Lots of people using Early Bird Check In

[mb187143]

I'm getting concerned reading these messages. I didn't get EB for either of our flights but now I am wondering if I should for our return flight. Our flight to MCO leaves at 5:30 a.m. (11/25/17) so not too worried about that one but the one back leaves at 4:30 p.m. We fly back on December 2nd. Would it be worth it at this late date to get EB for that flight?

I am flying out of PHL tomorrow on a 5:30am flight to Orlando for a business trip. My airfare was booked for me on October 3rd, and I added EBCI last week because I didn’t want to get up early today and I’ll be in meetings when I would need to check in for my return flight. When I checked this morning, I got an early/mid-A boarding pass.

I would add it, even now while you’re about a month out. It can’t hurt. Hope that helps.

 

[disneyag]

We fly SWA all the time. It seems if we get A or B, the two of us can ALWAYS find seats together. Getting a C pass---not so sure.

 

[keishashadow]

I agree that EBCI is a must. I always purchase but last week flew out of Baltimore to Denver for work and they won’t pay for EBCI and I forgot to add it. Checking in at exactly 24 hours I had b38 and on the return b47. I could have gotten an aisle seat near the back (I looked after I boarded) but elected to pay for the A at the gate so I could have quick bathroom access and quick escape.

I also encountered a seat saver on a short hour flight last week and the lady told me I was a rude, disgusting, &%#^% because I advised a woman I was going to to sit in the aisle seat and she had her coat in it a purse in another and a bag in another. She said she was saving for her grandkids. I advised her she should have bought EBCI for a chance to sit with them and that seat saving is not permitted. The kids ended up being colleges aged and boarded in the C group! I doubt she could have saved them much longer.

SWA prides themselves on holding onto their culture of early days in operation, evidenced by their policy pertaining to a passenger having the right to sit in any unoccupied seat that is available with the exception of not being qualified for the emergency row exits.

The FAs typically let the passengers work it out amongst themselves, but it seems to me as though the 'savers' typically are able to hold down their row. Hey, it's entertaining to watch the drama roll out while the plane loads, ok lol.

Am surprised that they haven't had a major row onboard by now between passengers over the policy.

 

[mcjw2011]

I took SWA for the first time in July, RDU-MCO roundtrip. Added EBCI a few days before my flight, and got A60 both ways.

Thought for sure I would be in the early B range.

 

[Ress76]

We have come to just consider the cost of EBCI to be a routine travel cost we lump in with everything else. One of my lat SW trips, it felt like over half the airplane needed extra time with boarding or was a family travelling with small children.

 

[crzy4mickey]

so let me ask this...i booked all 6 of us at the same time and have 1 confirmation number. When i check in with that 1 confirmation number do you think we'll get consecutive boarding numbers IE like B25, B26, B27 (just using these numbers for example) and so on?

 

[DJT]

I am flying out of PHL tomorrow on a 5:30am flight to Orlando for a business trip. My airfare was booked for me on October 3rd, and I added EBCI last week because I didn’t want to get up early today and I’ll be in meetings when I would need to check in for my return flight. When I checked this morning, I got an early/mid-A boarding pass.

I would add it, even now while you’re about a month out. It can’t hurt. Hope that helps.

Thank you. I went ahead and got it for our return flight from MCO since it leaves there at 4:30 p.m. Our flight to MCO is at 5:30 a.m. so we will just take our chances with that one since it is so early.

 

[crzy4mickey]

when you book EB does SW check you in at the 36 hr mark or do you have to do it at the 36 hr mark like you would for a non EB flight?

 

[DebbieB]

when you book EB does SW check you in at the 36 hr mark or do you have to do it at the 36 hr mark like you would for a non EB flight?

They do it. At 24 hours, you can sign on to see what you got but it's not required.

 

[FCDub]

To clarify, you will at some point have to "check in" to receive your boarding pass. But you've automatically been checked in at 36 hours and able to view it 24 hours out. SW's terminology is a little confusing, leading some with EBCI to believe they weren't actually checked in ahead of time since all the mechanics of receiving your boarding pass are the same as they are for checking in without EBCI.

 

[supersnoop]

They call it “early bird check in,” but I think that’s a misnomer. It’s more accurate to say that they reserve your boarding position at 36 hours in advance, but you still need to check in to get your boarding pass. Of course, you can’t really turn that into a cute, memorable catch phrase.

