<p>When I asked my husband HOW I got B48…he said there are apps folks have on their smart phones that check them in right at the appointed hour. Anyone heard of those??? I think my husband was making that up.</p>
<p>^^ I haven’t heard of that, but I’m not surprised. But exactly ‘when’ the 24 hours starts can be an issue also. If one’s clock is off of SW’s clock by a few minutes or they’re slow to hit the enter key it can make a difference. But I’ve never gotten as far down as B48 when I was able to hit it at the 24 hour point. I have gotten it and worse when circumstances caused me to be delayed form the 24 hour point by hours (being in a meeting or something).</p>
<p>I was REALLY surprised when I got the B48 number…REALLY surprised. I had my computer all set up, with my FF number and my flight info all typed in…when the clock hit 24 hours ahead, I hit the SEND button…seriously I was surprised.</p>
<p>The trip on the way BACK I did the same and was A40 something.</p>
<p>^^ Did you still end up with a decent seat with the B48 (to check on my thoughts that getting about halfway through the B section still results in a reasonable seat)?</p>
<p>Remember that all the A-Listers get checked in automatically, too.</p>
<p>Remember too that in addition to through passengers on the same plane, Business people in the first 15-30, and those who’ve purchased early boarding, there’s another group. If you’re flying from St. Louis to Baltimore, for example, St. Louis is a big connecting point. Anyone flying in from further west and making a connection in St. Louis who checks in exactly 24 hours before their departure, will get their boarding pass more than (sometimes much more than) 24 hours before your flight time. </p>
<p>If you’re in the B boarding group and have a large carryon, take the first open bin spot you see. Do not wait until you get to the back of the plane. That’s how you end up having to check your bag.</p>
<p>I was flying TO Baltimore which is a huge SW hub…I think that is why I got the B48 number. Yes, I got a great seat. The rude person who put their “stuff” in the overhead bin…but SHOULD have put it under their seat (jacket and small computer bag)…and would NOT move it…ended up with two rowmates who were FAR bigger than I am. It served him right. </p>
<p>I got an aisle seat over the wing…where there was plenty of room in the overhead bin.</p>
<p>When I flew back to a destination NOT so attractive, I got the A 40 something number. It was also a much later in the evening flight.</p>
<p>It is sometimes worth it for me, especially if it is not convenient to be at a computer or on a smartphone 24 hours before departure. I have told the kids they can pay the fee and check in early when coming home for breaks, or count on me to do what I can to get them a good boarding number. Neither has ever sprung for the 10 bucks. Their time value of money may be different.</p>
<p>I don’t know if this makes any difference, but I usually hold my finger over the button starting about 30 seconds before the 24-hour mark (so I don’t even have to “push” the button, so much as I need to just release my finger), and have never gotten anything below the A-range. Though I have mistakenly forgotten about my boarding pass until the 24-hour mark has passed, and have gotten B’s that way :)</p>
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<p>Once you check in, don’t you get your number? You can print your boarding pass anytime after that…as long as it’s not right before your flight.</p>
<p>I did just as you did…all filled out and all set to go. BUT really I think it’s because I was on a flight to Baltimore…at a time when tons of business travelers are flying…</p>
<p>I have never done it, but I have never really had a problem getting an aisle seat. Yesterday I had B21 and the flight was maxed out, but I got an aisle seat. I had checked my bags so didn’t have to worry about finding storage.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if it is worth it unless you absolutely must carry on your bags.</p>
<p>Also if you’re not going to be near a computer 24 hours ahead of time, someone else can get the boarding number for you. I do that for my kids all the time, and our son did it for us when we were coming back from Europe and connecting to a Southwest flight.</p>
<p>I do it sometimes. I have a tendency to do it more if I got a good deal on the airfare. I did it for a flight coming up so that my daughter and I have a better chance of sitting together with one of us getting an aisle.</p>
<p>D3 and I recently flew on Southwest and didn’t opt for early check-in. We were B 30 or so and it wasn’t a problem since we knew there were two of us and one of us would get that dreaded middle seat. I didn’t want to try to take two adjacent aisle seats, to me that would feel rude.</p>
<p>Anyway, it worked out really well since we could choose a row where there was a small, sedate looking person already in a window seat so there would be no nasty surprises later! Sometimes it better with SW to board later so then you can choose your neighbor instead of them choosing you.</p>
<p>Last year I was on a trip with my 80 something year old mother. The day of our return, she fell and hit her head on concrete. After all afternoon in the ER, we made it to our Southwest flight on time. She had nine stitches, a huge bandage over her eye and half of her face was black and blue. I asked at the gate if we could board early so that she could take her time and not get jostled but I was told the best they could do was put us at the end of the A’s. We were already in the A group, so we lined up with everyone else. Capped off a very bad day. I guess they get a lot of hard luck stories and are not moved easily.</p>
<p>I do it all of the time now and figure it as part of the ticket price when I am comparing rates. SW is not necessarily the lowest cost anymore unless I have bags to check :)</p>
<p>preironic, you and your mother could have gotten early boarding if she had been in a wheel chair. I think that is the determination. I have seen people in wheel chairs that have not seemed incapacitated, but got early boarding anyway. Your mom would have probably objected, but it would be worth a try in the future if she travels much. All you have to do is to call and ask for help, or ask at the check-in counter.</p>
<p>greenwitch, my husband and I will often sit across the aisle from each other on a Southwest flight. We both like aisle seats, and we usually board early so we can get them. We will often book across the aisle seats on non Southwest flights, if we can. We like to do it on overseas flights where there are 3 seats on the sides.</p>
<p>silverlady, I prefer a window seat anyway so I wouldn’t want to do the adjacent aisle seats. I’m sure most people are polite, but the first time I noticed people sitting like that it was a man and his son and they faced each other playing a loud video game for most of the flight and having various pieces of electronics and elbows sticking into the aisle space. I was wishing I had a really large a$$ so I could whack one of them with it as I walked down past their impediments. Maybe a huge purse would have worked – oops, turbulence – I must have slipped!</p>
<p>We met a SW rep last summer and she was scoping out various airports in Europe since they were planning on starting international flights. She thought London or Frankfurt would be the first city. Has anyone else heard about this?</p>