Last Updated on July 23, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Southwest’s old 24-hour check-in race is over. Since assigned seating began on January 27, 2026, checking in no longer earns you an A, B, or C position. It confirms your trip, displays your assigned seat and boarding group, and gives you a boarding pass or security document. Here is how the current process works.
Quick Answer
Southwest online check-in opens 24 hours before the flight’s original scheduled departure. It confirms your reservation, shows your assigned seat and boarding group, and produces a boarding pass or security document. Most Basic-fare travelers receive an automatically assigned Standard seat during check-in rather than choosing one from a seat map.
Key Takeaways
- Southwest now uses assigned seats and boarding Groups 1 through 8 instead of the former A1-C60 system.
- Your boarding group depends on your fare, seat, Rapid Rewards status, and eligible credit card benefits, not how quickly you tap the check-in button.
- Basic-fare travelers normally receive an automatically assigned Standard seat at check-in or at the departure gate.
- Check-in closes 30 minutes before domestic flights, 60 minutes before most international flights, and 75 minutes before flights departing Aruba.
- Priority Boarding is a paid, space-limited option that boards before Group 1 but does not change your assigned seat.
What’s in This Article
- What Does Southwest Online Check-In Do?
- When Should You Check In?
- How Do Southwest Boarding Groups Work?
- How Do You Check In on the App or Website?
- What Are Southwest’s Seat Types?
- How Does Priority Boarding Work?
- What Should Families and Partner-Itinerary Travelers Know?
- How Does Digital Bag Tracking Work?
- What Should You Do If Check-In Does Not Work?
- What Do You Get After Checking In?
- Frequently Asked Questions
At a Glance
| Time Required | Usually 2-5 minutes |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Tools Needed | Confirmation number, passenger name, and a phone or computer with internet access |
| Cost | Check-in is free. Optional Priority Boarding currently costs $10-$75 per segment, per customer, and paid seat upgrades may cost extra. |
What Does Southwest Online Check-In Actually Do Now?
Southwest online check-in opens 24 hours before your flight’s original scheduled departure. You can check in through Southwest.com, the Southwest app, a self-service airport kiosk where available, a Skycap podium at select airports, or a Southwest ticket counter.
Online check-in no longer creates an A1-C60 boarding position. Instead, it confirms your reservation and shows the boarding group determined by your fare, assigned seat, Rapid Rewards status, and eligible credit card benefits.
For Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares, you may already have selected a seat during booking. Check-in confirms that seat and gives you access to your boarding pass.
Basic fare works differently. Southwest normally assigns a Standard seat automatically when you check in. Some Rapid Rewards Tier Members and eligible credit cardmembers may have earlier seat-selection benefits, and any traveler may be able to purchase another available seat.
Pro Tip: Check in when the 24-hour window opens, especially with a Basic fare. Early check-in no longer improves your numbered boarding group, but it gives you more time to review your assignment, fix reservation problems, check bags digitally, or purchase an available seat upgrade.
If Southwest cannot immediately assign your seat, you may receive a security document instead of a boarding pass. The security document lets you pass through the security checkpoint, but you must speak with a Southwest Customer Service Agent at the departure gate to receive your seat and boarding pass.
When Should You Check In for a Southwest Flight?
You can check in beginning 24 hours before the flight’s original scheduled departure. There is little benefit in waiting, even when your seat and boarding group are already set.
The important deadlines are:
| Flight or requirement | Deadline before original scheduled departure |
|---|---|
| Domestic flight check-in | 30 minutes |
| Most international flight check-in | 60 minutes |
| Flight departing Aruba | 75 minutes |
| Boarding pass in hand and arrival in the gate area | At least 10 minutes |
Warning: If you try to check in after the applicable cutoff, Southwest may require you to be rebooked. If you do not have your boarding pass and are not in the gate area at least 10 minutes before departure, your reservation may be canceled.
Do Not Confuse Check-In Deadlines With Seat Deadlines
Check-in deadlines are not the same as seat-purchase and seat-change deadlines. Eligible travelers can generally change or purchase an available seat until 60 minutes before a domestic flight or 90 minutes before an international flight.
These later seat deadlines do not extend the time allowed to check in. Complete check-in first and use the earlier deadline shown for your itinerary.
What Do Southwest’s Boarding Groups Mean?
Southwest currently uses boarding Groups 1 through 8. Your boarding pass displays your group, and airport screens show when your group should line up.
Boarding order depends on your fare, seat type and location, Rapid Rewards Tier status, and eligible credit card benefits. The exact second you check in no longer creates your boarding position.
