FAQ for Southwest and Rapid Rewards

[nsx]

15. How can I use Ding on a Mac or on a PC at work where I cannot install software?

a. (nsx and agt) As of March 2006, Ding is available for the Mac. The bad news is that the new version does not allow our prior techique to make Ding portable.

But thanks to agt, if you can get the installation file for version 1.00 of Ding (the original version), you can use Ding at work or elsewhere without having it installed on the PC. All you need is serial number information from an installation of Ding version 1.00. The latest version of Ding, version 1.04, does not support the technique described here.

Using a version 1.00 Ding installation executable (available from a fellow Flyertalker if you don't have it), install Ding at home or on a friend's PC. Click the Update Registration link at the very top of the Ding window. This activates your default browser. (Make sure it's not set to work offline.) You will get a web page for updating your home airport. Look at the Address (URL) field of your browser.

Copy the address field and paste it into Windows' Notepad (found under Start > Programs > Accessories) or some other editor. You will be copying and pasting the 15- or 16-digit number that follows "installId=" and the 16-digit number that follows "cksum=". You can also get the installId and cksum numbers from the address of any Ding sale, again for version 1.00 of Ding only.

[Note: the current version of Ding, version 1.04, replaces the fixed installId and cksum with a "disc=" string that is much more complex and time-varying. This change makes version 1.04 unsuitable for this technique.]

Edit this user-specific string into the following link:

http://ding.southwest.com/cgi-bin/systray?action=getMessages&installId=xx&cksum=yy&os=WinXP&version=1.00

where you replace xx with your specific "installId=" number and you replace yy with your specific "cksum=" number. You can omit the http:// part if you like, but be very careful that you don't make any spelling errors. The slightest error, for example replacing a single uppercase character by a lowercase character, will prevent the link from working properly.

You can paste your customized Ding link into Windows Notepad, save it as a text file, and transport it to work on a memory stick or floppy disk (remember those?). Or you can set up this link at home, add it to your browser favorites (bookmarks), and store it at mybookmarks.com, where you can access it from anywhere.

When you go to this customized Ding address, you will see a line or two of links to active Ding sales. Just select and copy the link text that begins

http://www.southwest.com/cgi-bin/systray?action=getHeadlineDetail

Then Paste this into the Address field of your browser and hit Enter. That's it. Now you can use your Ding whenever and wherever you want.

b. (nsx) The reason you need to get your own installation serial number is that southwest.com limits the activity on each serial number to 50 pulls of each sale. Using this method, your Ding sales can be correctly targeted to your home city if and when Southwest decides to target Ding sales.

c. (nsx) Note that the first multi-digit number in the cryptic results from the Ding server (ding.southwest.com) indicates the number of seconds remaining until the sale starts. If this number is negative, the sale has started and the details are retrievable.

How it works: The Ding software polls the headline retrieval address every half hour. The headline server will post a new sale about 35 minutes before it starts, giving all Ding programs a chance to get the headline. Each Ding program counts down the seconds to zero, then they all display the new headline and make the Ding sound at very close to exactly the same time.

d. (nsx) You can use this technique to gain instant access to multiple home city sales. Using your home PC, install Ding version 1.00 for the first home city. Save the installId and cksum number and make a note of which home city they correspond to.

Now disconnect from the internet and uninstall Ding. (luv2ctheworld has confirmed that this step is necessary.) To disconnect from the Internet, you can unplug the cable or you can right-click the network icon in the system tray and select Disable.

When the uninstall is done, reconnect to the Internet. You can right-click the network icon in the system tray and select Repair if you used the Disable trick.

Now install Ding for the second home city. Again, save the installId and cksum number and make a note of which home city they correspond to. Disconnect from the Internet, uninstall, and reconnect to the Internet.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

When you are done you will have a list of installId and cksum numbers for all the home cities you installed. Use these to construct http shortcuts as described above in 15(a). Add these shortcuts to a Favorites subfolder* in your browser at work, and you will have nearly instant access to sale fares for all the home cities you installed. Any cities you didn't install you can handle by changing the home city and waiting as described in FAQ 14.

