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Paranoid about check in

Simreality
Explorer C

Someone please help ease my paranoia!

We are flying for the first time in 11 years.

First time with Southwest.

First time with kids 7 and 9.

 

We are doing an international flight to the Bahamas from ALB.  The flight is at 6:10, and I am hoping to get there by 4:30.  Plan to take the shuttle from the lot to the airport.

 

Few paranoias:

- is 4:30 okay? Or should it be earlier?

- How busy do you think it'll be 2.5 weeks before Christmas?

- Why does it say to arrive 2 hours early when the ticket counter opens 90 minutes prior?

 

*** How strict is the 60 min ticket counter thing? What if we arrive with 55 min left? Will they really not help us?? ***

 

I'm worried about the shuttle being slow, my kids asking a thousand questions, etc... Anything that would slow us down.

 

Ack!! 

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Paranoid about check in

ZevSupport
Frequent Flyer A

Hey there,

 

Thanks for reaching out to the Community! 

 

First off, take a deep breath! Regardless of the purpose of the flight/trip, flying with SWA is easy, and actually fun too (see: Flight Attendant raps on board: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9lZV_828OA).

 

In regards to your questions, I'd note that 4:30 might be a drop close for both baggage and security. Could you aim for 4:00? I can't tell if this is a morning or evening flight, however, getting to the airport 2 hours before is always adviseable as ticket counters can run slow, especially during holiday season. This is also often true for the shuttle from the lot -- the shuttle might hit a delay or some traffic too. This being said, if you aim for 4 or 4:15, but hit a snag here and there, it'll then be 4:30, and simply let the gate agent know of the issue, and they'll do what they can to speed you along.

 

Wings crossed that the airport moves along, that security isn't at a snails pace, and that all else goes well. Have a safe flight, enjoy, and please feel free to reach out if we can help with any other questions!


Community Champion | PHL based | ex-Companion Pass Holder | Southwest Passenger

Re: Paranoid about check in

Simreality
Explorer C

Thank you!  That does help quite a bit.  

It's in the morning, which is why I'm a little more paranoid.  We took the early flight so we could have more than 1 hour for hour layover.

Hopefully we won't hit any snags (over sleep, issue getting kids in car, snow, etc...) as I'd like to get there as early as feasibly possible!

I even made sure to add our middle names to help avoid issues wuith the passports/boarding.  Not sure why I didn't to begin with!

Re: Paranoid about check in

ZevSupport
Frequent Flyer A

Smart! Wings crossed that the kids get out of bed in a timely manner, and that you make the flight. Be sure to let the flight attendant know its your first time with SWA — while everyone sees the SWA love, they'll want to point it out to you as well!

 

One last airport point: Because you're flying with family, you can board with Family Boarding which is after Group A. By boarding with this group, you can ensure you all get seats together! Hence, no need to worry about checking in 24 hours prior to snag a good boarding position. Instead, just check in prior to the flight, and you'll be all set (https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-experience/boarding-the-plane.html), since y'all can always board after those in A.

 

Have a safe flight, and enjoy!


Community Champion | PHL based | ex-Companion Pass Holder | Southwest Passenger

Re: Paranoid about check in

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Just a couple quick corrections:

 

There's no point at arriving earlier than the time the Southwest counter opens. The 2-hour recommendation is for later in the day. 

 

Family Boarding is for families with children ages 6 and under, so you actually don't qualify. My recommendation would be to check everyone in at exactly t minus 24. Alternatively, you could consider purchasing EarlyBird Check-in for everyone, should your budget allow it.

Re: Paranoid about check in

jksobonya
Aviator A

How did it go, @Simreality?

 

--Jessica