Southwest Airlines Reviews

by No Orleans

My family and I were scheduled to fly out of Baltimore on Wednesday January 5, 2022 at 2:20pm heading to New Orleans to attend an event on Thursday at 7pm. My flight was initially rebooked to Thursday, January 6 at 8:30am with a different connection city. That flight was then delayed until 9:45am, then rebooked to a different 8:30am flight with a new connection that had me arrive in New Orleans by way of Austin, TX at 5:00pm. Upon arriving in Austin i was greeted with two more texts delaying the flight out of Austin by an additional 2 hours with a new arrival time of 7:06pm. The flight was then delayed further to 6pm and subsequently 7:30pm arriving in New Orleans at 9:15pm. I had to scramble a book my family on a different airline at additional cost to arrive in New Orleans on time.

I initially spoke to an agent who attempted to tell me that there were weather issues in Baltimore (which there were not) and other cities which caused delays throughout the system and there was nothing he could do. After two more delays i called back and waited in queue for over 30 minutes and did not speak with anyone. What was supposed to be a two day trip for my family will end up being a trip of less than 24 hours if i cannot manage to change the return flight.

by Matchymom

I had made a round trip coast to coast reservation. A confirmed email was sent with the right itinerary but when I logged into my SW app account it showed a different return itinerary that was clearly incorrect. Had to call SW to make sure my trip was correct before I flew. Had to be on hold for 15 min before I could talk to someone. Very inconvenient and didn’t want to have problems if stuck in another state halfway through my trip. Also paid for Early Bird check in and although I got A39 boarding for the initial 1.5 hr part of my trip, the second part and longest 3.5 hr ride, had to change planes and boarding was a B04. Personally for that Early Bird check in money you should get A boarding assignments even if you have to change planes. I have gotten better boarding assignments when checking in on my own and didn’t have to pay a fee. I do always travel with SW and enjoy the airline but have had problems with their online app more then once. I have flown other airlines and they have always changed my seat assignments which is absolutely a “no no” to me, since when I booked they give you a choice to pick from available seats and not always the seats that we were changed to my family was not able to sit together.

by Kacahill

I am unbelievably just made by the way I was treated by Southwest Airlines. My mask slipped on my nose because I have a very small face. Stewardess did ask me to put it up and I did. I had my mask on the entire flight except when I was eating.I deep boarded the plane and our connection and then go back on the plane. It was very hot and I was having a hard time breathing. I asked for some water and they told me they were not serving any beverages on the flight. I was having a really hard time so my friend asked the flight attendant again for some water. They did bring it over and I drank it and I put my mask back up. Then I was approached by someone who works for Southwest and asked me if I was having a hard time breathing. I told her I got some water and I was OK. Then another Southwest employee asked me to get off the plane. They kicked me off the flight with nothing. An airport in a city I know nothing about. I had to tell them I had medication on my checked bag and they finally got my bag off the plane. I went down to baggage claim and had to ask a cab driver where I should go. I’m at the Holiday Inn express now and I’m waiting for my flight for the morning. Thank you Southwest for ruining my vacation and I will never fly your airline again.

by Jackie Lee😫😫12764929

Recently we purchased tickets to flight to California for a family trip. We had one reservation but 5 travelers total. When we tried to check in outside the 24hr window, SouthwestAirlines gave some odd error message stating that this reservation was not eligible for check in, which is not true... we were outside the check in window, but we were eligible for check in. Once inside the window we were able to check in, but we were not able to download the mobile boarding passes. Instead we were directed on SouthwestAirlines to go to kiosk and print them. In doing web search on SWAs website about multiple boarding passes with one reservation it apparently is doable, but when I called customer service to inquire they state that it’s not doable...so which is it? We recently flew with American Airlines and I was able to do this with their app. We simply checked in, downloaded the boarding passes and airdropped them to my family. Since SWA prides itself on its innovative and progressive approaches, I wonder why they can’t get with the times and fix this seemingly simple issue. As a long time customer, and someone with a large family, traveling can be a hassle, so if SWA can make our lives easier by fixing this we ALL would be much appreciative!!

by No Fun Flyers

First, we had a flight canceled on our departure which delayed our arrival to our vacation destination by one day resulting in significant cost to our family…..an extra hotel night and food with no assistance or reimbursement provided by SW. We were told it was canceled due to weather which must be questioned because other flights still left Denver and our luggage made it to our destination before we did. We were told there were no other flights available that night so how did our luggage beat us to SLC?