*If you're using Firefox, you can right-click your Ding folder under Bookmarks and select "Open in Tabs". You will immediately get Ding sale pages for all the cities you set up. Opening several favorite pages in one operation is one of the niftiest features of Firefox.

e. (nsx) If you want to change your home city and you do not have access to the Ding program, you can plug your installId and cksum values into this URL:

http://www.southwest.com/cgi-bin/systray?action=updateRegistrationForm&installId=xx&cksum=yy

After changing your home city, you will need to wait 10 or 15 minutes for the new headlines to become available.

[nsx]

16. How do I check my bags for a connection on another airline?

a. (nsx) No can do. You have to pick up your bags and hoof it over to the other airline. This means that you had better allow plenty of time for connections to international flights. Furthermore, if your bags are lost or delayed on the way to your international flight, you may not see them until you get home again.

[nsx]

17. If my flight is delayed or cancelled, will Southwest sign my ticket over to another airline (Rule 240)?

a. (nsx) Not unless the camera crew of A&E TV's Airline "reality" show is filming. Southwest would have to pay the other airline real money, so accommodating you on another airline is very expensive for Southwest. This step is not taken without an exceptionally good reason for which Southwest and not the passenger is clearly to blame.

[nsx]

18. Is there an elite phone number? Any other special phone numbers?

a. (nsx) On Southwest, everyone is elite. If you need to phone SWA, call 1-800-248-4377. This is the Rapid Rewards priority phone number. That puts your call in line ahead of everyone who calls 1-800-IFLYSWA. You will get a real human being real fast. Southwest long ago made a corporate decision not to use voice response systems that so many us find annoying.

b. (nsx) There is a voice response system for Rapid Rewards at 1-800-445-5764. But if you need to talk to a human at Rapid Rewards, this number no longer works. You have to phone 214-792-4223. The voice response system is useful if you are on the road without Internet access, or if you want to check the number of credits you have accumulated toward your initial or renewal Companion Pass. This latter feature is not available online. The fax number for RR is 1-214-792-6560.

c. (WN LUVS U) For Customer Relations, call 1-214-792-4223, and press 2 at the prompt. For Refunds, call the same 1-214-792-4223, and press 1 at the prompt.

[nsx]

19. When will the schedule horizon be extended? Why doesn't Southwest allow me to book 11 months ahead like the other majors do?

a. (nsx) This is probably the single most frequently asked question on the Southwest forum. If you ask it there, don't be surprised if your thread is locked or deleted. The moderator is not fond of answering the same question over and over again when everything we know is right here and in the Official schedule extension prediction thread.

b. (nsx) The schedule is usually extended on a Thursday morning, around 10 AM Central Time. One tipoff is when the current sale is "through the end of the schedule" rather than having a specific ending date.

c. (BondGuy/Mr. July) Recent schedule extension history:
Mar 13/03 - open to Sep 8/03
May 14/03 - open to Oct 24/03
June 26/03 - open to Dec 13/03
July 24/03 - open to Jan 16/04
Sep 19/03 - open to Mar 6/04
Oct 16/03 - open to April 2/04
Dec 11/03 - open to May 8/04
Jan 13/04 - open to Jun 11/04
Feb 13/04 - open to Aug 7/04
Mar 25/04 - open to Sep 13/04
May 5/04 - open to Oct 29/04
July 15/04 - open to Dec 11/04
July 29/04 - open to Jan 14/05
Sept 23/04 - open to Mar 3/05
Oct 22/04 - open to April 1/05
Dec 9/04 – open to Jun 6/05
Feb 18/05 – open to Aug 3/05
Mar 17/05 – open to Sept 12/05
May 12/05 - open to Oct 28/05
July 15/05 - open to Dec 12/05
Aug 18/05 - open to Jan 9/06
Sept 26/05 - open to Feb 3/06 horizon shrink likely due to MSY replanning
Oct 27/05 - open to Mar 31/06
Dec 20/05 - open to Jun 9/06
Feb 23/06 - open to Aug 3/06
Apr 19/06 - open to Sep 12/06
May 26/06 - open to Oct 27/06
Jul 13/06 - open to Dec 10/06

