Check in and get your boarding pass online at southwest.com up to 24 hours before your flight. You can also get a boarding pass at the Skycap Podium, ticket counter, or self-service kiosk when you arrive at the airport.
Click here for more information regarding boarding passes & seat assignments for AirTran-operated flights.
Note: Customers must retrieve a boarding pass and be present in the gate area ten minutes prior to departure. For Rapid Rewards A-List Members to receive boarding privileges, the Member must include his/her Member number in the reservations at least 36 hours prior to flight time.
Check your luggage at the Southwest Airlines' ticket counter, curbside Skycap Podium, or Express Bag Drop kiosks (where available). Business Select Customers and A-List Members can check bags faster through the Fly By Priority Check-in Lanes at select ticket counters.
Be sure to have your government-issued photo ID ready when checking luggage. Learn more about our checked baggage policy.
Click here for more information regarding checking bags for shared itineraries or AirTran-only flights. For the best experience, you should Checkin at the Ticket Counter of your first flight’s Operating Carrier.
You must have a government-issued photo ID and a boarding pass or Security Document to pass through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Checkpoint.
Business Select Customers and Rapid Rewards A-List Members can head to the front of the security line with Fly By Priority Security Lane access at participating airports. Learn more about TSA checkpoint guidelines.
Customers board the plane based on boarding group (A, B, or C) and number (1-60). Boarding positions are assigned when you check in and will be displayed on your boarding pass.
General boarding starts with Business Select customers, who are guaranteed positions at the front of the A Group, followed by Rapid Rewards A-List Members and the remaining Customers in the A Group, families with children under age 5, then groups B and C. Learn more about our boarding process.
We have an open seating policy, so feel free to sit in any available seat when you get onboard.
Customers traveling on shared itineraries will follow the existing boarding procedures for each Operating Carrier. Learn More
