Digital Pre-Check Bags
I led the product team in launching Digital Pre-Check Bags, a feature that makes preparing for travel even easier by letting customers handle bag check digitally.
The Innovation
Southwest recently launched a feature that allows customers to add up to 2 free standard bags digitally between check-in and airport arrival. No more waiting to do this in the lobby—customers can handle it from the app or website before they even leave home.
How It Works
- Open the Southwest app or visit Southwest.com
- Check in for your flight
- Add your bags digitally
- Head straight to the self-tagging kiosk at the airport to print bag tags
Customer Benefits
- Save time at the kiosk when printing bag tags
- Know what to expect before arriving at the airport
- Skip lobby lines and head directly to bag drop
- Visible during check-in and when viewing your trip
The Bigger Picture
This feature is the first step in a larger plan to optimize our kiosks and further speed up kiosk transaction times. We started with a trial at Dallas (DAL) and Jacksonville (JAX) airports, monitoring performance before rolling out broadly across our network.
Impact
By reducing the steps needed at the airport, we’re creating a better lobby experience for customers. Every minute saved in the lobby is more time for customers to enjoy their travels.
Team Effort
This launch required coordination across multiple Southwest teams, from digital product to airport operations, all working together to simplify the customer experience.
Customers can now add up to 2 free standard bags digitally between check-in and airport arrival—saving time at the kiosk.