Current Southwest Boarding Order
| Boarding point | Typical eligibility |
|---|---|
| Preboarding | Eligible passengers with disabilities who need additional boarding assistance and Unaccompanied Minors |
| Priority Boarding | Customers who purchased Priority Boarding, when available, and active-duty U.S. military members with valid identification |
| A-List Preferred | Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members under Southwest’s dedicated early-boarding process |
| Group 1 | A-List members and Choice Extra customers |
| Group 2 | Travelers in Extra Legroom seats with Choice or Choice Preferred fares |
| Groups 3-4 | Choice Preferred travelers in Preferred or Standard seats |
| Group 5 | Eligible primary Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers who do not already qualify for an earlier group |
| Groups 3-7 | Choice-fare travelers, depending on their seat and other eligible benefits |
| Group 8 | Basic-fare travelers who do not qualify for an earlier benefit |
Your fare, status, card benefit, and assigned seat now determine your boarding priority. Checking in one minute earlier no longer creates a better A1-C60 position.
Why Your Group Number Still Matters
Your assigned seat is protected, but an earlier boarding group still gives you earlier access to overhead bins and more time to settle in. Overhead space near your row is never guaranteed, even with an early group.
Customers on the same reservation normally receive the same boarding group. Group travel reservations are an exception and may be assigned groups according to individual seat assignments.
How Do You Check In on the App or Website?
Checking in normally takes only a few minutes.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open Southwest.com or the Southwest app and select Check in. |
| 2 | Enter your confirmation number and the first and last name of a passenger on the reservation. |
| 3 | Review the flight information and complete any available digital bag-check steps. |
| 4 | Review your assigned seat and boarding group. Basic passengers normally receive an automatic Standard-seat assignment. |
| 5 | Open the boarding pass and save it to your phone wallet, take a screenshot where permitted, or print a copy. |
If Southwest issues a security document instead of a boarding pass, take it through security and visit the departure gate for your seat assignment and final boarding pass.
You can also check in at an airport kiosk, a qualifying Skycap podium, or the ticket counter. Use an airport option immediately if the online process fails and the deadline is approaching.
What Are Southwest’s Seat Types, and How Are They Assigned?
Southwest offers Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom seats. Your fare determines which seat category is included, although you may be able to purchase another available seat.
| Seat type | Location and features | Included selection |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Standard legroom, generally toward the back of the cabin | Choice travelers may select one at booking. Basic travelers normally receive one at check-in or at the gate. |
| Preferred | Standard legroom nearer the front of the cabin | Included with Choice Preferred and Choice Extra, subject to availability |
| Extra Legroom | Front-cabin and exit-row seats with additional pitch that varies by aircraft; qualifying flights may include enhanced snacks or premium beverages | Included with Choice Extra and available as an upgrade with other fares when seats remain |
When Do You Choose or Receive Your Seat?
- Basic: Southwest normally assigns a Standard seat at check-in or at the gate.
- Choice: You can choose an available Standard seat at booking.
- Choice Preferred: You can choose an available Preferred or Standard seat at booking.
- Choice Extra: You can choose an available Extra Legroom, Preferred, or Standard seat at booking.
A-List Preferred members can select any available seat at booking. A-List members can select an available Preferred or Standard seat at booking and may upgrade to an available Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours of the original scheduled departure.
Credit card seating benefits vary by card. Some cards allow Standard or Preferred selection, while selected cards include an Extra Legroom upgrade window. The benefit is subject to availability and requires the eligible Rapid Rewards account information to be attached to the reservation.
How Does Priority Boarding Work?
EarlyBird Check-In and the former Upgraded Boarding product ended with the move to assigned seating. Priority Boarding now provides earlier access to the aircraft without changing your seat assignment.
When available, Priority Boarding can be purchased beginning 24 hours before the flight’s original scheduled departure and until 30 minutes before that departure. It places you ahead of Group 1 under Southwest’s current boarding process.
Southwest’s published optional travel charges list Priority Boarding at $10-$75 per segment, per customer. The exact price depends on the flight and may change.
Note: Priority Boarding is sold separately for each flight segment. On a connecting itinerary, purchasing it for the first flight does not automatically add it to the second flight.
Priority Boarding may improve your access to overhead bin space, but it does not move you to an Extra Legroom or front-cabin seat. Seat upgrades are separate purchases.
What Should Families and Partner-Itinerary Travelers Know?
Families Traveling Together
Travelers on the same reservation normally receive the same boarding group. Families booking Choice, Choice Preferred, or Choice Extra can select available seats during booking, making it easier to reserve adjacent seats.
With Basic fares, Southwest assigns seats at check-in. Under its family seating policy, the airline will try to seat a child age 12 or younger next to at least one accompanying traveler age 13 or older on the same reservation, when practical and without an additional charge.
If a child is not seated beside an accompanying adult, speak with a Southwest Gate Agent or Flight Attendant. Do not rely only on the shared boarding group because assigned seating, not boarding order, determines where each traveler sits.
Partner-Airline Itineraries
If your trip includes a partner airline, check in with the airline operating the first flight. When Southwest operates the first segment and the reservation is eligible, you can begin check-in through Southwest 24 hours before departure.
If a partner airline operates the first flight, use that airline’s website or app. The partner carrier may issue boarding passes for additional portions of the itinerary or direct you to collect them later.
