Generally check in to flight starts 24 hours before the scheduled flight time. In general, it is best to check in on the web just when the check in window opens at 24 hours before the scheduled flight time rather than waiting until later.
On Southwest (without preassigned seating), you will get an earlier boarding order number, which will allow you greater choice of seats when boarding.
On other airlines (with preassigned seating), early check in may allow you to change seats to better ones or move a scattered party together more easily than late check in.
After check in, you can print a boarding pass; some airlines can email a boarding pass to your mobile phone. If you want to print a boarding pass but do not have a printer, you can still check in on the web and then print a boarding pass at a kiosk when you arrive at the airport.
On SW, if you pay for the early boarding, I believe you are assigned a number, and don’t have to sit next to your computer exactly 24 hours before your flight. Usually you are in the A boarding group…but I have been in the B group 1-15 several times. Still it gets you on the plane sooner than without it.
The southwest early bird fee of $12.50 has always gotten us in group A. Most times it was around 25, but the last time we were number 47 and 48 which still gave us very good seats. It’s definitely worth it to me.
I have been wondering how the early bird works. I always get it, but have noticed that if I print my boarding pass around 24 hours before the flight, I seem to get a better number. We are pretty much always in the A group anyway, but I notice I get like A16 or A20 if I print earlier, and later in the A group if I putz. Maybe just a coincidence, can’t tell. But Early Bird is worth the $12.50.
^^ It’s a coincidence. On SW, A1-15 are for business select, then they assign earlybird based on when you paid for earlybird (if not at purchase time). They used to have only a few people buying the earlybird so only a few of the seats A16-60 were taken up, but now lots of people do it. Many times we get ‘B’ tickets with “24 hour, one second” check in.
The best thing to take with you on a SW flight for best boarding? Your mother! Elderly people get to board before the A’s. Front row baby!
We rarely do the earlybird because one of the reasons we love SW is the ability to make changes to flights. The Earlybird doesn’t transfer with the ticket and is not refunded.
On Southwest, a person with disability and an attendant may pre-board before all others. An adult and a child 4 years old or younger may board between the A and B boarding groups (of course, if they have A boarding passes, they can just board in the A boarding group).
