Southwest not the cheapest!

ucbalumnus
Wed, 08 Jun 2016 21:05:22 +0000

rockymtnhigh:

So, what happens with Southwest Air if you do not check in at 24 hours? Do they let you know you have no seat ahead of time? or do you find out at the airport?

The later you check in, the later your boarding number will be. Being last to board the plane means being last to select a seat. If the flight is overbooked, it can also mean increased chance of involuntary denied boarding.

Note that, even on airlines with pre-assigned seats (and especially on such airlines if you cannot get a pre-assigned seat at booking time), it is advantageous to check in on the web 24 hours before. You may be able to change to a better seat. Checking in early instead of waiting to get to the airport also means that delays in getting to the airport will not cause you to miss the check in deadline even though you still have time to get through security and to the gate.