Southwest Early Bird Checkin

How does the Early Bird Check In work with Southwest Airlines?

From what I understand, with Southwest in general you need to be at your computer 24 hours before boarding to check in, refreshing the page fervently so that you don't get a horrible seat.

I paid $12 for the Early Bird Check In and am unsure if this means I am automatically placed in the A section or if there are more steps I need to take to ensure that I get a good seat.

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Best Answer

Your understanding is correct. People who have paid extra will be in the A cohort. Anecdotally, they seemed to be sorted in order of ticket purchase, i.e., the first person to buy Early Bird checkin or the higher "Select" fare that includes it automatically is A1, etc. The people refreshing their pages will start from where the Early Bird seats leave off. Although it has also been my experience that anything better than about B30 will be a perfectly good non-middle seat.

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Does southwest check you in automatically with early bird?

Customers who purchase an Anytime fare will automatically be checked in to their flight 36 hours prior to scheduled departure\u2014that's 12 hours before our traditional 24-hour check-in. You will receive an earlier boarding position, improved seat selection, and earlier access to overhead bins.

How does early bird check-in work with Southwest Airlines?

Southwest EarlyBird Check-In is an automatic check-in process. Passengers who have purchased EarlyBird Check-In are automatically checked in for their flight starting at 36 hours before departure. Passengers do NOT have to perform self-check-in at 24 hours if they purchase EarlyBird.

What is the advantage of early bird check-in on Southwest?

Your boarding position was assigned to you by Southwest in the 36hr using the guidelines below. While EarlyBird Check-In doesn't guarantee an A boarding position, it improves your seat selection options to help you get your favorite seat.

Does early bird check you in automatically?

We can do it for you! If you purchase EarlyBird Check-In, we'll automatically check you in and reserve your boarding position 36 hours before you flight's departure. This is before our general 24-hour check-in begins.

How to use EarlyBird Check-in with Southwest Airlines - Everything you need to know

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