 

[Texans_loyal]

I rarely purchase EBCI and always sit with my family. we fly in/out of Houston so not sure if that has something to do with it. normally there is a flight going out every hour or so.

 

[Nohal]

Here is my experience from last weeks trip. As I said our flight our was at 5:30am, we didn't do EBCI. Our plane was full and even with a "B" pass we had no problem getting a seat up front. We booked EBCI for our return trip as it's a hassle trying to check in while in the parks. We were in the mid "A's". Many people were saving seats for others who didn't pay for EBCI. The seats in front of us had 1 woman and across the row there was 1 woman and they were saving their rows for others who didn't book EBCI. I find it annoying that people try to buck the system by doing this. I guess I'm just to honest. I look at it this way I didn't have to pay for my checked bag so EBCI was pretty much a wash.

 

[Fangorn]

so let me ask this...i booked all 6 of us at the same time and have 1 confirmation number. When i check in with that 1 confirmation number do you think we'll get consecutive boarding numbers IE like B25, B26, B27 (just using these numbers for example) and so on?

With everyone on the same reservation and having one confirmation number, when you check in online, you will be see the list of names on that reservation and there will be a box to check next to each name (and an "ALL" option). Be sure to check each name before hitting the check in button. That will process everyone together.

If you do that, you should get boarding numbers in sequential order. There is a scenario where someone in your party could get a number well in advance of the rest of the party - like one person gets A20 and the rest have A53 - A57. But that is rare and doesn't really matter to much (the A20 can always board later with the ready of the family).

Steve

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Here is my experience from last weeks trip. As I said our flight our was at 5:30am, we didn't do EBCI. Our plane was full and even with a "B" pass we had no problem getting a seat up front. We booked EBCI for our return trip as it's a hassle trying to check in while in the parks. We were in the mid "A's". Many people were saving seats for others who didn't pay for EBCI. The seats in front of us had 1 woman and across the row there was 1 woman and they were saving their rows for others who didn't book EBCI. I find it annoying that people try to buck the system by doing this. I guess I'm just to honest. I look at it this way I didn't have to pay for my checked bag so EBCI was pretty much a wash.

Honestly people aren't always trying to 'buck the system'. For a variety of reasons people get different boarding positions. Not simply because they didn't purchase EBCI. For instance my husband is A-list preferred and I've been flying on Companion pass since last year. Even with EBCI we wouldn't get consecutive boarding positions. His A-list preferred no matter if it's a WGA fare will be of higher priority than me flying under a Companion pass and this would be true even if I wasn't under a Companion Pass.

ETA: Plus as a Companion I'm under a different confirmation number as you have to add it after you purchase the other ticket so even without A-list/A-list preferred you could easily get different boarding positions.

 

[supersnoop]

Honestly people aren't always trying to 'buck the system'. For a variety of reasons people get different boarding positions. Not simply because they didn't purchase EBCI. For instance my husband is A-list preferred and I've been flying on Companion pass since last year. Even with EBCI we wouldn't get consecutive boarding positions. His A-list preferred no matter if it's a WGA fare will be of higher priority than me flying under a Companion pass and this would be true even if I wasn't under a Companion Pass.

ETA: Plus as a Companion I'm under a different confirmation number as you have to add it after you purchase the other ticket so even without A-list/A-list preferred you could easily get different boarding positions.

That’s still not a good excuse. As an A-List member, I’d wait further back with my companion in her spot. If you want to sit together, board together.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That’s still not a good excuse. As an A-List member, I’d wait further back with my companion in her spot. If you want to sit together, board together.

I never said it was an excuse..and an excuse for what? Like it or not seat saving isn't against SWA's policy.

I was however responding to the poster who said "Many people were saving seats for others who didn't pay for EBCI" Unless you looked at each and every passenger's boarding pass and knew their back stories into their exact ticket purchasing you cannot say that's actually the reason for non-consecutive (edited: adjusted word) boarding positions. It's not and I was providing an example as to why people could have non-consecutive (edited: adjusted word) boarding positions.

For whatever reason a lot of people on the Boards assume that it's because people didn't pay for EBCI and that's the reason they have non-consecutive (edited: adjusted word) boarding positions when in reality due to SWA's back algorithm people even in the same confirmation number can have non-consecutive (edited: adjusted word) boarding positions.