Southwest early bird check in

[BethCarp]

So according to the SW website, they will automatically check me in 36-24 hours before my flight. Then I can print off my boarding pass anytime after that, correct?

 

But my real question is can I check in myself at 36 hours prior to hopefully get a lower boarding number?

[recyclelady]

So according to the SW website, they will automatically check me in 36-24 hours before my flight. Then I can print off my boarding pass anytime after that, correct?

 

But my real question is can I check in myself at 36 hours prior to hopefully get a lower boarding number?

 

If you are EB, THEY will check you in. If you are not, you may not check in until the 24 hour mark.

[Keith1010]

The process works extremely well.

 

They will automatically check you in and you just print out the boarding pass.

 

Keith

[6rugrats]

?

 

But my real question is can I check in myself at 36 hours prior to hopefully get a lower boarding number?

No, you can't. Check-in won't be open for you to do it yourself. You can't game the system.

[pms4104]

If you want a lower boarding number, rather than buying EB and a Wanna Get Away fare ... purchase a Business Select or Anytime fare plus EB. Those fare classes are given higher EB checkin priority over the least expensive one.

[parody]

purchase a Business Select or Anytime fare plus EB.

 

If one purchases a Business Select fare, there is no need to also purchase EB as you will be one of the first 15 people (or less) to board the airplane anyway.

[pms4104]

If one purchases a Business Select fare, there is no need to also purchase EB as you will be one of the first 15 people (or less) to board the airplane anyway.

Thanx for the clarification.

[Bowie MeMe]

I find that EB usually is good enough to get me an aisle seat and a place for my carryon bag. A good guess for EB is somewhere around A40 something. Lots of time A1-15 are not taken because they are business select or not assigned. I have traveled on many airlines and I have grown to really like the SWA system -- if you want to board early you can pay your money for EB. People know what to expect and they get in the plane quickly and well. Is there enough bin space? Well it is not fantasy land but since you get 2 bags free people do not try to carry the whole world on- better than airlines that charge for bags. Let's hope that my flights (EB on SWA) from BWI to FLL on Sunday before and Saturday after Thanksgiving is smooth. Too bad no cruise this time but a whole week with one great granddaughter. :D

[ToddlerMom]

EB is a great option if you know that you won't have internet access in the 24 hours before the departure but it's not essential to getting a good seat. First, you can check in on your cell phone or blackberry so you don't need a computer or wifi access. Second, people outside of the A group can still get good seats. The key is to go to the back of the plane. I don't know what it is about Southwest fliers but the majority of the As sit in the first 10 or so rows. Some of them even choose middle seats! The key is to put your roller bag in the first open bin you see and then proceed to the back of the plane. There will be window and aisle seats available almost to the end of the B group.

[BethCarp]

Thank you for the answers. I wasnt trying to cheat the system, just making sure how it worked. EB will work for us on our flight home as we won't be able to check in from the ship. Hope it works on our first flight too. I'm not worried about bin space. But seating with the kids

[Steamboatin]

There is a simple way to beat the system.

 

Become handicapped and you go in with the first batch and you do not even have to pay an extra fee to do so.

[Keith1010]

I have never had a problem with EB.

 

Keith

[Fattony]

I've gotten as low as the low 20s and as high as 30 with EB (just 3 occasions so far, so not scientific survey). The first time we were able to get two seats in the emergency row, the second time not. The last time, in Detroit, boarding was rather chaotic since there weren't enough staff to help wheel on people in wheelchairs. I still see people with big carry-on bags. And yes, Business Select (a bit of a misnomer since you don't get special seats or food, as in Business Class; you get more flexibility on cancellations and early boarding) does get you in the first boarding group, but you pay a fair amount for this privilege.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

EB is a great option if you know that you won't have internet access in the 24 hours before the departure but it's not essential to getting a good seat. First, you can check in on your cell phone or blackberry so you don't need a computer or wifi access. Second, people outside of the A group can still get good seats. The key is to go to the back of the plane. I don't know what it is about Southwest fliers but the majority of the As sit in the first 10 or so rows. Some of them even choose middle seats! The key is to put your roller bag in the first open bin you see and then proceed to the back of the plane. There will be window and aisle seats available almost to the end of the B group.

 

 

 

I really have to say that I disagree with putting your bag in the first open space. What about the passengers that have seats directly under where you have placed your bags? Are they supposed to walk all over the plane to find an empty area to store their bags because their overhead bin is full? This would certainly create a cluster muck of foot traffic. The airlines have alway said to place your bags in the overhead bins above your seats. If you like the back of the plane then your bags should go there with you. If your bin is full then the airline attendants will assist you in placing your bag in an open area.

 

I really do not mean for this to be snarky, I just think it is thoughtless of other passengers that have paid their fare not to have a convenient place to place their bags just because folks don't want to lug them back to their own seats with them. What if everyone decided to do this? What a total mess that would be. Please be considerate of others. :)

 

 

 

 

 

.

