Trying to decide how to do this regarding early check-in

[MScott1851]

We haven't flown SWA since DD was born, so the boarding procedure will be a little different for us this time.

I have no problem paying the $10 apiece for Early Bird Checkin, especially coming back from Orlando since I don't want to be thinking about it 24 hours in advance. But what I'm debating is do I pay for it for my 2 year old? What we have done on other airlines is he boards first with the car seat and installs it, while DD and I lag back so we don't slow down others getting on and buckled in, and I dont spend as much time sitting on the tarmac with a 2 year old. Obviously I can't do that on SWA since DH can't save my seat, but if we both have "A" or "B" passes, what would happen if DD wasn't in that same boarding group (according to the 'computer')? An adult and the carseat are getting on in the first assigned boarding position no matter what, so essentially her seat will be together with at least one of us, because she will sit where he installs it. I honestly don't care if we all three sit together, I might want to sit as far away as possible, in fact. I just don't want to waste money, period, no matter how little the amount.

 

[Jestocost]

You would be subject to whatever the gate agent working your flight felt like doing.

 

[MartyM]

Aren't you guaranteed to board between A and B groups with a kid that little?

 

[dudspizza]

Aren't you guaranteed to board between A and B groups with a kid that little?

that is protocol, but SWA has been known to suspend family boarding on routes such at MCO. There are so many families with young children......... so there is never a guarantee.....

OP, if you have different boarding numbers, the two remaining people can board at the lowest number and all would be fine..

 

[deegack]

We haven't flown SWA since DD was born, so the boarding procedure will be a little different for us this time.

I have no problem paying the $10 apiece for Early Bird Checkin, especially coming back from Orlando since I don't want to be thinking about it 24 hours in advance. But what I'm debating is do I pay for it for my 2 year old? What we have done on other airlines is he boards first with the car seat and installs it, while DD and I lag back so we don't slow down others getting on and buckled in, and I dont spend as much time sitting on the tarmac with a 2 year old. Obviously I can't do that on SWA since DH can't save my seat, but if we both have "A" or "B" passes, what would happen if DD wasn't in that same boarding group (according to the 'computer')? An adult and the carseat are getting on in the first assigned boarding position no matter what, so essentially her seat will be together with at least one of us, because she will sit where he installs it. I honestly don't care if we all three sit together, I might want to sit as far away as possible, in fact. I just don't want to waste money, period, no matter how little the amount.

If you don't care about sitting together then pay for one adult and your dd. it's the same price as two adults. Although honestly its $10. I don't know what you are paying for your trip but I would hazard a guess that $10 is less than 1% of your total trip

 

[goofy4tink]

Parents no longer board first to get car seats situated. That practice went away years ago. Now..they get to board in between the A and B group. So..I would just pay for EBCI for all three of you. Then, you can board together. I would say to pay for just one adult and let the other parent board, with the car seat, and then let the other parent board with the baby inbetween the A and B groups, but SW has been known to not allow that practice if there are too many families boarding then.

 

[kaytieeldr]

OP, if you have different boarding numbers, the two remaining people can board at the lowest number and all would be fine..

I'm relatively certain that's backwards. All party members can board with the highest boarding pass number - but everything I've read says not with the lowest.

 

[MScott1851]

Parents no longer board first to get car seats situated. That practice went away years ago. Now..they get to board in between the A and B group. So..I would just pay for EBCI for all three of you. Then, you can board together. I would say to pay for just one adult and let the other parent board, with the car seat, and then let the other parent board with the baby inbetween the A and B groups, but SW has been known to not allow that practice if there are too many families boarding then.

Oh, I didn't mean "first" as in front of the line, I meant just before me. On AirTran and Delta, the assigned seats gave me the luxury of waiting til near the end of boarding to wag her and the diaper bag onboard. I can't remember the last time I saw a SWA flight from MCO on a weekend that actually did family boarding. They usually suspend it because everyone has kids...

I would love to get 'separated' from them, honestly. My dd has actually never cried on a flight, not once. But it's because I work my butt off keeping her happy. If she's with DH and starts wailing, I can look at them in annoyance like I don't know them and turn my iPod up.

FWIW, I'll probably just fork over the $30 and be done with it. It's not worth fretting over.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I would only pay for EBCI for your husband. Then he can get on and get everything set up so you and baby won't be blocking the aisle while he sets up the car seat. Do you seriously think anyone is going to sit in a row with a car seat at the window (which automatically saves your child's seat) and your husband (no intended disrespect to him). Of course not. Have him sit in the aisle seat and save the middle for you. You can get on between the A & B groups, or you might even get an A boarding pass. I guarantee no one will take that middle seat before you get on. Save your $20 each way!

