Early Bird is a still a joke

[freqflier62]

Once again I decided to try paying for the Early Bird deal for a flight.  Once again Southwest uses the bait and switch game and I ended up with a boarding position at the end of the B group!  It used to be a good deal but over the last few years it has become a scam.  Don't offer it if you won't be getting an A position!  Or at least offer a choice later to cancel the Early Bird when they figure out you are going to get shafted.  I thought they were different than other airlines but they have changed into a company that just chases the dollar.  No love left in the Love Airline.....

[cindyhatfield · Accepted solution]

I love it when I get the A boarding position. What I've learned is the boarding position is a function of how far away your flight is.  the closer to the date the lower the boarding position.  I do agree it may stink to get a B for $25, but there are only so many A spaces. And they assign based on order that we purchase early bird too.  The early bird gets the worm.  (I do not work for SWA or any airline).

[Travelaw]

See my topic Policy Suggestion 

[parpitt1]

Remember you are purchasing Early Bird Check In, NOT "Early Bird Better Boarding Position Guarantee." AND that It never did promise that.

EBCI has been the single biggest profit center SWA's ever rolled out. A cash cow with Zero cost.

Safe travels 

[Flying_Slug]

15 years ago, Early Bird really made a tangible difference. Automatic check-in, several hours before the other passengers could check in, almost always resulted in an low (or mid) numbered A boarding position. That was a time when smart-phones didn't even exist to alert passengers to log in and check-in exactly 24 hours before boarding. Now that we're all aware of that 24-hour-check-in timeline, more passengers try the Early Bird system. The number of seats on the plane remains the same. The value of Early Bird decreases, and the airline tries to leverage that by increasing the price in order to shrink the customer base who can afford the tangible benefit.

It wouldn't shock me if Southwest came up with an "EarlyBird+" option, to further parse out what their customers are willing to pay.