Question - Southwest Check In

[tonit964]

This will be our first time flying Southwest. There are three of us, myself, DH and DD 15 and we are all on the same reservation.

 

When I check in, do I have to check in for all three of us individually or I just do it once?

I just want the best possible chance for us all to sit together and don't want to waste time trying to figure the process out while I'm checking in.

 

Thank you!

Toni

[cot427]

This will be our first time flying Southwest. There are three of us, myself, DH and DD 15 and we are all on the same reservation.

 

When I check in, do I have to check in for all three of us individually or I just do it once?

I just want the best possible chance for us all to sit together and don't want to waste time trying to figure the process out while I'm checking in.

 

Thank you!

Toni

 

Once you enter the requested information for check in (a name and confirmation number) it will bring up the screen with all of the passengers in the booking with a box beside each name checked. All you have to do is hit check in once more and it will check you in. Of course this option allows you to uncheck names should you not want to check them in, however I'm not sure why anyone would do that with Southwest.

 

It's a simple enter info, 2 clicks and you got your boarding passes.

[tonit964]

Thank you very much!

[Donray]

This will be our first time flying Southwest. There are three of us, myself, DH and DD 15 and we are all on the same reservation.

 

When I check in, do I have to check in for all three of us individually or I just do it once?

I just want the best possible chance for us all to sit together and don't want to waste time trying to figure the process out while I'm checking in.

 

Thank you!

Toni

 

Keep in mind that you are not guarantee to sit together. Unless you paid extra from automatic check-in you could wind up in a group that by the time you board there are not three seats together.

 

So, did you pay extra for the first to board group.

Southwest does not assign seats.

[tonit964]

Keep in mind that you are not guarantee to sit together. Unless you paid extra from automatic check-in you could wind up in a group that by the time you board there are not three seats together.

 

So, did you pay extra for the first to board group.

Southwest does not assign seats.

 

Thank you for that info, I realize that and we did purchase the Early Bird check in for our trip back as we will be on the ship 24 hours prior to being able to check in.

 

We fly on Saturday morning and I'm still debating whether I should just purchase it but since, at this point it, is so close to departure date, it may not help anyway.

[suznjune]

Does having Early Bird check-in mean that I don't have to do the 24 hour check-in online at all? Just go to airport with luggage to check? My elderly Mother is flying to see me and does not have internet access. If she needs to still checkin online I will have to do it for her.

[bwaz]

Yes. When you purchase Early Bird, Southwest checks you in automatically and assigns a boarding number depending on how far in advance you purchased. It is great and well worth the $12.50 each way, in our opinion.

 

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[janetz]

I always check in right at the 24 hour mark. Only twice I have not been in an A position. One time was when I paid for EB and SW refunded the cost to me. :)

[bwaz]

I find Early Bird especially useful on the return leg, when you are still on vacation doing who knows what. You don't have to be watching the clock for the 24 hour window.

 

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[suznjune]

Thanks for the info. Nice to not worry about having to check-in online with Early Bird.

[kelmac]

No, you should check in and print boarding passes before heading to the airport. Many locations (airports) have an express line for those who only need to check in bags and hold a copy of their boarding pass.

 

Usually, if you purchased "early bird" months in advance, you will get an "A" boarding group letter. People in the "C" boarding group may end up sitting in the middle seats, as they are the only ones left.

 

Some groups purchase only one "early bird" and try to save seats; this is Southwest's version of "chair hogs" and it can cause problems. I was on a flight where a lady tried to save six seats and a couple called the flight attendant over and the lady was informed that she could not save seats. Three in her group got to sit together and the other three were spread out in the back of the plane. Huge round of applause when the flight attendant stepped in.

 

Southwest is a wonderful airline, but you need to understand the system.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[kelmac]

Thank you for that info, I realize that and we did purchase the Early Bird check in for our trip back as we will be on the ship 24 hours prior to being able to check in.

 

We fly on Saturday morning and I'm still debating whether I should just purchase it but since, at this point it, is so close to departure date, it may not help anyway.

 

If you didn't purchase "early bird" -- make sure you go online at the exact 24 hour point (to the second). You may get an upper "A" or a lower "B" if you time it right. I only do "early bird" these days, but four or five years ago before they offered it, I got pretty good at hitting the 24 hour mark within a second or two. Good luck!

 

Kel:)

[slidergirl]

I don't fly WN - never cheaper for me from my location. Just curious - do they have eboarding passes yet like other airlines? Check in online, have your boarding pass sent to your smartphone or tablet? That would be handy - I'd even pay the internet charge on the ship to do this one! I use it for my Delta and United flights all the time - truly spiffy and a time saver.

[bwaz]

Yes. Southwest does have e-boarding passes. You can show your phone or tablet to the agent. They scan it.

 

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[bwaz]

No, you should check in and print boarding passes before heading to the airport. Many locations (airports) have an express line for those who only need to check in bags and hold a copy of their boarding pass.

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

 

We fly Soutwest frquently. In the airports we fly out of, there's one line for those checking bags. If you haven't been able to print your boarding pass, the agent will just request your drivers license and print your boarding pass from there.

 

 

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[kelmac]

We fly Soutwest frquently. In the airports we fly out of, there's one line for those checking bags. If you haven't been able to print your boarding pass, the agent will just request your drivers license and print your boarding pass from there.

 

 

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Hi bw,

 

Our airport is the same; low key and just one line. Try Denver on a Saturday morning, wow!! People without boarding passes will be in line several hundred people long; it took us 45 minutes to check in once at Denver, and we had our boarding passes. LAX has the same problem. We travel on Southwest almost every month of the year.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[bwaz]

Wow, good to know, thx.

 

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[tonit964]

If you didn't purchase "early bird" -- make sure you go online at the exact 24 hour point (to the second). You may get an upper "A" or a lower "B" if you time it right. I only do "early bird" these days, but four or five years ago before they offered it, I got pretty good at hitting the 24 hour mark within a second or two. Good luck!

 

Kel:)

 

Thank you!

I just purchased early bird on Tuesday for our flight out this Saturday because I just didn't want to stress about it.

It may not help me this late in the game though, we'll see. I don't care where we sit, I would just like the three of us to sit together, in a perfect world, right?! :)

[kenish]

Houseguests were headed to the airport for their flight home on SWA. They double-checked everything online, but didn't print out boarding passes. They said they never do and no worries. I insisted....

 

When they got to the airport there were huge lines. A system problem left SWA unable to print BP's. My friends breezed through checkin to the gate. Many people missed flights, and my friends were very thankful I forced a "lesson learned" :)