This is a question I see asked somewhat frequently, can you buy an airline ticket at the airport counter? The answer is yes, you can buy a walk up ticket at the airport counter.
Should you buy a walk up ticket? No, there’s not really a reason to do so.
So here’s how and why I bought a Southwest flight at the airport ticket counter.
I was scheduled to fly Contour Airlines from BNA to GSP. This is the exact reverse leg of my previous Contour Airlines Review. There was a major snow storm hitting the South East US and both Nashville and Greenville are caught up in it. Knowing this, I also booked a backup ticket on Delta but routing to GSP via DTW. I figured if GSP was operating but ATL was a mess, I’d have a better chance of getting back home.
At the end of the day, everything was cancelled. My Contour flight directly to GSP was cancelled, my Delta DTW-GSP leg was cancelled, and the backup routing that Delta provided via ATL was also cancelled. So instead of staying over at Nashville on the holiday weekend, I decided to buy a flight to Austin Texas to visit friends. Flights were still departing BNA, a little delayed in many cases, but they are getting out.
In the parking garage I tried to book a Southwest direct flight to Austin, the app wasn’t allowing me to make the purchase. Instead of calling, I decided to just walk in a buy the ticket at the counter. This isn’t the first time I’ve purchased a walk up ticket at the airport, just the first time in a while.
In This Trip
1: Contour Airlines Review: GSP-BNA ERJ135 Economy Flight Report
2: Hotel Review: Hampton Inn Cookeville TN
3 :Buying an Airline Ticket at The Airport Counter: Southwest Airlines Flight Review
3.1: Buying a Walk Up Airline Ticket at The Airport Counter
3.2: Is Buying a Ticket at The Airport Cheaper
3.3: Nashville Airport Departure
3.4: Nashville Airport South Terminal
3.5: Southwest Airlines Boarding
3.6: Southwest Airlines Exit Row Seat Review
3.7: Southwest Airlines Take Off
3.8: Southwest Airlines Flight Review
3.9: Southwest Airlines Inflight Service Review
3.10: Southwest Airlines Free TV
3.11: Southwest Airlines Arrival into Austin TX
3.12: Austin Arrival
3.13: Southwest Airlines Final Thoughts
4: Austin Airport(AUS) Delta SkyClub Review
Buying a Walk Up Airline Ticket at The Airport Counter
Can you still buy an airline ticket at the airport? Yes, you can buy a walk up ticket and I did.
I tried to just use my phone’s Southwest App, but it didn’t work. Not sure if it was because the flight I wanted was in less than 90 minutes or some other reason, but I ended up walking to the Southwest counter and asking to buy a ticket to Austin.
At first the Ticket Agent was a little surprised, she even said, “hang on a second I have to remember how to sell a ticket, it’s been a while.”
No worries, she got the reservation made, ticket booked, my known traveler Global Entry number added, checked me in, and then printed my boarding pass. Perfect transaction.
Is Buying a Ticket at The Airport Cheaper
Is Buying a Ticket at The Airport Cheaper? Nope. For Southwest, it’s the exact same price as online.
Some airlines you can maybe avoid certain fees, but on other airlines you could end up paying more due to not checking in online and having a boarding pass. In the end, buy your ticket online ahead of time, there are very few reasons to book at the ticket counter.
Nashville Airport Departure
After getting my ticket and boarding pass I walked to the TSA PreCheck line. Unfortunately when I gave my ID they didn’t have my reservation in the system yet. I tried scanning my boarding pass but same thing, they wouldn’t let me through. I wasn’t just excluded from PreCheck, I could not pass security. They asked if I had just purchased the ticket and then asked me to stand to the side for a few minutes so that the system can catch up.
After a few minutes of standing to the side, I walked up again and scanned my ID. The agent did ask me what flight I was on, probably because I had 3 different bookings leaving from the same airport. I told them what flight I was on and was allowed to pass.
Nashville Airport South Terminal
Southwest Airlines uses the South Terminal at Nashville airport. That means the C and D concourse here at BNA. The two terminals are not connected airside so don’t try to go through security at the wrong area. It’s well marked and easy to find.
After security I headed to the C gate area to catch my flight to Austin.
My gate today is all the way at the end of the C Concourse. But Nashville isn’t a huge unnavigable airport that takes forever to walk from end to end. It’s mostly compact and easy to handle.
