Southwest Airlines

[TeresaJ]

Darn, I guess I'll have to wait a bit yet on those dates!

 

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[mamaboss]

Yup, think I will wait till the second leg is available also since we cannot make up our minds whether we want to fly in 1 or 2 days early.

 

Can anyone tell me the process for checking in bags? If you buy the EB and print out your own boarding passes do you still need to wait in line to check baggage? What if you don't print them? Also if you use the EB when would you need to arrive at ft lauderdale airport for a 10:15am flight out? I noticed on most flights out of ft lauderdale your choice is either very early, around 10:15 or later in the afternoon to MI. Usually we book a flight out no earlier than 11:30 with walk off disembark in case customs gets a bug in their butt or something. :D Don't want later in afternoon because my brother has a 2 hour drive to get home.

[RuthC]

Can anyone tell me the process for checking in bags? If you buy the EB and print out your own boarding passes do you still need to wait in line to check baggage? What if you don't print them? Also if you use the EB when would you need to arrive at ft lauderdale airport for a 10:15am flight out?

I can answer some of this. I don't do EB, as I am in the pre-board group. Remember, EB only gets you an early boarding spot to the plane itself; there is no priority before that which comes with EB.

When I have not printed my boarding pass it has never been a problem. The person taking my luggage, and checking my documents, has just printed one for me.

Even if you do check in on line, you have to show documents, so I expect that EB people have to stand in line, which is when their luggage will also be checked.

 

I would never book a 10:15 flight for disembarkation morning. If that time is important, it would be better to wait a day and have an early start from the hotel. Last time I flew out of Ft. Lauderdale (it was Southwest) I was nervous about an 11:45 flight! Turned out to be needlessly nervous, but I still would never try for 10:15.

[Bowie MeMe]

The ship will not transfer you before a certain time. Just won't. Need to know the ship schedule. One or two ships probably no problem more than that the little tiny airport that does just does not!!

 

By late afternoon or early evening the FLL airport gets dead again! My personal preference now is to wait a day or until Tuesday whichever is first. Actually only Friday, Sat, and Sun when the monster ships are in are a problem (still get shaky thinking of the QM2 trip when 8 ships were in including an inaugural sailing and I decided to fly in day of the cruise!!!!!)

 

Letting Mom rest a day or so if possible probably a good idea and the hotel managers of Ft. Lauderdale will love you for it.

[mamaboss]

So we will wait in line to check baggage even if we have our boarding passes already? Usually "walk off" passengers are off between 8-8:30 and is just a ten minute ride to airport but you never know when something will happen to change that to a 9-9:30 disembark. So if that happened we would arrive at the airport at 9:45 for a 10:15 flight. Gives us a half hour to check baggage and get to gate. Boy when I type that out it sounds like way to much stress to even bother trying it. Might have to rethink our plans. Thanks everyone!:)

[Clarea]

So we will wait in line to check baggage even if we have our boarding passes already? Usually "walk off" passengers are off between 8-8:30 and is just a ten minute ride to airport but you never know when something will happen to change that to a 9-9:30 disembark. So if that happened we would arrive at the airport at 9:45 for a 10:15 flight. Gives us a half hour to check baggage and get to gate. Boy when I type that out it sounds like way to much stress to even bother trying it. Might have to rethink our plans. Thanks everyone!:)

Sometimes the porters outside the airport have a shorter line for baggage checks than the line inside, so you might be able to save time there.

[Fattony]

I'm not one of those who says automatically "Fly Southwest" (there are a few posters here who do), but not all flights jumped in price like OP says. Anecdotal evidence. For the flight we're considering for this August (BUR-SEA), the prices are the same now as it was before July 22. Yes, that's anecdotal evidence, too.

[Fattony]

I'm not one of those who says automatically "Fly Southwest" (there are a few posters here who do), but not all flights jumped in price like OP says. Anecdotal evidence. For the flight we're considering for this August (BUR-SEA), the prices are the same now as it was before July 22. Yes, that's anecdotal evidence, too.

 

Dang it. Fare went up $10 today ($104 to $114).