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Early Bird Check-In

Lmkel68
Adventurer C

What is the purpose of paying for early bird check-in (40.00) and you still board late.  At this point we should be able to choose our seats.  Is there any special trick to getting a decent spot?

 

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Early Bird Check-In

bec102896
Aviator A
Solution

If you plan to buy EB I recommend buying it when you purchase your flight because your checked in based on the time stamp of your EB purchase. The other thing to note is it all depends on how many A List/A List preferred people are on a given flight because they are checked in before EB so on popular flights like going to Disney during the holidays you may end up in the low B group compared to if you go Mid September when kids are back in school where you would be more likely to get an A boarding pass.

 

A lot of people will buy EB for 1 person and that person could save seats once on board since there isn't a saving seats policy yet so maybe you could do that. 

 

I personally do believe EB is worth the money because you will still have a better spot than someone who didn't buy EB

 

another idea is you could wait and buy upgraded boarding at the gate (if available on day of travel) which is $30-$50 but it gets you A1-15 boarding note that price is per flight while EB is for your whole one way (includes connections) 

 

hope this helps! 

Blake 

Re: Early Bird Check-In

elijahbrantley
Aviator A
Solution

@Lmkel68 - can you expain what you mean by "late?" EB is two things:

  1. always a gamble, and 
  2. always better than not having EB.

The number of medical pre-boards, AListers, and (potentially) family boarders can make a big difference in your boarding position.  This goes for AListers as well as the more occasional passengers and simply the nature of SW's boarding process.  

 

 

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: Early Bird Check-In

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

@elijahbrantley wrote:

@Lmkel68 - can you expain what you mean by "late?" EB is two things:

  1. always a gamble, and 
  2. always better than not having EB.

The number of medical pre-boards, AListers, and (potentially) family boarders can make a big difference in your boarding position.  This goes for AListers as well as the more occasional passengers and simply the nature of SW's boarding process.  

 

 

Just a minor quibble: #2 is incorrect. 

 

It's infrequent, but it does happen where someone who has not purchased EBCI receives a position ahead of those who have paid the extra fee, due to Southwest re-issuing boarding positions of those checked in who cancel. 

Re: Early Bird Check-In

Lmkel68
Adventurer C

I am always on the fence about it. I guess I could do EBC  4 months early and hope for the best since my flight is not until 4/24