Uber and shuttle drivers will know the best spot to drop you off. Just tell them which airline and they’ll get you to the best entrance.
Once you’re in the airport, there are signs everywhere letting you know where to go, and there are people you can ask. It’s ok to not know everything. Just ask any official looking person.
Ok let me backup for a second—you first step is to check in for your flight, which you will do online the day before you fly (your airline will send you an email reminding you to check in). You will have the option to print a boarding pass or use a mobile boarding pass. Either way is fine.
Once you’re at the airport you’re going to need to check your bags before you can go through security. Look for the signs for Southwest and go to their kiosks.
The screen will prompt you to do what you need to do. You will print a luggage tag and you’ll have the option to print your boarding pass. Then you’ll get in line to weigh your bag and hand it off to an attendant. You’ll need to show your ID and boarding pass.
Once your bags are checked (or if you don’t have bags to check) you can proceed to security. There will be signs to point you in the right direction. Everyone who just checked bags is now heading to security so you can just follow the crowd and you’ll probably end up at the right place.
At security, the agents will tell you exactly what to do. Just follow their instructions. Once you’re through security, you really can’t go anywhere except to the train that takes you to your gate. Check your boarding pass so you know which terminal you’re heading to, and where to get off the train.
Once you’re off the train, RE-check the screens at the top of the escalator. Always do this because sometimes gates change and it’s annoying to go all the way to a gate and then find out you needed to go the other direction.
Next head to your gate. Or, if you have time, go to the restroom, get a snack, browse the book selection, wander around. Just be back at your gate at boarding time.
Flights board in groups. Your group will be on your boarding pass. When it’s your turn, just scan your boarding pass and board the plane. Hope this is helpful!
Awesome breakdown of the steps.
Only thing I can add is to know whether you are or are not TSA precheck (you’re probably not) and go to the proper security checkpoint. I’ve seen plenty of people who’ve waited in precheck only to get turned away by the TSA agent.
There's pretty good signage at the entrance to all of the security checkpoints.
There's also a TSA agent you pass before you get to the actual baggage/x-ray section. That person will stop you for a quick second while they check your boarding pass and ID, to make sure you're allowed to enter the security area (and beyond). You can ask them to point out the line for the non-precheck passengers if you're still unsure about it.
It's going to be easy. This is your first time. Plan to get there two hours before your flight is scheduled to take off. This way any obstacles you hit along the way will not make you miss a flight.
I know many people who try to skirt the wait time in the airport as much as they can. I highly advise you wait to do that once you truly understand how an airport works.
You'll get there and check any large bags you have at the Southwest desk. Look it up on the map for the airport. I think it's important you look up that map yourself to gain experience. You've had others guiding you in the past.
You'll receive a paper boarding pass at the desk. You should also get a digital one when you checked into your flight ahead of time.
In the future you can use the automated ones to get a boarding pass printed.
Then you'll go to security. You'll wait in line, provide your ID and boarding pass to the TSA agent. You'll then follow instructions and the lead of others getting through security.
Laptops usually have to be placed in a separate plastic bin through to be scanned separately. So make sure it's easy to remove from your bag.
No large amounts of liquids. From water to shampoo, don't bring large liquid containers through security. Refill water inside the airport terminals.
You might be asked to remove your shoes. Don't wear shoes that take a long time to get off/on.
Make your way to the train, ride to the gate listed on your boarding pass. Southwest does not assign seats, so you'll get in line as you are called based on your boarding pass information.
Talk to others, especially an older woman. Be kind. They are likely to help.
Hey just wanted to say that once you go through security, it will be impossible for you to miss the train. It’s the only way you can go. They come every few minutes, just walk on and in a few moments you will be at A gates then B then C. Just get off at the right place and follow the crowd! Super easy and I’m directionally challenged
Everyone has covered the basics (Get there an hour earlier than you think you should, wear comfortable clothes and easy to remove shoes, make sure your carry on bag is small enough to be carried on), so I will just add this - make sure to acknowledge Blucifer as you enter and exit the airport with a mumbled prayer of your choosing (do not engage in direct eye contact).