Then our return flights were again cancelled and we received no reimbursement for two extra nights in a hotel, food and losing a day of work for two of us and a day of college for our son. Again, we were told it was due to weather which has to be questioned again because SW was still flying east bound.

In the future we will pay more to fly another airline and avoid SW. Our money will not go to an airline that makes promises of services/flights and then when canceled calls it “weather” in order to avoid reimbursing their customers. SW advertises a “fun” flying experience. This has been our first and last experience with your airline. All our friends, colleagues, and social media contacts will be told of our horrible experience with SW.

by Aplem84

I was disappointed with booking a flight. I am planning a trip to Chicago, and there was an option to sign up for a credit card and receive $200 dollars credit on the flight that I was booking. So I applied and qualified for the chase credit card. I went through the entire booking process and when I got to the last step there was an error that said that the phone number I entered was in the incorrect format. I tried like 20 times, and know that I put the phone number in correctly, there’s no other way to put it in. I kept getting the error and eventually the offer had expired 15 minutes later. I am very frustrated that this happened.

The next morning I called SWA, and the representative told me that there was nothing they could do about it. She told me that I could call chase and try to figure it out with them. After I called chase, the representative told me that I would have to call SWA and they could help me figure it out. Sadly there was no resolution. I applied for the credit card to gain some points on future flights and I can’t even use the incentive that they promoted on the bottom of the screen. My credit card doesn’t even arrive until a month after I get back from my trip. Please fix this problem so another person doesn’t get as upset as I am right now.

by Brandonjp.com

Always thought this was a fine app. Nice to have everything in one place. But here’s what to know... flights are cheaper on the website.

Even as I type that I don’t even believe it would be true, but yesterday the same exact flight in SouthwestAirlines was $536 total for two people, but on the website it was $386. I was in the middle of checkout in SouthwestAirlines when I thought maybe there was a flight leaving a little later. So I searched in a web browser and the same exact flight I was about to purchase, came up but for nearly $100 cheaper per person! I really didn’t believe it. I quit SouthwestAirlines , reloaded the website in a private tab... re-did the search on both places and again: same exact flight was almost $100 more in SouthwestAirlines than on the website. Not all the flights were priced differently (in fact, only 1 other in my quick search), but needless to say I bought the flight on the web instead of SouthwestAirlines .

Also, it’s currently 11am and I just got a notification from SouthwestAirlines about my flight which landed 3 hours ago. Soooo, don’t rely on SouthwestAirlines for timely notifications or best prices.

by Jaidennnnnn

The customer service was very rude. I have been on a plane over 10 times and Ive always had great friendly/funny Pilots, flight attendants, anybody working on the plane that Ive encountered customer service with. And to me thats one of the most important things. They were EXTREMELY rude while I started to feel sick on the plane which has never happened to me before I always have great flights with no problems, but usually I fly through Delta. I will NEVER fly with Southwest again because of how rude the workers were to not even just me. They were also super slow on getting our drinks out and no snacks were offered, which I thought all airlines offered snacks. And when I was using the bathroom I had forgotten to lock the door, one of the ladys working knocks and then OPENS the door to tell me I need to lock it. Luckily I wasn’t in the middle of going to the bathroom I was just about to wash my hands...I didnt notice if maybe the door was slightly open and she saw that I wasnt going to the bathroom so she opened it..but either way I thought it was rude of her to just open the bathroom door knowing I was in there. I didnt happen to catch the girls name that I had bad experiences with but she had short blonde hair, slightly bigger.

