FAQ/International Travel: Before Your Flight

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.