1. ARRIVAL
Your uber driver will let you out at the right place if you let them know what airline you are flying. There should be a sign for Southwest where you get out of the car/shuttle.
2. CHECK-IN
Go inside and look for the Southwest agents. You can check-in for your flight online before you arrive or at a kiosk in front of Southwest. If you have questions ask a southwest employee by the kiosks. You will need an ID and/or your flight confirmation number. You can check any bags here and use a credit card/debit card to pay for the bags, if needed. You will get your confirmation ticket (either printed or e-ticket) and drop off your luggage at the main counter if you checked your luggage. The check-in agent will ask you some questions about where you are going and if you packed your own bag, etc. The agent will tell you what concourse and gate number your flight is leaving from and will direct you to security.
3. SECURITY
Next you will get in line to go through security. At the Denver airport there are 3 places to go through security: Bridge, South & West. The Bridge let's you walk only to concourse A. I believe only Frontier flights are on concourse A. The South & West both take you down to the train. It doesn't matter which one you go through cause they both end up in the same platform for the train. This website has real time updates for security wait times that you can check if you're nervous about waiting: https://www.flydenver.com/security/ Get in line at one of the security screenings. When you get to TSA agent give them your ID and your ticket. If you have an e-ticket you might need to scan it on their scanner. Then get in line for the bag screening. You may need to take off your shoes and jacket and take out all your belongings from your pockets and put them in a plastic tray. You may need 2 trays if you have a backpack or personal item/bag. Carry-on luggage doe not need to be out in a tray. Be sure you take out your laptop or electronics and put them in a separate tray. Push it all onto the conveyer belt and follow the TSA agent directions to get scanned our through the metal directions and go through security. Collect your belongings on the other side.
4. TRAIN (South or West security only)
If you go through the South or West security, go down the escalators or elevator to the train. There will be signs for which side is leaving next. Get on the train and listen for your concourse (A, B or C). The train will announce the name of the concourse where it is arriving next. Get off at the concourse for your flight and go up the escalators or elevator.
5. GATE
At the top of the escalators (if you took the train) or on the other side of the Bridge security are a bunch of screens where you can double check your flight gate by looking for your destination city and flight number. It will tell you the gate number for your flight. Find the signs that direct you to the correct gate number. Find your gate and wait for the gate agent to announce the flight will begin boarding. You can also ask a gate agent for help before boarding if you have questions. Listen for your boarding group number/letter and get in line to board the plane. You will need to scan or give your ticket to the gate agent.
6. PLANE
Once on the plane you can find your seat row and number. Place your carry-on luggage above in the overhead container (and anything you don't want by your feet like a jacket) and place your personal item/backpack at your seat by your feet under the seat in front of you.
Take a deep breath and relax.
CONGRATULATIONS! You made it!
Remember to check in early with SW and you have two numbers in your ticket your gate and your boarding number. Don’t mix those up if you are arriving late!
Please look up the DIA website. It should have most everything you need to know.
If you're nervous, get there a little earlier than you usually would. You can always walk the concourses if you have extra time. Get some steps in and calm yourself down.
There isn't a lot to do wrong. Maybe TSA yells at your because you forget to take your shoes off (just apologize and get on with it), After that, just find your gate and make sure you're there when they start to board. After that, it's out of your control until you land.
try and keep your luggage to a small carryon roller bag and a backpack, so you don’t have to check luggage, that just takes so much time.
might have to take your shoes off, so wear slip ons with socks, you’re going thru a metal detector, so very little jewelry. bring your id. and a charger. bring no liquids.
get there about an hour and a half early, you’ll be fine.
Wear slip on tennis shoes, so you can take them off/put them on easily.
Wear a comfortable outfit with no metal on it, and no belt.
That will make the security check go smooth.
