Our Southwest Airlines guide will make your travel planning easier. Southwest Airlines flight booking tips, including when to buy flights, are included here.
With Southwest Airlines Booking, you can travel safely and securely
Southwest Airlines provides you with a ticket to paradise by reserving your seat. Here Airlines work for you for getting smart travel and ensure an immaculate customer experience from the ground up, since every new thing possesses a distinct kind of thrill and excited turn. Southwest Airlines Reservations offers smart budget tickets
Where the Southwest Flies
As the world's largest low-cost airline, Southwest flies to 121 domestic and international destinations. Southwest has hubs in:
In addition to Atlanta and Baltimore, Chicago (MDW), Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Orlando, and Phoenix are also on the list.
Ticketing options
Although Southwest Airlines is technically a low-cost airline, they operate differently.
Although Southwest still offers a cheap basic fare, it also includes some great perks, unlike other carriers who offer only a bare bones seat and a personal item. For a total of 4 basic ticketing options, they also offer 3 additional fare rates with varying inclusions:
- Wanna Get Away
- Wanna Get Away? Plus
- Anytime
- Business Select
- Wanna Get Away: Southwest's Wanna Get Away fare includes 2 free checked bags, complimentary drinks and snacks, a 6x fare earnings rate for Rapid Rewards members, and flight credits.
- Wanna Get Away Plus: It earns 8x points per $1 in comparison to 6x points per $1 with Wanna Get Away fares, which are similar to this fare. The flight credit you receive from canceling a Wanna Get Away plus fare can be transferred to another Rapid Rewards member. As well, Wanna Get Away plus fares can be changed and stood by on the same day.
- Anytime: Wanna Get Away is very similar to Anytime, but it is refundable and increases Rapid Rewards earnings by ten times.
Something to note: Standby flights are not possible with Wanna Get Away; passengers must have (or upgrade to) an Anytime or Business Select ticket.
- Business Select: Business Select offers all the benefits of Wanna Get Away plus a refundable option, priority boarding, priority security lanes, a premium (alcoholic) beverage, and 12x earnings.
- Southwest also offers Senior Fares: Refundable fares are only available to passengers 65 years of age and older (must show valid identification).
In-Flight Experience with Southwest Airlines
On Southwest flights, you can choose any available seat and stow your carryon items in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.
- In-flight dining
Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary on flights over 250 miles, with additional snacks available in Hawaii.
- WiFi/Power and USB Charging Ports
If you want to enjoy free entertainment on Southwest Airlines, make sure your devices are charged up.
- Entertainment
In their Inflight Entertainment Portal, Southwest offers movies, live TV, and texting through WhatsApp and iMessage. You'll need headphones and a personal device.
Checked bags are free and there are no change fees
- With Southwest Airlines, you can change your flight as necessary to a different itinerary without paying any fees No fee is charged for changing your flight to a different itinerary as necessary.
- It is worth noting that there may be a fare difference. However, Southwest does not limit the number of changes you can make. Considering that such administrative matters usually come at a significant cost to passengers at low-cost airlines, Southwest stands out from the crowd with its policy here.
- Furthermore, Southwest Airlines also offers the most generous domestic bag policy of all major airlines, since it does not charge a fee for the first two checked bags. As for the combined dimensions of these bags, they can only be 62 inches (157.5 cm) long, width, and height. There are size and weight limits for the bags, which are less than 50 lbs (22.7 kg).
- Southwest charges $125 per bag after the first two free bags. This does not apply to active duty military or permanent change of station orders. Media camera bags are $75 each. In addition, overweight baggage fees are charged for non-military and non-media equipment weighing 51-70 lbs (23.1-31.8 kg) and from 71-100 lbs (32.2-45.4 kg) for bags weighing 71-100 lbs.
Boarding procedure for Southwest Airlines
Travelers disagree most about Southwest's boarding process.
Do you find it to be straightforward and easy, or do you find you are anxious the entire time?
Following the check-in process, you'll be called to line up at the silver poles in order according to the number you received (categories A, B, or C).
- It's a quick glance at people's boarding passes or a short conversation to find out what number they are to figure out where to stand.
- Boarding occurs in order from A1 to A60, then B1 to B60, etc.
- Upon boarding the plane, you can sit wherever you like if it isn't already taken.
