SW and Early Bird Check-In

[stormer]

We always buy early bird check in, but have found it becoming a problem lately. Our last trip, I was on the computer the second the flights were released and purchased four tickets in one purchase. We got B1, B2, B7, and B9. I called to complain because I knew I bought them the second fares were released. The person I spoke to said it is based on the order you purchase and the type of fair being purchased. She couldn't tell me why our positions were not consecutive. I think it is a problem if you purchase EBCI and have to board after family boarding. I have sent a few emails and SW doesn't care.

 

[kmermaid]

This is my theory as to what SWA does based on my experiences: SWA goes by how the ticket was paid. We use RR and DH has their upgraded credit card. DH barely makes the A's and I never do (I use his companion pass). I purchase EB on same day the flights are released but I am still behind people who have purchased later (though not using rewards). My flights in Oct and Dec I have bought EB only for me. He will use his alotted upgrade credit he gets with the SWA credit and purchase on of the spots 1-15 if available (every flight we have been on those spots are never full). Curious if anyone else has similar experiences using EB with RRs.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'd say it was just a weird glitch, but it was literally 3 or 4 groups of people on each of our 2 flights comparing notes about how this happened to them.

Since it happened to multiple parties on a single flight, it still could have been a glitch. Or, coincidentally, each party could have purchased their respective group's tickets together, but added EBCI later/intermittently.

FWIW. Those of us in line had no problem with the separated little kids coming up in line to stay with mom and dad.

I hope we don't get separated!

The proper boarding procedure is for the entire party to board together at the highest/last boarding position.

That's pretty crappy. They should have given you the upgraded ones at the gate for free.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Gate Agents don't have access to the information Customer Service does. The quoted posted seems more than satisfied with their explerience.

Our last trip, I was on the computer the second the flights were released and

but other people were too; and this could have been the result of different internet connection speeds.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I bought EBCI on the day of flight release for our flights in March. We had B numbers. I said never again.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just a reminder: EBCI is designed to check in passengers at 36 hours. I don't think Southwest stars of stated anywhere that customers will get A boarding positions.

 

[focusondisney]

Since it happened to multiple parties on a single flight, it still could have been a glitch. Or, coincidentally, each party could have purchased their respective group's tickets together, but added EBCI later/intermittently.


The proper boarding procedure is for the entire party to board together at the highest/last boarding position.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Gate Agents don't have access to the information Customer Service does. The quoted posted seems more than satisfied with their explerience.

but other people were too; and this could have been the result of different internet connection speeds.

Agree with all your points. Plus there are other variables in EBCI positions: which airport? What time of day? Connecting or nonstop? When was the flight booked? All those things play into what boarding position you end up with.

We fly the early morning non stop from Buffalo & the late night nonstop back. I get EBCI every time & book when flights open. We flew 3 times in 2018 & 3 so far this year. And many times before that. Have never gotten a B yet. Booking on points or cash. Even my companion pass ticket has always been an A. The flights are full too. And if I book our flights together, we have always gotten consecutive numbers too.

I am not discounting other people’s experiences. But I really am not that lucky a person to just “luck out” with an A.

 

[Spunky946]

This is my theory as to what SWA does based on my experiences: SWA goes by how the ticket was paid. We use RR and DH has their upgraded credit card. DH barely makes the A's and I never do (I use his companion pass). I purchase EB on same day the flights are released but I am still behind people who have purchased later (though not using rewards). My flights in Oct and Dec I have bought EB only for me. He will use his alotted upgrade credit he gets with the SWA credit and purchase on of the spots 1-15 if available (every flight we have been on those spots are never full). Curious if anyone else has similar experiences using EB with RRs.

We have the upgraded credit card as well and I’m a companion to my dh, our last flight we got a27-a30. Three purchased together on points and me as the companion on opening day.

