hours, then you might figure out if the $50 (not sure if that's your total or if that's for each of you) is worth the money.

 

[Justsyd2]

We have used it, and will continue to use it. I do recommend doing so for your entire party because, as stated, even if you are saving seats and someone wants to sit there, they are allowed to.

 

[nashville_minnie]

Not sure if this has been pointed out before, but when we fly SW for the returning portion of the trip, we have a family member back home check us in on-line at the 24hr mark. Then when we arrive at the airport, the automated kiosk has an option to reprint your boarding pass. It'll print out right there for you with the ORIGINAL boarding assignment you received when your family member checked in for you. This way you do not have to worry about not being near a computer/printer at the 24 hr mark for your flight & can still usually get an A or a high B.

I kind of see the $10 early check in as a complete waste of money, but then again I am an adult who does not need to worry about staying together with family members/kids & doesn't care what seat I get.

 

[scard192]

Not sure if this has been pointed out before, but when we fly SW for the returning portion of the trip, we have a family member back home check us in on-line at the 24hr mark. Then when we arrive at the airport, the automated kiosk has an option to reprint your boarding pass. It'll print out right there for you with the ORIGINAL boarding assignment you received when your family member checked in for you. This way you do not have to worry about not being near a computer/printer at the 24 hr mark for your flight & can still usually get an A or a high B.

My family does this too. I usually fly Jet Blue but I checked in 9 members of my sisters family at the 24 hour mark the last time they were at Disney.

 

[dislal]

I just used this in Feb. on our return trip from Disney. I think it was the best $60 (six of us) I spent, because I was so worried that we would not be able to sit together.

 

[ctinct]

I don't like the idea of paying extra for it, but if I had small children I might consider it. The last time my daughter and I flew SW, we stayed literally 10 minutes away from the airport, so dopey me did not check the flight time that morning. It turns out there were thunderstorms over a good portion of the US that day, and our flight had been cancelled. We were able to re-book another flight later that day, but of course got a cruddy boarding position. I wonder if they honor the early boarding thing in those types of cases---don't they sell a limited number of them per flight?

 

[HelloChum]

Not sure if this has been pointed out before, but when we fly SW for the returning portion of the trip, we have a family member back home check us in on-line at the 24hr mark. Then when we arrive at the airport, the automated kiosk has an option to reprint your boarding pass. It'll print out right there for you with the ORIGINAL boarding assignment you received when your family member checked in for you. This way you do not have to worry about not being near a computer/printer at the 24 hr mark for your flight & can still usually get an A or a high B.

Thanks for bringing this up--I now remember others posting this on other SW threads I've read. I will check the SW website to see if you can check in with your Blackberry and then just print at a kiosk--that may be an option for us.

Still need to decide on if the early-bird check in will be good for us--it will either be for all 5 of us or wing it and take our chances when we check in with in 24 hours.

Thanks--

 

[cats mom]

I wonder if they honor the early boarding thing in those types of cases---don't they sell a limited number of them per flight?

Nope, no limit on the number of early bird passes available per flight, so theoretically you could pay $10 and still end up with a C boarding pass. I've never heard of anyone getting anything other than an A, but it could happen.

Officially early bird boarding only transfers if you keep the same confirmation number, make the changes at least 25 hours before your original flight was to depart, and 25 hours before your new flight departs.

 

[brewcrew]

Totallf off topic but i am flying Southwest for the first time next week. Which seats usually go first anyway? Is A seating first and then B?

 

[sjs314]

I was considering booking flights on SW my next trip since SW is now a part of the RAC system in WDW Resorts.....what I am reading amazes me I had no idea you did not pick assigned seats before boarding. Right now I am so glad JB fares for my travel period came out first and I booked with them instead but I know if I had bought flights with SW I would definately be paying for EB. $10 is nothing compared to the agrevation and stress of the chance of not sitting with your traveling party and I do not think the saving of seats should be allowed. That said I don't expect to ever fly SW after finding out about their seating policy.

 

[Nermel9]

I used it when I went in November, and I liked it...we were in Boarding Group A on both flights and we were some of the first ones on the plane so we got to pick where we wanted to sit.

 

[cats mom]

I was considering booking flights on SW my next trip since SW is now a part of the RAC system in WDW Resorts.....what I am reading amazes me I had no idea you did not pick assigned seats before boarding. Right now I am so glad JB fares for my travel period came out first and I booked with them instead but I know if I had bought flights with SW I would definately be paying for EB. $10 is nothing compared to the agrevation and stress of the chance of not sitting with your traveling party and I do not think the saving of seats should be allowed. That said I don't expect to ever fly SW after finding out about their seating policy.

I understand that SW's open seating policy can be a bit intimidating, especially if you've never tried it. But I actually prefer it to having an assigned seat; especially now that they use a numbered boarding process.

And their generous rebooking and cancellation policies more than make up for any perceived boarding inconveniences in my book.

To each their own though. I hope you have a great trip.