We are flying into Orlando in October on Southwest (first time on Southwest). From what I can gather, the way to get good seats together on Southwest is to check-in on line and print out your boarding passes starting 24 hours before your flight departure time. The earlier you check-in, the higher your boarding pass number. I'm wondering how you seasoned Southwest travelers check-in at Disney when you may be in the parks at the "T-24 hours" point. Do you just take your chances and check-in for your flight at your resort on departure morning at the airline check-in desk? Or check-in the night before on your laptop when you return to your room (how would you print out boarding pass?)? Just want to try to keep our group seated together in the plane. Thanks for your advice!!
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Resort Airline Check-in Question
- Thread starter Wisconsin
- Start date
Nemo14
Well-Known Member
You can check in and not print your boarding pass, so that can be done with a smart phone actually. We've had our daughter check us in from home more than once, so we don't have to worry about losing track of time in the parks. Then when we checked our bgs at the resort, they had our boarding passes all printed out for us . Super simple!
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DisneyDebNJ
Well-Known Member
We too are flying in to MCO this Oct, via Southwest (first time flying with them) This is good to know Nemo, thank you!!
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NeedMoreMickey
Well-Known Member
We have used concierge desk at the Beach Club and the guest relations in Epcot. Both places printed our boarding passes for us. In March our ME pick up was around 4:00 so we checked our luggage and they also printed our boarding passes for us.
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Pooh Lover
Well-Known Member
Did you buy the Early Bird option? Since they don't have assigned seats, we always buy the Early Bird and are usually in the first 10 or so people to board anywhere on the plane. You don't to check in other than to print out your boarding passes.
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DisneyDebNJ
Well-Known Member
We did, and hope OP did too!!!!! (See, I listen to ya Pooh!!!)
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Pooh Lover
Well-Known Member
So nice to not have to worry about checking in or being seated together. It's just one less thing to stress about when traveling. I'm sure you'll be happy with Southwest and the flight crew is usually "entertaining."
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DisneyDebNJ
Well-Known Member
To quell my insecurities regarding flying, I checked videos on YouTube, they are hilarious!!! Actually looking forward to the experienceSo nice to not have to worry about checking in or being seated together. It's just one less thing to stress about when traveling. I'm sure you'll be happy with Southwest and the flight crew is usually "entertaining."
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ShookieJones
We need time for things to happen.
We did the earlybird too. Worth the extra coin IMO to not have to sweat about sitting together.
We have always flown Delta, but they were WAAAAYYY to expensive this year and top of it did not have an early morning flight out of Bradley to MCO. Southwest has free first bags and 6am flight.
NO brainer.
Glad to see the positive posts about Southwest.
We have always flown Delta, but they were WAAAAYYY to expensive this year and top of it did not have an early morning flight out of Bradley to MCO. Southwest has free first bags and 6am flight.
NO brainer.
Glad to see the positive posts about Southwest.
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Pooh Lover
Well-Known Member
All of the this is absolutely true. Also had trouble getting non-stop flights from the carriers, Southwest goes non-stop many of the places we travel. Lots of LUV for Southwest!
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KC82271
Active Member
Traveling for the first time on Southwest (myself, husband and 7 year old daughter) and I am worried about this whole seating issue. This was supposed to be a quick, cheap getaway trip, and the airfare has been the death of me! Usually a United/Continental traveler, then switched to Jet Blue this year, but they were over $500 RT from Newark, so I went with SW, with a stop in DC (no plane change). I just hope it all works out with the seats. I will check in 24 hours ahead knowing what was posted here. Thanks!
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Witchy Chick
Well-Known Member
To echo what another poster mentioned, there is a Southwest app for smartphones (well, for iPhones, I know -- I have it). When DH and I were visiting WDW last fall, I set an appointment on my calendar for the 24-hour check-in time. My calendar reminder popped up on my phone, I fired up my Southwest app, and got us checked in. The front desk of your resort can print boarding passes for you.