by Interiorspecialist

I have a letter from my doctor that I need a wheelchair. I usually don’t get one because it is such a hassle. I only need a wheelchair/pre board help when I am post medically necessary surgery. Today the Attendant was very helpful, said I didn’t need a letter when I wanted to show it to her. She could tell by looking at me I have visible dressings on and my right arm is in a sling. She assured me I would board right after the wheelchairs. I have missed connecting flights so I am reluctant to get a wheel chair. They brought up a gentleman in a wheelchair and put him right next to the sign that said pre board. I got in line after him. Then a group of people asked me if I was a pre board. I said yes I was but I would be getting on after the wheelchairs. They said no I had to get in line behind them because someone else had told them to line up there, where there was no sign. So humiliated I had to go to the back of the line. And the gentleman in the wheelchair wasn’t even put on the plane till way after me. Please coordinate with everyone and help those that need help when they need it. Why do you even offer this service when it is hit or miss and might I suggest honor your signs. They help keep order and efficiency.
It shouldn’t be so arbitrary where the line forms of and goodness forbid it would occur where the sign was.

by Desiree Guerra

I am beyond disappointed. I called day before yesterday to change my flight because I was concerned about the weather. I specifically asked the customer service representative if my early bird would transfer. She kept me on hold for 10 minutes then told me that she had to do some investigating and it did transfer. Even sent me a second email showing me it transferred. When I checked in this morning to my surprise I did not get early bird. So I call and the next customer service rep I talked to gave me the run around and basically the first customer service rep had lied to me!! So after paying an additional $126 to change my flight I now how no eRly bird that I paid for and was told did transfer. Then I was told to call another customer service number to address this issue and I was on the phone waiting for someone for 30 minutes!!! If I had known Southwest was going to be so cavalier about taking care of their customers after the money has been spent I would have never given them my business. Just a suggestion, pay the extra for a more professional airline. It’s worth it!!

by Bluealltheway

I was not accustomed to flying when I first boarded your airline in 2017 I think it was. And I need assistance to and from the gate. I was helped and treated so respectfully by the airline except for one person who helped me with the wheelchair in the airport at Chicago O’hare. He didn’t want to spend his time pushing me and he made it quite clear. He was very rude to me. I have since flown into Midway as suggested by a friend. He said they were much better there and that is true. I was treated very nice every time I have been through there. I love flying Southwest. Everyone is so courteous and helpful to me. Believe me it really makes a difference how you are treated. The first experience almost made me just stay home forever rather than ask for help. But my friend encouraged me to try Midway and I’m glad I did. My friends live in Monee, Illinois and I was able to attend ones’s wedding and about to go to another friends wedding. I love Southwest Airlines and the free two bags is a huge perk. Thank you all for making this airline the best!!!

by Niki Bray

I love the business model of Southwest. People are treated equally based upon needed. There is no classism built into the business model of Southwest. Those with greatest needs are serviced first and then everyone else has an equal chance to sit anywhere in the cabin of the plane they choose. No curtains being pulled to divide customers based upon class. I love this! At the most, you can pay up to $50 to improve your number in line for entering the plane. This fee is not so high that only a few can afford it and it’s the max fee, your fee could be as low as $15.

The pilots and flight attendants are friendly and seem to enjoy their job. They deal with passengers who out of compliance with federal regulations (such as being on a phone call after the door has closed when pushing away from the gate) in a friendly and gentle manner. If there is a Southwest flight available for my trip, I will always choose Southwest over any other airline available.

