Same-day standby allows you to retain your current flight and boarding position assignment and list yourself for standby on an earlier flight. You can ask a Southwest^® Agent at the ticket counter or departure gate or add yourself to the same-day standby list via the Southwest app or mobile web.

The standby list on Southwest Airlines allows eligible customers to attempt to catch an earlier flight on their day of travel without paying a change fee. To qualify, you must have a "Wanna Get Away Plus," "Anytime," or "Business Select" fare, or hold A-List or A-List Preferred status. You can request to be added to the standby list via the Southwest mobile app or at the airport ticket counter at least 30 minutes before the earlier flight's departure. If a seat becomes available, you will be cleared in a specific priority order: first come A-List Preferred members, then A-List members, followed by other eligible fare holders based on the time they were added to the list. If you are cleared, you'll receive a notification and a new boarding pass; if not, your original seat on your later flight remains secure. Note that if you have checked bags, they may not travel with you on the earlier flight, and you'll need to coordinate their pickup at your destination's baggage office.