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Business Profile

Airlines

Southwest Airlines Company

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Southwest Airlines Company's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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Southwest Airlines Company has 15 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 1,639 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 489 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/22/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We were involved in the fiasco caused by Southwest Airlines over the Christmas holiday. We could not return home for an additional 5 days and we filed a reimbursement claim to Southwest Airlines. They sent us an email advising us they would reimburse us for $950.37. Then I received an email from a company HYPERWALLET advising to claim our payment of $850.35. Southwest never sent me any other email indicating the amount was changed. I called Southwest who told me to contact HYPERWALLET. When I called them they advised to contact Southwest Airlines. I have been waiting since 1/25/23 to receive a call from Southwest Airlines. I was told on 1/25/23 it would take 7 business days for a call back. When I called after the 7 days I was told they had to send in another request and that I ought to hear back by 2/21/21. When I called them today they said that the case was closed. I never received a call back. Now they have opened another case and said I would hear back within 7 days. I want SWA to contact me and explain why the difference. I am concerned because SWA never said there would be a difference in the amount they told me.

      Business Response

      Date: 09/29/2023

      Response to BBB Complaint ******** is attached.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/22/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On September 20, 2022 I purchased 5 tickets, 3 with confirmation #4OY9EM and 2 with 4OYZRZ, all to fly out of *** on January 2 to *** on flight #****. Upon arrival in *** the group of 3 were told we could not check into our flight because ******* advised them we would not make conncetion. We were rescheduled to fligth at 8:40 am on the 3rd. The group of 2 were allowed on the *** plain and made it home fine. While on our shuttle to the hotel we were notified that the reschdeled flight was already canceled. We checked into hotel, and tried to call Southwest, but could not get thru. We had to Uber back to airport to get new tickets, now for 8:40 am the 4th and told that we had to now change hotels because they couldn't confirm the hotel we were at for 2 days. Had to shuttle back and forth, buy food and wait two days. On the 4th our flight left 3 hours late, and we were automatically moved to later flight in *******. Our ride home in *** couldn't wait so we had to stay at airport 1.5 hours waiting for a car to get home. That week Southwest offered a goodwill credit of ****** miles to everyone effected by travel, the group of 2 received the credits, which was great, but the group of 3 never did, even though we were actually affected. I filed claim #******** on 1/12. I called 1/19 ***** said she was escelating, on 1/27 ****** said it was still being processed, on 2/7 ***** said that all claims should be complete within ************************************************************************** the next 2 days. No email received. Called 2/21, ****** said it was still processing, I asked to speak to someone to get it resolved now, she put me on hold for 2 hrs, and transfered me to just another customer rep. ********* ID #** told me its still processing, it is impossible to contact the department handeling it, and I just need to wait for a response. Told me to forget about it. ************************* RR# *********** *********************** RR#*********** ***************************** RR#***********

      Business Response

      Date: 10/16/2023

      The Customers concerns regarding BBB Complaint ******** were addressed by phone.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/16/2023

      The Customers concerns regarding BBB Complaint ******** were addressed by phone.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/16/2023

      The Customers concerns regarding BBB Complaint ******** were addressed by phone.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/21/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My wife and I (confirmation #3Y2J56) were scheduled to fly (#****) from *************** **. to ********* **. on Tuesday 12/27 but our flight was canceled as was a majority of Southwest flights. Our first available option (?) was Saturday 12/31. Numerous phone calls to Southwest call center have resulted in a partial amends for the Southwest Airlines fiasco. I have received an email with a partial refund (check in the mail have not actual received it yet?) for monies spent to return to ********* via a rental car, hotel, and gas. STILL MISSING, a refund for eating one meal over the two-day drive. The second request is the ****** frequent flyer points that were promised by different company representatives (CEO, call center representatives) to be credited to our (me and my wife) accounts. At this point I'm tired of calling SWA service center. The agents that answer are very nice and tell me my FF points will be posted but there are so many complaints that the agents assigned to address the issues from December 2022 are behind.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/09/2023

      Response to BBB Complaint ******** is attached.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/21/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My fiance and I purchased airline travel with SWA for travel over the holidays last years. We purchased flights from *********** (***) to ***** (***). We were scheduled to return to *** on 12/26/2022, however, SWA cancelled our flight. I expected SWA to abide by their cancellation policy and either issue a refund or flight credits to our account. I logged in to our account on 2/21/2023 to book new travel using the credits, but they weren't there.I contacted SWA and attempted to resolve the issue through a refund, however, they refused. I asked to speak to the department responsible for settling claims related to flights that were cancelled on 12/26/2022 and was told there is no phone number at which those people can be contacted. SWA ultimately refused to issue a refund for the portion of travel that was cancelled.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/16/2023

      The Customers concerns regarding BBB Complaint ******** were addressed by social.

