Early Bird Check in is a SCAM!!!

[tylermccamey]

I believe the issue that is upsetting is when someone actually does buy it, but then gets no benefit from it. That was the circumstance of many unhappy passengers at the end of the boarding line with me recently. "Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me." You are right about not wasting any more money on a non-product - I have been fooled once.

[TheMiddleSeat]

It is interesting how many people incorrectly translate "Better Boarding Position" into "Guaranteed A Boarding".

--TheMiddleSeat

[Passenger1C]

@kjltraveler I totally get your frustration. I would be upset if I paid for a better boarding position and did not get what I expected. Just know that to my knowledge, most of those who do purchase EBCI do receive a better boarding position than they would have without. 

[jksobonya]

It's not a scam, but I have found less value in it over time. I bought it a few times when it was $25 ($12.50 each way) but when they increased it to $35 I have used it less. (That $10 makes a difference lol.) For most of my flights when I check in right at the 24 hour mark I am in the As or high Bs most of the time -- there have been times when I am at the end of the B group and I am still able to get a window or aisle seat towards the front of the plane - so I'll save my money unless it's REALLY inconvenient to check in 24 hours in advance - which hasn't happened yet!

:edits: 

Wow, I just checked some of my SWA reservations and Early Bird is $25 for ONE way only! $50 for both flights! Crazy! I see on the site it says that EB can range between $15-$25. I am not sure how you get the cheaper option, but for my flights (I have 7 one-way flights booked from now until the end of the year) they are all $25 each.

I also checked my e-mail history and the last time I purchased EB was in 2013, and it was $25 for both flights (roundtrip). Back in 2011, it was just $20 total. 

--Jessica

[chidog]

I just don't get it, I brought an early bird ticket in the first week of August. My wife decided in the first week of September to come with me and she brought an early bird ticket for the same flight. Two weeks later her sister decided to come and she brought an early bird ticket on the same flight. When we checked in, my wife's position is A37 and her sister is A29 me B25. I was under the impression if you purchase tickets earlier with early bird options you would in a better position than people who purchased early bird tickets later than you.

[chgoflyer · Accepted solution]

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@chidog wrote:

I just don't get it, I brought an early bird ticket in the first week of August. My wife decided in the first week of September to come with me and she brought an early bird ticket for the same flight. Two weeks later her sister decided to come and she brought an early bird ticket on the same flight. When we checked in, my wife's position is A37 and her sister is A29 me B25. I was under the impression if you purchase tickets earlier with early bird options you would in a better position than people who purchased early bird tickets later than you.

First, just to clarify, do you mean they bought a ticket and also added EarlyBird Check-In to that ticket? (EBCI is an add-on, not a fare type.)

Here's my best guess, but it makes some assumptions:

A37 is a pretty standard position with the purchase of EBCI. So that makes sense.

A29 sounds to me like what people often refer to as "SEB", or "serendipitous early boarding." This happens because, when someone cancels their flight after their position has been assigned, their now available position is given to the next person to check in. This explains how someone who did not pay for Early Bird can leapfrog ahead of those that did. It's not an ideal setup, but with Southwest's current system it happens.

For this to be true in your particular case, your wife's sister would have actually had to have not purchased EBCI.

B25 is generally not a position associated with the purchase of EBCI. (Those who buy Early Bird can occasionally get B and even late B positions but it's rare.)

For this to be true in your situation, either Early Bird was not initially added to the reservation, or perhaps a change was made to the reservation that caused it to drop off. Or, it could have been a Southwest "glitch."

To verify whether or not Early Bird was actually still attached to any particular reservation, look at your printed boarding pass. If so, it will say on it "EarlyBird Check-In."

Hope this helps.

[chidog]

Chgoflyer, Everyone involved purchase EBCI same time they purchase their ticket. It must have been some kind of glitch.  I have been purchasing EBCI since the program started. It just seams strange the way things unfolded.

[chgoflyer]

Understood. Did you double check the boarding passes? If EBCI dropped off, you deserve a refund of the fee.

[floridaguy]

I would sing a little song....but.....