About Southwest Airlines®
Welcome! Southwest is proud to offer one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at more than 120 airports across 11 countries.
"The biggest thing that makes us ‘us’ is our People, and the unique and unrivaled Hospitality they deliver. No one has a Heart for service like the People of Southwest Airlines. No one."
- Bob Jordan, Chief Executive Officer, Southwest Airlines
Our Purpose
To connect People to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel.
Our Vision
To be the world's most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.
Our Company Promise
Southwest will provide a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.
Our Employee Promise
I will demonstrate my Warrior Spirit by striving to be my best and never giving up. I will show my Servant’s Heart by delivering Legendary Customer Service and treating others with respect. I will express my Fun-LUVing Attitude by not taking myself too seriously and embracing my Southwest Family.
Values
Me
How I
show up
Pride
- Have a strong work ethic
- Take initiative
- Be accountable
Integrity
- Act like an owner
- Choose to do right
- Be courageous
Humility
- Don’t take yourself too seriously
- Keep perspective
- Don’t be a jerk
We
How we treat
each other
Teamwork
- Practice civility
- Embrace Team over self
- Be inclusive
Honesty
- Speak up
- Be transparent
- Tell the truth
Service with LUV
- Practice Hospitality
- Live by The Golden Rule
- Don't be rude
Southwest
How Southwest
succeeds
Efficiency
- Don’t make the easy hard
- Keep costs low
- Stay agile
Discipline
- Be safe
- Be focused
- Be reliable
Excellence
- Get results
- Win the right way
- Kick tail
History
We weren't just airborne yesterday—time flies when you're having fun!
Southwest has been in LUV with our Customers from the very beginning. Therefore, it's fitting that we began service to San Antonio and Houston from Love Field in Dallas on June 18, 1971. As our Company and Customers grew, our LUV grew too! With Flight Attendants serving "Love Bites" on our planes and determined Employees issuing tickets from our "Love Machines," we changed the face of the airline industry throughout the 1970s. Then in 1977, our stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "LUV." Over the ensuing years, our LUV has spread from coast-to-coast and border-to-border thanks to our hardworking Employees and their LUV for Customer Service.
Our Code of Conduct
The Southwest Airlines Code of Conduct outlines our commitments to our Employees. We strive to operate our airline safely, efficiently, and with integrity. Every individual affiliated with our airline is expected to uphold the standards set in our Company policies and guidelines. Southwest is the airline with Heart, and our work should also demonstrate our Company’s Values and policies.
Leadership
Southwest is grateful for a strong Leadership Team and our ongoing commitment to Leadership development equips us with a deep bench of talented Leaders. We believe support is a key part of every Leader’s empowerment. Learn more about our Leaders.
Corporate Citizenship
For more than 50 years, Southwest Airlines has been committed to doing the right thing by our People, through our Performance, and in service to our Planet, all supported with strong corporate governance. We take pride in our reputation as the airline with Heart, and that naturally extends to a passion for making a difference in our communities and protecting our resources. These efforts, commonly referred to as ESG (environmental, social, and governance), support our Purpose to connect People to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel, and our Vision of being the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.
Learn more about Southwest Citizenship. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, read our annual corporate social responsibility report—The One Report.
Customer Commitments
We don't take our commitments lightly. We’re dedicated to doing the right thing and take great strides to foster trusting relationships between our Employees, Customers, Suppliers, and Communities.
- Safety Commitment
- Citizenship Commitment
- Environmental Sustainability Plan
- Environmental Policy
- Supplier Diversity Program
- Southwest Contract of Carriage (English)
- Southwest Contract of Carriage (Spanish)
- Customer Service Plan (English)
- Customer Service Plan (Spanish)
- Southwest Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan (English)
- Southwest Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan (Spanish)
For earlier versions of the Contract of Carriage, please contact us and specify the effective date you would like to receive.
The Southwest Experience
Our commitment to our Customers is seen throughout the Southwest travel experience, from our “no change fees1”, “bags fly free2”, and “flight credits don’t expire3” policies to the range of benefits available through our Rapid Rewards® program.
Want to be among the first to board your next flight? Check out Upgraded Boarding and EarlyBird Check-In® – two exclusive benefits we offer to get you on the plane earlier. Upgraded Boarding and EarlyBird Check-In are subject to availability.
How about free movies4, TV5, and texting6 on your next flight? We’ve got you with our free in-flight entertainment.
So, are you ready to explore?
See everywhere our Customers can fly.
View our Route MapReady to book? Let’s get going!
Book your next flight1Fare difference may apply. 2First and second checked bags. Weight and size limits apply. 3Flight credits unexpired on or created on or after July 28, 2022, do not expire and will show an expiration date until our systems are updated. 4Available only on WiFi-enabled aircraft. Limited-time offer. Where available. 5Due to licensing restrictions, on WiFi-enabled flights, free live TV may not be available for the full duration of the flight. 6Only allows access to iMessage and WhatsApp (must be downloaded before the flight).