How early should I check in for the first come first serve seating on Southwest?

[GoldenGuppy]

I'm taking Southwest back on Sunday from San Jose to LAX, and my ticket says that the flight leaves at 8:05 PM... however, I have had a run in w/ SW's priority seating... I always get caught up in a jam because I'm usually ON TIME (which shouldn't happen)...

Southwest seating is always tight too, and their flights are always full, well, always when I go (yep, how annoying)...

I have a bit of luggage, and it's usually hard to move around when I hvae to make my way to the back because everybody has gotten in before me... sometimes it's so bad that there's no longer any place for my luggage

I don't like checking in my bags, I rather carry it on me

So this leads to my question.... if my flight is leaving at 8:05 PM, what time should I check in to have an easy time... y'know... be able to jump onto the plane, and take any seat I want, and having all the time and room to put my bags up into the compartments w/o people staring at me...?



Thanks

><GG>

 

[virtuamike]

An hour is good

 

[ajskydiver]

I just flew SW last week...they usually don't allow you to check in any more than 1 hour before the flight...so I'll agree with virtuamike--a hour at the gate (not including if you have to wait in line to check your bags though

~AJ