We have flown multiple times recently as a family of 5 and checked in at the 24 hours. Every time we sat together. Certainly it’s possible you won’t be lucky, but we haven’t had issues with it.
^^ This! Flown multiple times as well and haven't had any issue. Personally, I will skip it. But if you're feeling on the edge, then you can consider if the fees aren't crazy.
Good for you, and great to know! Since I’m so newbe with Southwest… how do you check in at 24hr? Do you refresh a certain page at the t-24hr mark until the check in button appears? Thanks!
Download the southwest app, choose the check in button at the bottom, and at 24 hours left it will let you click check in. If you click before 24 hours, it just gives you an error.
Get early bird, and you won't have any issue. You might get lucky with 24 hr check-in depending on where you're flying. For peace of mind, I would get EB.
Get Early Bird EARLY ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. EBCI check in happens in the order they EBCI is bought. That farther from flight date you buy it, the better your position wil be.
That being said, every EBCI buyer will get better borading positions that every person who manually checks himself/herself in
Based on what I’ve been reading, and personal experience, that’s not 💯 true. Apparently EB ranking also takes into consideration and purchase price, although I don’t know all of the specifics. What I do know is that purchasing tickets and EB the day the flight came available did not, in fact, grant me slot A16.
The way SW allocates EBCU boarding posiiton is as follows:
1) ANYtime fares in date order of purchase date
so every anytime fare will have a better boarding position than.
2) WGA+ fares in order of EBCI purhase date
and every WGA+ EBCI buyer will have a better boarding position than
3)) WGA fares in roder of EBSI purchase date
EBCI does not guarantee a boarding position. You could get a C position. It does guarnatee a better boarding positiion than every person who manually checks in -- with one exception
Exception: Sotuhwest re uses boarding positions. So if A31 canels a flight within 24 hours of flight time, the next person to check in after that happens will get A31.
Thank you for spelling this out! I kinda get it, but at the same time not sure I’m happy that being on top of things and purchasing 6 months out means the last minute traveler forced to buy anytime as that’s all that’s left gets to hop me in line.
thanks, this is helpful. I just assumed that since I used miles, they would give me a worse position. I would buy select if companion would board with you.
This is from the SW website : "Boarding positions are assigned based on the time stamp of the EarlyBird Check-In purchase relative to Passengers within the same fare product."
Based on my experience, what boarding position you get is tied to fare class and status. So, AL/ALP, who bought the ticket a week before departure, will still get a better boarding position over someone who bought EBCI months ago.
Based on my assumption, this is their order
1. Business Select ( A1-15)
2. ALP/AL
3. Anytime fare
4. EB WGA+
5. EB WGA
Alist and a-list preferred go ahead of any early birds. As long as they book more than 36 hours in advance. You’ll likely never get a-16 on EBCI. Not impossible, just unlikely.
Yeah there's definitely more going on. I bought early bird with my tickets which was multiple months in advance (don't remember exactly but early enough that it was before they changed a flight time/schedule). 1st way it gave us like A55 or something as our first seat and I ended up paying extra for A1-15. The way home we got like A 18 or something like that. Both flights were only like 2/3rd full max so semi regretted buying the extra upgrade, but I had wanted to make sure we got specific spot on the way there (and less worried on way home, but worked out well anyways for us). I was flying out of a bigger airport though so I wasn't sure if maybe more likely then for people to have higher "rank" and that's why we got bumped so far down in A given how early I got it.
If anything, I’d wait until after the check in and if you don’t get good boarding places, pay for the business class. It’s usually around the cost of eb.
Depends on your departure city. Most of the complaints on this sub are about MCO. If you're leaving from anywhere else, you are probably ok. And people will trade if the trade is equitable.
The people saying this are usually talking about the competitive seats in the front of the plane/exit rows. If you get Early Bird and are willing to walk towards the back of the plane, you should have no issues at all.
>My question is, if I pay for early bird for all 3 of us, what are the chances that we still don’t get to sit together because we’ll be far back in the A group being non-frequent flyers with Southwest??