[ToddlerMom]

I really have to say that I disagree with putting your bag in the first open space. What about the passengers that have seats directly under where you have placed your bags? Are they supposed to walk all over the plane to find an empty area to store their bags because their overhead bin is full? This would certainly create a cluster muck of foot traffic. The airlines have alway said to place your bags in the overhead bins above your seats. If you like the back of the plane then your bags should go there with you. If your bin is full then the airline attendants will assist you in placing your bag in an open area.

 

I really do not mean for this to be snarky, I just think it is thoughtless of other passengers that have paid their fare not to have a convenient place to place their bags just because folks don't want to lug them back to their own seats with them. What if everyone decided to do this? What a total mess that would be. Please be considerate of others. :)

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

Actually the SW flight attendants usually tell you to put your bag in the first available open bin after the B group begins to board. It's much more disruptive to take your bag to the back of the plane and then not be able to find a spot for it. That means that the flight attendant has to walk your bag all the way to the front of the plane. It's not that you don't want to lug it to the back of the plane with you but rather the risk that after you get to the back there won't be a spot.

 

IMO the most thoughtless thing you can do regarding the overhead bin is to put bags up there that would fit easily under the seat.

 

When I flew American last week the flight attendants were telling people to put their roller bags in the first available bin too.

[Globaliser]

When I flew American last week the flight attendants were telling people to put their roller bags in the first available bin too.

Totally crackers. Totally.

 

Do they think it's not disruptive when a person who's sitting in the front can't find any bin space, and has to walk all the way down to the aft end of the cabin to stow their bag?

 

Or when that person's bag has to be gate-checked because all the space at the front's been taken - of course, after the person has opened it up in the cabin to extract all the valuables etc from the bag?

 

Crackers.

[Keith1010]

Totally crackers. Totally.

 

Do they think it's not disruptive when a person who's sitting in the front can't find any bin space, and has to walk all the way down to the aft end of the cabin to stow their bag?

 

Or when that person's bag has to be gate-checked because all the space at the front's been taken - of course, after the person has opened it up in the cabin to extract all the valuables etc from the bag?

 

Crackers.

 

I agree.

 

One of the worst I recently saw was returning on American Airlines on a flight this past August. We were in first class and not everyone was in their seats. The flight attendant told another person who turned out to be an airline employee on travel to put their two bags in the overhead compartment above the two seats where the passenger's had not yet arrived. Aside from putting two bags rather than one up there the person was sitting in coach. Anyway, a few minutes later the two first class passengers arrive. No space for their luggage up front. They have to place their luggage in the coach section. What an inconvenience.

 

Keith

[wrp96]

The only time I've heard them say put the bags in the first available bin is towards the end of boarding when most of the bins are already filled.

[ToddlerMom]

The only time I've heard them say put the bags in the first available bin is towards the end of boarding when most of the bins are already filled.

 

I fly SW very often and they usually tell you to take the first overhead bin starting with the B group. And note that my "advice" was for people with lower boarding passes. A lot of people seem to think that they must pay for EB in order to find a decent seat and get an overhead. Not true at all.

[FlyerTalker]

The flight attendant told another person who turned out to be an airline employee on travel to put their two bags in the overhead compartment above the two seats where the passenger's had not yet arrived. Aside from putting two bags rather than one up there the person was sitting in coach.

Since the employee hadn't been upgraded, the FA was at least letting their bags fly in first....:D

[ltthib]

There is a simple way to beat the system.

 

Become handicapped and you go in with the first batch and you do not even have to pay an extra fee to do so.

 

Completely agree. Have flown SW many times and am amazed at how many people need wheelchairs to get on the plane but are suddenly "cured" upon landing and make their way off the plane and out of the terminal on their own. Ran into a SW pilot on a cruise and he knew exactly what I was talking about when I asked him why all SW flights had a connection in Lourdes.

[waterbug123]

Completely agree. Have flown SW many times and am amazed at how many people need wheelchairs to get on the plane but are suddenly "cured" upon landing and make their way off the plane and out of the terminal on their own.

 

To each his own. Personally I've never had the time or the interest to A) make a mental note of who boarded from a wheelchair and then B) follow up to see what they do, where they go or how they get there at the end of the flight. :rolleyes:

[Globaliser]

Personally I've never had the time or the interest to A) make a mental note of who boarded from a wheelchair and then B) follow up to see what they do, where they go or how they get there at the end of the flight.

But it's a well-known phenomenon, and certainly not confined to WN.

[wrp96]

But it's a well-known phenomenon, and certainly not confined to WN.

 

Definitely not confined to WN. Continental flyers refer to flights from Newark to South Florida as miracle flights.

[Bill S]

This past Saturday, I had to fly to Reno and back on business. For such short flight, I normally do not use EB. But, my firm paid for the trip and they paid the extra $20 for the EB check-in. I got A23 on the outbound and A24 on the come-back. On both flights there were just a handful of the folks who paid the higher fares. On both legs, I was able to sit in the emergency exit row (with the great leg room). On the home-bound flight, leaving Reno at 4:35pm, there were only 45 people on the flight! Haven't seen that few people on a plane in a long time. :)