d. (cabinpressure, Beckles) Based on the above data, whenever the number of days to the schedule horizon drops down to to the 105-135 range (as low 101 Dec 20/05 and as high as 142 Oct 16/03) the schedule is then extended to be in the 150-175 range (144 Aug 18/05, 179 Dec 9/04).

e.(nsx) Knowing when the schedule will open up is often your best chance to secure the lowest fare for a peak travel time such as Thanksgiving. But Southwest is getting better (from its point of view) at blacking out discount fares on peak flights right from the start.

f. (nsx) By limiting its schedule horizon, Southwest virtually eliminates the need to cancel or reschedule flights before the date of travel. Those changes cost the other airlines a lot of money to handle, and they annoy customers. Once Southwest publishes a schedule, it is nearly cast in stone. Even after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Southwest did not immediately drop flights as the other majors did.

[nsx]

20. My Rapid Rewards account is just short of 16 credits. How can I top it off? What is the deadline for doing so? How quickly can I expect my flight credit to post?

a. (nsx/gregorygrady) Car rentals earn you 0.5 credit each, as do hotel stays. Sometimes a promotion posted on Flyertalk will double or triple this. The rental car promo thread is here, but we don't have a generic hotel bonus thread. For hotels, search this forum for the name of your preferred brand. But even without a promotion, the 0.5 credit is a much better value than the small number of miles you could earn in another airline's program. This is especially true for lower-priced brands like Hampton Inn.

b. (BLI-Flyer) American Express Membership Rewards once let you transfer 1,250 MR points for one Rapid Rewards Credit. Since January 1, 2005, the rate is 1500 MR points per credit.

c. (nsx) Diners Club allows you to redeem N times 1500 of the new (1 point per dollar) points for N Rapid Rewards credits, increased from the old level of 1000 points as of April 1, 2005. You can redeem these for your own account or anyone else's. Ask on Coupon Connection: trading or selling Diners Club credits does not violate Rapid Rewards rules. Diners Club also has run a promotion each fall in which you can redeem 18,000 points for one Rapid Rewards free ticket, 25% off the regular rate. You also get 12 credits (not 16) toward Companion Pass qualification.

d. (nsx) Getting the SW Visa card earns you 4 credits, but not until your first statement date. Southwest.com lists only the $59 Signature Visa, but the $39 Classic Visa is still available at this writing if you call and ask for it, and you still get the 4 credits. The bonus is credited to your effective on or shortly after the closing date on your first statement. In particular, you don't have to wait until the statement after you pay the fee. Note that the extra $20 for the Signature Visa card gives you double points accrual for purchases at southwest.com. If you spend more than about $1300 per year on Southwest tickets, the Signature card is a better deal.

e. (nsx) You can double dip with Visa cards, getting 4 credits for a Classic Visa and 4 more credits for a Signature Visa. This is a good value if you need those credits to top off an account.

f. (nsx) Hilton HHonors allows you to redeem 10,000 of their points for one Rapid Rewards credit. This is a poor value compared to the other Hilton awards, which include a Rapid Rewards ticket and even a Companion Pass, but the option is available if you are desperate. Incidentally, Hilton's Companion Pass award is one of the best deals going. For 350k HHonors points, you get not just the Companion Pass, but 100 Rapid Rewards credits and therefore 6 award tickets.

g. (nsx) All credits expire one year after they are earned, first-in, first-out. If your 16th earning activity occurs prior to expiration of a credit, and if you would have qualified for an award had the activity posted immediately, the system will retroactively restore the expired credit and issue you an award. The activity date, not the posting date, determines whether you have earned the award. For a Diners Club transfer, the activity date is typically the same as the request date.

h. (nsx) In my experience, flight credits will appear in your account 3 to 7 days after your flight. If you phone Rapid Rewards and they decide to manually add a missing credit, your account will show the change immediately. (charlieootj) SWA will recognize any flights that you did not receive credit for up to a year back. Just print it out and fax a copy to customer service.

