Im going to be flying on Southwest for the first time this weekend and I was wondering if anyone knew how early you can check in for your flight? I want to make sure I get an "A" boarding pass. The website says 24 hours before the flight, but I wasn't sure if they meant exactly 24 hours (ie. my flight is at 1pm on sunday so I can check in at 1pm on sat.) or if they simply mean 1 day early, meaning I could check in at midnight saturday.

Anyone know?

6/6/2007 4:14:13 PM

exactly 24 hours via the website

do that shit

6/6/2007 4:25:46 PM

Yeah, it's exactly 24 hours. The first time I flew with them, I thought it was at midnight, so I ended up with a B.

6/6/2007 4:32:17 PM

good info. thanks!

6/6/2007 4:37:19 PM

southwest rules

6/8/2007 2:05:05 PM

i love watching the jokers who get in the A line 2 hours before boarding so they can get an exit row

6/8/2007 2:26:16 PM

i thought it was 12.00 am the day of your flight

6/8/2007 4:21:55 PM

here is some tips....i fly southwest about once a month between raleigh and tampa bay so i've learned the boarding patterns pretty good.

if you are at the end of A group, you are guarenteed a window seat. i have never seen window seats even close to filling up in the A group.

if you are at the end of B group, you will at least get an aisle seat, you may get a window seat.

if you are in C group, try to be the first in line and you most likely will get an aisle seat. after the first 4 or 5 people though, you'll definitely be in the middle seat.

bottom line, don't waste your time standing in line and trying to get in front of the plane. i always print out my boarding pass 24 hours in advance and always get A boarding group. i casually sit in my chair and relax until basically all the A group has boarded, and then i get up and go straight to the jetway just ahead of B group. you'll have your choice of window seats starting at about the wing.

hope that helps.

[Edited on June 8, 2007 at 4:35 PM. Reason : plane not plan]

6/8/2007 4:34:07 PM

^good advice

i do the same

6/8/2007 4:38:15 PM

I flew southwest last weekend.

It's not exactly 24 hours. My flight was at 4:48pm on Sunday, and I checked in at ~3:30pm on Saturday. Southwest ALWAYS overbooks their flights, which means that if you check in too late, you run the risk of being put on standby and missing your flight's regularly scheduled time.

DO NOT WAIT TO CHECK IN AND TRY DOING SO STARTING AT ~30 HOURS BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT.

You will be glad you did.

6/8/2007 5:17:25 PM

fuck SWA

I used to fly them - the last time I flew, the flight attendant thought it would be funny to make choo-choo train noises during the takeoff and started chanting "I think I can, I think I can" over the PA

saving a hundred bucks isn't worth putting up with shitty boarding policies and unprofessional attendants.

6/8/2007 5:23:29 PM

haha.. awesome

6/8/2007 5:40:07 PM

Quote :

"saving a hundred bucks isn't worth putting up with shitty boarding policies and unprofessional attendants."

I flew with them to Hartford and back a few weeks ago... I thought the attendants made the flight pretty entertaining. The safety demonstration made me laugh several times. And for some strange reason, Peter Laviolette was on the first flight. So that was cool.

6/8/2007 7:08:18 PM

^^^ They're not being unprofessional. That's the way SW attendants have always been, they're supposed to show some personality. Get the stick out of your ass and lighten up.

6/8/2007 9:05:33 PM

^

Haha that and they are working for one of the few airlines that are actually making money and not relying on the gov't to bail them out every year.

6/8/2007 9:22:05 PM