I suppose not being able to board at your assigned position after paying the extra fee for EarlyBird Check-In is no worse than when people who haven't bought it/paid the extra fee jump ahead of you in line (because Southwest reissues the positions of those checked in who cancel prior to flight). I think it's wise to fully understand what your $15 guarantees you (auto check in) and what it does not (much of anything else, including consecutive positions for all members of a group). Last year, Southwest earned nearly $400 million on EarlyBird Check-In fees alone, so clearly some passengers find it worth the cost. 😉
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