[nsx]

21. How can I recover an expired award? How about expired drink coupons? Will expiration of credits be increased from 12 months to 24 or 36?

a. (southwest.com) http://southwest.com/rapid_rewards/r...#award_tickets states: "An Award may be extended for a $50 fee. You can simply mail the expired Award and a check or money order for the appropriate amount to:
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
P.O. Box 972739
Dallas, TX 75397-2739
It will take up to 30 days from the date we receive your request for Rapid Rewards Customer Service to process the new Award, which will be valid for 12 months from the date of reissue and will be deposited in your account with the new expiration date. All paper Award Tickets will be reissued as Ticketless Awards [and they will have capacity controls, the same as any other new award]. Please note that extension requests will only be accepted from the Member who originally qualified for the Award. Extension requests from anyone other than the Member who originally qualified for the Award will be denied."

b. (nsx) If your award is expiring soon and you want to save the $50 fee, you may be able to trade it on Coupon Connection for someone else's award that expires later. If the other person is about to burn his just-earned award, why not burn your about-to-expire award instead?

c. (nsx) Drink coupons have expiration dates printed on them, but it's a bluff. They don't actually expire. Furthermore the old coupons are redeemable at the old (higher) value.

d. (nsx) Discontinuation of the online booking bonus at southwest.com made it much more difficult for the occasional traveler to earn 16 credits before the oldest ones expire. Therefore Southwest has extended the expiration time to 24, effective August 10, 2005. Any unexpired credits in your account at that time got an additional 12 months of life.

e. (DallasBill) If you use only the A coupon of an RR and the B coupon expires, you can still reinstate it for the same $50 fee. It's still cheaper to have as a future option then to let it go unused. If you do this after it expires, the only way to get the RR number is to look at your past RR activity to find where you used the A coupon. If you have RR's about to expire, then print off your Awards list online -- they will no longer be listed once they expire. Don't reinstate multiple awards all at once if you think you will use them further out in future than 12 months. Time the reinstatements at whateever monthly intervals going forward you think you need. With this strategy, of course, there is always the (unknown) risk that Southwest ends RR reistatement at a future date with no notice.

[nsx]

22. Can I still get a paper award ticket? I want to sell it to someone I don't know on eBay.

a. (nsx) As of October 1, 2004, you can no longer have an electronic award be converted to a paper award and mailed to you. Moreover, whether an award is paper or electronic, the Rapid Rewards people can easily check the last names of who has been flying on your awards. If you earn 20 awards and they are used by 20 different people flying 20 different routes... well, you do the math. Also, awards sold to ticket brokers are often used to fly immigrants who have entered the US illegally from the southwest to the northeastern US. You probably don’t want your Rapid Rewards account to be associated with such flights.

b. (nsx) Hazards of buying and selling on ebay include: The recipient of the award must make the initial reservation, but anyone knowing the record locator can make a change to it. If the ticket is cancelled by someone who knows the record locator or if the flight is cancelled, the award is returned to the account of the original recipient. eBay can and will cough up personal user information (name/address/phone #) to any company that requests it, even if they have not done a transaction with you.

c. (no1_swa_flyer) Mr. Mileage was served with a cease and desist letter from SWA to stop the sale of Rapid Rewards. They ignored and SWA proceeded to sue them - then they finally stopped. Rumor has it that they were booking well over 100 tickets a day for large sized immigration attorneys. The ticket sales are indeed watched by SWA. 90% of broker sales are used to move illegal workers to different states. Be careful to who you sell your tickets to!

d. (lbbzman) Also, another DFW-area brokerage (I'll spare the name) is out of the business. As far as I know, RR was almost all of their business.

