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Early Bird Checkin

senglish
Explorer C

I purchased Early Bird Check-in for my wife and myself. We got B-19 & B-20. SW says we are checked-in 36 hours before our flight, 12 hours ahead of 24-hour crowd. I understand that EBC does not guarantee a favorable position but I have two issues.

1. Even though my boarding pass says "early bird check-in" there is no way to know that I was actually checked in 36 hours before departure. SW doesn't let you see your boarding pass until you can actually check in 24 hours before departure.

2. Early Bird Check-in got me the second worse position in 8 years of flying with SW. I have always loved SW and still do, but this is the first bad experience with them. I don't believe EBC is worth the money. You are better off just checking in at the 24 hour mark.

2 REPLIES 2

Re: Early Bird Checkin

dfwskier
Aviator A

@senglish wrote:

I purchased Early Bird Check-in for my wife and myself. We got B-19 & B-20. SW says we are checked-in 36 hours before our flight, 12 hours ahead of 24-hour crowd. I understand that EBC does not guarantee a favorable position but I have two issues.

1. Even though my boarding pass says "early bird check-in" there is no way to know that I was actually checked in 36 hours before departure. SW doesn't let you see your boarding pass until you can actually check in 24 hours before departure.

 

SW says it automatically assigns boarding positions at 36 hours pre flight time. Why do you doubt what the airline is saying?

 

 

2. Early Bird Check-in got me the second worse position in 8 years of flying with SW. I have always loved SW and still do, but this is the first bad experience with them. I don't believe EBC is worth the money. You are better off just checking in at the 24 hour mark.

 

That's just the luck of the draw.. It all; depends on how many A-Listers are on the flight as well as WHEN you got EB. The first person to buy it gets the best EB boarding spot and the last person to do so gets the worst EB boarding spot--all of which are better than the best t-24 boarding spot.

 

You can test SW in the future, The next time two of you are flying have one buy EB and the other not - checking in at t-24 hours. Then compare boarding positions.

Re: Early Bird Checkin

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Guaranteed you would have had a worse boarding position had you checked in 24 hours prior.  When you purchase EBCI does matter and affects your place in the queue.  Buying your tickets and EBCI as early as possible will result in a better boarding position, perhaps you purchased relatively late?  A low B boarding position is hardly a "bad experience" and you must be living right if this is the worst thing that has ever happened while flying.

 

The benefit for me of EBCI is not having to worry about it.  I can get my boarding position anytime within 24 hours of my flight and my boarding position is the same regardless.  I can even just show up at the airport and get the boarding pass there.

 

--TheMiddleSeat