Southwest Airlines

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Southwest Airlines flights and information

Southwest Airlines flights and information

Southwest Airlines Check-in
Southwest Airlines baggage allowance
Southwest Airlines legroom

Contact details

Telephone:

Reservations: 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792); 1-800-VAMONOS (1-800-826-6667) - En Español.

Website:

www.southwest.com

Southwest Airlines Check-in

Passengers can check in online, at check-in desks, at the departure gate or at self-service kiosks. Check-in times vary by airport, but Southwest suggests arriving between 60 and 90 minutes before your flight is due to depart.

Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure and closes one hour beforehand.

Southwest Airlines baggage allowance

Hand luggage: One item not more than 127 linear cm (length+ width + height).

Checked: Southwest passengers are permitted to check two bags free of charge. The bags must not weigh more than 23kg and shouldn’t be bigger than 152cm. Bags that weigh between 23kg and 45kg or measure between 155cm and 203cm cost $50. Any item weighing more than 45kg must be shipped as cargo.

Excess: If you plan on packing a third (or fourth, fifth – up to ninth) bag, or one of your two free bags weighs between 23kg and 32kg, you’ll be charged $50 per bag. A tenth bag will cost $110.

Southwest Airlines legroom

Seat pitch: 81-84cm

Pre-arranged seating

Southwest Airlines operates an open seating policy. Though passengers are boarded in three tiers (those with boarding cards "A" first, followed by "B", followed by "C"), it pays to check in early.

Passenger change details

Only reservations booked online can be changed. Make changes online or call the reservation centre.

Child fares

Infants fly free seated on an adult's lap. Child and Youth fares are available, but not online. Call Reservations for fare details.

Senior fares

Senior fares are available and can be booked online.

Pets

Dogs and cats are allowed travel in the passenger cabin. Call Southwest Airlines in advance to arrange carriage of your pet. The charge is $75 each way. The pet carrier counts as one carry-on bag.

Carrying musical instruments

If a musical instrument is small enough, it can be carried on board the plane. It may also be checked. If you wish to purchase a seat for the musical instrument, it will cost no more than a child's fare. Contact the airline in advance.

In-flight service

Non-alcoholic drinks like coffee, tea, water and soft drinks are complimentary. Energy drinks can be purchased for $3; cocktails and wine and beer for $5. Peanuts, pretzels and Nabisco selections are available for purchase on select flights. Southwest is currently testing Wi-Fi on a small amount of planes.

Air miles

Rapid Rewards allows you to earn miles when you fly Southwest. Rapid Rewards are based on the number of flights you make, rather than the miles you travel, and can be redeemed with a number of partners, including Alamo, Budget, Hertz and Hilton.

Airline food link

Check out Southwest’s menu before you fly so you can decide if you need to bring any extra snacks. See photographs taken by fellow flyers of meals they’ve been served and read reviews at AirlineMeals.net.

In-flight magazine

Spirit , Southwest's in-flight magazine, is available on every flight. Read a preview online.

Airline alliances

Southwest is not a member of an airline alliance.

Airline overview

Southwest Airlines was founded in Texas almost 40 years ago by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Today, Southwest is one of the biggest carriers in the US, flying more than 100 million passengers annually to 69 cities in the US. For Canadian travellers, Southwest flies from Seattle/Tacoma, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, Detroit and Spokane, Wash.

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