[nsx]

23. Will Southwest institute capacity controls on Rapid Rewards tickets?

a. (southwest.com) Yes. Beginning February 10, 2006, all Awards issued will have no systemwide blackout dates and will be subject to seat restrictions. (Note: These awards are numbered 52605xxxxxxxx.)

• Awards issued before February 10, 2006 (numbered 52604xxxxxxxx) will have no seat restrictions, but are subject to published blackout dates.
  
• Awards issued on or after February 10, 2006 will have seat restrictions, but no systemwide blackout dates. Members need to be flexible when choosing times and dates to their destinations as certain holiday or peak travel periods will be in high demand and that makes booking Award travel difficult.
  
• Last-minute Award usage will still be allowed based on seat availability.
  Awards are still valid for 12 months.
  
• Companion travel will still have no seat restrictions or blackout dates

b. (High on Luv) Standby travel will be permitted on the new Awards if you have a confirmed reservation on a new Award on the the SAME day.

c. (nsx) One way to beat blackout dates and capacity controls is to get your hands on a Green Pass, also known as a "Must Ride" pass. Crew members use these when they absolutely, positively need to get somewhere, for example for the start of an assigned trip. Green passes are typically issued to employees as incentives, and although they are not supposed to be sold a few of them show up on eBay. Caveat emptor.

d. (High on Luv) As of mid-February 2006 you need to login before you can book a rapid Rewards ticket. You will see availability based on the Award types in your accounts. If you only have the new Rapid Rewards Awards, then you only see availablity for that Award type. If you have both types, then you will see two columns on the "select flight" screen so you can determine which Award you want to use based on seat availability.

e. (nsx) In my initial look at capacity controls in mid-February, March spring break flights to Florida were virtually blacked out. While this may be the same story you would get using a legacy saver award this close to the travel date, it was still a disappointing let-down from the usability of the old unrestricted awards.

Availability around Memorial Day (3.5 months in the future) was much better: perhaps 30% of flights on most days, including the old blackout days. This indicated a likely need to book 3 or 4 months ahead with the new awards. And there were no seats at all allocated for June.

It turned out that this was some sort of implementation error, and it was corrected February 23 when the schedule horizon was extended to August 3.

Availability for capacity-controlled awards is now quite reasonable, about what I had originally expected to see and far better than saver award availability on legacy carriers. Friday and Sunday travel for popular destinations like Las Vegas will have tight availability, but you can even book those trips if you plan far enough ahead.

f. (High on Luv) The availability of "new" Award seats on a flight is not at all dependent upon the number of Awards with blackout dates that are already booked. The "new" Award seats are allocated on a per flight basis, which is why you can see availability of all flights when you're booking at southwest.com. There is no correlation between the number of "new" and "old" Award reservations on a flight.

g. (nsx) The change described in (d) above makes it impossible for you to check availability of capacity-controlled seats unless and until you have earned a capacity-controlled Award. That's unfortunate, and I hope Southwest considers giving us a way around this limitation. The good news is that you can check availability for up to 8 seats even if you only have one award (or even half an award) in your account.

[nsx]

24. How does the ATA partnership work for reservations and flights?

a. (southwest.com) From http://southwest.com/travel_center/ata_codeshare.html :
Southwest and ATA will exchange Customers and their checked baggage at Chicago Midway Airport, with a single ticketing option through either airline. For example, a Customer who wishes to travel from Baltimore to Denver will now have the flexibility of booking the connecting service through either carrier. The flight from Baltimore to Chicago will be on Southwest Airlines, and then the Customer will connect to ATA service at Chicago (and baggage will be transferred there as well by the airlines' Employees) for the continuation to Denver International Airport.

Customers traveling on codeshare flights will have the option of online checkin, using the web site of the carrier on which the travel was booked. For example, if a Customer books travel on southwest.com, he or she may go to southwest.com on the day of travel and use the online checkin option for the Southwest portion of the trip by issuing a boarding pass for his/her Southwest flight. Customers will have the ability to choose an ATA seat the day of travel, through a link to ata.com.

