Alaska Airlines

The carrier still issues advance boarding passes:  seat assignments are available 11 months in advance.  The policy is under review.

A reservation will be canceled if traveler is not at the departure gate 10 minutes before departure.  Specific seat assignments are forfeited if passenger hasn’t checked in 20 minutes before departure. 

America West

America West ceased issuing advance boarding passes.  Seat assignments are available 331 days in advance.

A reservation will be canceled if traveler is not at the departure gate 10 minutes before departure.  Specific seat assignments are forfeited if passenger hasn’t checked in 20 minutes before departure.

American Airlines

American stopped issuing advance boarding passes.  Seat assignments can be reserved up to 331 days in advance.  Travelers booked on an e-ticket can proceed to the gate and use an electronic gate reader to obtain a boarding pass (assuming they have not checked luggage or checked it with a skycap).

A reservation will be canceled if traveler is not at the departure gate 10 minutes before departure.  Specific seat assignments are forfeited if passenger hasn’t checked in 20 minutes before departure. 

Continental Airlines

CO stopped issuing advance boarding passes.  Seat assignments can be reserved 335 days in advance.  Travelers booked on an e-ticket can obtain a boarding pass through an airport kiosk.

A reservation will be canceled if traveler is not at the departure gate 10 minutes in advance.  Specific seat assignments are forfeited if passenger hasn’t checked in 20 minutes before departure.

Delta Air Lines

Delta stopped issuing advance boarding passes for domestic flights; seat assignments can be reserved 331 days out.

A reservation will be canceled if traveler is not at the departure gate 10 minutes before flight time.  Clients who have a seat assignment but no boarding pass must check in 30 minutes before the flight to avoid forfeiture of their seat.  Those holding passes need to be at the gate 15 minutes prior to boarding.

Northwest Airlines

Northwest stopped issuing advance boarding passes.  Advance seat assignments are available 90 days out.

A reservation will be canceled if traveler is not at the gate 10 minutes before flight time.  Clients who fail to check in at least 15 minutes before the flight risk losing their specific seat.  Clients traveling to Hawaii must check in at the departure gate 60 minutes before the flight.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest does not issue advance boarding passes or advance seat assignments.  Upon check-in travelers receive a numbered boarding card and after pre-boarding of disabled customers, unaccompanied children, and families with small children, those with boarding passes 1 through 30 will board; then 31 through 60; 61 through 90, etc.  Boarding pass numbers are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Travelers must present themselves at the gate 10 minutes before of the flight to avoid having their reservation canceled.

TWA

TWA ceased issuing advance boarding passes.  Advance seat assignments are available 90 days prior to departure.

Reservations will be canceled if the passenger is not at the gate 10 minutes before departure (30 for Hawaii).  Seat assignments are subject to cancellation unless claimed 30 minutes before departure (40 for Hawaii).

US Airways

US Airways discontinued issuing advance boarding passes.  Seats can be reserved a year in advance.

Reservations will be canceled if traveler does not check-in 10 minutes before departure; seats may be forfeited if passenger is not checked in at the gate 20 minutes prior to flight time.

United Airlines

United no longer issues advance booking passes. Seats can be reserved 11 months in advance.

Reservations will be canceled if traveler does not check-in at the gate 10 minutes before departure; seats may be forfeited if passenger is not checked in at the gate 20 minutes prior to flight time.