Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
We fly Southwest to save money, and adding Early Bird (for my family of four, on a longish flight - $25 per person, per leg, minimum) vitiates the savings we get by flying Southwest in the first place, so we don't do it. (Not only that, but Early Bird slots are assigned based on when you purchase it, so if you don't purchase Early Bird until shortly before you travel, you could find yourself standing in line well into the B group, only a few people ahead of the non-Early Bird crowd and behind not only the A-group but all of the rewards members, families with small children, disabled guests and their families, etc. -- not much of a benefit.)
When we've flown SW, I simply "hover" at a computer exactly 24 hours out and check in immediately. This usually gets us in the late A/early B boarding group, which as long as the flight is an originating one (and not a connecting flight, which will already have people onboard), is early enough that all four of us can sit together easily. If I can't be at the computer 24 hours before we fly home (e.g., if we're at a hotel with no public computer terminals or reliable wifi), then I book the legs of our trip separately and purchase Early Bird for the return trip only.
It's a matter of personal choice, however, depending on the cost of Early Bird for your flights, the stress that SW's boarding procedures causes you, and the importance of having everyone in your party sit together and/or sit in a particular part of the aircraft.
Also, if you've only flown JetBlue in the past (my favorite!), you should know that SW does not have seat-back TVs or other in-flight entertainment. Other amenities, however, (such as the aircraft layout, seat space, and in-flight snack and beverage service) are fairly comparable, and I enjoy the purposeful, sarcastic wit of the Southwest flight attendants. If you want to find the best seats (or know which ones to avoid when you get onboard), check the "seatguru" website.
When we've flown SW, I simply "hover" at a computer exactly 24 hours out and check in immediately. This usually gets us in the late A/early B boarding group, which as long as the flight is an originating one (and not a connecting flight, which will already have people onboard), is early enough that all four of us can sit together easily. If I can't be at the computer 24 hours before we fly home (e.g., if we're at a hotel with no public computer terminals or reliable wifi), then I book the legs of our trip separately and purchase Early Bird for the return trip only.
It's a matter of personal choice, however, depending on the cost of Early Bird for your flights, the stress that SW's boarding procedures causes you, and the importance of having everyone in your party sit together and/or sit in a particular part of the aircraft.
Also, if you've only flown JetBlue in the past (my favorite!), you should know that SW does not have seat-back TVs or other in-flight entertainment. Other amenities, however, (such as the aircraft layout, seat space, and in-flight snack and beverage service) are fairly comparable, and I enjoy the purposeful, sarcastic wit of the Southwest flight attendants. If you want to find the best seats (or know which ones to avoid when you get onboard), check the "seatguru" website.