Southwest query...

[draybook]

For those of you who have flown via Southwest I request some information if you will. First, does the 24 hour online check-in mean 24 hours from your flight time, or is it 24 hours before the flight date? Also, is it worth it to get Early Bird and how can you tell if the flight is a direct flight or a connecting flight? If it's a direct flight from Memphis to Orlando then I think we will be okay getting window seats together without Early Bird, but I figured I'd ask here first. Thanks!

 

[lilclerk]

You can check in 24 hours from your flight time.

If you have connecting flights, your email confirmation should say where you're stopping, the time of your next flight, and the next flight number. If it doesn't show any of that, it should be nonstop. You can also log in to the Southwest site and see what they say. For example, mine say:
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Travel Time 2 h 55 m
(Nonstop)
Wanna Get Away

 

[draybook]

Ok, I meant is there a way to see if Memphis is the connecting part of the flight from a different airport, but I guess that would be negated by the fact that it's a non-stop from Memphis to Orlando.

Sorry for the dumb questions, but the last time I flew was reporting to Fort Drum back in 98.

 

[BigTxEars]

If you are checking in via a smart phone or something away from your home make sure you have your flight confirmation number with you, you will need it to do the 24 check in. And try to hit it right at 24 hours from take off. The Early Bird folks and the Business Class folks get priority check in automatically from SW so the boarding passes go quick. I would guess if you hit at 24 hours out you will get A30 to B25 which is good enough for you to sit together with your family. Even latter might still be good enough depending on how spread out the first folks on the place seat themselves.

When my kids were younger I bought the Early Bird, not sure we ever needed it to sit together but it gave me peace of mind the weeks before the flight. I can worry about the silliest things like that for weeks. The $10 per person was worth it to me for the peace of mind. Like I said I did not get it this time, but I can tell you the day before I will be worrying about it

Last thing is remember to check in 24 hours before you flight out of Orlando. Most times we are at a park 24 hours exactly before we depart so just carry your phone with you to check in, and remember that confirmation number that time too. Don't ask how I know

I used to stick the family on a ride, wait on a bench and bam check in 24 hours before we fly. It kinda sucks though because you are already on your last day in the park and then you have to check into your flight out of Orlando as well. That can be a double whammy of depression.

 

[disney4life2008]

With southwest - make sure you check in for your flight at the 24 hour mark (more or less, you are guarenteed A boarding). I have done early bird out of chicago and it was a waste of money. If you check in exactly 24 hours before - you should get A boarding (in the 20s or higher). Southwest planes are pretty big and most people in the A group tend to go towards the front. Me - I like to go right to the back.

 

[draybook]

It look like this is an originating flight out of Memphis so I shouldn't have to worry about any previous flyers boarding before us, just business folks and EBs. I might take the chance of waiting til the 24hour mark. I want to make sure that we not only get seated together but that we get two window seats. So I know we'll have to get two rows for that.

 

[mickeysshoes]

When we use SW I always plan to pounce on the SW site and get it open and ready 5 minutes before the 24 hour prior to departure time. I enter all info and then 1 minute prior I just keep hitting enter and refreshing until it takes it and I have always gotten a high A or a very low B You should have no trouble getting 2 rows with window seats but they might not be right next to each other. When you board I would plan on going to at least half way back or more and you should be fine. Good luck with the first flight!!!

 

[Weather_Lady]

When we use SW I always plan to pounce on the SW site and get it open and ready 5 minutes before the 24 hour prior to departure time. I enter all info and then 1 minute prior I just keep hitting enter and refreshing until it takes it and I have always gotten a high A or a very low B You should have no trouble getting 2 rows with window seats but they might not be right next to each other. When you board I would plan on going to at least half way back or more and you should be fine. Good luck with the first flight!!!

Yes, this! I "hovered" at the computer at precisely 24 hours from my departure time, and I had four different confirmation numbers to enter for my four family members. Clearly a lot of other passengers do this because even though I typed everything in as fast as I could, taking no more than 30 seconds to enter all 4 numbers and click through the necessary screens (my job requires me to type all day, so I'm very fast), on our initial flight our boarding numbers were A59, B3, B4, and B8, so 6 other people were checking in at the same time as I. On the flights back, our boarding numbers were something like B11, B12, B17 and B18. Even with all the usual preboarders, parents with small children and EarlyBird folks getting on ahead of us, we still managed to get four seats together easily (2 window and 2 aisle seats) about 2/3 of the way back in the aircraft on both flights.

