If EarlyBird Check-In® is available, we'll automatically check you in and assign your boarding position within 36 hours of your flight's departure - that's 12 hours before general boarding positions become available.
People Also Ask
If you are both on the same reservation, you will both be checked in together! Happy flying.
Boarding positions will be reserved for Customers with EarlyBird Check-In. That said, in order to pass through the security checkpoint, you will need to retrieve your boarding pass online or at the airport at your convenience as early as 24 hours prior to scheduled departure.
Re: Checking In OnlineAre you traveling on a Senior or Military fare by chance? Those have to be verified at the counter. Otherwise, Southwest doesn't allow the last few boarding passes for any particular flight to be given out online, you have to get them at the airport.
For a short-haul flight where you are only taking hand luggage, checking in online saves a lot of time and is therefore much better than checking in at the airport. If, on the other hand, you have to check in bulky luggage, it is better to use the classic check-in at the airport for security reasons.
Southwest follows an open seating style, meaning there are no assigned seats. You'll be assigned a boarding group (either A, B, or C) and position (1-60+) upon check-in, which determines your boarding order. Once on board, you choose your seat. If you're last to board, you likely won't get to sit with your family.
Sometimes it is random, but sometimes it isn't… but they always say it's random. When it's not random, maybe a TSA officer thought they saw something unusual, or maybe they've received recent information regarding potential threats from a particular type of traveler.
If you don't check in, you won't receive a boarding pass that allows you to board the plane, and your seat might be given up to a standby passenger. The check-in process also confirms your traveler details like your passport information and frequent flyer number.
I have checked in online, but can't see my boarding pass.This could be because some airports do not accept mobile boarding passes, or it may be unavailable for a number of other reasons, technical or otherwise. If this is the case, please collect your boarding pass at the airport.
Online check-in lets you check in from your home or office and print your own boarding pass. You can also choose to have a link to your boarding pass emailed to your mobile device.
Not technically. Your boarding pass is your “ticket” to board the plane, but technically your ticket is generated as an “e-ticket,” or an electronic ticket, when you book your flight. Your boarding pass will be generated upon check-in, either online or at the check-in counter.
A huge part of feeling anxious at the airport is the lack of control. If you aren't a frequent flyer and don't know exactly where your favourite spots are and how to navigate the airport, it can feel stressful. Whilst it might not always feel like it, steps have been put in place already to reduce airport stress.