To get Early Bird for SW or not ?

[maryj11]

I dont know if I want to pay the extra money for the Early Bird check in or not. We will have 2 adults and a 9 year. I'm not sure what they mean by early bird check in. Does this mean we can skip checking in and they do it for us ? How does this work ?

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

This is from the SW website:
AUTOMATIC CHECK-IN
Whether you choose to print your boarding pass the day before or just hours before the flight, your confirmed boarding position will be ready and waiting for you. Now you can print your boarding pass as your schedule allows.

 

[Jestocost]

I dont know if I want to pay the extra money for the Early Bird check in or not. We will have 2 adults and a 9 year. I'm not sure what they mean by early bird check in. Does this mean we can skip checking in and they do it for us ? How does this work ?

For $10 per person per direction, SWA checks you in automatically 36 hours before your flight. This gets you a better boarding number than you would get if you waited to check yourself in t the 24-hour mark and, best of all, means you don't have to figure out how to do the check in while you are on vacation. If you use EBCI you can check your boarding number at the 24-hour mark and get your BPs the same as always.

 

[maryj11]

For $10 per person per direction, SWA checks you in automatically 36 hours before your flight. This gets you a better boarding number than you would get if you waited to check yourself in t the 24-hour mark and, best of all, means you don't have to figure out how to do the check in while you are on vacation. If you use EBCI you can check your boarding number at the 24-hour mark and get your BPs the same as always.

OK we are staying at a Disney resort, so I still have to go to the front desk and get our boarding passes printed out ?

 

[ToddyLu]

You can do it that way but DH and I find it is easier to tip the Skycap $5 when we go back to MCO...he takes care of the luggage and gives us a boarding pass before we even enter the airport. We always fly SW and always use EBCI. That way our check in is automatic regardless of where we are in WDW. We have always gotten a "A" boarding position and on our last flight home the plane was packed....so glad we got to board before everyone else and get settled.

You can print your BP at the airport kiosk, too...but I don't want to have to look for it. Our car service drops us off right at the skycap desk outside. I am sure if you are taking DME back to the airport, it would be easier to get your BP at the front desk of the resort.

Have a great trip.

 

[ToddyLu]

So the ways to get your boarding pass are (airports freak me out and I am always second guessing myself about the check in process)....1. front desk at resort 2. Skycap or 3. SW kiosk inside airport. There may be a 4th--I have heard that if you have a smart phone your pass can be on your phone . I have never done that and I am blonde so 1-3 would be my options.

 

[maryj11]

OK thanks all

 

[helenk]

I use EBCI for my flight home from WDW. This way I do not have to worry about getting to guest services in the parks or at the resort at the 24 hour mark to get a decent boarding pass number.
I don't bother with EBCI for my trip down because I am generally at a computer right at the 24 hour mark. But to me it is a worthwhile expense for the trip home.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Personally I think paying for EBCI is a complete waste of money and a big source of extra revenue for SWA. I sometimes wonder if people who refuse to pay $50 to check two bags on a legacy airline where they can get assigned seats but then pay $50 each way for a family of 5 to get EBCI realize that they aren't saving any money.

 

[Laurabearz]

I use EBCI for my flight home from WDW. This way I do not have to worry about getting to guest services in the parks or at the resort at the 24 hour mark to get a decent boarding pass number.
I don't bother with EBCI for my trip down because I am generally at a computer right at the 24 hour mark. But to me it is a worthwhile expense for the trip home.

We use the return EBCI sometimes, but sometimes I check us in on my phone, then have the sky cap print out our passes when we arrive.

We are a family of 5, so like *lost* stated paying for EB cuts down on our profits for the trip...

I panicked once when we got B53-B57, but we ended up still all being able to sit next to each other , despite the high boarding number, that now I dont really worry too much about it.

 

[maryj11]

Do you have to pay sky cap anything to print them out?

 

[Laurabearz]

It is customary, if you are checking bags, to tip the sky cap a couple of bucks (some say a buck a bag... we normally tip $5 for 2 or 3 bags)

If you are not checking bags, not sure if they have kiosks you can use...

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't use ECBI. Ever. But then I don't care who I sit next to or where on the plane I sit, I just don't want a middle seat. As for checking in while at WDW I do it on my cellphone and print the pass at the kiosk in the airport.

ECBI will not guarantee you an A boarding pass. If enough people purchased it before you did, you could get a B.

 

[maryj11]

It is customary, if you are checking bags, to tip the sky cap a couple of bucks (some say a buck a bag... we normally tip $5 for 2 or 3 bags)

If you are not checking bags, not sure if they have kiosks you can use...

We will only have carry on bags.

 

[LWQuestie]

There are kiosks right in the center of the ticketing section at the airport (so you don't have to go all the way to the end at MCO to the Southwest area) that you can use to print out your boarding passes if you have used EBCI to have SW check you in at 36 hrs or if you have checked yourself in at 24 hrs.

I believe you can either swipe a credit card or use the 6 character confirmation code to pull up the reservation, then print out the boarding pass.

 

[maryj11]

There are kiosks right in the center of the ticketing section at the airport (so you don't have to go all the way to the end at MCO to the Southwest area) that you can use to print out your boarding passes if you have used EBCI to have SW check you in at 36 hrs or if you have checked yourself in at 24 hrs.

I believe you can either swipe a credit card or use the 6 character confirmation code to pull up the reservation, then print out the boarding pass.

Ok so after we get to MCO to leave we can just print out our boarding passes with the kiosk and we will already be checked in ? Is this right ?

 

[Disneybuckeye]

In March we flew SW and I checked in at 24 hours on my smart phone at about 5pm. Sometime during the night Disney printed off our boarding passes and slipped them under the door with our ME info.

 

[helenk]

Personally I think paying for EBCI is a complete waste of money and a big source of extra revenue for SWA. I sometimes wonder if people who refuse to pay $50 to check two bags on a legacy airline where they can get assigned seats but then pay $50 each way for a family of 5 to get EBCI realize that they aren't saving any money.

But if you have a family of 5 and even if you are able to go with say 3 bags, that is a cost of $150. as opposed to $50 for the EBCI for that same family, only doing EBCI one way.
I do not have a smart phone, just a regular old cell phone so I can't check in unless I go to guest services. Even when I fly solo I pay the $10 for the EBCI and I'm done. I have been very luck with getting an A boarding pass as I usually book the EBCI as soon as I book my flight.

 

[Laurabearz]

We will only have carry on bags.

Then I would use the kiosk

 

[LWQuestie]

Ok so after we get to MCO to leave we can just print out our boarding passes with the kiosk and we will already be checked in ? Is this right ?

If you have added EBCI for your return flight, then yes.

If you have not added EBCI, you will need to check in for your flight first (24 hrs in advance for best boarding card number), then you will be able to print the boarding pass at the kiosk at the airport.