We opted for the $10 "early bird" feature also for our upcoming January trip. FWIW, I've been told that many people opt for this feature -- and that causes most/all of the boarding group A seats to be unavailable for the 24-hour check-in. Checking in 24-hours ahead may not necessarily ensure that you are in boarding group A.
Witchy
The front desk of your resort can print boarding passes for you.We opted for the $10 "early bird" feature also for our upcoming January trip. FWIW, I've been told that many people opt for this feature -- and that causes most/all of the boarding group A seats to be unavailable for the 24-hour check-in. Checking in 24-hours ahead may not necessarily ensure that you are in boarding group A.
Witchy
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dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
OP, If you check in using a smartphone or their website, you have a few options. Last trip we actually received copies of our boarding passes (without asking for them) in our checkout info package. So all we had to do was drop our carry ons with bell services for the day, and we were good to go. If that doesn't happen for you, there are kiosks at MCO that say something like "No Checked Luggage" and "Reprinting Boarding Pass". If I recall correctly they are by the planters between the two banks of counters, before you get to TSA. You can also do that option if you check your luggage in at the hotel with the luggage services there.
Very true. I check in 24 hrs on the dot, and where I used to get like 16-20 (Right after the business class) I now get like 56+ or something in B.
However, unless you end up with high B's, or in the C's, you should have no problems finding seats together. The seats tend to fill up in the exact opposite Southwest wants them to. The front sections, exit rows (extra leg room, but changes to seating are negating this) are first. Aisle rows proceeding back, and then windows. I've boarded between B & C (first flight landed like 45 mins late) and still the last 4-5 rows were completely empty. I have had Southwest flight attendants joke "Look at your boarding pass. If you see a letter 'C' on it, that stands for Center seat. Pick one and sit down in it". And Southwest is usually really good about getting people to move to accommodate families. You may not all be together, but they normally can convince people to move around so each adult can sit with one child. And if you have really small kids you will be allowed to board before the B group.
We opted for the $10 "early bird" feature also for our upcoming January trip. FWIW, I've been told that many people opt for this feature -- and that causes most/all of the boarding group A seats to be unavailable for the 24-hour check-in. Checking in 24-hours ahead may not necessarily ensure that you are in boarding group A.
Witchy
Very true. I check in 24 hrs on the dot, and where I used to get like 16-20 (Right after the business class) I now get like 56+ or something in B.
However, unless you end up with high B's, or in the C's, you should have no problems finding seats together. The seats tend to fill up in the exact opposite Southwest wants them to. The front sections, exit rows (extra leg room, but changes to seating are negating this) are first. Aisle rows proceeding back, and then windows. I've boarded between B & C (first flight landed like 45 mins late) and still the last 4-5 rows were completely empty. I have had Southwest flight attendants joke "Look at your boarding pass. If you see a letter 'C' on it, that stands for Center seat. Pick one and sit down in it". And Southwest is usually really good about getting people to move to accommodate families. You may not all be together, but they normally can convince people to move around so each adult can sit with one child. And if you have really small kids you will be allowed to board before the B group.
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Alison1975
Well-Known Member
The way my son and mother do it is buy early bird check in.. they have lucked out so far and boarded early this way.
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808in702
New Member
We just flew SW for the first time and just got back. 24 hours prior I was able to to do early check-in with my smart phone (did it exactly at the 24 hour time and got an "A"), the next day a CM left a envelope with our boarding passes in it. The day we left, we went down to the lobby to check-in and left our luggage with BAGS, who transported our luggage to the airport. We then left our carry-ons with luggage storage and made the best of the last day. When ME came, we went straight to the security check point. Whatever you do, don't stand behind anyone with a stroller (they have a separate line, but some don't know about this) and after the initial check-in there will be a bottle neck before entering the x-ray machine, so if you stand behind a stroller it's hard to enter that line. After everything was completed, we had only 30 minutes to spare before boarding our plane, so we had our last over-priced sandwich before boarding. Have Fun.
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