[nsx]

25. Will Rapid Rewards tickets ever be redeemable on ATA flights to Hawaii and elsewhere?

a. (southwest.com) Yes! Redemption will begin by Autumn 2006. From http://southwest.com/ata :

Receive Rapid Rewards Credit for Travel on ATA Airlines!
Southwest and ATA are taking their codeshare agreement to new heights! Beginning March 1, 2006, you'll have more options when it comes to earning Rapid Rewards credits for travel on ATA. And coming in the Third Quarter, you'll be able to redeem your Rapid Rewards Awards for travel to select ATA destinations!

We're incredibly excited to bring these enhancements to the Rapid Rewards program and to welcome ATA Travel Awards members to our family. Please visit southwest.com/ata for all the details! Here is a summary of the new partnership.

For reservations beginning March 1, 2006 with travel dates of March 4, 2006 and beyond:

In addition to the connecting codeshare service you can purchase from Southwest today, you'll be able to purchase ATA-only service to select destinations from Southwest and earn Rapid Rewards credit for those flights.
If you choose to purchase travel through ATA, you will have the option of earning ATA Travel Awards points or Rapid Rewards credit.
If you're flying within the continental United States, you will receive one (1) credit for each one-way.
If you're flying to Hawaii on ATA, you'll receive two (2) credits for each one-way.
If you're flying to international destinations like Mexico or the Caribbean (sold by ATA only), you'll receive two (2) credits for each one-way.
ATA travel must be purchased through Southwest Airlines or ATA Reservations or online at southwest.com or ata.com to receive credit.
Coming Third Quarter 2006, Your Awards Go Even Farther!

Redeem your Rapid Rewards Awards to select ATA destinations, including Hawaii!

Please note: Hawaii is a popular destination for ATA. Seats for Customers traveling on an Award will be very limited and demand from Rapid Rewards Members will likely exceed the available supply. Members who plan ahead and are flexible with their travel dates will have the best chance to secure reservations.

With this addition to the program, we will be introducing a new redemption level. You can fly anywhere in the continental U.S. for one (1) Award and for two (2) Awards, you can fly to Hawaii.
We are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with ATA, especially since it means expanded destination choices and opportunities to earn credits for you. Stay tuned as more details will be available as the launch date nears. In the meantime, visit southwest.com/ata for more information.

There are more details on the partnership at http://southwest.com/travel_center/ata_codeshare.html.

b. (High on Luv) You will not be able to use your Companion Pass on ATA, regardless of whether you are traveling on a paid ticket or an award. The CP is a special benefit that you get on SWA, but that "elite level" does not carry over to ATA.

c. (High on Luv) ATA's Travel Awards and Southwest's Rapid Rewards are maintaining two very separate identities. Remember, ATA and SWA are still competitors. I have no idea what will happen in the future, but there are no immediate plans for this to happen.

d. (High on Luv) For redemption to Hawaii, old and new Awards are treated the same. You always have the ability to choose which Award you want to use for payment, but availability will not be affected regardless of which type of Award you're using.

[nsx]

26. What food will be served on my flight?

a. (WN LUVS U) Short flights get peanuts. These are currently dry roasted, but Southwest switches to honey roasted and back every 6 months to 1 year. Flights over 2 hours in the air (roughly 2.5 hours scheduled time) get an additional bag of crackers or similar snack. Flights over 3 hours get a snack pack containing three salty/sugary items. If your flight is a series of short hops, you may be downright hungry by the time you arrive if you don't pack your own snack.

b. (nsx) A list of available beverages is posted at http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/inflight.html Unfortunately, Diet Dr. Pepper was dropped a couple years ago.

