Southwest $10 adder to early check-in

[Eemrald]

Southwest spokesperson Brandy King explained:

Currently, we do not have a cap on the number of Customer who can purchase the product – we didn’t want to make an assignment without knowing what the demand will be. If the number of EarlyBird passengers gets so high that it is not providing a benefit to the Customer (ex. starts to dip into the “C” group), we would make adjustments to the number sold.

[Globaliser]

Has anyone done the $10 adder that Southwest has to be able to have them assign you a boarding number 36 hours in advance?

On the assumption that this thread was moved here to Cruise Air from elsewhere, can I point out this thread: Post your Southwest Airline boarding pass results!.

[Joie]

well BACK to the original topic........HA

Does this mean I already have a boarding number assigned and DO NOT have to print out my boarding pass? I logged on and bought my tickets 5 min after they went on sale....so hopefully I will be in the "A" group for sure.

I don't want to have to pay for the internet time on the ship if I don't have to....but if my number will still change if I don't then I definetly will go ahead and log-on 36 hours ahead and print them.

Hope I am explaining this clearly.

[serene56]

I don't want to have to pay for the internet time on the ship if I don't have to....but if my number will still change if I don't then I definetly will go ahead and log-on 36 hours ahead and print them.

Hope I am explaining this clearly.

 

 

36 Hours??? I thought it was 24. so with the early bird special we can do this 36 hours ahead of time?

 

I too want to know if i stull have to get boarding passes? (if so I will have someone in my family check me in- I should get a very low number as I booked my flight at 10:32 when the flight came available at 10:30am today)

[6rugrats]

36 Hours??? I thought it was 24. so with the early bird special we can do this 36 hours ahead of time?

 

I too want to know if i stull have to get boarding passes? (if so I will have someone in my family check me in- I should get a very low number as I booked my flight at 10:32 when the flight came available at 10:30am today)

 

WN will automatically check you in at the 36 hour mark. You don't need to do anything then. When you get to the airport you will of course need to print out your boarding passes. There is no need to do this on the ship.

 

Even with Early Bird Check-in, you will be placed behind all the passengers that paid for Business Select and any passengers on the Rapid Rewards A List. Impossible to say how many people that would be for any one flight.

 

All details here:

http://www.southwest.com/flight/early-bird-retrieve-reservation.html

[sunlover5]

I too purchased the early bird for 10.00. I do not see where I purchased it on my reservation. Do they not show it on your confirmation??

Thank You!

[Eemrald]

There are parameters for the seat assignments given to Business Select and A-List. BS is A1-15, A-List usually runs into the low A-20's. When the computer checks in the A-listers at T-36 they'll get their boarding assignment first, then the EBCI will be assigned.

[Joie]

Sunlover........I rec'd a second e-mail confirmation that was for the E-B check-in.

It shows all my flight info and says EarlyBird check-in has been added to your reservation # ________. Your payment has been processed successfully. and there is an "EB" in front of each of our names.

I am really glad we will be ahead of the curve and NOT have to go and pay for the internet service on the ship and print them...that was always a pain.

[Joie]

Serene56........

it's 36 hours if you buy the EB boarding otherwise it is still 24 hours:

 

Here is the info from their site:

 

 

BETTER BOARDING POSITION

We'll automatically check you in and assign your boarding position within 36 hours of your flight's departure - that's 12 hours before general boarding positions become available. While EarlyBird Check-in doesn't guarantee an A boarding position, it improves your seat selection options to help you get your favorite seat.

[sunlover5]

Thank you! I better call SW. I never got a confirmation email for the early check in. When I look at our reservations and click on check early saver, it says we have it, but I would feel better with a confirmation. I am with you, now I can enjoy the last day of our cruise and not worry about getting to a computer 24 hours ahead of time. Worth the 10.00 pp to us!! We have 4 of us so it makes it nice not to have to hassle with it.

Thanks for the info!!

[sunlover5]

I called and she said we were all set. They just sent the email to me faster than I could purchase it!! She said to request a new email if I wanted to.

I didn't see where you could purchase it at time of buying the ticket and had to go back into my reservation to purchase!!

[Joie]

Me too.........I may have just printed the page out after I purchased it.

But I do have a paper that shows our flights and that the "EB" symbol is before each of our names, and at the top it says confirmed Early-Bird boarding.

So I am set....now if April will just hurry and get here.....it's gonna be a l-o-n-g winter.

[grey's girl]

Although SW will check in for you at the 36 hr. mark, you still cannot print your boarding passes before 24 hours. I tried and it didn't work....

[KY Transplant]

So what happens if you get off the ship and go to the airport and check in 3 or 4 hours before take off?

[6rugrats]

So what happens if you get off the ship and go to the airport and check in 3 or 4 hours before take off?

 

You will be handed a boarding pass and the nice agent will take your bags, if you are checking any.

[KY Transplant]

You will be handed a boarding pass and the nice agent will take your bags, if you are checking any.

 

 

That works for me. As long as I get on the plane I don't care where I sit or who I sit with.:D

[Joie]

The way I understand it....IF I am correct, is that when you buy the Early-Bird boarding, at the 36 hour mark they start to assign numbers to the people in the order that the tickets were purchased. They do this up until the 24 hour mark when others that DID NOT buy the early check-in can get there numbers.

So I am assuming ( yeah I know ) that if you were the 1st one to buy the early bird on that flight, you would get the first boarding number AFTER the VIP's and business people.

And printing of your boarding pass can be done at anytime before the flight and it will not change where they had already assigned you your "A" number.

Am I correct on this?

[frugaltravel]

at the 36 hour mark they start to assign numbers to the people in the order that the tickets were purchased....if you were the 1st one to buy the early bird on that flight, you would get the first boarding number AFTER the VIP's and business people.

 

It can't be BOTH. Either early bird numbers are assigned by date the TICKETS were purchased or by date the EARLY BIRD CHECK IN was purchased. Since EBCI can be purchased separately at a time after the ticket is purchased, these can be different dates.

[Eemrald]

It's the date you purchase EBCI.

[GottaLuvCruising]

On the Southwest blog there is a lengthy debate on EBCI. Somewhere buried in the chatter was also an explanation that position is determined by the date EBCI is added to a reservation.

 

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/earlybird-check-a-convenient-way-travel

[Joie]

well I bought my tickets 10 min after they opened up the new date range and got the EB at the same time, so I think I'm safe to be somewhere in the "A"'s. Geez I hope anyway.

[marci22]

I'm curious how this will all shake out once everyone starts paying the extra $10. I mean....not everyone can get the A group.

 

Once that happens, they will raise the price to $20, and so on, and so on, until they meet resistance. That is how much people will pay.

[Almost Packed]

Sorry, we will have to disagree. It is not condescending to teach someone something.

 

i'll just say it while everyone dances around it...

 

let's teach some manners! being rude is not nice either.

sometimes there is a proper way of "teaching"

 

teaching someone is not a bad thing...it's the way you did it!

 

and btw, the early bird check in is really nice. it's a way for the airline to make some $'s (desperate times) and for those that find having an "A" important, it works. the rest can have a cheaper flight with bags flying for free!

[Eemrald]

Once that happens, they will raise the price to $20, and so on, and so on, until they meet resistance. That is how much people will pay.

 

No, they will limit the number of EBCI available for a flight.

[GottaLuvCruising]

No, they will limit the number of EBCI available for a flight.

 

SWA really should limit the number of EBCI so anyone who pays the fee is guaranteed an "A" boarding pass. As more people choose to do EBCI, SWA will be forced to deal with this issue.