FAQ/International Travel to the United States

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.