      The refund was processed as requested. If further assistance is required please contact us at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/21/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Flight cancellations in December 2022 were well publicized. As a result of these, I received a voucher for ****** Rapid Rewards Points. I attempted to deposit them into my account. After submitting the codes, I received an email indicating they would appear in my account within 24 hours. 48 hours later they had not appeared. I called and asked for assistance from customer service. They filed a complaint to another department on my behalf, but would not help directly. Three weeks later, I followed up and submitted another request for relief via email. I received a response that my request was received, but still have not heard back. It has now been a month. I called again, but was told no one could help me. It was suggested I send another email inquiry. I was placed on hold against my wishes.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/11/2023

      Response to BBB Complaint ******** is attached.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/21/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased an airline ticket for a return date of 2/18/23. I got food poisoning in ****** the night before/morning of my flight and had to be ambulanced to a hospital. My husband called southwest to change our flight to the following date 2/19/23. We had originally purchased a fully refundable ticket and when he was speaking to the agent he was asking for the tickets to be economy fair/cheapest. We were assessed $106.62 and $852.99 for the change of date. However, we didn't get the economy fair, we received the anytime ticket/higher category with early bird checkin. I tried to call southwest and discuss but they said they only handle these situations via email. Had my husband known we were not getting the cheapest fair, he could have cancelled the flights and booked with another airline.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/17/2023

      Attached is the response to BBB Complaint 19736317.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/20/2023

      I am rejecting this response because:   there was a fare difference. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/21/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We flew threw Southwest Airlines got stranded during Christmas time and was left with no hotel no car and no flight home for 2 days with no clothes and nothing. Im seeking a compensation.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/16/2023

      Response to BBB Complaint ******** is attached.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/20/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I initiated reimbursement requests to Southwest Airlines approximately three different times for alternative transportation expenses incurred on December 28, 2022 without full resolve. After reviewing the guidance published on the transportation.gov website and *** details on the Southwest reimbursement procedure, I believe I am *********** the refund I am requesting because it falls under "alternative transportation for those with flights affected between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2." Two of my Southwest flights were canceled set to depart from *** (*********** **) to *** (******* **). The first, significant flight cancellation was on December 26, 2022 (flight #***). I rebooked the flight on December 27, 2022 (flight #****), which was canceled with significant delay into January 2023. At this time, I am requesting expense reimbursement ($2200) for ground transportation on December 28, 2022 from Southwest Airlines. This is for having an **-based driver drive me unexpectedly from ************ to the ********************** using his car and time. Southwest notified me on January 24, 2023 that my request was denied and I resubmitted the request on February 5, 2023. My request was denied via a fragmented email message on February 14, 2023. The airline does not permit 2-way communication in the email notification about reimbursement determinations. This makes issue resolution lengthier. I also filed a complaint with the *** on February 5, 2023. Please let me know if you need further information or have questions. Kind Regards, *********************

      Business Response

      Date: 10/11/2023

      Response to BBB Complaint ******** is attached.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/20/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Last year there were a ton of website issues happening on ******* There was a system error on a hotel stay I was booking through *******which resulted in me not getting the 20k points that I needed to get my **************. In light of all of the issues that SW has taken its customers to I called and asked if someone would honor this since it was an error on their part and I was basically ran in circles for several weeks. Phone numbers that no one ever picks up and no matter who I speak to there seems to be a lot of confusion around who exactly handles this and who can honor this error.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/09/2023

      The Customers concerns regarding BBB Complaint ******** were addressed by phone. If further assistance is required please contact us at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/19/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased a rountrip ticket for my fianc ******************* to fly from *** to ***. His flight was cancelled on Dec 24 while he was awaiting for the connecting flight out of ****** ** to *** (*******) *** released a statement that anyone that was impacted for the ** melt down that caused THOUSANDS of flights to be cancelled was *********** compensation . southwest also informed me that refunds were being issued. My fianc and I submitted 3 complaints and they are dragging their feet on refunding us what is still owed. I received a refund for the return flight but not for the flight that was supposed to get him here to ******* on Dec 24. I want my money back for a flight that was not completed.Flight confirmation number 4GZO2B

      Business Response

      Date: 10/16/2023

      Response to BBB Complaint ******** is attached.

    Southwest Airlines Company is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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