 

[Hannathy]

Won't she have to pay for at least 2 Early check ins? To take the car seat with him he would need to have 2 seats, cause he sure isn't sitting in it!

I would just pay for all 3 because seriously if an extra $20 is going to derail the trip should you be going?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I would only pay for EBCI for your husband. Then he can get on and get everything set up so you and baby won't be blocking the aisle while he sets up the car seat.

I know Southwest doesn't have a printed policy on saving/not saving seats, but this seems a little, I don't know, not unethical - but taking greater advantage of their boarding policies and procedures than they intended.

If one person purchases ECBI, then one person boards at the assigned boarding pass letter/number combination. When that person brings aboard a car seat and secures it to an airplane seat, they're effectively bringing a non-ECBI passenger on the plane with them out of turn.

It's not the same as that person boarding and just telling other passengers those seats are saved. If that were the case, people could ignore the information and sit anyway.

That's impossible if there's a car seat in place.

 

[MScott1851]

I know Southwest doesn't have a printed policy on saving/not saving seats, but this seems a little, I don't know, not unethical - but taking greater advantage of their boarding policies and procedures than they intended.

If one person purchases ECBI, then one person boards at the assigned boarding pass letter/number combination. When that person brings aboard a car seat and secures it to an airplane seat, they're effectively bringing a non-ECBI passenger on the plane with them out of turn.

It's not the same as that person boarding and just telling other passengers those seats are saved. If that were the case, people could ignore the information and sit anyway.

That's impossible if there's a car seat in place.

That's kind of how I felt about it...that's why I was always planning on paying for at least two EBCI, but felt like it was stupid to pay for DD. If I pay for me and my husband and we get A28 and A29, and I don't for DD and she gets C2, he can get on first with the seat, and she and I can hang around until her boarding number then get on. If he sits on the aisle with a row with a carseat, I can almost guarantee you that my middle seat will be empty, and we're not taking anything away from anyone.

And Hannathy, lord deliver me... I have never understood the "$100 will make or break our trip" lament. If things were that tight, we would not be going anywhere, much less WDW. I just hate wasting money. $20 can buy me three Us Weekly magazines and a Snickers bar for my flight.

 

[goofy4tink]

Ok...I can see what everyone is saying, but...how is that going to work??? If they pay for EBCI, for just two of them...dad and the baby, how is the baby going to board??? If the purpose of getting the EBCI for the baby so that the car seat can, ethically, be put in place, then dad is going to need the bp for the car seat, leaving baby with no bp...and in mom's arms.
While I understand what the boarding policy is, I really don't think that SW is going to care if dad boards with the car seat...even if baby didn't have EBCI.

 

[Hannathy]

And Hannathy, lord deliver me... I have never understood the "$100 will make or break our trip" lament. If things were that tight, we would not be going anywhere, much less WDW. I just hate wasting money. $20 can buy me three Us Weekly magazines and a Snickers bar for my flight.

That's good! Because I have never understood it either! Guess I was over on the budget board (shouldn't do that!) and had to throw that out. And I also understand not wanting to waste $20 either, so don't be offended please.You could always waste $10 and buy 2 early boards and do 1 reg and see how far down you are, then if there is a big gap Dad could take car seat and baby on if needed and plop child in aisle seat and be busy hooking in car seat in window and I sincerely doubt -unless it is a full flight and you are the last person on anyone would want that middle seat. And SW boards and leaves fast so there isn't a lot of time normally anyway.

That way it is one magazine and at least 1 candy bar! and with a 2 yr old I doubt you have time for even 1 magazine

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Ok...I can see what everyone is saying, but...how is that going to work??? If they pay for EBCI, for just two of them...dad and the baby, how is the baby going to board??? If the purpose of getting the EBCI for the baby so that the car seat can, ethically, be put in place, then dad is going to need the bp for the car seat, leaving baby with no bp...and in mom's arms.
While I understand what the boarding policy is, I really don't think that SW is going to care if dad boards with the car seat...even if baby didn't have EBCI.

+1!

So much angst here all the time over WN's seating policy. I just don't understand why, if seating is so important, people don't fly an airline with assigned seating.

Having Dad pay for EBCI and boarding with the car seat is in no way unethical. Honestly, how many people are going to chose a seat in a row with a baby in a car seat? Not me! I want families with young children to sit together; it makes flights easier for everyone. Plus, Dad is doing the other PAX a favor, because a car seat must be by a window on WN and if he doesn't get on early enough to get a window seat, PAX already seated are going to be moving. Paying $10 for EBCI for the car seat is ridiculous.

 

[wdwfan1]

On our last trip we purchased EBCI and got "B" tickets. Purchasing ECBI does not guarantee you an "A".