Safety Tips from the Transportation Security Administration
Southwest allows alcohol to be carried in checked luggage under the following conditions.
General Information:
Southwest Airlines accepts small vaccinated domestic cats and dogs to travel with you in-cabin under the seat in front of you. All pets must be carried in an appropriate carrier, as indicated below. The pet carrier counts as either a carryon item or a personal item.
Pets will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. Six (6) pets are allowed per flight with a limit of one pet carrier per paying Customer traveling on the same flight. However, from time to time, circumstances may allow for more (or fewer) than six (6) pet carriers per scheduled flight.
Pets must be checked in at the airport ticket counter, however Customers can still secure their boarding pass online, at curbside check in, the airport kiosk, or the ticket counter.
We maintain the right to refuse acceptance of a cat or dog exhibiting aggressive behavior or any other characteristics that appear incompatible with air travel.
For a list of key Pet topics please visit our Pet FAQs.
Pet Reservation & Payment Information
In-cabin Pet Carriers
Get your official Southwest Airlines branded pet carrier for $58 (tax included) at any Southwest Airport Ticket Counter or online (tax not included) at Southwest: The Store (not an affiliate of Southwest Airlines Co.). Pet carriers are nonrefundable.
Acceptable Pet Carriers:
Pet Carrier Requirements:
Note: Pet carriers are considered either a personal item or a carryon item. A Customer may board the aircraft with either a pet carrier and a personal item or a pet carrier and a regular size carryon bag. A Customer may not board the aircraft with a pet carrier, a regular size carryon bag, and a personal item. The pet carrier must conform to all carryon baggage regulations.
Pet Travel Restrictions
Note: These restrictions do not apply to trained service animals accompanying a person with a disability. More Information
Traveling with Pets: Security
When passing through security, Customers will be asked to hold the pet and walk through the screening device while the carrier is x-rayed.
All pet carriers are subject to being searched by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), other airport security authorities, as well as searches by airline personnel.
Battery Safety Tips from the Transportation Security Administration
Safety Tips from the Transportation Security Administration
Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs)
Safety Tips from the Transportation Security Administration
Portable Electronic Devices containing dry cells or dry batteries (including lithium or lithium polymer cells or batteries) are allowed to be transported as long as the battery size requirements are met. Some examples of these devices include but are not limited to watches, calculating machines, cameras, cellular phones, laptop/notebook/tablet computers, camcorders, medical devices, and drones.
Note: Items designed to operate by creating heat must not be transported in checked baggage and must first be approved by the carrier. For Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigs) or Vaporizers, please see Special Luggage section titled Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigs) or Vaporizers.
Note: For Customers with Disabilities who utilize single or multi-wheeled personal transport devices, please see section titled Customers with Disabilities, and refer to the appropriate battery section based on the battery type.
Due to concerns regarding the lithium batteries used in hoverboards (balance boards, gravity boards, self-balancing devices, etc.) and electric skateboards, Southwest Airlines will not transport such devices in either checked luggage or as a carryon item.
Safety Tips from the Transportation Security Administration
Because these articles are designed to operate by creating heat, they must be transported in one of the following ways:
Guns
Update on Southwest’s Firearms Acceptance Policy
Ammunition
Medications
Please visit the TSA's web site for instructions and allowable medication in carryon baggage.
Medical Oxygen
Southwest is not equipped to transport or provide medical oxygen or other hazardous materials and/or contained gas, either in the passenger cabin or as cargo or baggage. Any Customer who requires a constant supply of compressed or liquid medical oxygen cannot travel on Southwest Airlines. If there is a question as to a Customer's ability to travel the duration of a flight without the use of medical oxygen, we may request documentation from a licensed physician to verify that the Customer can complete the flight safely and without the use of medical oxygen.
Liquid oxygen cannot be carried onboard our aircraft. If a liquid oxygen unit is empty (and contains a gauge or color indicator verifying the unit is empty), then the unit can be transported, as long as the valve remains open.
See Medications and Assistive Devices for full details.
Portable Oxygen Concentrators
See Portable Oxygen Concentrators for full details.
Please Note: Some musical instruments (e.g. double bass, cello, etc.) cannot be secured in a seat and must be transported as checked baggage. Oversize or overweight charges will apply if the instrument is between 62-150 inches in size (outside length plus width plus height including case or covering) or if the instrument weighs between 51-165 pounds (including case or covering).
Packing Rules
Seafood (including fresh seafood, shrimp, fish of all kinds, live lobsters, live crabs, and live crawfish), meat, fowl, game, and other perishable foods must be suitably packed in leak-proof containers. Styrofoam® or other plastic foam containers are not acceptable for frozen food or other items that may leak during transit.
Refrigerants: Shipments packed in wet ice will not be accepted unless the ice is contained in sealed polyethylene bags (Ziploc® bags). Frozen gels or dry ice/carbon dioxide are the preferred refrigerants. Dry ice/carbon dioxide may be used as a refrigerant for perishables under the following limitations:
Safety Tips from the Transportation Security Administration
What is considered a smart bag?
Smart bags are devices that include integrated lithium batteries or electronics. Examples of smart baggage include baggage enabled with any of the following:
What is your policy regarding smart baggage?
Effective January 15, 2018, smart bags with non-removable lithium batteries are prohibited on Southwest Airlines aircraft. If a smart bag with a removable lithium battery is transported in the cabin, the removable battery may remain installed. If a smart bag with a removable lithium battery needs to be checked, the battery must be removed from the bag and transported in the cabin.
Customers traveling with smart bags should note that Southwest Airlines’ policy applies regardless of any manufacturer statement indicating the item is FAA or TSA “approved.” Taking a few minutes to understand the bag’s battery placement and whether it can be removed can save you time and improve your travel experience at the airport.
Sports Equipment - Baggage Allowance
Any of the items listed below may be checked in substitution of one piece of the free Checked Baggage allowance for each Passenger at no charge on a one-item-for-one-bag basis. If the item of sporting equipment exceeds 50 pounds in weight or 62 inches in size (outside length plus height plus width), excess weight and size charges may apply.
Sports Equipment - Special Items
The items listed below will be accepted as Checked Baggage for a $75 each way charge.
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