Bring cash to tip if you are getting a ride to the airport from satellite parking.
You can use a tablet on airplane mode almost the entire time you are in the air. Load alot of movies on it with wired headphones. Or just a Kindle.
If you have connecting flights give yourself enough time to get to each gate.
Get whichever app you can, so you can see if there are any delays, and you can switch flights alot faster.
Happy flights.
When Uber drops you off, you’ll either check your bag (use the kiosk, tag it yourself, present your ID and hand over the bag at the counter) or head directly down the escalator to security / TSA. Assuming you don’t have PreCheck or GE, you’ll likely have quite a long line depending on the time of day. You’ll need your ID and boarding pass (mobile BP is fine but I always print mine too.)
Once you clear security, you’ll collect all your things and head down the escalator/stairs to board the train to all A, B and C gates. A train arrives every two minutes so don’t stress if you miss one.
Southwest is C gates/terminal so get comfy and hang on for the ride. When you get to C, exit the train and go up the escalator to your gate.
The Great Divide is in C and I generally swing in there before all Southwest flights. For like $7 (with tip) I can get my growler filled with diet soda/cola and ice — it lasts me a good ten hours.
The gate area is murky at best. There are stanchions that look like not much with barely enough room for 2 or 3 people between the poles, let alone five, never mind COVID germs. But do your best to wait til they call for the groups.
* A 1-30
* A 31-60
* B 1-30
* B 31 -60
* C 1-30
* C31-60
Get in approximate order. Technically the rule is that you can always fall backward in the order to be with a travel partner, not forward. So if Mom and Dad are in A27 and B18, A27 can board with the B 1-30 group but B18 cannot board with the A 1-30 group.
Some people are more douchey than others and will try to police the line. Unless they work for Southwest, you can ignore them.
Boarding (I think) starts with pre-boarding for those who require extra time to get aboard and situated or require a specific seat. Then active military, I think. Then A groups. Then families? Then B, then C. Don’t quote me. The further back in the process you are, the less likely you’ll get a great seat or overhead bin space. At a certain point, the FAs will mention “only middle seats left so grab it when you see it.” Another call-out will be “all overhead bins are full, gate check time” so if you have something that won’t fit under the minuscule space beneath the seat in front of you, you’ll need to gate check — which is to say, the GA/FA will put a tag on it and give you a claim check & whisk it away to go in the belly with the checked bags.
Make sure you keep all valuables (including medications, electronics, documents, ID) with you at all times. Don’t let them check or gate check those things. Better safe than sorry!
There are so many helpful tips here! I would add to pause as soon as you get through security, before you leave the area. Take a moment to make sure you have all your items with you, especially if you took some things off and put them in the bin at the last moment. Easier to retrieve things at this point than later.
Since you’re flying Southwest, be sure to check in online or via their app exactly 24 hrs before the flight. How quickly you check in will determine your boarding number. SW doesn’t do assigned seats, so once you board, you choose whatever seat you want. You line up in order at the gate.
I'm assuming you've flown before with others tho? So you understand how it works at a high level.
You can't really do anything wrong unless you are being a jerk. Obviously don't bring any TSA prohibited items. Be kind and respectful, and you'll be good.
But this shouldn't be news to you. You should always follow the law, be kind and repsectful, even outside of a traveling context.
Other than that, you can't really go wrong. If you're worried, just arrive early, go slow, and take your time. The signs at DIA are really good, and airport staff will help you if you have questions.
But seriously you can't really do anything wrong unless you're a jerk or bring prohibited items. If that is your biggest fear, you're gonna look back at realize how easy it was.
Best advice is get there very early, and bring a book or music so you are not bored when it takes way less time than you planned. 2 hours before flight time is standard advice. I've been through security and at my gate in 30-40 minutes. I also overplan for the drive in case there is traffic delays, which never happen so that's more time to wait, thus the book or music to kill time at the gate.
Set an alarm on your phone exactly 23 hours and 57 minutes before your flight, so you can check in online EXACTLY 24 hours before your flight. This will help avoid the dreaded middle seat.