- It is more likely that you will end up with a middle seat if you are in Group B or C, since most people choose aisles and windows.
- In Group A or early B, you'll probably have your pick of the plane and find a seat that suits you perfectly.
- This boarding process is great for me
- When I check in 24 hours before my flight, I'll likely receive an A or early B boarding number, and I'll be able to get great seats without paying anything extra.
- As a Passenger who prefers to know exactly what's going on and doesn't love leaving seats until the last minute, Southwest's boarding process can cause anxiety as you have no idea what will be available until you board.
Southwest Airlines and children
In domestic flights, one child over 14 days and under two (2) years of age, not occupying a seat, may be carried free of charge when traveling with an adult (12 years or older). One stroller and car seat can be checked for free (in addition to free baggage allowance) for customers traveling with infants.
When two adults travel with a child under six years old, Family Boarding occurs after the "A" group boards and before the "B" group boards. Both the child and the adult must board in their assigned boarding positions if they both hold the "A" boarding pass.
Southwest Airlines pet policy
A small vaccinated domestic cat or dog can be carried with you under the seat in front of you on Southwest Airlines flights. Pets must be contained in a pet carrier measuring at least 18.5" long x 8.5" high x 13.5" wide. The cat or dog must be completely inside the pet carrier and be able to stand up and move freely within the carrier. There is a $95 pet fee per pet carrier each way for pets traveling.
The pet carrier is considered a carryon item or a personal item. Customers may board the aircraft with either a pet carrier and a personal item or a pet carrier and a regular size carryon bag.
Fleet and network
Southwest in major cities allows US travellers to travel just about anywhere. According to ch-aviation.com, Southwest operates out of bases nationwide, serving 121 destinations in 12 countries across 4000 routes. With an order for 378 twinjets, the carrier has 813 Boeing 737 family jets at its disposal, with an additional 813 on order.
Southwest Airlines to Make Same-Day Standby Free for All Customers - What You Need to Know
- All Southwest Airlines passengers will be able to fly same-day standby for free, making the carrier more competitive in the US.
- As part of the new benefit, which the airline hopes to introduce by August, passengers who buy a “Wanna Get Away” ticket will be able to fly same-day standby for free. Additionally, Southwest plans to make standby registration available online or through its app.
- Southwest Airlines said in a statement shared with T+L that it added "Wanna Get Away Plus" and "Transferable Flight Credit" to its fare lineup last year. As a part of our ongoing commitment to providing more choices, more flexibility, and more value to customers when they fly Southwest, we are now introducing more fare enhancements.
- A passenger in the "Wanna Get Away" fare class must pay the difference in fare if they choose to fly same-day standby, the airline says. Rapid Rewards members as well as passengers traveling on Southwest's "Wanna Get Away Plus," "Anytime," or "Business Select" fares can enjoy free same-day standby.
- When changing flights, Southwest famously doesn't charge change fees, instead charging the difference in fares.
- It comes after several other major U.S. carriers included free same-day standby for all customers.. carriers did the same. In 2021, United announced that passengers would be able to fly same-day standby for free on both domestic and international routes. Delta followed that same year. American Airlines also offers same-day standby for free.
- Customers who purchase a "Business Select" fare will receive free inflight Wi-Fi. They are able to connect up to three devices per flight..
- As of now, A-List Preferred customers are able to access free Wi-Fi.
- The airline is currently upgrading its onboard experience, including installing USB A and USB C power ports at every seat and improving Wi-Fi.
Southwest Companion Pass
A Southwest Companion Pass can slash your costs by half if you and a friend/partner/spouse/child fly Southwest frequently. In fact, the Companion Pass is well known in points and miles circles.
Southwest Airlines' Companion Pass allows customers to choose 1 person to fly with them for free (taxes and fees apply), whenever they purchase a ticket or redeem points.
- Passes for companions can be earned in two ways:
- Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights
- Earn 135,000 qualifying points
(Guess which option geeks will cash in on! )
Companion passes are valid not only for the remainder of the year in which you earn them, but also for the full calendar year following.
If you get your pass in January, you can benefit for almost 24 months! (That's a lot of free flights!)
“Qualifying Points”: You need 135,000 eligible points to qualify for a Companion Pass. Points transferred from other programs or accounts (e.g., Chase Ultimate Rewards) won't count.
