<p>Is it worth the $10 fee?
Not going to have access to internet at designated check-in time, and need to board as early as possible!</p>
<p>Please share your experiences…</p>
<p>I’ve used this several times when I can’t check-in online. The $10 fee will get you a boarding card in the A group (first 60), but you’ll still be boarding after the priority customers (business, rapid rewards A-list, etc).</p>
<p>I’ve typically ended up in the A 25-40’s.</p>
<p>We always use this, and to me it is definitely worth the $10 fee. I like an aisle seat, and this way I don’t end up feeling suffocated in the middle seat. I also like being able to get on and sit down out of the way before the endless hoardes begin dragging on tons of giant carry on bags which barely make it thru the aisles and have to be crammed into too tiny overhead bins.
I also use this because almost all of my flights involve making it to a connecting flight, and with early bird I can choose a seat closer to the front of the plane so that when we land I can get off and make it to the next flight without waiting forever for those same people with the giant carryon bags to claim and wrestle with their bags.</p>
<p>OP-
Depends how obsessed you are about getting into the A group.
If you have 2 carry on then it will be worth your peace of mind.
If your OCD goes into overdrive about SWA’s boarding process then $10 is worth it.</p>
<p>Has anyone used Early Bird and ended up in the B or C boarding group?</p>
<p>Obviously, it would not be worth the fee if you end up in either of these boarding groups!</p>
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<p>My husband uses the Early Bird because it guarantees him an A boarding group.</p>
<p>Early Bird has always gotten me into the A group and I almost always use it. The only time I wouldn’t is if my flight is in the originating city with almost no chance of incoming connections, and I can log on exactly 24 hours ahead of time. Depending on the flight, the first 15 to 30 spaces are reserved for priority customers. Also, people needing assistance get to board before anyone - I’ve seen up to eight people and their companions do this (flights between Ft. Myers and Chicago in winter). Also if it’s a continuing flight, then the passengers who are already on the plane got to move to better seats before the new passengers board.</p>
<p>Remember that the earlier you sign up for Early Boarding, the better your number will be. So if you wait until a couple of days before the flight and then take it, there could be a chance you’ll get in the B group depending on so many other factors like the algorithm for priority and the number of other passengers signing up for Early Board, including those connecting from other flights (we fly out of Midway so this is an issue for us - lots of connecting passengers!).</p>
<p>I was a frequent traveler and never paid the $10, but many people I know do. It wasn’t worth it to me, but I was also obsessed with hitting the button on the 24 hour checkin the second the clock struck the time! I made Southwest A List, so I don’t have to worry about it anymore.</p>
<p>My D used it since she was not able to check-in 24 hours before the flight. So I think it was worth it. She was in the “A” group. As another poster pointed out, you need to decide about 3 days before your flight to pay the extra $10. The company will “check you in” 36 hours ahead of time. If you pay the $10 two days before, you get checked in at the 24 hour mark and presumably before the general public. Good luck.</p>
<p>I always purchase it when I fly Southwest. It just makes my life easier. I always purchase it when I buy my tickets. The earlier you order it, the earlier you get to board. A ticket agent I talked to said that said that the lowest she had ever seen an Early Bird check in slot was A-47. In theory, every seat could be purchased as Early Bird, which could pose problems.</p>
<p>If you have a rollaboard suitcase and prefer not to check, this is easily worth it. I always pay for early bird.</p>
<p>4 members of our family fly Southwest fairly frequently since two of them go to school in the Chicago area and we live on the East Coast. We have never used the Early Check-In as we make it our business to check it exactly at the 24 hour mark OR we get another member of the family who is available to check us in, and then we just print the boarding passes at our convenience. 
If we remember to check in exactly at the 24 hours mark, the “winner” in our family competition has gotten as low as A16.</p>
<p>One thing I do when I don’t want to pay the early bird fee but want to get as early as possible check in time is call and check in over the phone.</p>
<p>I am often checking on my Mom in the hospital or nursing home 24 hours before my flight, so no access to a computer. I have SW’s number in my phone, have a memo pad in my purse with my confirmation number (really all you need), but also my SW reward number and flight times, and call SW to check me in. When I get back to the hotel later on, I print up my boarding pass, and it’s the early check in number. Sometimes I do this driving to the airport and print up my boarding pass at the kiosk at the airport.</p>
<p>As for early bird, depending on the city and flight time, it’s a good deal. Between NOLA and Houston, lots of oil people and lawyers doing business select, so even doing the Early Bird, I’ve gotten A26. Just as soon not pay the extra ten bucks if I’m that far down.</p>
<p>Another thing to think about, if you’re booking late and missed the Wanna Get Away fares, for an extra few bucks, you can book Business Select. You get first seats, a free drink, and lots more points under the new Reward system.</p>
<p>Good luck and happy travels!</p>
<p>I’ve never used it but I always end up in the A group because I’m one of those who do the online checkin right on the dot. The exceptions are when I’ve changed the flight at the last second - like getting to the airport and seeing that the previous flight is about to leave so I switch from my flight to that one at the gate and take whatever seat I can get - usually a middle one in the back between a couple of people who are attending a Sumo competition.</p>
<p>I’ve found that as long as I get a pass in any of the A’s and about halfway through the B’s I can usually get an aisle seat.</p>
<p>You can save the $10 as long as you make sure you hit the enter key as close to the 24hr time before point as you can since you’ll still get an A and be able to get an aisle or window. If you’re fussier than that and want a particular row then the $10 might work better for that.</p>
<p>I don’t see the point of boarding as an A10 versus an A50 since you can still get the aisle/window, will likely still have overhead bin space if you need it, and everyone takes off at the same time anyway.</p>
<p>GladGradDad- The problem is that in cities where there are a lot of flights coming in that originated elsewhere, even hitting the check in key at the stroke of 24 hours can yield a “B” because of all the check-ins that happened at the time of the prior city departure for through passengers, if that makes sense. I frequently would get B5-12 even with 24 hours to the seconds. That still usually got me an aisle seat, though.</p>
<p>I flew SW from Phoenix to Atlanta last week. I checked exactly on the button and still ended up at B21. I will definitely pay the $10 next time.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the replies…</p>
<p>As mentioned in my original post, I will not have access to internet at the exact 24 hour checkin time. Looks like my best option is to purchase early-bird today for a flight departing next Thurs. Hopefully, this will be far enough in advance to produce the result I need!</p>
<p>I checked in on a recent flight to Baltimore…right at the 24 hour mark. I was B48…sheesh. I still got an aisle seat. The only thing that was a challenge was the overhead bins where RUDE flyers had put things like their SMALL coats or computer bags…hello folks…those will fit UNDER YOUR SEATS!!</p>
<p>Notre Dame…if you have some kind of special situation that requires an earlier boarding or seat, SW is very accommodating. We travelled with a relative with a broken foot and they wheeled him on the plane FIRST so he could have a bulkhead seat. If you have a specific situation that makes it necessary to board early in the boarding process…give SW a heads up, and they might just be very accommodating.</p>
<p>mowc - </p>
<p>What you said about being someplace in the middle where there are lots of through passengers makes sense. When I fly SW I’m generally on flights without a lot of these through passengers - either coast to coast or up/down a coast.</p>
<p>GA2012mom and thumper must have forgotten to put their clocks ahead by an hour. ;)</p>
<p>OP - If you won’t have access to the internet 24 hours beforehand (or will be sleeping at that time) then the $10 may be worth it. As indicated on another thread, people all across the country are plunking that much down for a .0000057% chance of winning the jackpot in the lotto.</p>