Thank you, Southwest. We see the efforts your company is making to do good business. You’ve earned a loyal customer in me!

by Mama Of Leleondakeys

SWA is always my first airline of choice. The customer service is the highest, in my opinion, in the airline industry. I once lost my wallet on the flight. Not only did they find it and contact me, but it was sent to the headquarters and mailed back to me with everything in tact!!! Including all the money!! Southwest Rocks!!! Please; never go out of business!!! In contrast, I once left my beautiful leather jacket on a Delta flight. The plane was still at the gate and when I realized, almost immediately, that I had left the jacket in the overhead bin, I reported it to the gate attendant. I got no help and never got the jacket back. One other time with Delta, I had to check my bag at the gate because the overhead bins were full. That had valuable personal items in the bag. The bag was stollen, no ID put into the computer and I never got it back. For at least 5 years I have put Delta airlines out of business, in my mind. Again...Southwest is the B E S T!!! Every other airline and many other industries can learn a lot by paying attention to the SWA business model.
Dr. Sue Pressman
Licensed Professional Counselor
Certified Career Counselor
Board Certified Coach

by Bgreen1976

Southwest has always been really good to my family. We are a family of 8. 2 adults and 6 kids. Always super stressful traveling with so many kids and the people at southwest have always been good to my family. But now most of my kids are grown and I’m divorced now. But southwest is still the same caring people they have always been over the years. Thank you I will always fly with southwest.
And one other time I can really think of is when my father pasted in 2012. I had to fly there on a days notice and then when flying back home with my fathers remains the TSA staff was very respectful when it came time to pass through security. They had the utmost respect for my fathers ashes. Then I get to the gate and I was stopped by one of the southwest employees and I was told I would be boarding early because I had my fathers remains and they made sure that I had a place to put my father next to me while we flew home. So for the long review but it’s 100% true. Thank you for helping others.

by Soon To Be Previous Customer

I received a Southwest 100 voucher from Southwest after spending several hours delayed in the airport. I was pleasantly surprised until a attempted to use it but needed to cancel due to family emergency. What they FAILED to tell me is the voucher number changed to the flight I cancelled thus when I attempted to use it utilizing the voucher number it wouldn’t let me. I attempted to call southwest but this was during the hurricane emergency and several of their customer service locations were not available. I certainly understood that so I went ahead and scheduled my flight WITHOUT the voucher credit. Finally I got ahold of someone who said they could extend for another year because of my trouble and they could see where I had flown again with the voucher but they encouraged me to wait a couple of more months to call and extend since they could only do it once. I did so but the person I got said no. I explained to numerous phone calls and what I had been told but again was said no and no dialogue had been entered into my record. Be careful with your voucher IF you receive one. Southwest does not have the customer service it use to have.

by Dreahgan

Awaiting the boarding of my most recent flight. I was so happy that I was able to get such an early boarding spot, but then watched as around 15 people boarded when pre-boarding was called. These were not individuals with obvious health challenges, in fact quite a few were together and as they stood and waited beside me, we joking at how they asked and were given pre-boarding. I fully understand that not all health issues are obvious, but then they are joking about how they got it, and then what really troubled me, is that the gate person boarded them before at least four individuals who were in wheel chairs. Customers who walked on board, were boarded before individuals who were in wheel chairs and probably needed the front seats more.

This ain’t the first time I’ve actually been sitting and speaking with individuals who have been given pre-boarding, when they had no medical condition.

It’s just frustrating, that things are not being handled fairly for everyone.

by Frog2019

I love flying Southwest. I usually am one of the first to board and I prefer a seat in the back. However, my biggest complaint, is when there are delays. The delay is not the problem so much. But, when I have a connecting flight, and now only have a short window to get to my next flight, perhaps the airlines should consider letting connecting flights people off first. My last flight I paid extra for early boarding. My flight was so delayed that I made sure to sit in the closest seat near the front. Even so, by the time I got off, I was literally running to the opposite end of the airport to get my connection. The plane had already started boarding when I got there. What’s worse, the flight attendants knew I had a connecting flight which started boarding before the door opened on the flight I was currently on. Perhaps, when delays happen, it would be polite to let people who have connections get off first. Especially when the connecting flights are that close to leaving. Delays are going to happen, I’m good with that, but show some appreciation to those of us who have connection and a short window to get to them. ❤️

