EarlyBird Check-In Customers will have their boarding positions reserved beginning 36 hours prior to their flight's scheduled local departure time. Boarding passes can be accessed beginning 24 hours prior to the flight's scheduled local departure time.

Having EarlyBird Check-In on Southwest Airlines does not mean you are automatically "checked in" in the sense that a boarding pass is sent to you; instead, it means the system automatically reserves your boarding position 36 hours before the flight. Even though your spot is "locked in," you still need to manually retrieve your boarding pass starting 24 hours before departure. To do this, simply log in to the Southwest mobile app or website and click the "Check-In" button as you normally would. Because EarlyBird has already secured your sequence, you don't have to rush to do this at exactly the 24-hour mark—your "A" or "B" group number will be waiting for you whenever you log in. You can choose to have a digital boarding pass on your phone, save it to your Apple/Google Wallet, or print a paper copy at an airport kiosk. The primary benefit is that you avoid the "Group C" boarding positions that usually go to those who forget to check in at the exact 24-hour second.