southwest check in

I am going to have my daughter check us in online while we are on our cruise. But she won't be close to a computer for 5 hrs after they start allowing check ins. Do you think they will still be giving out "A" passes ? This is for early Oct. Thanks !

It just depends on how many others are in your same situation and how full the flight is. Sorry not to be of more help, but there is no way to predict this.

I am going to have my daughter check us in online while we are on our cruise. But she won't be close to a computer for 5 hrs after they start allowing check ins. Do you think they will still be giving out "A" passes ? This is for early Oct. Thanks !

You can also try and check in with your cell phone if you have internet access...If your daughter has a Blackberry, she can check in on line and then you just "reprint"the boarding passes at the airport. I have done this twice on cruises since the 24 hours before port I usually have signal...You could also do it on the ship using the internet cafe...Remember, you don't have to print it out, just check in...

I am going to have my daughter check us in online while we are on our cruise. But she won't be close to a computer for 5 hrs after they start allowing check ins. Do you think they will still be giving out "A" passes ? This is for early Oct. Thanks !

Weird double post...

Thanks for the replies. I may just try to check in on the ship.

Believe it or not, it is just dumb luck....i once booked a flight less than 12 hours ahead, checked in and got an A....but the plane still wound up full! I think I took a bump too....and once i booked, and got As for both legs but the 1st flight was late so i wound up boarding after all the ABCs AND straggling preboarders....I think my seat for that flight was IN the LAV!!! :D

there are maybe 40-50 people in the A group IIRC (just a guesstimate-but i heard that once)...i also agree, maybe you or she could get to an internet cafe or on the ship.....it really takes only about 2 minutes

WN puts the first 30 people in A, the next 30 in B, and the remainder in C. Of course, you have to consider that many WN flights have multiple stops - so there will be pax aboard who can move to more desirable seats after dropping off the arrivals and before the new boarding starts.

Also, you have the pre-boards - families and those with "difficulties". So even an A boarding pass PLUS being at the front of the line doesn't always equal a premier seat.

Another reason I rarely fly WN.

WN puts the first 30 people in A, the next 30 in B, and the remainder in C. Of course, you have to consider that many WN flights have multiple stops - so there will be pax aboard who can move to more desirable seats after dropping off the arrivals and before the new boarding starts.

 

Also, you have the pre-boards - families and those with "difficulties". So even an A boarding pass PLUS being at the front of the line doesn't always equal a premier seat.

 

Another reason I rarely fly WN.

It's actually more like the first 45 - 50 in A, 45 - 50 in B and the rest in C. (Just did it and was number 43 and 44)

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-09-19-southwest-seating_N.htm

here's the new plan...sounds like a good one!

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-09-19-southwest-seating_N.htm

 

 

here's the new plan...sounds like a good one!

My one thing with this is that now means there's even more pressure to be the first one to check in online. At least though it eliminates the annoying need to be the first one in line even for A to guarantee that you got the seat you wanted.

true...but i'm nuts like that anyway.......

at least you can use the little travelers' room now....without (wink wink) asking the person next to you to watch your stuff....we NEVER do that do we??? :D:D:D

at least you can use the little travelers' room now....without (wink wink) asking the person next to you to watch your stuff....we NEVER do that do we??? :D:D:D

Well since I frequently travel solo...not once!;) ;)

What is this thing that you don't do?

What is this thing that you don't do?

if i tell you ...kidding..:D:D:D

we "don't ever" unofficially ask that person who is our new best friend to maybe watch our bags that we are not leaving unattended with a stranger to go to the little travelers room so we don't lose our space in line...

but we don't do that...we would get in trouble.....;);)

(get it??!!)

This is one airline that I've flown on only once for a round trip vacation. Unless there was some incredible deal where I'd save a large amount of money I won't fly it again with their AB&C boarding system. On our flight down to Nashville we had a stop where we stayed on board and they picked up additional passengers. Not bad but alot of people were asked if they minded changing seats so groups or couples could sit together. This doesn't go over very well if you have stood in line for an hour just to get the seat you prefer. On the return trip home we were the ones that were being picked up on a flight that was already half full. We had an A boarding pass again and ended up sitting in the back of the plane before we found an aisle and a middle seat together. I swore never ever ever again. Even with an A boarding pass there could be several ahead of you to board esp if there's alot of children or people in need of assistance ahead of you. They get priority boarding as well. Southwest doesn't fly out of our closest airport so we'd be driving 2 hours to get to the airport they do fly from. Not worth any of the aggrevation. Wasn't there a website mentioned on here awhile back that would check you in if you were unable to do it yourrself??

if i tell you ...kidding..:D:D:D

 

we "don't ever" unofficially ask that person who is our new best friend to maybe watch our bags that we are not leaving unattended with a stranger to go to the little travelers room so we don't lose our space in line...

 

but we don't do that...we would get in trouble.....;);)

 

(get it??!!)

Huh, well I'm certainly never going to ever do that on a future flight :rolleyes:

check out the website for video of the new procedures(we got it in an e-mail link) --great for a few laughs... you will soon line up by group & numbered slot--I can see that working well with overstuffed carry-ons--but we have no choice so we'll give it a chance! why could they not have just gone to reservations like all the other grown up airlines?

Southwest surveyed their passengers and listened to them, the majority of whom liked being able to pick their own seats when they board. I'm sure a lot of it is because of a faster turnaround. You will still board ABC order, but your boarding pass will have a number also. With the new boarding policies, families and other pre-boards won't board until after the first A group has boarded. I guess a little reward for checking in early. I usually fly Southwest OR Continental out of Houston and it is definitely faster getting everybody onboard on Southwest.

:D I for one am ecstatic about the new boarding procedures, no more waiting in line for an hour to get decent seating only to be moved by a family with a child or two getting in line in front of you. Southwest finely listened to it's customers and boarding will be more in tune with other airlines. Now if only they would enforce the carry on size limit so I don't have to wait on some idiot trying to stuff is oversize bag into that small opening.While I'm at it how about those passengers to use the very front overhead when their seating is somewhere in the back.

I think the new boarding will be great too. At least the carry on situation isn't as bad as it used to be. Now with all the carry on regs from the TSA most people will check bags. I have been hit on the head more than once by somebody cramming bags into the overhead compartments!

. I'm sure a lot of it is because of a faster turnaround. You will still board ABC order, but your boarding pass will have a number also. With the new boarding policies, families and other pre-boards won't board until after the first A group has boarded. I guess a little reward for checking in early.

Even with the new procedures, there will still be preboarding for persons with disablitlies before the A groups. I have noticed in the past couple of months they have announced preboarding for blue passes (disabilities) first, then preboarding of unaccompanied minors, then families.

Last year when I traveled after my foot surgery, family groups with small children were preboarded with those with disabilities - which made it kind of rough for me flying to Florida - I couldn't stand in line and waited until the call for pre-boarding at which time we ended up at the end of a huge line of families.

I prefer assigned seats. In March while on a cruise, I tried to use the ships Internet to get my boarding pass, but the computers were down. We got to the airport early so we ended up with a B group. No preboarders on that flight so we had decent seats.

SWA is our only choice locally but when we go to JFK we have enjoyed Jet Blue with the little TVs & more recently Delta--both have reserved seats--so you can pick out your seat when you book the flight.. I agree the new system may be an imoprovement esp if they have the families go after the "A"s but reserved seats would be nice.........