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SWA early board check in now $15

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by grosx2, Apr 1, 2016.

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  1. grosx2

    grosx2 Have fun storming the castle!

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    Not sure if there was already a thread on this; if there was, I missed it. But it appears that SWA has once again raised the price of early bird check in.

    Was originally $10 each way, then rose to $12.50 a few years back. Just booked a round trip yesterday and was charged $15 each way. Not sure exactly when the change happened as I hadn't booked a flight in a couple months.
     
  2. Suekel

    Suekel VIP Whale

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    Yup - I've booked several flights recently and noticed this as well. :thumbsdown:
     
  3. deansrobinson

    deansrobinson VIP Whale

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    Hmmmm....I made my Vegas reservations back in January (for a March 2016 trip), and the same for my DC reservations (in July). Both were charged @ $12.50.
    I gotta admit, paying the EB fee is definitely better than having to get online boarding passes as close to the 24-hour mark as possible. Don't really want to have to
    dance the avoid-eye-contact carry-on shuffle down the aisle that comes with B & C boarding. I think there's also an additional fee you can pay to get a bump into
    priority seating before A15 as well.

    * according to SWA the increase from $10 to $12.50 went into effect back in January of '13 and upped to $15 as of 03/01/16.
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
  4. sdugan99

    sdugan99 Tourist

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    I imagine they will continue to increase. When they first were introduced I would always have a boarding pass in the top 30, then it was an A. I have been on flights were Earlybird went well into the B's.
     
  5. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

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    A1-15 is $40 (unless it changed recently)
     
  6. Rush

    Rush MIA

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    I only get the EB if I am flying with someone. If I am alone, I can punch in at the 24 hour mark and be fine. Even if I am mid B, I can get a window seat.
     
  7. dcdrogers

    dcdrogers Tourist

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    I used to get the EB for each leg of my flight when it was $10. When the price increased to $12.50 I noticed that I had started getting seating in the mid B's. 2 years ago I got an early C seating on my return flight. It was then that I stopped adding EB. So for the last 2 years I have not purchased EB and usually score in the late A's for my flight going out (first flight of the day) to mid to late B seating on flight coming back. I really hate having to do the 24 hour thing on the return flight, but I set my phone alarm and check-in as close to the 24 hr mark as possible. Paying for EB just isn't worth it for me anymore although it is convenient. FWIW....I typically fly solo.
     
  8. xantharus

    xantharus Tourist

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    I've just accepted that the airlines are going to get $20-50 extra from me every time I fly somewhere. Whether its Early Bird seating on Southwest or Baggage fees on American/Delta/United they're going to get their money somehow. Its like resort fees... you just have to expect them and budget for them these days.
     
  9. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    I'm not pleased but I can handle this better that I would a change in the baggage policy. I don't know if I would continue to buy it if it goes higher, though.
     
  10. DDB

    DDB Low-Roller

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    Just did my online SWA checkin. Managed B20 and B21 from Chicago - not too shabby. 24 hours before on the dot. But to me, a seat is a seat and I would never pay more for what could rurn into only a handfull of earlier spots in line.
     
  11. Geogran

    Geogran VIP Whale

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    I agree with you, we had EB on an Austin/Baltimore flight booked 3 months In advance and got B6 and 7 - the same on a recent Vegas flight - not sure we will do it again if we can't even get into A boarding. It's true the nickel and diming never stops - airlines get you at one end or the other - just like Vegas - the price we pay to play:evillaugh
     
  12. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    All supply and demand. Willing buyer and willing seller meet at the price point.

    If people were not willing to pay $15, it would be gone pronto!
     
  13. CalifLovesVegas

    CalifLovesVegas High-Roller

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    I'm A-list., so usually in top 30.

    Paid the extra $15 pp, just a few days before our trip, a week ago when my friends joined on trip to Vegas.

    Was worried they would get high B's & I didn't want to hold seats that long. Worth the $15 each. Though.... I usually wouldn't!

    I got A-21, they got A 42&43.

    So they got fairly high A's, considering I paid the $15 each just a few days before our flights.
     
  14. bullhead

    bullhead Tourist

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    As long as people pay, the price will continue to rise. When will it stop?
     
  15. LoveDowntownVegas

    LoveDowntownVegas High-Roller

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    Booking a new flight today and noticed EB went up to $15.00 one way!!
    it's only $2.50 more, but it sure has me thinking if it's worth $30 RT to get that early checkin.
     
  16. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    It's been that price since at least March.
     
  17. Geogran

    Geogran VIP Whale

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    But it hasn't deterred many from purchasing it - on our flight a few weeks ago we had B2 and 3 with Early Bird. We still do it so we don't have to think about boarding passes once we've booked. What bugs me with SWA early bird is even though we book 2 passengers with early bird on the same reservation, often times the numbers are not consecutive, like one is A34 the other is A37, what??
     
  18. bdautch

    bdautch VIP Whale

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    It's getting to be enough that I may just skip it and do the $30 upgrade at the airport. At least that way, I wind up with like A5, or sometimes even better than that.
     
  19. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Isn't doing that $40 now?
     
  20. bdautch

    bdautch VIP Whale

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    It actually depends on the distance. I just did NOLA-DCA at $30, but it's $40 if you go more cross-countryish.
     
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