Southwest - Do I need to pay for early check in?

[mommypenguin29]

Do I really need to pay for early check in? I am travelling with dh, ds(12) and dd(9) - I am fine with one parent and one kid sitting together and all four not completely together, but do not want my kids by themselves... I have never paid for it in the past and just get the boarding passes as soon as I can (24 hours before)... but we haven't flown in awhile...will we still be ok without paying for it?

 

[maxiesmom]

I would only not pay if you are comfortable with everyone having to sit alone. Otherwise, it is anyone's guess what your boarding positions will be.

 

[Timothy02359]

You`ll probably be fine, but if I were you... I would purchase at least 1 to be safe.

 

[Alesia]

If you want to guarantee that your kids won't be sitting alone, the only way to do that is to pay for it. Otherwise, you take what you get.

 

[maxiesmom]

OP--would you be more upset at spending the $60 and finding it was unnecessary, or having everyone ending up sitting alone? There is your answer.

 

[WDWFan0813]

Ultimately it will depend on several factors which can be hard to predict. The fact that you are OK sitting two and two helps. If you are able to check in exactly 24-hours before, it's less likely you'll need it. But if we're talking a flight to MCO, odds are there will be a fair amount of family boarding, making it more likely you would need it. Please remember either way, the closer your flight is the less beneficial it will be to purchase it.

 

[sam_gordon]

You could always just get two EBCIs for the two kids. In theory they could sit together and mom and dad could be separate. Then you're only paying $30.

 

[iivye]

I don't pay for it going to Orlando but always get it for the flight back. Family boarding out of Orlando can be huge and I don't want to take the chance of the three of us not sitting together.

 

[DisDINK]

If your flight is coming up soon, I wouldn't pay for it. If it is like 3+ months away, I might. We fly out of Baltimore and I ALWAYS pay for it when flying into and out of MCO. I almost never pay extra when going anyplace other than MCO. It is only myself and my wife but the reason why I pay is mainly because after all the families with small kids and other priority boarding which is generally a lot more people than other places I have flown, I just find it less stressful. Plane rides to and from Disney are packed with families. Which means screaming kids---screaming from being excited and positive--to screaming and crying from melt downs or being sad and tired from all the Mouse excitement. And sometimes kids just being kids and playing and running around because they are 5 and can't sit still...it is like vacation Thunderdome at times because parents are usually excited and stressed as well. So everything can take longer and can feel stressful for me. I like to just sit in a quiet corner knowing I'm in the A boarding group and line up and load on when it is time so it is worth that money for me. All that being said, we have been like 6 times in the last 4 years. Every flight I have seen families get separated at first. And every time, I have been part of and seen half the plane volunteer to move around so that kids can sit with parents. I think you are fine either way...just make sure you online board at exactly 24 hrs.

 

[kristenrice]

I don't pay for it going to Orlando but always get it for the flight back. Family boarding out of Orlando can be huge and I don't want to take the chance of the three of us not sitting together.

....and you don't have to worry about remembering to check in at T-24 when you are trying to enjoy your last day of vacation

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I've never bought it and never will.
No need in my opinion.
I've easily found at least 2 seats together even with a late B boarding position.

 

[Music City Mama]

I'm going to piggy back off of this question.

We won't be traveling until the end of June, so our flights haven't been released yet, but I do plan on purchasing them the day they're released.

I do plan on purchasing EBCI for the flight home because 1) I don't want deal with the 24 hour check-in on vacation and 2) there will be a lot of families leaving from MCO.

For the flight down (Nashville), I wasn't going to pay for EBCI, and while I don't care about us all sitting together (DH, me, 15 and 11 year old), I do want, like the original poster, one parent with each kid. The reason for this is because it will be both kids first time flying, and my younger child has a peanut allergy and want to be able to clean his area with wet wipes and control who he sits next to. From what I can tell, SW doesn't allow pre-boarding for peanut allergies (or at least not consistently).

Do you think I should get EBCI just for the two of us for the flight down or do you think someone would easily switch with us (if we didn't get seats together) given the circumstances, or do you think SW would allow us to pre-board?

 

[elaine amj]

I bought it a couple of times flying home from Orlando because I didn't want to be on my phones at T-24. last trip, i was having dinner and we just had our phones ready to go and had no problems. So, it depends.

 

[JessicaW1234]

Do I really need to pay for early check in? I am travelling with dh, ds(12) and dd(9) - I am fine with one parent and one kid sitting together and all four not completely together, but do not want my kids by themselves... I have never paid for it in the past and just get the boarding passes as soon as I can (24 hours before)... but we haven't flown in awhile...will we still be ok without paying for it?

Hi- I usually sit with my kids & dh takes an aisle seat wherever he can find one. It hasn't been an issue.
The only time I would recommend it is if you are traveling on a school vacation week for people traveling from your airport.

