FAQ/International Travel

You can check in for international flights and receive your assigned boarding position via our mobile site/apps, though you will not receive an actual boarding pass until you check in at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter or kiosk upon arrival at the airport and have your passport book verified. You can also check flight status for international flights via our mobile site/apps.

You must retrieve previously booked international itineraries online at Southwest.com using your confirmation number. You cannot retrieve international itineraries online at Southwest.com using your credit card at this time.

A passport book for each Customer must be verified by a Customer Service Agent or kiosk at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter on the day of travel before a boarding pass is issued. Passport cards, invalid and/or damaged passports will not be accepted.

You may enter your passport information during the booking process on Southwest.com, any time prior to travel by accessing your reservation online, or at the airport on the day of travel.

While you may check in to reserve your boarding position online 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure time, you will not receive a boarding pass at this time. Your passport must be verified by a Customer Service Agent or kiosk at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter on the day of travel before you can receive a boarding pass and proceed through the security checkpoint to your departure gate.

No, you cannot. If any portion of your itinerary includes international travel, you must check in at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter or at a kiosk at the airport prior to the first leg of your trip. Once your passport is successfully verified, you will receive a boarding pass or security document to proceed through security and to your departure gate.

If you purchased EarlyBird Check-In during the process of completing your initial international air booking, you should receive a consolidated email confirming both your flight and EarlyBird Check-In purchases.

If you added EarlyBird Check-In to an existing international reservation and made this addition after you’ve made your initial booking, you should also receive a separate email confirming your EarlyBird Check-In purchase.

If you added EarlyBird Check-In to an existing international reservation after the original reservation has been made for some, but not all Passengers on the original reservation, only the names of those Passengers for which EarlyBird Check-In was purchased will appear on the confirmation email. The other Passengers’ names (whose reservations do not contain EarlyBird Check-In) will not appear on the confirmation email.

However, please note that if you received your initial confirmation for this reservation via fax, we are unable to send your EarlyBird Check-In confirmation via fax. Please contact us at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792), if this applies to you and you need a receipt for documentation purposes.

If you need to change a previously booked itinerary that includes an international flight, you would follow the same process as you would for a domestic flight and pay any applicable fare difference (no change fees). If you choose to change your itinerary on the day of travel, note that you will have to pay the applicable departure taxes and fees associated with your new international itinerary.

Southwest Airlines will not accept human remains as checked baggage; however, a Customer may take cremated remains onboard as a carryon item under certain conditions.

Southwest requests emergency contact information for international travel, although Customers may decline to provide this information as it is not required for travel. The name and phone number will only be used in the event of an emergency. This information can be provided online after booking a reservation, during the online check-in process, or at the airport, though providing it online ahead of time will help expedite the airport check-in process.

If you choose to book two separate reservations to connect flights from your point of origin to an international destination and return, please be aware of the following limitations and how they will impact your travel:

1. You will have two separate reservations and two separate tickets.
2. You must check in for your flights separately in order to receive boarding passes for both reservations.
3. Your baggage will be checked to the destination listed on each ticket, not all the way through to your final destination. This means you must:
   • Leave the secured area of the airport.
   • Claim your luggage at baggage claim.
   • Re-check your luggage at the ticket counter to the destination listed on your second ticket.
     1. Note: Check-in for international flights closes one hour prior to departure. 
   • Proceed back through the security checkpoint for screening.
   • Arrive at your departure gate ready for boarding at least 20 minutes prior to your next flight’s departure. We may begin boarding as early as 30 minutes prior to your flight’s scheduled departure time.
   • If you have not arrived at the departure gate at least 10 minutes prior to departure, and have not notified Southwest of your intention not to travel, your reservation is subject to cancellation and your seat may be relinquished to another Customer. You will not be eligible for denied boarding compensation and will be considered a “no show” Customer.
4. Because you are not traveling on a scheduled connection and are building your own flight itinerary, some protections afforded in our Contract of Carriage for disruptions will not apply to you or your travel.
5. If you choose to book reservations in the manner, we suggest you allow no less than three hours between flights.

Make sure to check back often as our schedule changes frequently and connecting service may be available in the near future.

When we put flights on sale, domestic or international, just like today, Click ‘n Save subscribers will definitely be among the first to know. Not a subscriber? Sign Up Now

For Customers in Mexico, please note that due to country-specific currency differences, we most likely will not advertise price points for our sale fares within email communication. You will need to visit Southwest.com to view routes on sale and corresponding fares.

