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I'm thinking about using same-day standby for an upcoming flight on Southwest Airlines. I would like to check a bag and am wondering how the timing works.

Southwest has a general rule that the earliest you can check a bag is four hours before departure. So let's say I am booked on a flight departing 8:00 PM, so normally I would have to wait until 4:00 PM to check my bags. Now let's say I want to standby for an earlier flight departing 1:00 PM.

  • Would being on the standby list for the 1:00 PM flight allow me to check my bag earlier, say anytime after 9:00 AM?

  • If not, do I just have to wait outside security with my baggage to see if I get cleared for the 1:00 PM flight? Will I have enough advance notification to check my bag and get through security in time to board?

  • Or is it only possible to use same-day standby with checked bags when the earlier flight is much closer in time to the original booked flight? (For instance, standing by for a 6:00 PM flight would be no problem.)

If it matters, this is a domestic US flight departing from Denver (DEN).

I'm aware that when traveling standby, there is a risk that my bags may not travel with me, and could be delayed. Assume I'm willing to take that risk.

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This reddit thread seems to answer you question.

User Holy_Cal says

No, you go to the full service ticketing counter and check your bag for the flight you’re on standby for. I’ve done this twice before.

User Important-Elk3968 says

If you went standby BEFORE checking your bag in, your bag will be checked on your standby flight. This way if you make the flight it goes with you. If you dont, it goes ahead of you and you just pick it up in your destination when you ride your original flight.

If you went standby AFTER checking your bag, it was already checked on your original flight in which it will stay in. That is called voluntary separation. You will have to go back to the airport to pick up your bag in the baggage service office when your original flight arrives.

User IllustriousAd1591 says

For what it’s worth, as a ramp agent we see what bags are standby and load them last. If the gate agent doesn’t clear them, we’ll just take them off and send them back to the BSO. Also I never check bags riding standby unless there’s a lot of seats

This all makes sense to me. You've elected to go standby so Southwest treats you as if you will be on the standby flight, until you're not.

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  • I don't think this is correct. AFAIK, bags are not allowed to fly without their passengers as a matter of ordinary load. Only if there was a mistake and they now need to bring the bags to a passenger that is already somewhere else. AFAIK standby luggage will not be loaded unless the passenger is boarding the flight. Good example why not to use reddit threads as reference.
    – littleadv
    Commented 5 hours ago
  • Depends on context. Bags fly all the time without their owner, but only if its unilaterally controlled by the airline. The airline can (and does) separate you from your bag, but you cannot.
    – Hilmar
    Commented 5 hours ago
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    @littleadv PPBM (Positive Passenger Bag Matching) does not apply for US Domestic flights, and the vast majority of Southwest flights are domestic.
    – Doc
    Commented 5 hours ago

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