How to book a flight with Southwest Airlines

Booking flights can become tedious or confusing so we've laid out the steps here on how to book a flight with Southwest Airlines.

Prerequisites: Desired departure and/or return dates and locations must be known

Difficulty Level: Member • Nerd • Platypus

Estimated Time: <10 minutes

Expected Outcome: Confirmation is received upon flight booking

Tools Required: Internet, internet-capable device, browser (this may also be done using the Southwest app but this guide covers using the browser)

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Steps to Perform 

  1. Go to your browser of choice (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, etc.)
  2. Type www.southwest.com into the address bar and hit Enter
  3. Select 'Flight' option from menu categories along the top of the site
  4. When the menu options pop up for 'Flight', select Book a Flight
  5. Input your departure airport, date, time of day (optional) and number of passengers
  6. Input your arrival airport, date, time of day (optional) and promo code (optional)
  7. Click 'Search' button
  8. Look over the list of options for departure. Make sure to compare the times, if there are any stops, and the pricing.
  9. Select the correct option based off your preferences
  10. Follow step 8 for the return options as well
  11. Click 'Continue' button
  12. Review the Trip and Price Details page
  13. Scroll down and click 'Continue' button
  14. Enter in all the passenger and payment info on the following screen
  15. Make sure to review all of the entered information as well as the pricing one last time
  16. Select 'Purchase' button once you are sure of all details
  17. You'll see the confirmation page covering the flight, your details and the price