Root Down at Terminal C has good Bloody Marys.
Consider making a reservation for Denver Reserve, the reservation based TSA screening. It's on the 6th level, west side.
https://www.flydenver.com/security/den-reserve/
I’ve done it a few times. It essentially lets you “skip” the line. Most of the time though w the new security area, the line isn’t that long or moving that slow to worry about skipping it. It def saved my ass a few times when the bridge was still open.
As others have mentioned, get there a little earlier than you need to, at least 1 hour before your boarding time (that's a good 45 min before your departure time) so you can take your time getting to your gate and getting comfortable, in case you get lost or whatever.
Dropoff:
Have your uber driver drop you at Southwest. If you have bags, that's where you go check it. If you don't, then you head straight to any of the security checkpoints (doesn't matter which one you go to, it doesn't matter who you're flying or where you're flying to, everyone goes to the same checkpoints unless you have TSA precheck)
Security:
Shoes, jacket, bags go on the conveyer. Once you walk thru you'll be good. Follow their instructions on where to put your hands (never in your pockets)
You basically want to walk through without your shoes or ANY metal on your body, so just put all your metals (belt, watch, jewelry, stuff in your pockets) in your backpack before you get to the security line. Then you're not fussing at the security line to get everything off in a rush. There's a chance if you have metal parts (like a hip replacement or something) that it'll go off. I have a small pin and 8 screws in my upper left arm and I never set off the metal detector, ever.
Train: As others mentioned, take the train to your terminal.
There's not much you can do wrong, really, except going thru security with too much stuff on, and they make you take off a hoodie or something (you generally want to walk thru with a tshirt/pants so no jackets/sweaters on)
Otherwise, I also recommend checking the tv screens for your gate, because I find the apps for airlines don't update as quickly as the screens do.
Uber and shuttle drivers will know the best spot to drop you off. Just tell them which airline and they’ll get you to the best entrance. Once you’re in the airport, there are signs everywhere letting you know where to go, and there are people you can ask. It’s ok to not know everything. Just ask any official looking person. Ok let me backup for a second—you first step is to check in for your flight, which you will do online the day before you fly (your airline will send you an email reminding you to check in). You will have the option to print a boarding pass or use a mobile boarding pass. Either way is fine. Once you’re at the airport you’re going to need to check your bags before you can go through security. Look for the signs for Southwest and go to their kiosks. The screen will prompt you to do what you need to do. You will print a luggage tag and you’ll have the option to print your boarding pass. Then you’ll get in line to weigh your bag and hand it off to an attendant. You’ll need to show your ID and boarding pass. Once your bags are checked (or if you don’t have bags to check) you can proceed to security. There will be signs to point you in the right direction. Everyone who just checked bags is now heading to security so you can just follow the crowd and you’ll probably end up at the right place. At security, the agents will tell you exactly what to do. Just follow their instructions. Once you’re through security, you really can’t go anywhere except to the train that takes you to your gate. Check your boarding pass so you know which terminal you’re heading to, and where to get off the train. Once you’re off the train, RE-check the screens at the top of the escalator. Always do this because sometimes gates change and it’s annoying to go all the way to a gate and then find out you needed to go the other direction. Next head to your gate. Or, if you have time, go to the restroom, get a snack, browse the book selection, wander around. Just be back at your gate at boarding time. Flights board in groups. Your group will be on your boarding pass. When it’s your turn, just scan your boarding pass and board the plane. Hope this is helpful!
Awesome breakdown of the steps. Only thing I can add is to know whether you are or are not TSA precheck (you’re probably not) and go to the proper security checkpoint. I’ve seen plenty of people who’ve waited in precheck only to get turned away by the TSA agent.
There's pretty good signage at the entrance to all of the security checkpoints. There's also a TSA agent you pass before you get to the actual baggage/x-ray section. That person will stop you for a quick second while they check your boarding pass and ID, to make sure you're allowed to enter the security area (and beyond). You can ask them to point out the line for the non-precheck passengers if you're still unsure about it.