by LarryB Aka Troub

Needed to change a ticket; departure airport and date. I initially called Customer Support. There was a wait period and the system offered a call back. Since I was on my landline with the information needed on my mobile device. I contemplated waiting for the call back but while looking at the mobile I saw that I could possibly do the changes (modify) myself. I declined the call back and proceeded to MODIFY my flight requirements. The process was GREAT including paying the delta of the fare with my card that was on file. Additionally I could have paid with other options such as Apple Pay and Paypal. In this case the need for human intervention was not needed.

However there have been times that is has been needed. So Southwest please do not eliminate your human access/contact for your customers even as AI becomes more prevalent. This will be a major differentiator for your airline. As a cost of doing business. Your overall profits will be rewarded.

In summary- instead of waiting 16 mins for a call back. I was able to handle my business with Southwest in under 5 minutes. Again the process was Great!!

by Boss.Katrina

I travel for my Company and have the choice of airlines. My choice is Southwest. One great example of WHY: on February 17 on flight 5, I was waiting to call for boarding. I was sitting at the end of a row of seats - one empty seat in between myself and an elderly couple. Here comes the captain (Captain Mark) - got his name when he announced it after we boarded - and sat down with the couple to speak with them to explain that it was not normal to have to change planes but he assured them they would get to their destination on time. I was listening as it was so touching - the man was so grateful that the captain took the time to come talk to them as his wife had a doctor appt and could not miss it! He even took the time to pull up the layout of the airport destination on his iPad so they would know where to go. (Made my eyes leak 🤗).
The Flight Attendants have a tough job on every flight keeping everyone happy and safe. Kudos to all of you! Love the positive energy and sense of humor. Respectfully,

by DLhuegs

SouthwestAirlines is great if you’re booking your standard one way or roundtrip fares. It would be nice if you could book multiple destinations and legs of a trip within one booking in SouthwestAirlines the way you can on the website.

Also, it would be great if you could purchase inflight wifi from SouthwestAirlines since our credit card and info is already attached there. Currently, you go through the website and browser.

Also, if southwest could figure out a sign-in situation for the wifi to use on more than one device you own, that would be great. I had to pay $8 twice because I purchased the wifi on my phone first and then realized I needed to get work done on my laptop but could not use the same connection on more than one device. I believe Delta has figured it out, but it would be a great enhancement so I’m not double-paying or have to change my phone plan to use that as a hotspot for my laptop. If we’ve paid for wifi, it’s fair to be able to use it on multiple devices you own through some sign-on feature.

by GGR40

The checkin process was utterly horrible, my nephew checked in for a flight that departs earlier on a Monday than my flight. I, like many others who want a decent seat on my flight timed my checkin exactly 24 hours out to the second and I was given spot B54. The same boarding position that was given to my nephew who checked in 45 minutes later than the 24 hour mark, for a more in demand flight. I felt utterly disgraced and embarrassed by southwest’s negligence and maltreatment of my checkin. Now don’t even get me started on how I was screwed over on a previous flight. I was in a wheel chair and was supposed to be preboarded however, the other disabled was brought onto the plane by the porter while I was waiting to be helped onto the plane. As soon as the other handicapped passenger was brought into the jetway the announcer stated that all other preboarding passengers could begin boarding while I was left in my wheel chair baffled and helpless. She should have waited for me to be helped before giving the other able bodied passengers permission to enter the jetway. I was forced to struggle to my feet and limped over to the jetway entrance. I have been a faithful southwest customer for over 20 years and I hope these atrocious mistakes aren't repeated in the future.