Group Travel Reservations
The same-group rule does not always apply to Southwest Group travel reservations. Group travelers may receive boarding groups based on their individual seat assignments and may need airport-counter assistance.
How Does Digital Bag Tracking Work After Check-In?
After checking in and checking a bag, you can use Southwest’s bag-tracking tool to review status updates. It can show when the bag is loaded onto or unloaded from an aircraft, including scans during a Southwest connection.
You may need to refresh the tracking page to see the latest scan. A missing load or unload scan does not automatically mean the bag missed the flight.
On an itinerary involving a partner airline, Southwest tracking only covers Southwest-operated flights. The partner airline may use a separate tracking system for its segments.
After arrival, follow airport signs to baggage claim even when a tracking update is delayed. If the bag does not appear, visit Southwest’s Baggage Service Office before leaving the airport or submit the appropriate baggage report.
What Should You Do If Southwest Online Check-In Does Not Work?
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Reservation cannot be found | Recheck the confirmation number and enter the passenger’s name exactly as it appears on the reservation. |
| The first flight is operated by a partner airline | Check in through the airline operating the first segment. |
| No seat or boarding pass appears | Use the issued security document to pass through security and visit a Southwest agent at the departure gate. |
| The app freezes or displays an error | Try Southwest.com in a browser. If the problem continues, use an airport kiosk or ticket counter. |
| International document verification is required | Follow the on-screen instructions and allow extra time for an airport agent to inspect the required travel documents. |
| The check-in deadline is approaching | Stop troubleshooting remotely and go directly to a Southwest kiosk or ticket counter. |
What Do You Get After Checking In?
Successful check-in normally gives you:
- A mobile or printable boarding pass, or a security document when the final boarding pass must be issued at the airport
- Your assigned seat or a notice that the seat will be assigned at the gate
- Your boarding group
- Access to available digital bag-check and bag-tracking features
- Eligible digital travel benefits shown on the boarding pass
Snacks and drinks are separate onboard services rather than check-in benefits. Southwest serves complimentary snacks and nonalcoholic drinks on select qualifying flights, while premium or alcoholic options depend on the flight, fare, seat, status, and availability. Current offerings are listed on Southwest’s inflight food and beverage page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EarlyBird Check-In still available on Southwest?
No. EarlyBird Check-In ended when Southwest moved to assigned seating. Priority Boarding is now available on eligible flights for customers who want to board before Group 1.
Does checking in earlier improve my Southwest boarding group?
No. Southwest no longer assigns an A1-C60 position according to check-in time. Your current boarding group depends on your fare, seat type and location, Rapid Rewards status, and eligible credit card benefits.
Do I need to check in if I already selected my seat?
Yes. You still need to check in to receive your boarding pass or security document, confirm your boarding group, and complete any available day-of-travel steps.
What happens when I check in with a Basic fare?
Southwest normally assigns a Standard seat automatically. If a seat cannot be assigned immediately, you may receive a security document and must collect your seat assignment and boarding pass from an agent at the departure gate.
Can I change my seat after checking in?
Possibly. Eligible travelers can change or purchase an available seat through Manage Reservation. The usual deadline is 60 minutes before a domestic flight and 90 minutes before an international flight.
How much does Southwest Priority Boarding cost?
Southwest currently lists Priority Boarding at $10-$75 per customer, per flight segment. The exact price and availability depend on the flight.
What is the latest I can check in for a Southwest flight?
Check-in closes 30 minutes before a domestic flight, 60 minutes before most international flights, and 75 minutes before a flight departing Aruba. You must also have your boarding pass and be in the gate area at least 10 minutes before departure.
Why did Southwest give me a security document instead of a boarding pass?
A security document confirms your reservation and lets you pass through the security checkpoint, but it cannot be used to board. This can happen when Southwest has not yet assigned your seat. Visit an agent at the departure gate for your seat and boarding pass.
What This Means for Your Next Flight
The main change is simple: your Southwest boarding group now comes from your fare, assigned seat, status, and eligible card benefits rather than how fast you check in. You should still check in when the 24-hour window opens, but use that time to review your seat, save your boarding pass, check your bags, and solve problems before the airport deadline.
Basic-fare travelers should remember that Southwest assigns the seat rather than opening a free seat-selection race. All travelers should also keep the 30-minute domestic, 60-minute international, 75-minute Aruba, and 10-minute gate requirements in mind.
Sources
- Southwest Online Check-In — check-in methods, opening time, airport cutoffs, partner itineraries, and gate requirements
- Southwest Boarding Process — current boarding sequence and Groups 1 through 8
- Southwest Assigned Seat Selection — fare, Tier, cardmember, and seat-selection rules
- Southwest Optional Travel Charges — Priority Boarding and paid seat-upgrade price ranges
- Southwest Family Seating Policy — adjacent seating guidance for children and accompanying travelers
- Southwest Track Your Bag — load, unload, connection, refresh, and partner-flight tracking limitations