Yes, Southwest® Gift Cards will be accepted as payment for itineraries that include international flights. However, please note that Southwest® Gift Cards will not be accepted as a form of payment for any taxes or fees collected at international airports which are not collected on a ticket.

You can only purchase a Southwest® Gift Card using U.S. dollars or a credit card.

Yes, you can purchase EarlyBird Check-In for an itinerary containing at least one international flight.

Yes, you can purchase a Business Select Fare for any Southwest flight, domestic or international. Just like for domestic flights, a limited number of Business Select fares will be available for purchase on international flights.

If you originally booked a Wanna Get Away or an Anytime Fare and choose to upgrade to the Business Select Fare prior to your trip, please be advised that this constitutes a change in fare class and the initial amount paid will become nonrefundable as a result. This refundability policy is unique to all itinerary changes that apply to international travel.

No, promo codes (e.g. promotional discount codes) cannot be applied to purchases of flight itineraries that include at least one international leg. They can only be applied to domestic U.S. itineraries at this time.

At this time, international flights are not available for booking at Swabiz.com.

To book Infant, Child, or Military Fares for international flights, please contact us to book via phone at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). After booking, you can view or cancel existing international itineraries for any of these fare types online at Southwest.com.

Yes! Users are able to book international flights via the 5.6.1+ versions of the Android and iOS mobile apps or the Southwest.com mobile website.

Yes, we will accept bookings for groups of 10 or more for all flights (including international flights) as part of our Group Travel program, which offers several additional benefits. Group bookings must be made via phone. Customers calling from within the United States can contact Group Reservations at 1 (800) 308-5037 Monday – Friday between the hours of 7:00am 10:00pm, Central Time.

You must provide your passport information prior to checking in for your flight, but it is not required in order to make a reservation. You may do so during the booking process at Southwest.com, after you book your flight online, during the online check in process, or at the airport on your day of travel using a kiosk or at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter. To reduce wait times at the airport, we highly recommend that you enter your required passport information online at Southwest.com prior to travel.

In addition, please note that there are other types of documents that may be used in order to travel internationally in addition to a passport, such as a Visa or Green Card.

See our Forms of Payment page.

Flights that have already departed or are within two hours of their scheduled departure time will not display on the Select Flights page at Southwest.com. To book an international flight for same-day travel, you can contact us via phone at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) or see a Customer Service Agent at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter upon arrival at the airport. Please note that bookings cannot be created within 90 minutes of an international flight’s scheduled departure time.

Standard procedures for refunds for tickets purchased using a credit card is to issue a refund to the credit card. Standard procedures for all refunds purchased other than using a credit card is to refund via check issued in U.S. dollars mailed to the address that you provided on your original reservation.  If you used local currency to purchase a refundable ticket for an international flight that has not yet been flown and would like to cancel your reservation and request a refund, then you must go to the airport in the applicable local country to receive your cash refund in local currency.

You should anticipate that any purchases while traveling internationally will be charged in the local currency. In some locations U.S. dollars may be accepted if permitted by law. Currently U.S. dollars are accepted in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

When booking a reservation, you can provide a preferred method if contact (i.e., SMS text or email) to receive important day-of-travel notifications (i.e., delays/cancellations). If you prefer to not receive these messages, you can opt out during the booking process. Also, friends and family members can sign up to receive flight status notifications for international itineraries.

Documentation required to travel to foreign countries and/or re-enter the United States varies by country. Find out what you need to verify by visiting our International Travel page and enter your origin/destination for documentation requirements specific to your itinerary. A valid passport book is always required for international travel, in addition to other documentation based on your destination.

If any portion of your itinerary contains an international flight and you plan to check luggage, you will be required to do so at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter upon arrival at the airport. Connecting Passengers must claim all luggage, regardless of final destination, upon arrival in the U.S. After clearing Customs, connecting Passengers who aren’t originating from preclear cities will then be required to re-check all checked luggage with a Southwest Airlines Customer Service Agent before proceeding to connecting flight(s). Baggage for international flights will not be accepted if presented less than 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure. For flights departing Aruba (AUA), baggage will not be accepted if presented less than 75 minutes prior to scheduled departure. Passengers cannot voluntarily separate from luggage on international flights.

No. If you are traveling on an itinerary that includes at least one international leg, you must check in at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter or kiosk in order to have your passport verified, check luggage, and receive your boarding pass. You may not utilize curbside check in for itineraries that include international flights.

With the exception of Nassau and Havana, kiosks will be available in all other non-U.S. airport locations.

When departing on an international flight from an airport within the domestic U.S., you will be able to check in, scan your passport, add emergency contact information, and print your boarding pass for both the domestic and international legs of your trip at a kiosk. You will not be able to upgrade or change international flights using a kiosk, but a Customer Service Agent at the Ticket Counter or gate podium can assist with these requests.

