Auto-Southwest Check-In

A Python script that automatically checks you in to your Southwest flight. Additionally, the script can notify you if the price of your flight drops before departure (see Check Fares).

This script can also log in to your Southwest account and automatically schedule check-ins as flights are scheduled.

Note: If you are checking into an international flight, make sure to fill out all the passport information beforehand.

Table of Contents

• Installation
  • Prerequisites
  • Upgrading
• Using the Script
  • Running in Docker
• Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing
• FAQ

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• Pip
• Any Chromium-based browser

First, download the script onto your computer

git clone https://github.com/jdholtz/auto-southwest-check-in.git
cd auto-southwest-check-in

Then, install the needed packages for the script

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

You may want to install the requirements in a Python virtual environment to ensure they don't conflict with other Python projects on your system.

Upgrading

When updating the script, it is important to follow the Changelog for any actions that need to be performed.

To get the script's current version, run the following command:

python3 southwest.py --version

To update the script, simply run:

git pull

Using the Script

To schedule a check-in, run the following command:

python3 southwest.py CONFIRMATION_NUMBER FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME

Alternatively, you can log in to your account, which will automatically check you in to all of your flights

python3 southwest.py USERNAME PASSWORD

Note: If any arguments contain special characters, make sure to escape them or use environment variables so they are passed into the script correctly.

For the full usage of the script, run:

python3 southwest.py --help

If you want the latest features of the script, you can use the develop branch (documented changes can be viewed in the Changelog). However, keep in mind that changes to this branch do not ensure reliability.

Running in Docker

The application can also be run in a container using Docker. The Docker repository for this project can be found here. To pull the latest image, run:

docker pull jdholtz/auto-southwest-check-in

To download a specific version, append :vX.X to the end of the image name. You can also append the :develop tag instead to use the latest development version.

To run the image, you can use a command such as:

docker run -d jdholtz/auto-southwest-check-in CONFIRMATION_NUMBER FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME

or

docker run -d jdholtz/auto-southwest-check-in USERNAME PASSWORD

Additional arguments for the script can be passed in after the image name.

You can optionally attach a configuration file to the container by adding the --volume /full-path/to/config.json:/app/config.json flag before the image name.

Note: The recommended restart policy for the container is on-failure or no

Docker Compose Example Using Config

services:
  auto-southwest:
    image: jdholtz/auto-southwest-check-in
    container_name: auto-southwest
    restart: on-failure
    volumes:
      - /full-path/to/config.json:/app/config.json

Docker Compose Example Using Environment Variables

services:
  auto-southwest:
    image: jdholtz/auto-southwest-check-in
    container_name: auto-southwest
    restart: on-failure
    environment:
      - AUTO_SOUTHWEST_CHECK_IN_USERNAME=MyUsername
      - AUTO_SOUTHWEST_CHECK_IN_PASSWORD=TopsyKretts

Additional information on the Docker container can be found in the public repository.

Configuration

To use the default configuration file, copy config.example.json to config.json.

For information on how to set up the configuration, see Configuration.md

Troubleshooting

To troubleshoot a problem, run the script with the --verbose flag. This will display debug messages so you can get a better overview of the problem. You can also run the script with the --debug-screenshots flag which will take screenshots of the browser (stored in the logs/ directory) so you can see it at different stages in the script.

If you run into any issues, please file it via GitHub Issues. Please attach any relevant logs (found in logs/auto-southwest-check-in.log) to the issue. The logs should not have any personal information but check to make sure before attaching it.

For any common questions or issues, visit the FAQ. If you have any additional questions or discussion topics, you can start a GitHub Discussion.

Contributing

Contributions are always welcome. Please read Contributing.md if you are considering making contributions.

FAQ

Below, a list of answers to frequently asked questions about Auto-Southwest Check-In can be found. If you believe any more questions should be added to this list, please submit a Discussion or Pull Request so the addition can be made.

Do I Need to Set up a Different Instance of the Script for Each Passenger on My Reservation?

This script will check the entire party in under the same reservation, so there is no need to create more than one instance of the script per reservation.

However, this is not the case if you have a companion attached to your reservation. See the next question for information on checking in a companion.

Will This Script Also Check in the Companion Attached to My Reservation?

Unfortunately, this is not possible due to how Southwest's companion system works. To ensure your companion is also checked in, you can add their reservation or account separately in the configuration file.

Will This Script Check Me in Even if I Put My Computer to Sleep?

No, the script will stop while your computer is asleep and only continue once it wakes. You will need to rerun the script if your computer goes to sleep while it is running because the timing will be off, causing your reservations to not be checked in at the correct time.

While Attempting to Run This Script, I Get a [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] Error. How Can I Fix It?

If you are on MacOS, this error most likely occurred because your Python installation does not have any root certificates. To install these certificates, follow the directions found at this Stack Overflow question.

Credit to @greennayr for the answer to this question.

The Script Is Stuck on 'Starting webdriver for current session' or 'Loading Southwest Check-In page'. How Can I Fix It?

Depending on your network speed or your compute power, it may take 3 to 5 minutes to start the browser and load the Southwest website. If you are still running into this issue after waiting for 8+ minutes, please file an issue (see below if you are running Docker).

If you are running the script with Docker, the current workaround is to run the Docker container with the --privileged flag (see the comment on #96. However, this is not a great solution. If anyone figures out a better solution, please let me know.