Flying Standby on Southwest Airlines: What You Need to Know Before You Try It

Southwest Airlines Ticket in Seatback

You arrive at the airport early, or maybe you're looking at your Southwest app thinking, "That nonstop flight would get me home hours earlier." You start wondering if you can switch flights without paying extra. The good news is, flying standby might make that happen.

But here's the thing: if you've never done it before, the process can feel unclear. You might worry about getting separated from your luggage, missing out entirely, or scrambling to change transport plans at the last minute.

I’ve been through it and figured out what works. In this blog, you’ll learn how to fly standby with Southwest the right way, step by step, and what risks to keep in mind before you give it a go.

Step 1: Check for Alternate Flights Before You Check Your Luggage

Start by opening the Southwest app. Look for alternate flight times that suit you better, whether you're already at the airport or planning ahead. If a flight catches your eye, see if standby is an option.

Then, go directly to a Southwest full-service check-in desk. Avoid the self-service kiosks. Let the agent know you’re hoping to fly standby. They’ll check availability and tell you whether there’s a good chance of getting on.

If you decide to try, the agent will:

• Add you to the standby list

• Print a temporary paper ticket that says “standby”

• Tag your luggage for the new standby flight

  
  

Tip: If you're flying on a Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus fare, you can also request same-day standby through the Southwest app or directly at the gate, not just at the check-in desk. No extra fees apply for eligible fares.

Important: Your bag will be loaded onto the standby flight, even if you are not. If you don't make it on the flight, your bag will arrive ahead of you and be held securely at the airport. It probably won’t show up on the luggage carousel. You'll need to ask a Southwest crew member for help retrieving it once you arrive.

Before you go through security, confirm with the check-in agent exactly how your luggage will be handled if you don’t get on the flight. This way, you’ll know what to expect and where to go when you land.

Step 2: Go to the Gate and Speak to the Gate Agent

Once your bag is checked, head to the gate for the standby flight. Let the gate agent know you’re on the standby list and ask if they need anything from you. This also lets them know you're present and waiting.

They’ll usually give you instructions on when to check back in for updates or when to expect your official boarding pass.

Just keep in mind, you cannot board the flight with your paper standby ticket. You must get a new boarding pass to fly.

Step 3: Stay Close and Listen for Announcements

Roughly ten minutes before boarding, the gate agent will start calling standby passengers. Sometimes it's a general call, other times they'll call names individually.

If no announcement is made, it's fine to politely walk up and ask if any seats have opened up. If they can accommodate you, the agent will hand you a new boarding pass with your boarding group.

What Standby Actually Means

Flying standby is basically a free request to get on an earlier flight. But it's not guaranteed.

By joining the standby list, you're saying:

• You want to fly on a different flight than your original one, but you're not willing to pay to officially change it

• You're okay with your bag arriving before you do, if you don’t get a seat

If you don’t clear standby, you’ll still retain your confirmed seat on your originally scheduled flight.

Example: How We Flew Standby and Got Home Hours Ahead of Schedule

After wrapping up a Disney cruise, we arrived at the airport with plenty of time—about four hours before our scheduled Southwest flight. Sitting around that long didn’t sound appealing, so I opened the app to check for earlier options.

There it was: a nonstop flight that would get us home before our original one had even started boarding. I figured it was worth asking.

At the check-in desk, I asked about standby. The agent checked the system and said the earlier flight had 26 open seats, and we’d be numbers 3 and 4 on the list. That sounded promising. We agreed to give it a try, and she printed our standby tickets and tagged our bags for the new flight.

We headed to the gate and let the agent there know we were on standby. Then we waited.

About ten minutes before boarding, the gate agent called us up and handed us new boarding passes. Just like that, we were on the earlier flight.

Instead of killing time in the terminal, we landed earlier, got home quicker, and avoided the extra airport fatigue. No stress, no added cost—just a smoother trip home.

Step 6: Understand the Risks

Before you try standby, know what you’re signing up for:

• You might not get a seat, but your bag could still fly without you

• You may be separated from your travel companion, since standby boarding happens last

• If you arranged transport based on your original arrival time, you’ll need to make quick changes once you get confirmed on the new flight

  
  

Final Thoughts

Flying standby on Southwest is a handy way to save time and fly earlier without paying to change your ticket. But it's not a sure thing. You need to be flexible, ready to wait, and okay with a few unknowns—especially when it comes to your bags.

If that sounds like you, give it a go. Just check the app early, speak to a real person at check-in, and stay on top of your gate status. With a little patience, you might just be sipping your post-flight coffee hours ahead of schedule.

Note: For the most current information on Southwest's same-day standby policies, please refer to their official website: Southwest Airlines Same-Day Standby.