At this time, Express Bag Drop will not be available at Southwest Airlines Ticket Counters in non-U.S. airport locations.

Airport arrival and baggage check-in times may vary depending on location. However, the recommended airport arrival time is 120 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of your flight and the recommended baggage check time is 90 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

If your itinerary includes at least one international leg, you must check in at the airport at least 90 minutes prior to the departure time of the first flight in your itinerary. Remember, you will be required to check in at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter or kiosk to have your passport verified, receive your boarding pass, and check luggage.

Your Known Traveler Number may be added via Southwest.com or by calling 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792).

Yes. For more information, view our video on how to board the Southwest way in English or Spanish.

WiFi is available for many of our international flights. Please note that we may not have coverage for the duration of certain international flights.

Due to licensing regulations for each channel, free live TV may not be available for the duration of flights to/from our international destinations.

If your international flight itinerary has been impacted by circumstances beyond Southwest’s control (weather, etc,), you may be eligible to change your travel date/time at no additional cost, but you must contact Customer Service via phone in order to do so. For calls from the U.S., contact Customer Service at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792).

Jet bridges are not available in all Southwest cities. Customers may have to board and deplane the aircraft through the use of air stairs. Also, in some cities, Customers may have to travel between the terminal and the aircraft onboard buses. Buses will be used to transport Passengers from the terminal to the plane-side, where they will board via air stairs. Boarding the bus will occur at ground-level, and Passengers will be dropped off at the base of the air stairs.

For a complete list of the cities that may not have level-entry boarding or that may require transfer via bus or to learn more about requesting assistance and accessibility in boarding the aircraft, please visit our Customers with Disabilities page.

Southwest encourages Customers traveling internationally to subscribe to Flight Status Messaging to receive updates via email or text for international itineraries. Please read the Conditions of Use prior to subscribing.

In addition, Southwest may send flight status updates to the email address that you provided when you booked your original reservation. While we encourage Customers to stay opted in to receive notifications, to opt out of email messaging you may call a Southwest Airlines Representative toll free at any time at the numbers listed below.

Liability limits for loss, delay or damage to checked baggage on international itineraries is limited to 1,131 Special Drawing Rights (“SDR”). For more information, see Southwest Airlines Contract of Carriage.

Baggage claim payments are typically made in the form of a check in U.S. dollars, which is mailed to the address designated by you when settling the claim with our Baggage Service Office. If you wish to receive your claim payment in local currency, you must go to the airport in the applicable country to receive your cash payment in-person. Local currency refunds are not available in the following countries: Aruba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and The Bahamas.

Southwest does its best to operate our flights as scheduled. Sometimes, events beyond our control or situations we could not anticipate prevent us from doing so and when this happens we note that the flight is subject to irregular operations. If your Southwest Airlines flight does not operate as scheduled due to irregular operations, your reservation may be modified subject to applicable Terms & Conditions without additional charges by contacting a Southwest Airlines Representative at 1-800-435-9792.

Liquids in Excess of 3.4 ounces/100 mL: Customers traveling internationally into the United States with a connecting flight will be permitted to carry liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces/100 mL in their carry-on baggage, provided they were purchased in duty-free shops and placed in secure, tamper-evident bags (STEBs).

Technological advances may allow Passengers to keep these liquids in their carry-on baggage, provided they are presented in a STEB and are able to be screened and cleared by Transportation Security Officers at the checkpoint.

Liquids that cannot be screened and cleared will not be allowed to remain in a passenger’s carry-on baggage. Passengers may elect to place these items into checked baggage, if available, or forfeit them prior to entering the secure area of the airport. This may include liquids in opaque, ceramic, or metallic bottles, or other containers that cannot be effectively scanned.

Currently our only pre-cleared locations are Aruba (AUA) and Nassau (NAS), which means that U.S. Customs is located in these two countries. If you are traveling to the U.S. from a pre-cleared location you will check in for your U.S. inbound flight, go through exit Customs, and immediately go through U.S. Customs in the same airport. Once you arrive in the U.S., your flight will be considered a domestic arrival and you can proceed directly to your connecting flight with your bags without having to go through Customs or re-check luggage.

In some U.S. airports, there will be baggage drop off stations available post-Customs. Others will require passengers to return to the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter to re-check luggage prior to continuing on to connecting flights. Please be on the lookout for directional signage and/or Southwest Employees after clearing Customs upon arrival in the U.S.