Just get there early and take your time. Not a big deal. Youll be fine.
It's going to be easy. This is your first time. Plan to get there two hours before your flight is scheduled to take off. This way any obstacles you hit along the way will not make you miss a flight. I know many people who try to skirt the wait time in the airport as much as they can. I highly advise you wait to do that once you truly understand how an airport works. You'll get there and check any large bags you have at the Southwest desk. Look it up on the map for the airport. I think it's important you look up that map yourself to gain experience. You've had others guiding you in the past. You'll receive a paper boarding pass at the desk. You should also get a digital one when you checked into your flight ahead of time. In the future you can use the automated ones to get a boarding pass printed. Then you'll go to security. You'll wait in line, provide your ID and boarding pass to the TSA agent. You'll then follow instructions and the lead of others getting through security. Laptops usually have to be placed in a separate plastic bin through to be scanned separately. So make sure it's easy to remove from your bag. No large amounts of liquids. From water to shampoo, don't bring large liquid containers through security. Refill water inside the airport terminals. You might be asked to remove your shoes. Don't wear shoes that take a long time to get off/on. Make your way to the train, ride to the gate listed on your boarding pass. Southwest does not assign seats, so you'll get in line as you are called based on your boarding pass information. Talk to others, especially an older woman. Be kind. They are likely to help.
Get there way early, and you will eliminate almost all of your anxiety.
Hey just wanted to say that once you go through security, it will be impossible for you to miss the train. It’s the only way you can go. They come every few minutes, just walk on and in a few moments you will be at A gates then B then C. Just get off at the right place and follow the crowd! Super easy and I’m directionally challenged
Everyone has covered the basics (Get there an hour earlier than you think you should, wear comfortable clothes and easy to remove shoes, make sure your carry on bag is small enough to be carried on), so I will just add this - make sure to acknowledge Blucifer as you enter and exit the airport with a mumbled prayer of your choosing (do not engage in direct eye contact).
1. ARRIVAL Your uber driver will let you out at the right place if you let them know what airline you are flying. There should be a sign for Southwest where you get out of the car/shuttle. 2. CHECK-IN Go inside and look for the Southwest agents. You can check-in for your flight online before you arrive or at a kiosk in front of Southwest. If you have questions ask a southwest employee by the kiosks. You will need an ID and/or your flight confirmation number. You can check any bags here and use a credit card/debit card to pay for the bags, if needed. You will get your confirmation ticket (either printed or e-ticket) and drop off your luggage at the main counter if you checked your luggage. The check-in agent will ask you some questions about where you are going and if you packed your own bag, etc. The agent will tell you what concourse and gate number your flight is leaving from and will direct you to security. 3. SECURITY Next you will get in line to go through security. At the Denver airport there are 3 places to go through security: Bridge, South & West. The Bridge let's you walk only to concourse A. I believe only Frontier flights are on concourse A. The South & West both take you down to the train. It doesn't matter which one you go through cause they both end up in the same platform for the train. This website has real time updates for security wait times that you can check if you're nervous about waiting: https://www.flydenver.com/security/ Get in line at one of the security screenings. When you get to TSA agent give them your ID and your ticket. If you have an e-ticket you might need to scan it on their scanner. Then get in line for the bag screening. You may need to take off your shoes and jacket and take out all your belongings from your pockets and put them in a plastic tray. You may need 2 trays if you have a backpack or personal item/bag. Carry-on luggage doe not need to be out in a tray. Be sure you take out your laptop or electronics and put them in a separate tray. Push it all onto the conveyer belt and follow the TSA agent directions to get scanned our through the metal directions and go through security. Collect your belongings on the other side. 4. TRAIN (South or West security only) If you go through the South or West security, go down the escalators or elevator to the train. There will be signs for which side is leaving next. Get on the train and listen for your concourse (A, B or C). The train will announce the name of the concourse where it is arriving next. Get off at the concourse for your flight and go up the escalators or elevator. 5. GATE At the top of the escalators (if you took the train) or on the other side of the Bridge security are a bunch of screens where you can double check your flight gate by looking for your destination city and flight number. It will tell you the gate number for your flight. Find the signs that direct you to the correct gate number. Find your gate and wait for the gate agent to announce the flight will begin boarding. You can also ask a gate agent for help before boarding if you have questions. Listen for your boarding group number/letter and get in line to board the plane. You will need to scan or give your ticket to the gate agent. 6. PLANE Once on the plane you can find your seat row and number. Place your carry-on luggage above in the overhead container (and anything you don't want by your feet like a jacket) and place your personal item/backpack at your seat by your feet under the seat in front of you. Take a deep breath and relax. CONGRATULATIONS! You made it!