 

[mickeysshoes]

And just a note: If your numbers are not all the same LETTER everyone should be able to board at the same time as the first letter. They never gave me any problems with kids with so don't worry about this if it happens. Just all stand together in the spot for the first boarding letter/number and wall board together.

 

[draybook]

Heck with it, I think I'll just pop for Early Bird to rest my nerves. I hate leaving things to chance.

 

[mickeysshoes]

Heck with it, I think I'll just pop for Early Bird to rest my nerves. I hate leaving things to chance.

I was always to CHEAP!!! LOL!!!

 

[draybook]

I was always to CHEAP!!! LOL!!!

Oh trust me, I'm a miser with the money, but it's better than taking a chance and ticking off the wife by not having seats together.

A happy wife is a happy life.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Heck with it, I think I'll just pop for Early Bird to rest my nerves. I hate leaving things to chance.

If you're going to do it, do it sooner rather than later. EarlyBird positions are assigned based on who bought it first, so, for example, the person who makes a last-minute decision to buy it the night before they fly will find that the people who checked in precisely at 24 hours are standing immediately behind them when they line up to board, and that they've paid an extra $30 or more just to move up by one spot...

 

[disney4life2008]

It look like this is an originating flight out of Memphis so I shouldn't have to worry about any previous flyers boarding before us, just business folks and EBs. I might take the chance of waiting til the 24hour mark. I want to make sure that we not only get seated together but that we get two window seats. So I know we'll have to get two rows for that.

I see what your worry is. The worst on Southwest is getting on a plane that is already 90% full. I hate connecting flights unless I am on a plane that is starting off empty.

 

[MasterJedi]

Oh trust me, I'm a miser with the money, but it's better than taking a chance and ticking off the wife by not having seats together.

A happy wife is a happy life.

South West accommodate families very well. Especially if you have smaller children. They usually make an announcement for families with small children to board first. But we ALWAYS do the early bird check in to ensure that we sit together.

 

[Weather_Lady]

South West accommodate families very well. Especially if you have smaller children. They usually make an announcement for families with small children to board first. But we ALWAYS do the early bird check in to ensure that we sit together.

Some more specific info. from the SW website: "An adult traveling with a child four years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the "A" group has boarded and before the "B" group begins boarding. However, those Customers holding an "A" boarding pass should still board with the "A" boarding group."

 

[draybook]

Our kids are 14 and 13, so unfortunately we can't take advantage of that. However, I just completed the Early Bird purchase. It was hard to see the monitor with all of my tears clouding my vision. Anyways, our flight isn't until September 5th, so hopefully there haven't been many, or any at all, people purchasing tickets for that flight with EB before us.

 

[mickeysshoes]

Our kids are 14 and 13, so unfortunately we can't take advantage of that. However, I just completed the Early Bird purchase. It was hard to see the monitor with all of my tears clouding my vision. Anyways, our flight isn't until September 5th, so hopefully there haven't been many, or any at all, people purchasing tickets for that flight with EB before us.

Easy come easy go!!!!!

 

[RobnRachal]

And just a note: If your numbers are not all the same LETTER everyone should be able to board at the same time as the first letter. They never gave me any problems with kids with so don't worry about this if it happens. Just all stand together in the spot for the first boarding letter/number and wall board together.

Just a note....we tried this on our last flight and were denied (even though in the past it had worked for us). We had 4 separate reservations and consequently our boarding numbers were not sequential. Husband boarded first and just saved seats for the rest of us so it wasn't too big of a deal.

 

[mickeysshoes]

Just a note....we tried this on our last flight and were denied (even though in the past it had worked for us). We had 4 separate reservations and consequently our boarding numbers were not sequential. Husband boarded first and just saved seats for the rest of us so it wasn't too big of a deal.

Boy I guess they were not feeling friendly that day. That really sucks.