Southwest Airlines
reviews and complaints

On March 26, 2019 I was booked on Southwest flight from Reno/Tahoe to Oakland. I planned to then take BART to connect with an international flight to UK from San Francisco with United. I have done this several times previously when no direct United flights were available.

On the evening prior to my flight I received notification that my flight was canceled, so I rebooked on Southwest Reno/Tahoe - Las Vegas - San Francisco. It entailed my getting to airport hours earlier but would still catch my international connection. The later Reno/Tahoe Oakland flight didn't give me enough time for the connection.

On arrival in San Francisco, my checked bag did not arrive. I talked to the luggage agent Blaire Flowers and she said it should come on next flight and they could bring it to United for my international flight. My bag did not make it to San Francisco it had been sent to Oakland and 45 minutes before my international flight I received notification they had my bag was at Oakland.

I was not prepared to miss the United flight to UK and incur rebooking fees, I left without my bag and had Oakland Southwest baggage ship it to my home address as they were not prepared to ship it overseas.

With no bag at all and the next 4 weeks in UK, I had to purchase new clothes, shoes and toiletries. This has been a considerable outlay in expenses for me.

I hope you can see your way to covering some of these expenses in either compensation or refunding my ticket. I can provide receipts for all my purchases.

Regards

Stephen Hill
[protected]
Rapid Rewards # [protected]
[protected]@aiqsystems.com

We purchased 2 tickets to new orleans in april 2019 number pnbf6d. Due to an illness we were not able to fly and was given a voucher for our full amount of purchase. On friday I used those vouchers to get new flights to chicago, only to find out that we could not use the voucher for taxes and fees only the flight. Now this is my problem... We already paid flight, taxes and fees that were already paid in the original flight and refunded to us in a voucher. We are now out taxes and fees that we paid to southwest twice. Customers services is not very helpful on any site or phone ca l. We wasted countless time on the phone trying to rectify this situation & no solution form this company, please address the problem!

I received notice late evening my early Flight Confirmation #PKP3OF was cancelled. I had to get back as I was scheduled for surgery the following day. By the time I was given notice many flights were full. I found a convoluted series of connections that got me back to Omaha, Nebraska at 6:15 pm, after being at the Austin, Texas airport at 6am for my original 8am flight due to a scheduled Lyft pick up. As my rescheduled flight didn't leave until 11:45 am, I couldn't even check my bags until 7:45 am. My wife and I are Rewards members and loyal to Southwest Airlines. I expect compensation for the inconvenience caused by your cancellation of my scheduled flight. The original 4hr flight ended up being a 12 hour flight day stressful nightmare. Your timely response will be appreciated.
Sincerely, Clayton Toddy.

I was on flight 1438 on April 23, 2019 that was scheduled to leave Las Angelos at 5:40 pm. I arrived to the airport and checked in at around 3:35 pm. I was never told by anyone, emailed, or text that my flight would be delayed 5 hours. It made a very uncomfortable situation. When I spoke to someone at the airport I was informed that they email me and the text the person who paid for my ticket. That person was my sister who drove me to the airport and no text came through her phone. Also they claimed they had none of my information, but my boarding pass was on my phone, and when I finally got home at 4:20 am I checked my email and there I found the text send at 3;50 pm that the flight would be delay.
I feel this is very unfair and I need someone to get back to me with a better explaination.

Our flight from Manchester, NH to Orlando, FL (no. 3918) on April 10, 2019 went smoothly. Our direct return flight from Orlando to Boston (no. 1737) on April 19, 2019 was confirmed on March 26, 2019 (conf. # OXJFLA). When I checked on 4/18/19, there was no flight 1737 listed. After 3 hours on the phone with SW I was told the flight was cancelled and no direct flights were available. Neither us nor our AAA travel agent was notified of the cancellation. If I had not checked on 4/18 we would have arrived at the airport the next day and found no flight.

We got a direct flight to Manchester NH and had to pay $80 to upgrade to a "A" boarding pass so that we could sit together. Our original one was for "C".

We lost half of a vacation day trying to arrange a new flight and had to fly out at 7 A.M. versus an afternoon flight as originall scheduled. The net is a full day lost.

The customer service person said it was a computer problem that they could not notify us or AAA travel from March 27th till April 19th. Since they claim it was beyond Southwest's control that FAA grounded all the 727 Max 8's they feel no responsiblity in the matter . At first the customer service representative claimed they were not offering compenstion toany people who had flights cancelled and not notified. After a few hours on the phone they did offer two $150 vouchers for a future flight but no compensation for the $80 upgrade we were forced to purchase.

They accepted no responsibility and blamed our cancellation and their failure to notify us or our agent on its computer system which they claim was outside its control.

Poor response to a problem they created and should have had control of.

