Fly Through The Security Checkpoint

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Fly Through The Security Checkpoint

Wed, 10/01/2008 - 10:05 — Tony Roach

Have you ever been waiting in the security line at the airport just wishing there was a way for you to “fly” through the checkpoint? Well, soon your wish can be made possible if you are traveling through participating Southwest Airlines airports!

Later this month, Southwest Airlines will implement a priority security lane program, fittingly branded “Fly By Security Lanes." Fly By lanes will initially be available in the following airports:
• Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL),
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO),
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),
• Denver International Airport (DEN),
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX),
• Orange County John Wayne Airport (SNA),
• Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI).
Look for more rollouts in the following months, as we plan to implement Fly By Security Lanes in additional locations.

So how can you access the Fly By Security Lane? It’s as easy as purchasing a Business Select Fare, which already grants you priority boarding, bonus Rapid Rewards credit, and a drink coupon. You can also access the Fly By Security Lanes when you become a Rapid Rewards A-List Member by flying at least 16 roundtrips over the course of 12 months. (A-List Members also earn priority boarding privileges and automatic check-in!)

When you enter the Fly By Security Lane, you will need to present one of two credentials:

1. If you are a Rapid Rewards A-list Member, you will show your A-List identification card (which should be in your home by the end of this week).

2. If you purchase a Business Select Fare, you simply need to present your boarding pass.

In some cases, the Fly By lane will not have dedicated screening equipment, but the lane will still let you reach the screening process more quickly. Keep in mind that family members or others traveling with A-List or Business Select Customers are not allowed to "piggyback" with a Fly By-eligible Customer.
So as you are traveling this fall, be on the lookout for Fly By Security Lanes - coming to an airport near you!

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Comments

This is great news Southwest. I appreciate your airline providing additional value to its core customers. Looking forward to skipping the long lines at PHX.

Thanks again!

Michael Barber — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 10:36

When do you expect Midway airport to have a Fly By?
Keep up the great work.
Michael

Michael — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 10:44

Thank You Southwest. Just another reason I LUV to fly with you guys. You continue to remove the hassles that come with being a very frequent air commuter. It was frustrating watching others in First Class with other airlines pass me by in airports that did not have the CLEAR or RtGO system. Not any longer.

Keep up the good work!

Dan Dietrich — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 11:49

Not all customers will appreciate this I guess next Southwest will start charging baggage fees and soda fees next.

DJ in Texas — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 11:58

The "Fly By Security Lanes" are great for frequent solo flyers. This is NOT
for family travel because the spouse and children of Business Select or
A-1's can't go with them UNLESS the entire family pays the Business Select
fare.

Scott near SMF — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 14:21

It's a shame I won't be an A List member next year. Hmm, how much is that Business Select upgrade?

Boomer in Baltimore — Wed, 10/01/2008 - 17:53

Could this include Companion Pass holders, there is not a real benefit for me as an A- List member, if my wife is still waiting other in the other line. Surprised PDX is not on your list, RR members already get to use express lines there. Any plans for a BWI- PDX nonstop?
dave

BWI Dave — Thu, 10/02/2008 - 09:51

Great idea, but may need some fine tuning. Needs to include Companion Pass holders and the companion. Could also include persons traveling with someone who qualifies. Splitting up people who travel together diminishes the value of the benefit, and will result in unnecessary annoyances. If the purpose of the policy is to reward your best customers, please fine tune the policy to eliminate alienating some of those same customers.

Hindu Stan — Fri, 10/03/2008 - 06:40

Along the lines of breezing through the security checkpoint...
Although this service is not offered yet here in Las Vegas, McCarran
International has just opened up a new C-Gates security checkpoint
annex, featuring a whopping 12 security lanes!
Southwest is not only our top airline, but the primary operator out
of the C-Gates. If any of you have traveled through here before, you
know that our checkpoint lines can get pretty crazy during peak times!
Now that the amount of lanes has more than doubled, getting through
security here is much faster and easier.
The annex is located adjacent to the Southwest ticket counter.

VegasLUV

VegasLUV — Fri, 10/03/2008 - 16:59

Great benefit but only for solo flyers. Companion pass flyers and those traveling along with A-List members should be allowed to access the Fly-by lane.

A-list member not flying solo — Fri, 10/03/2008 - 17:30

Great idea! Wish companion pass holders could be included.

OCFlyer — Sat, 10/04/2008 - 12:18

Although I understand and appreciate the concept of companion pass guests being allowed access to this new benefit I can understand why SWA doesn't allow for these additions to the program. I am an A-List flyer and my husband is designated for my Companion Pass. Just as my A-list privileges don't include my companion this new fly-by lane will also be limited for my use only. Honestly, so what if my husband receives a "C" seating designation. I'm already on the plane and holding a seat for him. Similar "work around" can be found for the fly-by lane. He may take longer to wait in the longer line but I can take his carryon through the fly-by with me. I would rather wait a few extra minutes for him on the other side of security (checking gates, ordering coffee) then to have this new fly-by lane filled with non frequent travelers. Face it; we can spot a frequent traveler in the TSA lane. We know what to do and we move through at a different speed than non frequent travelers (guests included).

Linette — Wed, 10/15/2008 - 14:18

Great concept. Please rollout Burbank and San Jose ASAP! thanks.

bill — Mon, 10/27/2008 - 23:31

What do you do if you've lost your A-List identification card?

Anonymous — Mon, 12/01/2008 - 15:24

Fly by interest me. AList, Rewards Members, and Frequent Business Select Flyer, should be made available to these ticket paid fare holders...and should not be held to stand in line with families traveling to visit grandma, or ski trip, or with the disney land vacation goers...
There should be a seperate "Staff" Check Point Security - instead of having them cut infront making paying customers late or wait longer because the flight attendants and captains etc giggle their way through to the front of the lines for service.

Anonymous — Mon, 01/12/2009 - 11:31

I lost my wallet in Chesapeake Bay while I was on the jet ski and I need to have my A-List identification card replaced.
I was hoping there would be a link in your web site available so i could print a temporary card and can't find it anywhere. I have a lot of reservations booked through mid Dec of this year and need a new card....ASAP!
How do i go about printing out a temp card while waiting for the new card to arrive?
Thank you, Tom

Tom — Tue, 09/01/2009 - 17:13

Midway airport has a fly by lane but this is no different than any of the other lines. When will midway one of the busiest southwest airports get up to speed?

Peter fisher — Tue, 10/20/2009 - 06:58

I'm a regular customer of SWA.

A question on this privelege via Business Select to get in front of the line at the TSA (so government run) security check-in:

Who pays the TSA for this extra privilege? Does SWA pay the TSA, or does this come from the taxpayers money?

I'm not happy of this either way, since it is inappropriate for government to give privileges to one citizen over another. Our Constitution and laws are based on 'equal treatment under equal circumstances'. Otherwise this would be a form of bribing government to get privileged treatment with it.

Please clarify the government-SWA relationship in this. It seems in your interest to do so, considering the above and how this would come over with other travelers.

In Europe this would often not be an issue, since either the government offers a priority service direct to all, without an airline in between, or the security is run by private companies and again one can pay them for the extra privelege or decide not to. Or the government in a country there simply violates the rights of individuals by giving priority to those paying bribes, since their laws are not respectful of individual rights like ours. So there it differs either way from here in the USA.

Paperdetective — Fri, 02/12/2010 - 15:40

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