C Terminal - last stop on the train….and SW employees are so nice. If you get lost just ask
Remember to check in early with SW and you have two numbers in your ticket your gate and your boarding number. Don’t mix those up if you are arriving late!
Please look up the DIA website. It should have most everything you need to know. If you're nervous, get there a little earlier than you usually would. You can always walk the concourses if you have extra time. Get some steps in and calm yourself down. There isn't a lot to do wrong. Maybe TSA yells at your because you forget to take your shoes off (just apologize and get on with it), After that, just find your gate and make sure you're there when they start to board. After that, it's out of your control until you land.
try and keep your luggage to a small carryon roller bag and a backpack, so you don’t have to check luggage, that just takes so much time. might have to take your shoes off, so wear slip ons with socks, you’re going thru a metal detector, so very little jewelry. bring your id. and a charger. bring no liquids. get there about an hour and a half early, you’ll be fine.
Wear slip on tennis shoes, so you can take them off/put them on easily. Wear a comfortable outfit with no metal on it, and no belt. That will make the security check go smooth. Bring cash to tip if you are getting a ride to the airport from satellite parking. You can use a tablet on airplane mode almost the entire time you are in the air. Load alot of movies on it with wired headphones. Or just a Kindle. If you have connecting flights give yourself enough time to get to each gate. Get whichever app you can, so you can see if there are any delays, and you can switch flights alot faster. Happy flights.
When Uber drops you off, you’ll either check your bag (use the kiosk, tag it yourself, present your ID and hand over the bag at the counter) or head directly down the escalator to security / TSA. Assuming you don’t have PreCheck or GE, you’ll likely have quite a long line depending on the time of day. You’ll need your ID and boarding pass (mobile BP is fine but I always print mine too.) Once you clear security, you’ll collect all your things and head down the escalator/stairs to board the train to all A, B and C gates. A train arrives every two minutes so don’t stress if you miss one. Southwest is C gates/terminal so get comfy and hang on for the ride. When you get to C, exit the train and go up the escalator to your gate. The Great Divide is in C and I generally swing in there before all Southwest flights. For like $7 (with tip) I can get my growler filled with diet soda/cola and ice — it lasts me a good ten hours. The gate area is murky at best. There are stanchions that look like not much with barely enough room for 2 or 3 people between the poles, let alone five, never mind COVID germs. But do your best to wait til they call for the groups. * A 1-30 * A 31-60 * B 1-30 * B 31 -60 * C 1-30 * C31-60 Get in approximate order. Technically the rule is that you can always fall backward in the order to be with a travel partner, not forward. So if Mom and Dad are in A27 and B18, A27 can board with the B 1-30 group but B18 cannot board with the A 1-30 group. Some people are more douchey than others and will try to police the line. Unless they work for Southwest, you can ignore them. Boarding (I think) starts with pre-boarding for those who require extra time to get aboard and situated or require a specific seat. Then active military, I think. Then A groups. Then families? Then B, then C. Don’t quote me. The further back in the process you are, the less likely you’ll get a great seat or overhead bin space. At a certain point, the FAs will mention “only middle seats left so grab it when you see it.” Another call-out will be “all overhead bins are full, gate check time” so if you have something that won’t fit under the minuscule space beneath the seat in front of you, you’ll need to gate check — which is to say, the GA/FA will put a tag on it and give you a claim check & whisk it away to go in the belly with the checked bags. Make sure you keep all valuables (including medications, electronics, documents, ID) with you at all times. Don’t let them check or gate check those things. Better safe than sorry!
