EmptyKim

He mentioned he had early bird.

NoStressHere

You can be the very FIRST person at T-24 and still get a C seat. How? Easy? If 100+ people bought EBCI, they got the A and B seats.

NoStressHere

Two things.

1 - I have been on planes with DL more than once where we stayed on the plane. Might not be common, but it has happened.

2 - I have never heard of through passengers on WN not being able to take exit row. When or why would that be an issue?

djp98374

I have seen it vary from flight to flight where an attendant isnt allowing thru PAX to take these seats

FLTripper

From what I've read on other websites:

EBCI (Early Bird Check In) will check you in 36 hours before your flight, so you don't have to remember to check in at that crucial 24 hour mark. it does not guarantee an A or B position, just a early check in.

Boarding positions algorithm:

1. A1-A15 are for Business Select fares purchased or Upgraded Boarding purchased (at the gate, and subject to availability).
2. A List Preferred
3. A List
4. Anytime Fares with EBCI, in the order the EBCI was purchased (A/B usually)
5. Wanna Get Away Fares with EBCI, in the order EBCI was purchased (A/B usually)
6. Companion Pass, Anytime and WGA Fares without EBCI, determined by the checkin point in the 24 hours prior to flight. (B/C usually)

In addition, there is a Family Boarding segment, between A and B. Some GAs keep it to the rule of children under the age of 6 with 2 adults; some GAs just let families of 10 board with 1 child age 12. YMMV

And I've had my boarding position change between check in and printing my boarding pass. Once, I had the boarding pass, and was called to the gate to get a new one, and I had dropped from my low A to a high B.

djp98374

I have actually been on same flight number aircraft on AA, DL, and UA and a factor in staying on or not is crew assignment. crew change you have to get off. If its pilot change but FA stay you might be able to say. If FA lleave and crew stays--no.

southwest has far more thru PAX than other airlines because they keep flight numbers for longer stretches because they dont move their crews. they are also one airlines, not main airline and suncontract carriers. With main line its mostly to and from hub cities.

I have seen first hand FA not allowing thru to take exit row seating on WN. Some have though. I am unsure of the policy in this.

djp98374

You also can have windows open up where a PAX changes or cancels a flight say between 36 and 24 hr check in where spots could open up

Also its easy to claim disability with extra assustamce pre boarding. especially to PHX/Florida flights

mtofell

Southwest often sells business boarding positions at the gate for +/- $40, if they are available. Many times when lining up there are less than 5 people in the A1-A15 area of the boarding line so there are usually are spots open if you're willing to pay. That being said, with EBCI I'd agree there's a 99.9% chance of a window seat... likely a good one. Something that can screw you a bit with Southwest is if you're jumping onto a multiple stop flight and there are passengers remaining on board during the stop. I recently paid the $40 flying out of Vegas (somehow, forgot to check-in... there was some alcohol involved) and thought I was the 8th person on the plane.... wrong! There were probably 15-20 people already on board.

dansachs

If thru passengers can take exit row seats do the FAs know if a thru passenger was preboard?

El Boocho

If the flight isn't too full take your window seat toward the aft and there's a decent chance you end up with an empty middle seat. Once the aisle/windows are gone (which the crew often announces), passengers naturally take the first available middle, leaving the seats in the rear empty.

toomanybooks

This is not correct, unless your definition of “ decent” is exceedingly narrow. It’s like the Internet discussion of the WN “cattle call,” which ended in 2007 if it ever existed, yet people still cite it as a reason to fly a legacy. Some notions I guess will never die.

Online checkin without ECBI will likely get you mid-high A. If there are only a few decent seats on the plane (and especially if there are throughs), you won’t get one even if you are .000001 ms faster than the next guy.

In over twenty years of flying WN I have never once failed to get my preferred aisle seat. Never. Even when boarding C20.

I have had exit row aisle or infinite legroom at B35.

And I have never purchased EBCI, which reminds me of extended warranties sold at Best Buy.

“Yes, this is the best TV for your needs, an excellent choice in every way. And now, before leaving, you gotta purchase this extended warranty for when it breaks.”

toomanybooks

I had it happen to me once years ago. FA told me those seats were reserved for early-boarding PAX on next leg. I suspect it was a holdover AirTran FA. I told her there was no such rule on WN and appealed to another FA and was properly allowed to move.

Not sure where this notion came from. WN does not have this rule.

NoStressHere

FA with a bit of a power trip. After all, maybe THAT passenger was an early board - and paid for it. No way the FA would know.

joshua362

Same exactly thing happened here. She was quickly corrected.

Is it possible the multiple times made announcement for "thru passengers to remain in their seats until the count is complete" is misunderstood?