 

[LisaS]

...do you think someone would easily switch with us (if we didn't get seats together) given the circumstances...

I wouldn't count on it. You are hoping that people who paid for EBCI so they could have a better choice of seats will happily give up those seats so someone who did not pay can have them instead.

 

[maxiesmom]

Do you think I should get EBCI just for the two of us for the flight down or do you think someone would easily switch with us (if we didn't get seats together) given the circumstances, or do you think SW would allow us to pre-board?

There is no way of knowing either ahead of time. I can tell you, if I pay for EBCI I won't switch seats for someone who wanted to save money and didn't bother buying EBCI. I'm a nervous flyer, and I am more comfortable sitting next to my family. So I pay to make my odds of that much better.

If it is important you sit next to family members, then pay for EBCI when you buy your tickets. Otherwise you are taking a chance.

I have to ask, if you don't want to pay for EBCI why do you think someone should give up their seats for you? Do you think that that is fair of you to expect?

 

[Music City Mama]

You are hoping that people who paid for EBCI so they could have a better choice of seats will happily give up those seats so someone who did not pay can have them instead.

Not exactly, I never said anything about switching with people who paid for EBCI. I'm sure most of the people on the flight won't have paid for it.

I have to ask, if you don't want to pay for EBCI why do you think someone should give up their seats for you? Do you think that that is fair of you to expect?

No, you're right -- but I don't really care where we sit. Basically, I don't care if we have the least desirable seats on the whole plane (all the way in the back or wherever the least desirable seats may be) as long as it's two together (would actually prefer window and middle, not aisle). Also, part of my reasoning was is that we have many flights from my city to MCO every day (even several direct flights), so I don't really think the flight down would be at capacity where I'd have this problem to get just two seats together if checking in right on the 24 hour mark, but you never know.

Just thinking it through since I see so many other people comment on these types of threads that they don't find it worth it and never have trouble with finding two seats together if they check in right at 24 hours. I hate to throw away money if not necessary, but if most people said I shouldn't take the chance, I have no problem spending the extra money. So, that's what I'm looking for -- feedback based on experience.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm sure most of the people on the flight won't have paid for it.

Why? More and more people seem concerned with where they sit so they purchase EBCI.

People who say they always find two seats together may not be an example for you...
1) It depends on where the flight originates & goes to.
2) It depends on what time of day the flight is.
3) It depends on whether you're getting on a flight that came from somewhere (and presumably have people on it).

If you don't want to spend the money, don't. But don't complain that you didn't get two seats together. I personally wouldn't feel right asking others to move (especially if they're already "settled in") because I wanted to save money.

 

[LisaS]

Not exactly, I never said anything about switching with people who paid for EBCI. I'm sure most of the people on the flight won't have paid for it.

What generally happens is that the mom and child are standing at the front of the plane next to a flight attendant as the request is made that someone (or two someones) give up their seats for the mom and child. Most of the people up front are pre-boarders, Business Select passengers, A-Listers or EBCI passengers who, in my experience, don't even look up because they don't want to be "guilted" into giving up the seats they wanted or needed or paid for. The whole situation is awkward. I wouldn't want to be the person nervously standing up there at the head of the aisle if I could prevent it.

Nobody wants to pay for something and then discover later that they didn't need to spend that money. EBCI is essentially insurance for people in your situation.

 

[elaine amj]

Not exactly, I never said anything about switching with people who paid for EBCI. I'm sure most of the people on the flight won't have paid for it.



No, you're right -- but I don't really care where we sit. Basically, I don't care if we have the least desirable seats on the whole plane (all the way in the back or wherever the least desirable seats may be) as long as it's two together (would actually prefer window and middle, not aisle). Also, part of my reasoning was is that we have many flights from my city to MCO every day (even several direct flights), so I don't really think the flight down would be at capacity where I'd have this problem to get just two seats together if checking in right on the 24 hour mark, but you never know.

Just thinking it through since I see so many other people comment on these types of threads that they don't find it worth it and never have trouble with finding two seats together if they check in right at 24 hours. I hate to throw away money if not necessary, but if most people said I shouldn't take the chance, I have no problem spending the extra money. So, that's what I'm looking for -- feedback based on experience.

I have flown southwest multiple times. I typically always check in at T-24 (to the second). NEVER had a problem getting 3 in a row and 1 across for our family (even flying home on a full flight from MCO). If you don't mind sitting in the rear half of the plane and are fine checking in around T-24, you should have no problems getting 2 seats together. I have had times where I have not checked in exactly at T-24 and (more often) times where I was late for boarding and boarded quite far back in the B group. Still always been able to sit together.

That said, there is a tiny risk - but to me, the risk is so tiny that I would have no problems taking it. Just something to be mindful about.