SWA messed up our boarding passes. This happen to anyone?

[Cmbar]

I am a little miffed right now.

We paid for early bird when we bought our tickets from BWI to SEA last november. We purchased them on the first day the seats went on sale. I checked the other day to be sure that all of us had EB on our reservations. (Since we had points we had multiple reservation numbers). We all were set and I didn't need to worry about checking in this morning.

Anywhoo... We go to print our boarding passes today and my mother's pass is a B pass. the other 7 of us got A22 to A28 and she got B 25

I am very dissappointed in this. Friends of ours are on our flight and I talked them into adding Early bird LAST WEEKEND and they got a boarding number before my MOM who paid EB last November for tomorrows flight!!!

I don't suppose there is anything I can do about this. I know we can try and save her a seat but I feel bad for her to have to go on alone without my Dad (they are in their mid 70's and my mom hates to fly). I guess I can switch with her and just board in her spot.

Anyone have this happen to them? Should I complain?

 

[wilkeliza]

Definitely complain. Makes no sense that you paid or EB and the rest or your party is in the low As and she is in the low Bs.

 

[sam_gordon]

I am a little miffed right now.

We paid for early bird when we bought our tickets from BWI to SEA last november. We purchased them on the first day the seats went on sale. I checked the other day to be sure that all of us had EB on our reservations. (Since we had points we had multiple reservation numbers). We all were set and I didn't need to worry about checking in this morning.

Anywhoo... We go to print our boarding passes today and my mother's pass is a B pass. the other 7 of us got A22 to A28 and she got B 25

I am very dissappointed in this. Friends of ours are on our flight and I talked them into adding Early bird LAST WEEKEND and they got a boarding number before my MOM who paid EB last November for tomorrows flight!!!

I don't suppose there is anything I can do about this. I know we can try and save her a seat but I feel bad for her to have to go on alone without my Dad (they are in their mid 70's and my mom hates to fly). I guess I can switch with her and just board in her spot.

Anyone have this happen to them? Should I complain?

Did you all purchase the same fair class (ie: Wanna Get Away vs. whatever else)? Were you all on the same reservation number?

While the time you booked EB does come into play, it's not the only thing.

You can complain but I don't think you're going to get anywhere. Here are your options as I see them...

1) Someone swaps their boarding pass with grandma
2) You 'save' a seat for grandma
3) Someone simply boards with grandmas (A22 can board between B24 & B25).

 

[mb187143]

I am a little miffed right now.

We paid for early bird when we bought our tickets from BWI to SEA last november. We purchased them on the first day the seats went on sale. I checked the other day to be sure that all of us had EB on our reservations. (Since we had points we had multiple reservation numbers). We all were set and I didn't need to worry about checking in this morning.

Anywhoo... We go to print our boarding passes today and my mother's pass is a B pass. the other 7 of us got A22 to A28 and she got B 25

I am very dissappointed in this. Friends of ours are on our flight and I talked them into adding Early bird LAST WEEKEND and they got a boarding number before my MOM who paid EB last November for tomorrows flight!!!

I don't suppose there is anything I can do about this. I know we can try and save her a seat but I feel bad for her to have to go on alone without my Dad (they are in their mid 70's and my mom hates to fly). I guess I can switch with her and just board in her spot.

Anyone have this happen to them? Should I complain?

The only thing EBCI guarantees is by you'll be checked in 36 hours before your flight. Since you all were on different reservation numbers, I doubt complaining will amount to much. Last time we flew SW from Houston to Newark, DH and I were on the same reservation, paid for EBCI and he got A47 while I got A18. So it can happen even if you're on the same reservation.

There are various factors that seem to affect the EBCI assignments and some of them aren't completely clear, unfortunately. I've bought EBCI the day the schedule opens and gotten A60, and I've added it a week before and gotten A16, and everywhere in between. So I don't think your experience is unusual.

 

[jgraney106]

Is your Mom/Grandmother an elderly person? If she uses a wheelchair to get to the gate, don't they let that person with you board early , due to the fact that they need assistance boarding?
I know that they board my mother early, as she is 82 ,and she uses an airport wheelchair to get to the gate, due to the long walks to the gate. Just a thought.

 

[LilyWDW]

Unless you can show that she was not checked in at the 36 hour mark, then there is nothing to really complain about. If she was checked in at 36 hours then SW did what ECBI promises. You are not guaranteed an A boarding pass or anything else.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree; you have nothing to complain about. Just save Mom a seat.

 

[paults]

how can this lady get a B25 BP when she had EB from last NOV and their friends just got EB last week and got a lower number than her. I know your not guaranteed an A pass but she should not have a higher number than someone who just booked EB last week.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

how can this lady get a B25 BP when she had EB from last NOV and their friends just got EB last week and got a lower number than her. I know your [sic] not guaranteed an A pass but she should not have a higher number than someone who just booked EB last week.