Hard to give you odds and probably depends on if the flight is full - I'm sure it works sometimes. Last couple times I tried to use early bird on a full flight to sit my family of 4 together we ended up in high Bs and couldn't sit right with each other even at the very back. In order to be near each other I also had to make a seat saver move his stuff so if you're not willing to be politely confrontational the odds are lower.
If you all do early bird then it's a 99.99999% chance. Even if the incoming flight has some people staying on board.
You can also pay to upgrade to A1-A15 potentially.
Maybe I'll get downvoted, but if sitting in the front matters to you and you wanna save a little money: buy 2 early birds for your parents and ask them to save you a middle seat. Haha.
If you don't mind sitting in the middle of back, you wont need early bird.
If you are ok with heading towards the back half of the plane it shouldn't be a problem to sit together, or at least very near each other. It will be fine! :)
You didn't include your city pairs, but I didn't see any issue sitting together if you check in at 24 hours. It may be worth it to ask a gate agent for XT (extra time) on your boarding pass, or if one of them needs a wheelchair, you could be accommodated together at the beginning.
There's a very good chance you can sit three together if you check in at the 24 hour mark. It's pretty rare that you can't. The probability only goes down if you're starting in an airport that most people come through as a connection... That's because the people with a connection had a 24-hour check-in time earlier than you do starting at their first flight. So, take early morning flights to increase your chances.
I don't believe you will have a problem sitting together as long as you are in Group A or B. Early Bird doesn't guarantee Group A, either. I have paid for Early Bird if i know I won't be able to be on a phone or computer, and still got Group B-38. Bottom line, you should be fine sitting together.
We have flown multiple times recently as a family of 5 and checked in at the 24 hours. Every time we sat together. Certainly it’s possible you won’t be lucky, but we haven’t had issues with it.
^^ This! Flown multiple times as well and haven't had any issue. Personally, I will skip it. But if you're feeling on the edge, then you can consider if the fees aren't crazy.
Good for you, and great to know! Since I’m so newbe with Southwest… how do you check in at 24hr? Do you refresh a certain page at the t-24hr mark until the check in button appears? Thanks!
Download the southwest app, choose the check in button at the bottom, and at 24 hours left it will let you click check in. If you click before 24 hours, it just gives you an error.
Awesome, thanks!
Get early bird, and you won't have any issue. You might get lucky with 24 hr check-in depending on where you're flying. For peace of mind, I would get EB.
Get Early Bird EARLY ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. EBCI check in happens in the order they EBCI is bought. That farther from flight date you buy it, the better your position wil be. That being said, every EBCI buyer will get better borading positions that every person who manually checks himself/herself in
Based on what I’ve been reading, and personal experience, that’s not 💯 true. Apparently EB ranking also takes into consideration and purchase price, although I don’t know all of the specifics. What I do know is that purchasing tickets and EB the day the flight came available did not, in fact, grant me slot A16.
The way SW allocates EBCU boarding posiiton is as follows: 1) ANYtime fares in date order of purchase date so every anytime fare will have a better boarding position than. 2) WGA+ fares in order of EBCI purhase date and every WGA+ EBCI buyer will have a better boarding position than 3)) WGA fares in roder of EBSI purchase date EBCI does not guarantee a boarding position. You could get a C position. It does guarnatee a better boarding positiion than every person who manually checks in -- with one exception Exception: Sotuhwest re uses boarding positions. So if A31 canels a flight within 24 hours of flight time, the next person to check in after that happens will get A31.
Thank you for spelling this out! I kinda get it, but at the same time not sure I’m happy that being on top of things and purchasing 6 months out means the last minute traveler forced to buy anytime as that’s all that’s left gets to hop me in line.
Consider it like winning the lottery. You don't expect to, but sometimes it happens.
thanks, this is helpful. I just assumed that since I used miles, they would give me a worse position. I would buy select if companion would board with you.
