7 Tips for Mastering Southwest Check-In and Boarding

[{"selector":"#anim-824b5785-3520-4bfb-98a4-00a381d47075","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5447f6f9-7a42-4c90-bc41-bb4e0608f216","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-99af7245-6c94-4e17-ac5f-5ac914cad5f7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-23fa559e-e348-4ea1-80d4-ec83866052dd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Many reasons make Southwest Airlines a popular U.S. low-cost carrier. Southwest flights are often cheaper. Southwest is the only U.S. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-73400275-8017-41fa-b69b-ead9efa37b10","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47a05165-3c64-4261-b399-ec3a2dcc6e66","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae0a24f4-160e-4b16-827b-05d3fa9ba6cf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de85d993-e2d2-4000-9adc-d71b1e576138","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Southwest's lack of seat assignments is its most unusual feature. At the gate, passengers line up by boarding position. On the plane, people can sit anywhere. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-d316a9f0-89ab-4339-9eee-0c6c8705f97d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e0e2c545-9d88-40f8-8796-45d844d27029","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-204dd8df-cac8-4023-b60f-6e8f96d90a5e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-78fe1ea8-5d89-44fb-9f8c-01867bddfc1b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Airline passengers board by “zone” and choose their seats. Each zone—A, B, and C—has boarding position groups of 1 to 30 and 31 to 60. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-d2b989e1-45d6-4551-afce-77a787b4a920","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3d434194-6deb-46ee-8e29-b70d2c28e3c5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-49e9a4b5-8f37-4b15-8abf-d224840779cd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb5e9aa8-ab4a-4684-ac0f-2f84bfe6297d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Your zone assignment depends on your ticket type, Southwest elite status, flight check-in time, and whether you have children under 6. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-6384ac5b-4fee-420b-896a-953c71018c3e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c5af8e7e-0bd9-455c-bf4b-e7b320ba05eb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4396771b-34bd-4968-986d-4713201aae9b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8db06ba4-0d8b-43c8-8eb3-57393ca624cc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Wanna Get Away fareholders can now buy EarlyBird Check-In. This option automatically checks you in 36 hours before departure. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-f03f6f0c-a016-4fc5-8c7c-500edf862da7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-869fe22a-8743-44c0-9fac-e13a67b6bf65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a02668e5-1e66-4525-9d01-552ea1330501","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f51c934-3503-4c57-84fe-7b48d62794e8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] One-way EarlyBird Check-In is $15-25 Per Person. However, EarlyBird Check-In does not ensure the “A” boarding zone. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-6a8eefd7-6902-40b4-8172-b5f2bd2f420b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b209ca3-34b2-48f3-83e6-e0124a71d3a6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76f1fa41-5c11-4152-b78d-e0aa0b3f7c56","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ae54186-cf82-4913-8a57-e447dec73eb8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] It may be worth the extra money if you need to sit in a specific location of the plane or with other passengers. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-59ae3d7e-0b0f-4085-b881-c25aad735a5d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c9f77c22-2f92-469d-81ae-9d10dafdd138","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9ffa7d90-5b59-4380-81ac-9f9851904ca2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-59d4fbfc-14f7-49e2-ae90-25756ff5bf50","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] If you buy a Wanna Get Away fare without Southwest elite status, the airline gives you a zone based on when you check in. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-fc5ca810-5e67-4f03-ab64-f17bef66812e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-50f1aea5-1278-43e5-a05d-e7bdea65d1e4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-209280ff-d3b4-470c-bf87-71264ebcec20","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-139fa781-0b59-4a3e-abc0-2983a6ec3e99","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Try to check in 24 hours before your flight. This is the ideal boarding zone if you didn't buy EarlyBird Check-In or a Business Select fare and don't have kids under 6. Learn More Arrow

[{"selector":"#anim-75b1414c-852d-4416-b8a2-4f72d2df9ee9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b5ee0292-3745-4dbe-9dc0-63e8df917a3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d57d2644-a0de-4515-b482-b1f6195e879c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f8a61c02-5f10-48ec-b9e7-f563a9e3f0e6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.62712%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Individual check-in is required for Southwest Rapid Reward points travelers. This applies when checking in a Southwest Companion Pass holder. Learn More Arrow

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