Our Southwest 737 arrived at the gate few minutes after I did. This is a Boeing 737-700, the most common plane in the Southwest fleet. Val has reviewed the Southwest 737-700, and we both rode on an Southwest 737-800 in Hawaii.
Southwest Airlines Boarding
As always, the Southwest boarding process is a little bit different than most. We lined up according to our boarding position. A-C, 0-60. A0-30 are first, followed by A31-60, then the B boarding positions, followed by C. Tonight I’m in the C boarding positions.
Southwest boarding positions are assigned by check-in time, because I didn’t even have a ticket until an hour ago, I was the last person to check-in and had the final boarding position on the flight.
Southwest has free seating onboard. If you see a seat you want to sit in, you sit there. Because I’m boarding dead last, I’m hopeful that I don’t have to sit in a middle seat.
Cold and wet day here in Nashville. It’s been snowing in the South East US and that causes some serious havoc with travel. At least Nashville can handle a little snow and we haven’t had too much here.
Southwest Airlines Exit Row Seat Review
Ok, so I’m usually a window seat person, but boarding lass, beggars can’t be choosers. I’ll gladly take this aisle exit row seat over a middle seat. Even better, there’s no one sitting next to me in the middle.
The leg room is great in the exit row on the right side of the plane. Not that I’m a tall person.
No IFE on Southwest. There is a streaming option available that works from gate to gate so that’s pretty cool.
A couple was sitting on the other side of the aisle when I sat down. After boarding was complete and the flight attendant was doing the exit row interview, she noticed the couple had a dog in a pet carrier. Pets are not allowed in exit rows so they had to move. I asked if I could slide across the aisle and the flight attendant said sure, but wait until we are in the air.
We needed to de-ice today due to the snow but according to the pilot, we should land in Austin right on time.
Southwest Airlines Take Off
As we took-off we could really see the amount of snow that had fallen over the last day. I’m ready to slide over and get some window shots, but I’ll wait until the seatbelt sign goes off.
As our Southwest 737 climbed we got a wonderful sunset view.
Because Southwest doesn’t have power on the plane, I broke out my portable charger to top my phone off. Nothing worse than ending the day with no power and no ability to let a friend know you’ve landed.
Southwest Airlines Flight Review
Once in the air, I decided to slide across the aisle and get some window views.
It was a beautiful day to fly, lovely sunset that we are flying west into. This flight to Austin just about 2 hours in flight.
Southwest Airlines Inflight Service Review
For being a low cost airline, Southwest certainly doesn’t act like a low cost airline. Free checked bags, free drinks, free snacks are all great.
The flight attendants passed through the cabin and passed out our drink selection. Nothing for me tonight, I’m waiting until we land in Austin so I can eat dinner with my friends.
I bounced back over across the Aisle for some more sunset pictures before settling back into my original seat.
Southwest Airlines Free TV
I will admit, I like the free TV offering on Southwest. It’s a stream to your own device option, so while I would like an in-seat screen more, this is adequate. I was able to watch the second half of the Dallas and San Francisco game. I just wish that Southwest would add power to its 737s.
Southwest Airlines Arrival into Austin TX
As we descended into Austin the flight attendants did a final walk though for garbage and their safety checks.
The cabin was pretty quiet tonight. I saw a few people watching the game on their phones. It was pretty funny to see, we’re going to Texas and the game is getting close, a few gasp or sighs happened in unison.
Even after we landed, because the game was close, people were glued to their devices.
Austin Arrival
Out into the real word we go. It’s Sunday night here and pretty quiet in the Austin airport.
Southwest Airlines Final Thoughts
Southwest airlines is functional. There’s nothing fancy about it, but the seats are comfortable, the service is good, and the prices are fair. From Nashville they have an excellent route map and non-stop flight are always preferable to connections.
Buying a walk up ticket at the airport counter is always fun. I haven’t done that for a few years, but there’s really not a good reason to buy a ticket at the airport. It’s not any cheaper and it’s kinda time consuming.
This sunset flight had some great views on the the way to Austin. I’m still just not sure about the pick any seat option, sure it works, but really, sometimes I forget to check in early so I end up with a crappy boarding position. On this trip, I didn’t even know I was going until 90 minutes before the flight. I’m just glad it wasn’t a full flight and I didn’t get stuck in a middle seat.
The bottom line is that if Southwest Airlines offers a direct flight, I’ll gladly take it.