[nsx]

27. What's all this I hear about Customers of Size having to purchase a second seat?

a. (southwest.com) The official policy is listed at http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/cos_qa.html

b. (nsx) Like other idiosyncratic Southwest policies, this one is annoying if you fight it and remarkably friendly if you instead learn how to work the system. Specifically, if you go ahead and purchase the extra seat you will get refunds most of the time and you will be seated comfortably all the time. You qualify for a refund if the flight is not oversold, and very few flights are oversold. Apparently, filling the flight with standbys does NOT count as an oversell, so you still get a refund then.

c. (MarshB) In the past two years I've flown no less than 100 segments and I have received a refund 100% of the time. Call 214-792-4223, press 2. The agent will look up the flights on the spot and get the credit process started.

[nsx]

28. What is the "pillow trick"?

a. (nsx) OK, this is not even an infrequently asked question, and it has nothing to do with the Mile High Club, but it's still useful information. If the bins are full or nearly full, you can sometimes fit your roller bag in endwise if you insert it wheels up. Then you stuff one or two pillows under the bag to lift the bag an inch or two above the sill. The door will now close without obstruction. When the bins are totally full, look for a similar bag to turn endwise to make room for yours. On the newest aircraft (-700's and higher) the bins are a tad deeper and will accommodate roller bags endwise without needing the pillow.

[nsx]

29. What airport navigation tricks apply to Southwest?

a. (nsx) Check your bags inside, not at the curb. The inside lines are served by many employees, and they move much faster than the shorter outside lines. I don't know why passengers haven't figured this out.

b. (nsx) At OAK, if you are running late, go to the security checkpoint in Terminal 1. They have a priority line on the right side that will accept you if your flight departs in less than 30 minutes. This will get you to your gate within 15 minutes. To get to Terminal 2 gates, turn left behind the frozen yogurt stand 60 feet beyond the checkpoint. Incidentally, the Terminal 2 security lines move quickly. In my experience the Terminal 2 lines are less than 30 minutes long even when they extend all the way across baggage claim.

c. (nsx) At LAX, there is a no-baggage check-in line at the left if you can't use Internet check-in or the kiosks. Also, if the security checkpoint line gets long (15 minutes = halfway to Terminal 2 on the sidewalk), an express lane is typically opened on the left side of the main line. If your flight leaves in 30 minutes or less, you are probably eligible to use this line.

d. (various) The Las Vegas shortcut (mini-checkpoint for security) has been closed.

e. (rove312) New restrooms are now open in WN's main gate areas at MCI, both gates 31-35 and gates 37-41.

f. (Mr. July) Do not get off the plane at MCI to use the bathroom (currently applies to gates 37-41 only). You will have to clear security to get back on.

g. (yetter) I practically live at DAL and use the "secret" TSA line everyday. The main line moves pretty quickly, but when you need to rush, head towards the baggage claim and take the escalators up. There is a second security checkpoint upstairs that almost never has a line. Lets me park 20 minutes before the flight and still get a seat.

h. (cxn) In Seattle, you can use the 'Elite' Security line using your Rapid Rewards Cards at some of the security lines.

i. (rove312) If transferring at MCI, by default when you deplane you go straight ahead a few steps, past a glass wall, and you've left the secure area; you would need to go through security again to get your connecting flight. If your connecting flight goes from the same holding area, you can avoid this, but it isn't easy to tell this while you're in the holding area; there are no monitors with gate information in the area. Before you leave on your trip, you're advised to find the gate numbers for your arriving and departing flights at www.southwest.com or www.flykci.com . WN's secure areas cover gates 31-35 and 37-41. If both gates are in the same area, don't go past the glass wall; you can simply turn towards your connecting gate (as you deplane, gate numbers to the right are higher). If, for example, you arrive at gate 34 and leave from 37, you'll need to exit the holding area and go through security for your departing gate. Between 33 and 34, security takes most of the space, but there is a passageway along the airside window connecting the gates.

j. (tjl) At PDX, the express lane for security shows a bunch of airline frequent flyer cards that will let you in. One of the pictured cards is a Southwest Rapid Rewards card. (The sign does not say whether the frequent flyer card has to match the boarding pass.)