Yes, designated Companions under the age of 18 can accompany Companion Pass holders on international flights; however, these Passengers cannot be booked online. Please contact us at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) to book a Companion for travel on itineraries that include at least one international leg.

At this time, you cannot access information stored in your Rapid Rewards account, including stored credit card information, to purchase international flights. You are also not able to store passport information in your Rapid Rewards account at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The same rules and regulations that apply to domestic travel apply to international flights. Additional foreign taxes or fees not associated to the ticket may apply.

Minors under the age of 18 are not permitted to fly unaccompanied (without an adult, age 18 or older) on international flights or any itinerary that includes an international flight.

Passengers on a journey involving an ultimate destination or a stop in a country other than the country of departure are advised that international treaties known as the Montreal Convention, or its predecessor, the Warsaw Convention, including its amendments, may apply to the entire journey, including any portion thereof within a country. For such passengers, the treaty, including special contracts of carriage embodied in applicable tariffs, governs and may limit the liability of the Carrier in respect of death or injury to passengers, and for destruction or loss of, or damage to, baggage, and for delay of passengers and baggage.

Children, regardless of age, must have a valid passport book in order to travel. Depending on the Customer’s circumstances and travel itinerary, additional travel document requirements may be imposed by the originating and/or destination country. Many governments have initiated procedures at entry and exit points, which may include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child’s travel from the non-traveling parent(s) and/or legal guardian(s). In the case of a child traveling without either legal parents or guardians, Customers must follow the guidelines provided by the country of destination.

Animals, other than trained assistance animals and emotional support animals, are not allowed to travel in-cabin on international flights or any itinerary that includes an international flight. Restrictions and documentation requirements may apply to trained assistance and/or emotional support animals and vary by country. Customers should contact the appropriate consulate or embassy to make sure that all necessary procedures are followed.

Infants between 14 days and two years of age can travel on international flights as either a lap child or in an FAA-approved car seat with the purchase of an infant fare. View policies and procedures for infant travel onboard Southwest Airlines. Also, visit our portal for more information on documentation that could be required based on your specific international destination.

If you plan to travel with an infant as a lap child, you will be required to pay the taxes and fees that apply to the international portion of the infant’s itinerary. The taxes and fees must be paid prior to travel at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter or by calling 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). All Southwest Airlines forms of payment are acceptable for lap children tickets with the exception of Southwest LUV Vouchers.

Though weight and size limits apply, our Bags Fly Free® policy allows for your first two checked bags to fly free on both international and domestic flights operated by Southwest. Seasonal baggage embargoes may apply.

Yes. If you need to change a previously booked international flight itinerary, you will only be required to pay any difference in fare and will not incur a separate change fee. This is the same policy that applies to domestic travel today.

Please note the following differences in policy that will apply to Group Travel Program bookings for international itineraries:

• Deposits cannot be applied toward the purchase of tickets. Deposits will be refunded between three and five business days after ticketing and are subject to any additional processing time incurred by the credit card company. It may take up to two statements to receive your refund.
• You cannot book more than one type of fare within the same Group itinerary.
• Tickets must be used on the flight purchased, and the deposit could be forfeited for failure to meet this requirement.
• Credit cards, checks, and wire transfers will be accepted as forms of payment for international Group bookings. Credit cards are the only acceptable form of payment for deposits. Southwest Airlines LUV Vouchers, Southwest® gift cards, reusable travel funds, or exchanged tickets will not be accepted as forms of payment for Group bookings.
• Group tickets will be electronically issued – no paper tickets will be issued for international group travel.
• EarlyBird Check-In® may not be added to tickets purchased as part of an international Group itinerary.
• If traveling as part of a Group Travel itinerary, you can reserve your boarding position online 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure time, though you will not receive a boarding pass at this time. Your passport must be verified by a Customer Service Agent or kiosk at the Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter on the day of travel before you can receive a boarding pass and proceed through the security checkpoint to your departure gate.

For inquiries regarding Southwest Airlines’ Mexican privacy policy, including requests to remove subscriptions to promotions and offers, modify inaccurate or incomplete information, opt out of use of information for specific purposes, and/or revoke use of information, you may contact us via email dataofficer@wnco.com or by postal mail at the following address:

Southwest Airlines
Attn: Chief Data Officer
P.O. Box 36647 – 1CR
Dallas, TX 75235

You will be required to provide the following information along with your request: full name, email address, mailing address where a response can be sent, and a telephone number where you can be reached.

To request a Mexican Fiscal Electronic Invoice (CFDI) for an itinerary purchased on Southwest.com, please visit http://e-facpos.com/#/SWA