 

[tooh8ful]

My girls and I have flown 4 times this year and have 2 upcoming flights. I always buy EBCI and had never had a problem until this year. One time SW didn't check us in. The gate agent argued that I didn't have EBCI so I had to pull up my email/purchase. By the time she checked us in we were in late B position (3 tickets x $25 each for EBCI). The last flight, which I purchased the day of release, along with EBCI, our positions were very far apart. I boarded with my A position and just brought my 12 yr old with me, who had a late B position. I decided then I'll not be buying EBCI anymore. If I can't rely on SW to check me in, or an early boarding position, why am I paying $50 extra per seat?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I am not discounting other people’s experiences.

Neither was I. Your statement just heard repeating.

If I can't rely on SW to check me in, or an early boarding position, why am I paying $50 extra per seat?

Not checking you in that single time was clearly a glitch. Not getting an early boarding position was not, despite many passengers being under this same misconception. It's Early Bird Check In, not Early Boarding Check In.

I boarded with my A position and just brought my 12 yr old with me, who had a late B position.

Normally, shame on the Gate Agent for allowing this.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

My girls and I have flown 4 times this year and have 2 upcoming flights. I always buy EBCI and had never had a problem until this year. One time SW didn't check us in. The gate agent argued that I didn't have EBCI so I had to pull up my email/purchase. By the time she checked us in we were in late B position (3 tickets x $25 each for EBCI). The last flight, which I purchased the day of release, along with EBCI, our positions were very far apart. I boarded with my A position and just brought my 12 yr old with me, who had a late B position. I decided then I'll not be buying EBCI anymore. If I can't rely on SW to check me in, or an early boarding position, why am I paying $50 extra per seat?

I had the same experience with the EBCI not working (checking us in). I posted earlier here they had us pay for the A positions at gate (A1-15) then immediately refunded money.

I agree with @kaytieeldr that EBCI is not a guarantee A and it was wrong of you to take your daughter and the gate agent to allow. Your A doesn’t entitle her to board with you

 

[Moneypenny]

Since it happened to multiple parties on a single flight, it still could have been a glitch. Or, coincidentally, each party could have purchased their respective group's tickets together, but added EBCI later/intermittently.

It was actually 2 different flights on different days at two different originating airports. All the affected families knew what they were talking about in terms of how buying tickets and EBCI works and all reported buying all the tickets together, with EBCI, in one transaction paid for with one payment method (either points or credit card) and then not making any later alterations to the purchase (like rebooking if the cost went down). They still ended up with non-consecutive boarding positions.

 

[nkereina]

This is scary......people are on here all the time saying if you want to sit next to your kids best bet is to pay for EBCI and not even rely on family boarding since sometimes that option is not available......I wouldn’t be happy if this happened to our family. I guess the only only guarantee for southwest would be to pay for the $500+ business select seating when flights are released....

Its still true that the best bet of being able to sit with your kids due to the open seating policy is to purchase the EBCI (other than purchasing business select). EBCI will still put you in line ahead of the people who don't purchase it. Consider it an "insurance", and if you didn't end up needing it because it put you after family boarding, then so be it. Its a cost of doing business with SWA, and a reason why a lot of people don't care to fly with them. EBCI is something I automatically purchase now, and I just add the cost onto the fare when I'm comparing with other airlines' fares.

I bought EBCI on the day of flight release for our flights in March. We had B numbers. I said never again.

PPs are correct in that EBCI has never been a guaranteed A boarding position. EBCI's intended purpose is to check you in at the 36 hour mark, making it convenient for people who don't have the means or availability to check-in themselves at 24 hours. It just so happens that a byproduct of this is that you end up with a boarding position higher than those who check themselves in because its being done earlier for you.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Its still true that the best bet of being able to sit with your kids due to the open seating policy is to purchase the EBCI (other than purchasing business select). EBCI will still put you in line ahead of the people who don't purchase it. Consider it an "insurance", and if you didn't end up needing it because it put you after family boarding, then so be it. Its a cost of doing business with SWA, and a reason why a lot of people don't care to fly with them. EBCI is something I automatically purchase now, and I just add the cost onto the fare when I'm comparing with other airlines' fares.


PPs are correct in that EBCI has never been a guaranteed A boarding position. EBCI's intended purpose is to check you in at the 36 hour mark, making it convenient for people who don't have the means or availability to check-in themselves at 24 hours. It just so happens that a byproduct of this is that you end up with a boarding position higher than those who check themselves in because its being done earlier for you.