It happens all the time. Please read Southwest's policy on EBCI.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Yes, this happened to us on our trip last November. All three of us were booked on the same reservation and I added EB to the flight home like we always do. While checking out of our resort, I looked at the first two - mine and Dh's and didn't even look at my DS's which was not like me. When we arrived at the airport we had another issue - I think it was a delay - and we had to check luggage. It was while we were in line I noticed my DS was given a high B boarding number and we had As. I asked at the counter and they swore it was rare and agreed it shouldn't have happened.

I switched and boarded in his position and yes it was the only time my DH saved a seat. It all worked out fine but I wasn't happy about it but what can you do?

Heather

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

I wound up with C's for both of us and Southwest admitted they made a mistake. They refunded the price we paid for EB but I was beyond insane about this!!!!

 

[PlutoPony]

Didn't SW disclose at one point that the price paid for the ticket figures into the EBCI position? If your friends purchased their seats later and in fact paid a higher price, that could be the difference. EBCI has been a cash cow for SW in some markets, would guess Orlando is one of them. So the sheer number of people being checked in at T-36 means not every "group" will have sequential BP numbers, it's just not physically possible with SW's current computing power.

 

[goofy4tink]

how can this lady get a B25 BP when she had EB from last NOV and their friends just got EB last week and got a lower number than her. I know your not guaranteed an A pass but she should not have a higher number than someone who just booked EB last week.

It happens frequently. If someone cancels a flight, and they had a lower boarding slot, the next person that books and buys EBCI can snag that spot..even though it was 2 weeks prior to departure.
EBCI does not promise you a low boarding slot. It does promise that you can be checked in at the 36 hr window, thereby getting you a lower slot than those not using EBCI. Getting a B25 slot isn't an awful thing...and it happens all the timed.
This happens a lot when you book many people with different itineraries.

 

[CarolMN]

You can complain if it will make you feel better, but it won't make an y difference to your situation.

I'd switch passes with her and have DH save me a seat. I assume you will all want to sit next to each other and no one will care one bit if you save a middle seat.

 

[Gracie09]

Are you sure there was ebci added to her ticket? If you booked multiple tickets it would be easy to miss one. I would just have someone switch places with her.

 

[MaleficentRN]

Didn't SW disclose at one point that the price paid for the ticket figures into the EBCI position? If your friends purchased their seats later and in fact paid a higher price, that could be the difference. EBCI has been a cash cow for SW in some markets, would guess Orlando is one of them. So the sheer number of people being checked in at T-36 means not every "group" will have sequential BP numbers, it's just not physically possible with SW's current computing power.

I doubt it. I've bought EB and used my points for fares, even "changed" my flight when the price dropped to get points refunded and have ended up with A16 and A17.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I am a little miffed right now.

We paid for early bird when we bought our tickets from BWI to SEA last november. We purchased them on the first day the seats went on sale. I checked the other day to be sure that all of us had EB on our reservations. (Since we had points we had multiple reservation numbers). We all were set and I didn't need to worry about checking in this morning.

Anywhoo... We go to print our boarding passes today and my mother's pass is a B pass. the other 7 of us got A22 to A28 and she got B 25

I am very dissappointed in this. Friends of ours are on our flight and I talked them into adding Early bird LAST WEEKEND and they got a boarding number before my MOM who paid EB last November for tomorrows flight!!!

I don't suppose there is anything I can do about this. I know we can try and save her a seat but I feel bad for her to have to go on alone without my Dad (they are in their mid 70's and my mom hates to fly). I guess I can switch with her and just board in her spot.

Anyone have this happen to them? Should I complain?

Did she buy a "Senior" ticket?

 

[gmeh1]

I am a little miffed right now.

We paid for early bird when we bought our tickets from BWI to SEA last november. We purchased them on the first day the seats went on sale. I checked the other day to be sure that all of us had EB on our reservations. (Since we had points we had multiple reservation numbers). We all were set and I didn't need to worry about checking in this morning.

Anywhoo... We go to print our boarding passes today and my mother's pass is a B pass. the other 7 of us got A22 to A28 and she got B 25

I am very dissappointed in this. Friends of ours are on our flight and I talked them into adding Early bird LAST WEEKEND and they got a boarding number before my MOM who paid EB last November for tomorrows flight!!!

I don't suppose there is anything I can do about this. I know we can try and save her a seat but I feel bad for her to have to go on alone without my Dad (they are in their mid 70's and my mom hates to fly). I guess I can switch with her and just board in her spot.

Anyone have this happen to them? Should I complain?

Just have them preboard. SWA is GREAT about letting people preboard if they need more time and at the age of mid 70s we know they are not going to sprint down the jet way.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Just have them preboard. SWA is GREAT about letting people preboard if they need more time and at the age of mid 70s we know they are not going to sprint down the jet way.

What? My mom could easily sprint down the jetway (mid 70s), and so could plenty of other people her age! Seventy isn't exactly ancient.

 

[maxiesmom]

What? My mom could easily sprint down the jetway (mid 70s), and so could plenty of other people her age! Seventy isn't exactly ancient.

No kidding! I flew last year with my then 74 year old dad, and I would never had dreamed of using him to pre-board. He would have laughed in my face if I had suggested it!

I agree that you should trade passes with your mom and have your husband save you a seat.