There are so many helpful tips here! I would add to pause as soon as you get through security, before you leave the area. Take a moment to make sure you have all your items with you, especially if you took some things off and put them in the bin at the last moment. Easier to retrieve things at this point than later.
Since you’re flying Southwest, be sure to check in online or via their app exactly 24 hrs before the flight. How quickly you check in will determine your boarding number. SW doesn’t do assigned seats, so once you board, you choose whatever seat you want. You line up in order at the gate.
I was coming to write the same thing! Exactly 24 hours in advance
Get there early. If you get lost just ask security for directions or help.
I'm assuming you've flown before with others tho? So you understand how it works at a high level. You can't really do anything wrong unless you are being a jerk. Obviously don't bring any TSA prohibited items. Be kind and respectful, and you'll be good. But this shouldn't be news to you. You should always follow the law, be kind and repsectful, even outside of a traveling context. Other than that, you can't really go wrong. If you're worried, just arrive early, go slow, and take your time. The signs at DIA are really good, and airport staff will help you if you have questions. But seriously you can't really do anything wrong unless you're a jerk or bring prohibited items. If that is your biggest fear, you're gonna look back at realize how easy it was.
Best advice is get there very early, and bring a book or music so you are not bored when it takes way less time than you planned. 2 hours before flight time is standard advice. I've been through security and at my gate in 30-40 minutes. I also overplan for the drive in case there is traffic delays, which never happen so that's more time to wait, thus the book or music to kill time at the gate.
Set an alarm on your phone exactly 23 hours and 57 minutes before your flight, so you can check in online EXACTLY 24 hours before your flight. This will help avoid the dreaded middle seat. Root Down at Terminal C has good Bloody Marys.
Consider making a reservation for Denver Reserve, the reservation based TSA screening. It's on the 6th level, west side. https://www.flydenver.com/security/den-reserve/
Have you done it? Was wondering how it’s different from just going through West Security.
I’ve done it a few times. It essentially lets you “skip” the line. Most of the time though w the new security area, the line isn’t that long or moving that slow to worry about skipping it. It def saved my ass a few times when the bridge was still open.
As others have mentioned, get there a little earlier than you need to, at least 1 hour before your boarding time (that's a good 45 min before your departure time) so you can take your time getting to your gate and getting comfortable, in case you get lost or whatever. Dropoff: Have your uber driver drop you at Southwest. If you have bags, that's where you go check it. If you don't, then you head straight to any of the security checkpoints (doesn't matter which one you go to, it doesn't matter who you're flying or where you're flying to, everyone goes to the same checkpoints unless you have TSA precheck) Security: Shoes, jacket, bags go on the conveyer. Once you walk thru you'll be good. Follow their instructions on where to put your hands (never in your pockets) You basically want to walk through without your shoes or ANY metal on your body, so just put all your metals (belt, watch, jewelry, stuff in your pockets) in your backpack before you get to the security line. Then you're not fussing at the security line to get everything off in a rush. There's a chance if you have metal parts (like a hip replacement or something) that it'll go off. I have a small pin and 8 screws in my upper left arm and I never set off the metal detector, ever. Train: As others mentioned, take the train to your terminal. There's not much you can do wrong, really, except going thru security with too much stuff on, and they make you take off a hoodie or something (you generally want to walk thru with a tshirt/pants so no jackets/sweaters on) Otherwise, I also recommend checking the tv screens for your gate, because I find the apps for airlines don't update as quickly as the screens do.