And that is why I won't buy it again. It's pretty simple.

 

[nkereina]

And that is why I won't buy it again. It's pretty simple.

Ok. That's totally your prerogative. I was just clarifying, mostly for others, that its not advisable to buy EBCI if you're banking on an A boarding group because that's not a guarantee nor is it the primary purpose.

 

[emilymad]

We have the upgraded credit card and get 4 A1-15 upgrades a year. If we need more than those we have decided we will spend the money on those instead of ECBI. From our airport ECBI costs $25 most of the time and the A1-15 is $40. We check in at 24 hours and then ask at the gate what number they are selling when we get to the airport. I would rather spend a little more and get what we really want. Most of our recent ECBI experiences haven't been great. Our numbers not being good to being far apart, etc.

According the people over on the flyertalk forums the price you paid for a ticket is taken into account.

 

[tooh8ful]

For the people who said shame on me for taking my CHILD with me to board; if you read my post before becoming judgy you would have understood that I paid $25 per person, per flight at the same time to sit with, and BOARD WITH my child. There was no reason for the boarding positions to be over 20 numbers apart. Since this was a month after I paid for EBCI and wasn't checked in, yes I took my daughter with me when I boarded. Geez, I forgot for a second why I quit reading DisBoards. . .

 

[zoo2tycoon]

For the people who said shame on me for taking my CHILD with me to board; if you read my post before becoming judgy you would have understood that I paid $25 per person, per flight at the same time to sit with, and BOARD WITH my child. There was no reason for the boarding positions to be over 20 numbers apart. Since this was a month after I paid for EBCI and wasn't checked in, yes I took my daughter with me when I boarded. Geez, I forgot for a second why I quit reading DisBoards. . .

You are supposed to board with the higher number- you would have been together then. What you did was not fair to those with lower boarding numbers . Don’t say it was only one person - imagine if everyone did. Children don’t entitle you not to follow rules.

Sorry to sound mean but those are the facts. It’s frustrating to see parents act like kids entitle them not to do what is right

 

[tooh8ful]

You are supposed to board with the higher number- you would have been together then. What you did was not fair to those with lower boarding numbers . Don’t say it was only one person - imagine if everyone did. Children don’t entitle you not to follow rules.

Sorry to sound mean but those are the facts. It’s frustrating to see parents act like kids entitle them not to do what is right

Are you not reading the part where I purchased EBCI, the day the fare was released???? For both of us! This is my whole point, I paid for EBCI so my child and I would be sitting together! I WAS ENTITLED BECAUSE I PAID FOR IT!!!! How is that difficult to understand?

 

[kaytieeldr]

you would have understood that I paid $25 per person, per flight at the same time to sit with, and BOARD WITH my child.

We did and do understand you paid for EBCI to have the airline automatically check you in 12 hours before passengers checking themselves in but at the same time as every. other. passenger. who purchased EBCI, on that and every other Southwest flight leaving at your same time, throughout the country.

There was no reason for the boarding positions to be over 20 numbers apart.

Other flights at the same time. Others on your flight with faster internet connections. The software.

Since this was a month after I paid for EBCI and wasn't checked in, yes I took my daughter with me when I boarded.

The earlier post gives the distinct impression that these were two separate flights:

One time SW didn't check us in. The gate agent argued that I didn't have EBCI so I had to pull up my email/purchase. By the time she checked us in we were in late B position (3 tickets x $25 each for EBCI). The last flight, which I purchased the day of release, along with EBCI, our positions were very far apart. I boarded with my A position and just brought my 12 yr old with me, who had a late B position.

We understand completely that because of one incident, despite all previous flights/EBCI purchases working perfectly, you choose to never buy it again. We hope you understand that everyone in your party can board together with the highest boarding position assigned to you.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Are you not reading the part where I purchased EBCI, the day the fare was released???? For both of us! This is my whole point, I paid for EBCI so my child and I would be sitting together! I WAS ENTITLED BECAUSE I PAID FOR IT!!!! How is that difficult to understand?

I did read you post and understood. I disagree with what you did,