Upgraded Boarding Question
Nov 20, 2019, 5:03 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,698
A few times BS was sold out on one leg but not the other and it would not let me buy BS as one PNR for the entire trip (a few days in advance). AT was fine. I also had a hard time believing both legs were BS "heavy".
We've thrown around the "thru passenger" theory for years but on what basis? Why would they care since BS guarantees nothing except being among the first to BOARD and they don't care when their own incoming is late. Did a programmer throw a random max number in system out of sympathy? Even with 50 thrus there would be plenty of aisles and window left.
We've thrown around the "thru passenger" theory for years but on what basis? Why would they care since BS guarantees nothing except being among the first to BOARD and they don't care when their own incoming is late. Did a programmer throw a random max number in system out of sympathy? Even with 50 thrus there would be plenty of aisles and window left.
Last edited by joshua362; Nov 21, 2019 at 7:44 am
Nov 20, 2019, 7:31 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,459
Nov 21, 2019, 7:09 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Peoria
Programs: Southwest, Best Western Gold, La Quinta, Dollar
Posts: 819
I would think that even with 50 thrus, the airline will still gladly sell BS tickets or upgraded boarding to anyone who wants it.
Nov 21, 2019, 7:59 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,185
Whoever dreamed up EBCI was a genius, preying on worries about getting a crappy seat. Free money. Added many billions to WN's value.
Nov 21, 2019, 8:10 am
#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
Since whenever they set up the current boarding system, I have never failed to get an aisle seat, even with boarding position C20 or so.
Whoever dreamed up EBCI was a genius, preying on worries about getting a crappy seat. Free money. Added many billions to WN's value.
Whoever dreamed up EBCI was a genius, preying on worries about getting a crappy seat. Free money. Added many billions to WN's value.
100% agree. Folks really spend too much money on this. Rather amazing.
As often mentioned, boarding early can actually backfire. Once you pick your seat, you now have to worry who is going to sit next to you. Could be people with babies, or large people, etc. If you board midway through boarding, you can select the seat and already know who your seatmates are. When wife and I travel, I look for a row with some teen or smaller person already at the window and take that row.
Nov 21, 2019, 8:10 am
#21
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
While that might be true, I really wonder what the change to variable pricing did. I can tell you what it did to me - I haven't bought EBCI since. At $15 each way, it still had some value to me, but that was the limit. So that change cost them my money. Combined with the new Chase cards that include some upgrades, I no longer have a reason to pay for EB. Perhaps WN still gets the entire upgrade fee, or WN subsidizes the credit with Chase, I don't know. But between those upgrades, T-24, and family and/or military boarding, i have no reason to pay it any longer. That might change once the kids get older and no longer qualify for family, but no one knows what the future holds.
Nov 21, 2019, 9:16 am
#22
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,975
It's been some years ago, but I observed that no BS was being sold well in advance on my flight MCI-MDW, which came from DAL when DAL-MDW non-stops weren't allowed. Looking further, I saw that they were selling BS on DAL-MCI on that flight, but not DAL-MDW, which would seem like an IT weakness, but the reservation system has been changed since then. Also I think people reported getting numbers in the A1-15 range on these flights without being BS.
Nov 21, 2019, 11:02 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Peoria
Programs: Southwest, Best Western Gold, La Quinta, Dollar
Posts: 819
Nov 21, 2019, 11:43 am
#24
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
Doubt a handful of people that get ONE free drink is going to mess things up. Also would not be surprised if some of those folks do not even bother with the free drink. We often have 2-3 glasses of wine each and they have never run out on any of our flights.
Nov 22, 2019, 2:15 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,603
Since whenever they set up the current boarding system, I have never failed to get an aisle seat, even with boarding position C20 or so.
Whoever dreamed up EBCI was a genius, preying on worries about getting a crappy seat. Free money. Added many billions to WN's value.
Whoever dreamed up EBCI was a genius, preying on worries about getting a crappy seat. Free money. Added many billions to WN's value.
I look at it both ways, for us whoever dreamed up giving companion pass ( and hundreds of thousands of WN points) without paying for one flight is a "genius".
In our case we are paying WN $25 each way ( Total as we pay with points) knowing we will have side by side seats towards the front of the plane and not having to worry about being available at T-24.
Now we can ( hopefully) use one upgraded boarding ( and save a seat) on 4 O/W trips per year so that will offset $100 of the Annual fee, add in the 9K points per year and unlimited WIFI and this card effectively has a zero AF for us.
Others who get TSA pre may get more value.
Last edited by flyer4512; Nov 22, 2019 at 2:28 pm
Nov 22, 2019, 4:40 pm
#27
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
Nov 22, 2019, 8:59 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,770
I look at it both ways, for us whoever dreamed up giving companion pass ( and hundreds of thousands of WN points) without paying for one flight is a "genius".
In our case we are paying WN $25 each way ( Total as we pay with points) knowing we will have side by side seats towards the front of the plane and not having to worry about being available at T-24.
Now we can ( hopefully) use one upgraded boarding ( and save a seat) on 4 O/W trips per year so that will offset $100 of the Annual fee, add in the 9K points per year and unlimited WIFI and this card effectively has a zero AF for us.
Others who get TSA pre may get more value.
In our case we are paying WN $25 each way ( Total as we pay with points) knowing we will have side by side seats towards the front of the plane and not having to worry about being available at T-24.
Now we can ( hopefully) use one upgraded boarding ( and save a seat) on 4 O/W trips per year so that will offset $100 of the Annual fee, add in the 9K points per year and unlimited WIFI and this card effectively has a zero AF for us.
Others who get TSA pre may get more value.
If you want a better seat, pay for it!