by Ljcrist123

My job requires that do a lot of traveling, the majority by air. Southwest makes flying easy for me. The Mobile App is quick and easy to use. If I need to change a flight, that is so easy and I really appreciate no change fee! I don’t have that with other airlines! The No Baggage Fee is the reason I started with SW, but the convenience of flying with them has kept me as a customer. I love the no hassle boarding and open seating policy. If they flew more routes to the Northeast, I would never fly any other airline. But the real reason I am a true SW Flier is their employees. Whether it’s the Sky Cap, the Counter Agents, the Flight Attendants, or the lady in the Lost Baggage Office (yes, it does happen) I have found all SW employees to go above and beyond what I experience on other airlines. They seem to really enjoy their job. And for the pilots (of which I’m a member of the club and tend to grade landings) you are the best! Keep doing what you are doing and I’m a Southwest customer for life!

by Suzanne And Johndear

We have been traveling on Southwest as a family for over 35 years! We love Southwest because the staff is always friendly, they are helpful and answer quickly when you call in, the flight attendants gave us champagne on our honeymoon in 1989, you can cancel or make changes on a reservation without it being a major trauma and without any additional fees, they fly where we want to fly and last, but not least we can have two free checked bags and carryons. For years you could change or cancel a ticket and put the points back in your family points bank and we lived that especially when our kids were in college. Now you can’t, but that is because of the federal government and not because of Southwest. They fought it and lost. Also, I know several Southwest employees and they love their jobs. I love flying with an airline that treats not only their customers, but also their employees well. Now we have booked our 30th anniversary trip to Hawaii so that my husband can complete his 50th state. I will finish my 50th in September when we fly Southwest back east to Hartford, Connecticut to then go on to Vermont. Many of those states we have reached by flying Southwest! We also love that you all love our country! Thanks for all you do to make this world a better place! Blessings, Suzanne and John Barslund

by Big Ben 0702

I have had A-List Preferred for the past 5 years with the vast majority of my experiences incredibly positive with one exception. My son traveled with family friends to Fort Lauderdale late July for a week at the beach and golf. For starters, his golf bag was sent to the west coast instead of Ft. Lauderdale arriving 2 days late and incredibly damaged - 4 golf clubs had the heads snapped off including a driver, 2 fairway woods, and a pitching wedge. The driver and fairway wood heads were smashed/dented and impossible to repair. The golf bag had both legs snapped off and damaged beyond repair. The Club Glove protective insert was snapped and the Club Glove travel bag was severely damaged including a buckle snapped entirely off the strap and the protective backing torn from the material. Bottom line, the golf bag was run over by either a baggage transporter or a large heavy piece of equipment. All in all about $1,200-$1,500 in total damage.

I filed a claim with Southwest and was assured it would be expedited and I would be reached out to inside two weeks - not the case. Needless to say I am in need of tracking this down instead of proactive reach out to a loyal client who travels 65+ times per year, a Southwest Visa cardholder, and Companion Pass holder for 5+ years. My star rating is a 1 based on this experience. I am very satisfied outside of this experience but question whether or not I should use Southwest when traveling with a golf bag.

by Not A Marathoner

Southwest is my favorite airline but I do have a complaint about my last trip from Boston to New Orleans with a connecting fight at Midway. The
Plane landed at Midway on time but there was no gate available so we sat on the runway for awhile before being sent to a makeshift gate with no lounge area as far away as possible from my connecting flight which several other passengers were also booked on. In the past when there were delays and long distances between gates the flight crew always allowed connecting passengers off first. I was seated in the back so it took a long time to get off. I am in my 70’s with knee arthritis and cannot run. All signs on the long walk indicated my next flight was on time so I tried to run which is near impossible for me. When I finally got to gate no one was in line to board and it was just 5 minutes to departure. I thought I missed the flight only to find out it was delayed for more than 30 minutes. Signage had not been updated to alert me on the way.
Had I been in my 20’s running to the gate would not have been a problem but a little care and planning by your crews could have helped.
Please let connecting passengers of the plane first!