Is early bird check in worth the money with Southwest?

[5xdisneyfans]

I have an upcoming trip with Southwest and am thinking about buying early bird check in. Has anyone bought it before? Is it worth it? How far ahead do you get to board than people without it? My son is a nervous flyer and is really worried we won't get to sit together if we get a higher boarding number. It happened to us once before and it was a mess. Just wanted to see what everyone else experienced with buying it. It will also be nice not have to worry about checking in at the 24 hour mark if we are in the parks.Thanks

 

[jo-jo]

We always get it, but mostly because we don't have smart phones. Thus we can't do checkin at 24 hrs exactly while in the middle of it's a small world.

 

[Allison]

Yes, many people purchase EBCI. Worth is in the eye of the beholder. For me it is worth it. I don't have to worry about checking in right at the 24 hour mark and I know I will probably have a boarding assignment that will allow me to choose an area on the plane that I prefer to sit in. It is really a personal choice about being willing to spend the money.

 

[Kelly Anne]

So worth it!!! No need to worry about checking in either, especially when your having fun in the parks the day before.

 

[Disneylover99]

If your son is nervous about flying, and you've already had a bad experience, purchasing EBCI is a no-brainer.

 

[5xdisneyfans]

Thanks everyone. My DH is not a fan of spending the extra money but I think for me to relax that day before I am going to buy it. Always like to hear from people that have tried things before.

 

[MrPTato]

We only get it for the flight home. I don't want to have to worry about setting a reminder to stop and check in. I don't tend to carry my phone much either while in the parks.

 

[georgina]

I don't have small children anymore, so it is not generally worth it for us. I have bought it when we have had a 45 minute connection time in Atlanta, so we can sit near the front of the plane, and deplane first to make the connection.

You could get it just for you and your son, and not your DH. Chances are good you would all end up together.

 

[5xdisneyfans]

I was also wondering the morning we fly out can we take out bags down to the check in place at our resort and print the boarding passes or just wait until I get to the airport? Our flight isn't until 6:30pm. It is just my son and I going for this trip since my DH isn't as big of a fan of WDW as me so planning to take each child one on one. This is my oldest child and my first trip with just one child and no husband. So excited but want to make sure it all goes smooth for us.

 

[cmarsh31]

I get it even when I fly alone. I'm a teacher so I can't always check in at exactly 24-hours (last flight it was in the middle of a class) and when I'm on vacation, I really don't want to have to worry about checking in for the flight home.

Traveling with kids, it's always a yes for me.

 

[Alesia]

What you're asking is basically if It's worth it to pay an extra $30 in order to insure that your son doesn't have a completely miserable flight.

I think it's totally worth it.

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

Yes I think it's worth it for the peace of mind especially if checkin time happens at an inconvenient time.

 

[hsmamato2]

I like it for our return flights.... you will likely get A or B boarding,and even with most B you can find 2 seats together, even toward the back of plane if needed for your son

 

[Timothy02359]

We always do EBCI when we fly SW...Totally worth it in my opinion.

 

[pooch]

Under normal circumstances from my home airport, I have never found it necessary. But our next trip will involve 7 people all flying on points so 7 confirmation numbers to check in separately. The flights are essentially free so the extra $30 per person to get checked in automatically is a no brainer.

I believe if you check in right at 24 hrs, you won't have an issue. But given that you say you've had problems in the past, I'd cough up the extra cash & get EBCI.

 

[tjmw2727]

Worth it? I think this is different for everyone but based on your post it seems like a win/win in your situation. I do purchase is because I don't want to worry about checking in at T24 (did that for years) and I do want to sit amongst my travel mates. It is less than a checked bag on other airlines and puts you 12 hours ahead of those that don't purchase it.

 

[scard192]

yup, bought for everyone in the family, both flights; still way cheaper than Jet Blue

 

[jaysmom4285]

I was also wondering the morning we fly out can we take out bags down to the check in place at our resort and print the boarding passes or just wait until I get to the airport? Our flight isn't until 6:30pm. It is just my son and I going for this trip since my DH isn't as big of a fan of WDW as me so planning to take each child one on one. This is my oldest child and my first trip with just one child and no husband. So excited but want to make sure it all goes smooth for us.

I can't tell from your post if you're familiar with Magical Express and Resort Airline Check-in, although if you've been to WDW before, you probably are. But if you aren't, check out this part of the Dis: http://www.wdwinfo.com/transportation/magical-express.htm . You should be able to check your bags at the RAC desk. The resort's front desk will be able to print your boarding passes anytime after the 24 hour point - you just have to give them your confirmation number. I've never done this, but I think that guest services in the parks can also print boarding passes. The night before you leave, the resort will leave a packet about Magical Express and RAC on your door.

 

[DebbieB]

I got A17 yesterday with EBCI. Ended up in 2nd row.

 

[5xdisneyfans]

I can't tell from your post if you're familiar with Magical Express and Resort Airline Check-in, although if you've been to WDW before, you probably are. But if you aren't, check out this part of the Dis: http://www.wdwinfo.com/transportation/magical-express.htm . You should be able to check your bags at the RAC desk. The resort's front desk will be able to print your boarding passes anytime after the 24 hour point - you just have to give them your confirmation number. I've never done this, but I think that guest services in the parks can also print boarding passes. The night before you leave, the resort will leave a packet about Magical Express and RAC on your door.

Last time we flew Jetblue so our seats were already decided so we didn't worry about any of it. Plus we just hung out in the hotel until our ME time. Also my TA only booked our ME for when we arrived and forgot to do the return one (I have no idea how) so we didn't get a package. Thanks for the information.