You may be correct, but I called customer service, and the person SHOULD have known the answer if that’s their policy. The one who did our boarding passes could have said “I’m not sure how they will handle” or something like that, but they didn’t. So I was very surprised when I wasn’t allowed to board with my husband. I didn’t file a complaint or anything, but I was rather frustrated.
In the end, so families and other A listers not A boarded. You would have zero chance of not sitting together.
I think we could do a whole thread just on the things people try to put in the overhead bins and how they can’t seem to follow the directions!
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It actually amazes me how full the bins get on southwest because you’d think the free baggage policy would lessen that effect. Maybe a time issue for some, maybe some just take a ton of bags… I’m kind of the opposite and usually travel with a purse and backpack, both of which fit under the seat and I usually do that, unless I’m in one of those seats with restricted space under the seat in front. Which I was on my last SW flight.
Unless it’s a very short trip when I will pack everything in my carry-on, I usually check a bag just because of the PITA with making sure all my liquids are right size in a ziploc.
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I’ll do anything to avoid checking a bag and enduring the hassle and time suck of baggage claim. Free baggage check means zip to me.
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Oh for sure! We were upgraded to first class on the recent Alaska flight. Someone obviously not flying in first class jammed a giant bag just above our seats! A flight attendant walked by, tried to close the bin and couldn’t. You should have seen the evil eye she gave us! Thinking it was our bag! We had to plead with her that we had nothing to do with the questionable luggage. She snorted and rearranged the bin clearly not believing us. 
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My husband used to travel for work, and they didn’t pay for any special boarding, so he was often in the last group of whatever airline. He started only taking a small backpack as a carry on, and always checking his bag. He hated the stress of having to worry about carry-on space.
Often when I’ve flown SW, there is plenty/excess carry-on space.
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No space = gate check.
That’s the best. U get it right when you get off the plane.
In the country I used to live in this was actually a standard offering, they called it LIFO (as in the accounting term, last in first out) - you’d hand it to a flight attendant waiting on the airbridge as you boarded and the bags would all be waiting for you as you left.
On Delta, yes.
United, gate check means that it goes to luggage pick up. The upside is that it’s checked to the final destination. The downside is the last time I gate checked they destroyed my carry on.
Flying Delta instead of United in a couple of weeks. Hoping to gate check
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I had 4 Delta flights this week. All 4 had “gate check” - tagging at the gate before boarding and handing off to the crew at the plane door - but all 4 flights you had to pick them hat bag up at baggage claim. 
My Delta app did do a good job of letting me track that bag and told me what # carousel I’d find it on. Luckily for me I was only forced to do that when it was the last leg of flight. Other people had to pick it up at baggage at their final destination
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Often, gate check bags have to picked up at the carousel at the final destination.
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Not SW …which is the thread. Seen it many times. They’re waiting for u or people wait if not off yet.
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Darn, I was hoping for the premium price Delta is that they would do the old check the bag at the gate and pick it up right as you deplane.
Are you saying that you had to go to baggage claim for each leg of your flight?
Another reason to tote your carry on like a stinking Sherpa
Coincidentally, the first leg there and the first leg back I was able to use an overhead bin. In those 2 flights though others behind me were forced to claim at their final destination baggage claim. There were no bags at the plane door.
On my second leg of each flight, I was forced to gate check and had to pick up at baggage claim carousel .
Maybe this is not typical! I sure was hoping for the plane door pick up as I’ve had other times - but it was a no go this round.
Not anymore on any southwest plane I’ve been on in the last few years. They gate check your bag, and you get to pick it up at the baggage claim like all the other checked bags.
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Again the thread title is SW. My comment is specific to them.
Let me amend…on all the SW flights I’ve taken in the last few years, I’ve had to pick up my gate checked bag at the baggage claim.
Seems to be their policy…
Checked Baggage
Items checked at the gate will be claimed at the baggage claim area upon arrival at the final destination .
And according to AI…
Southwest Airlines allows gate checking of carry-on bags, and while they typically don’t force it, they may do so if overhead bin space is limited, ensuring smooth departures. You’ll pick up your bag at the baggage claim like any other checked bag.
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I usually fly Southwest. In my experience as well, gate checked bags do go to bag claim, like other bags, just as in their policy quoted above.
@tsbna44 if you’ve had gate checked bags available immediately when deplaning, was it some time ago? Or maybe it was at a small regional airport, where you exit the plane outdoors using the mobile stairs, and you are right out there with the bags being unloaded?
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