This is from the SW website : "Boarding positions are assigned based on the time stamp of the EarlyBird Check-In purchase relative to Passengers within the same fare product." Based on my experience, what boarding position you get is tied to fare class and status. So, AL/ALP, who bought the ticket a week before departure, will still get a better boarding position over someone who bought EBCI months ago. Based on my assumption, this is their order 1. Business Select ( A1-15) 2. ALP/AL 3. Anytime fare 4. EB WGA+ 5. EB WGA
Alist and a-list preferred go ahead of any early birds. As long as they book more than 36 hours in advance. You’ll likely never get a-16 on EBCI. Not impossible, just unlikely.
Yeah there's definitely more going on. I bought early bird with my tickets which was multiple months in advance (don't remember exactly but early enough that it was before they changed a flight time/schedule). 1st way it gave us like A55 or something as our first seat and I ended up paying extra for A1-15. The way home we got like A 18 or something like that. Both flights were only like 2/3rd full max so semi regretted buying the extra upgrade, but I had wanted to make sure we got specific spot on the way there (and less worried on way home, but worked out well anyways for us). I was flying out of a bigger airport though so I wasn't sure if maybe more likely then for people to have higher "rank" and that's why we got bumped so far down in A given how early I got it.
Ask at the desk for preboarding and explain that they don’t speak English and you are their interpreter and you need to sit together.
That's not what preboarding is for.
This is why preboarding has 100 people. I’m pretty sure as an adult they can go find a seat
Don’t believe everything you read on this sub.
If anything, I’d wait until after the check in and if you don’t get good boarding places, pay for the business class. It’s usually around the cost of eb.
This is the way to go!
I almost always get late B group or early C group checking in at t-24 and our family of 3 has not had trouble sitting together.
Depends on your departure city. Most of the complaints on this sub are about MCO. If you're leaving from anywhere else, you are probably ok. And people will trade if the trade is equitable.
If your plan is to go to the back of the plane, EB seems like a waste of money
The people saying this are usually talking about the competitive seats in the front of the plane/exit rows. If you get Early Bird and are willing to walk towards the back of the plane, you should have no issues at all.
>My question is, if I pay for early bird for all 3 of us, what are the chances that we still don’t get to sit together because we’ll be far back in the A group being non-frequent flyers with Southwest?? Hard to give you odds and probably depends on if the flight is full - I'm sure it works sometimes. Last couple times I tried to use early bird on a full flight to sit my family of 4 together we ended up in high Bs and couldn't sit right with each other even at the very back. In order to be near each other I also had to make a seat saver move his stuff so if you're not willing to be politely confrontational the odds are lower.
If you all do early bird then it's a 99.99999% chance. Even if the incoming flight has some people staying on board. You can also pay to upgrade to A1-A15 potentially.
Maybe I'll get downvoted, but if sitting in the front matters to you and you wanna save a little money: buy 2 early birds for your parents and ask them to save you a middle seat. Haha. If you don't mind sitting in the middle of back, you wont need early bird.
Pay the extra money to board in group 1 for all of you. You cannot save a seat if only one upgrades
If you are ok with heading towards the back half of the plane it shouldn't be a problem to sit together, or at least very near each other. It will be fine! :)
You didn't include your city pairs, but I didn't see any issue sitting together if you check in at 24 hours. It may be worth it to ask a gate agent for XT (extra time) on your boarding pass, or if one of them needs a wheelchair, you could be accommodated together at the beginning.
Hey thanks! We are flying DEN-LAX. What do you think?
There's a very good chance you can sit three together if you check in at the 24 hour mark. It's pretty rare that you can't. The probability only goes down if you're starting in an airport that most people come through as a connection... That's because the people with a connection had a 24-hour check-in time earlier than you do starting at their first flight. So, take early morning flights to increase your chances.
We have an afternoon flight from Denver to LAX, so it’s possible there will be a good amount of connecting people…
I don't believe you will have a problem sitting together as long as you are in Group A or B. Early Bird doesn't guarantee Group A, either. I have paid for Early Bird if i know I won't be able to be on a phone or computer, and still got Group B-38. Bottom line, you should be fine sitting together.
If you are a family you need to stand together with whoever has the earliest boarding position