No more SW for me...
Dec 12, 2018, 11:08 am
#16
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Peoria
Programs: Southwest, Best Western Gold, La Quinta, Dollar
Posts: 819
Just to be clear -- since you repeated it twice, and may not be aware: OP may not actually be "better than anyone who did T-24."
Southwest re-issues the boarding positions of passengers who are checked in but then change or cancel their flight. This allows the next random person who did not pay the extra fee to snag that position. They are often low A positions and this happens not-infrequently.
Southwest re-issues the boarding positions of passengers who are checked in but then change or cancel their flight. This allows the next random person who did not pay the extra fee to snag that position. They are often low A positions and this happens not-infrequently.
Dec 12, 2018, 11:48 am
#17
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,240
Up to individual preference I suppose. Even with a mid-B, there's still a lot of agency you have to choose a desirable seat (though yes, likely aft of the exit rows if you want a window/aisle). I know people always talk about paying on another airline for an assigned seat, though as a Delta flyer, there's plenty of discussion in the DL forum among people who find their seats changed due to equipment swaps, GA changes, accommodations for other passengers, etc (and lots of infrequent flyers who get very dismayed upon finding out that their seat assignment isn't guaranteed) - not to mention other passengers asking to swap! Which is all to say, regarding seat assignments, feel free to pick whatever airline best suits your needs, but there's never a perfect solution.
Dec 12, 2018, 12:36 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Friends don't let friends fly SouthWest. Ok, old stuff, but I have only flown SW a couple times. After purchasing Early-Bird have a "B" boarding position. No thanks, ever again. I will get a paid seat on all my flights elsewhere. Yes, I understand that no one cares except me and I will not be missed... As if my $750.00 r/t PIT to FLL is not enough.
Still.... we encourage friends to fly Southwest. And, it appears the American public agrees. They are the largest domestic carrier out there.
Dec 12, 2018, 12:36 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,602
Friends don't let friends fly SouthWest. Ok, old stuff, but I have only flown SW a couple times. After purchasing Early-Bird have a "B" boarding position. No thanks, ever again. I will get a paid seat on all my flights elsewhere. Yes, I understand that no one cares except me and I will not be missed... As if my $750.00 r/t PIT to FLL is not enough.
Dec 12, 2018, 12:37 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Curious... with a B pass... did you still get your preffered aisle or window? And bags in overhead?
Dec 12, 2018, 1:06 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
Been using WN for several years on short routes, and would likely never buy ECBI--only makes sense for seat savers. In addition, not sure if it's just SFO, but there's always a legion of pre-boarders & abled body people accompanying the one or two wheel chairs. All of which makes ECBI a poor value, in my view. Want early boarding, just do whatever these cheesers are doing to get on the pre-board list.
Dec 12, 2018, 2:12 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
My point was that, earlier you said "You were ahead of each and every passenger who checked in at T-24," and, unfortunately, that's not definitively true.
Dec 12, 2018, 3:21 pm
#23
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: STL
Programs: Southwest A+/CP, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 170
The position is assigned and held for you. No airline in the US allows you to check in before T-24, thus SW not providing your boarding position to you until T-24. As A-list+, my position is also assigned at T-36, while not being available check-in until 12 hours later.
Dec 12, 2018, 4:13 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,508
The position is assigned and held for you. No airline in the US allows you to check in before T-24, thus SW not providing your boarding position to you until T-24. As A-list+, my position is also assigned at T-36, while not being available check-in until 12 hours later.
EBCI purchased 6 months in advance should give you pole position. But the liberal change policy means more A-list assignments get re-issued late. Boarding order is incessantly short-circuited.
Dec 12, 2018, 4:24 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,459
There's no reason WN can't disclose your boarding assignment. Every other carrier assigns a seat and reveals what it is. Days/weeks/hours before T-36.
EBCI purchased 6 months in advance should give you pole position. But the liberal change policy means more A-list assignments get re-issued late. Boarding order is incessantly short-circuited.
EBCI purchased 6 months in advance should give you pole position. But the liberal change policy means more A-list assignments get re-issued late. Boarding order is incessantly short-circuited.
Dec 12, 2018, 4:36 pm
#26
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,508
I suspect most people buying months out would appreciate the head's-up. You like surprises? What's gained for the airline holding the info, other than it might show the actual system to be spasmodic?
Dec 12, 2018, 4:47 pm
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
Early Bird is a scam, and makes no promise of an A boarding pass.
WN is selling a solution to a problem they have created..monetizing the boarding scrum they have created by not having assigned seating. Diabolical! I can see Herb, rubbing his hands together and saying "Excellent!" as the EBCI dollars roll in. Equally narcissitic people will still buy it..but only to save a whole row for their C boarding pass companions, safe in the knowledge the FA's won't intervene.
WN is selling a solution to a problem they have created..monetizing the boarding scrum they have created by not having assigned seating. Diabolical! I can see Herb, rubbing his hands together and saying "Excellent!" as the EBCI dollars roll in. Equally narcissitic people will still buy it..but only to save a whole row for their C boarding pass companions, safe in the knowledge the FA's won't intervene.
Dec 12, 2018, 5:47 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,943
Are they going to send out a email evertime some changes or cancels who is in front and changes the order? If this really bothers you, I am not sure Southwest is the right airline for you.
Dec 12, 2018, 6:26 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Early Bird is a scam, and makes no promise of an A boarding pass.
WN is selling a solution to a problem they have created..monetizing the boarding scrum they have created by not having assigned seating. Diabolical! I can see Herb, rubbing his hands together and saying "Excellent!" as the EBCI dollars roll in. Equally narcissitic people will still buy it..but only to save a whole row for their C boarding pass companions, safe in the knowledge the FA's won't intervene.
WN is selling a solution to a problem they have created..monetizing the boarding scrum they have created by not having assigned seating. Diabolical! I can see Herb, rubbing his hands together and saying "Excellent!" as the EBCI dollars roll in. Equally narcissitic people will still buy it..but only to save a whole row for their C boarding pass companions, safe in the knowledge the FA's won't intervene.
And, I agree way more people buy that they need to, but it makes them feel good.
As to people that save seats - there are already 4,289 threads about that. Result: there is no result - LOL)
Back to the scam thing - maybe the person buying only one early board and saving seats is the scamster - again - LOL.. If they paid for 3 EBCI, the result to other passengers would be the same (3 seats taken) and SW would have more money. Who is the scammer now? LOL LOL LOL Please don't beat on this seat saving dead horse anymore...LOL LOL
Dec 12, 2018, 6:41 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,508