The incident occurred on 4/20/2019 at the St. Louis airport. While flying home from Tampa, Fl to Cleveland. My ticket number was [protected] and the was flight (#5336) had lay over in St. Louis (Flight 3041). Waiting to board I noticed the grounds crew first unloading luggage which some was just tossed from the plane. I then noticed the crew loading luggage. My piece is easy to recognize so I could immediately when my piece was being loaded onto the airplane. The gentlemen picked the piece up by the handle and the wheel. Sorry but luggage is not meant to be picked this way. Then the my piece had almost fallen off the belt but the gentlemen grabbed it by the wheel once again and pushed it back on. Upon arriving in Cleveland I could not figure out by my luggage was not standing right or moving properly. Once I got home and looked I notice that the wheel to my luggage was jammed up into the interior of the luggage. This is a hard shell piece and only the second time that I have used. This piece cost me over $200 and now it is not usable at all. I will have to go and purchase another to replace this piece. I am attaching pictures of what the wheel look like and the damaged/broken wheel. I would like compensated in some way for this issue. If you require any additional information please email at [protected]@yahoo.com
thank you
Rebecca Richardson

My wife and I had a reservation, Confirmation MIJAGC, to depart BWI airport at 09:25 AM on April 1, 2019, on flight 1864, and arrive at FLL at 12:05 PM. We changed our departure to Flight 419, which was to depart BWI at 6:10 AM on April 1, 2019. Our return flight originally was flight 2281, departing at 1:15 PM from FLL. The total for our change was $150.00. Unfortunately, we did not depart BWI until around 09:00 AM, and arrive at FLL around noon that day.

Southwest Airlines gave us a voucher each. This we are thankful.

On our return on April 12, 2019, our flight 785, with departure time of 3:45 PM from FLL to BWI, was cancelled. We could not get an the later flight was scheduled to depart at 5:00PM. We were then scheduled for the 9:10 PM flight.

The voucher was very kind. Since we did not achieved the gain in arriving at, FLL from BWI, the earlier time, and did arrive just minutes before the later flight we should be allowed to get a larger compensation. We spent the $150.00 extra, but did not get the gains that we had expected.

Furthermore on April 12, 2019, we had to spend another approximately five and a half hours at FLL waiting for a later flight. In total, we spent over eight hours for both days waiting around due to a delayed flight, and a cancelled flight. At FLL, no one even offered us any meal vouchers so we could something to eat.

We deserve more that $100.00 voucher for all that we have gone through.

I had to wait 48 mins for a call back this afternoon, only to be hung up on. Waited another 46 mins for a call back only to rerouted to Travel Funds and then to be dismissed by Renee (who kept calling me the wrong name and was zero help).
Bottom line, trying to rebook a flight using travel funds R6G55B. These expire 7/31 but i need to use them on a flight for 8/15...which is just a few days after they expire. I was very sure SW would accommodate this request because I am rarely every disappointed in SW but to my surprise this has been the worst afternoon dealing with an airline. SW, you are better than this. Please contact me ASAP and lets talk this through.

I've made this complaint several times yet it doesn't seem anything is done about it and before it becomes a major issue I feel it needs to be addressed.
If we the customers are allowed to check in and receive a pecking order (A, B, C) and sometimes wake up early to do so, then sorry to say, one of your staff should check boarding passes to make sure people are in the right place.
4/17/19 flight 1086, I had two people get out of their order and jump in front of me.
When I asked if they had a half number, they ignored me. I don't think it's fair to anybody.
Please find a remedy to this madness!

Due to multiple cancellations of our flights, we were delayed 3 days getting home to Detroit from Houston. We were cancelled twice during the boarding process. We were supposed to be home on 3/16/2019, but did not finally get there until 3/19/2019. Myself, daughter and husband lost 2 days wages, and had multiple extra expenses, well over $1500. I have contacted customer service and they basically said, sorry nothing we can do, but hope you fly with us again soon.

On April 15, 2019 at approximately 2:15 am a flight attendant for southwest airlines, displayed some very disturbing behavior. I was there to pick up my friend whom had flew in from Los Angeles and was at the escalators(by baggage claim) waiting on another one of our friends and her elderly mother(whom just had knee surgery). As they were coming down we walked over to assist our friends mother when the. Disrespectful flight attendant brushed pass her saying to us, you guys need to move and take the party else where. I then turn to her and said excuse me, she then stated again that we need to take the party else where. So I then just ignored her ignorance cause there was no party we were helping someone out. We were all talking and laughing it off, she then comes back and says to me your talking about me cause your looking at me. I then told her it's a free country and I can look anywhere, she then started walking back towards us saying I'm not scared of you snapping her fingers and rolling her neck and head. She then said I'm going to walk away, but I know that's hard for you black people and then said to me Bye Felicia, so to give you a background about the term Bye Felicia, this character role in the movie Friday is a term the actors in the film referred to a known Crackhead so she's calling me a crackhead. I have never experienced any kind of behavior as this before from Southwest airlines and of my airline chose you are it, but after this terrible experience I don't know if I feel the same anymore. So if that means I have to pay for my luggage and layovers with another carrier it's worth it to me so that I wouldn't have to experience this type of racist behavior. I really don't know what if anything this complaint will do, but you guys definitely need to be aware of what type of unprofessional employee you have.

My husband and I traveled on flight 361 from SC to Chicago 4/10/19.Upon selecting a free movie offered by SW "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" a love making scene showing NO nudity came on as the main flight attendant Michelle walked by and very loudly exclaimed "Are you watching PORN!?". It made us both very uncomfortable because of her insinuation in a public place. This was a movie SW offered. We didn't appreciate being singled out and felt insulted by this flight attendant. After the accusation, the flight attendant was very standoffish towards us. Shouldn't she know what movies are offered?!

I was just treated rudely and spoken to in a condescending tone by the service gate desk agent. His name is Rodney in Orlando at gate 124 for flight 5320. The incident happened at 1210 on 4/14/19. I am trying to make a cruise on time and the flight is delayed. Instead of telling us what was going on and if southwest could help, he just said no and continued to lecture me about how everything is out of control and he cannot help anyone. He then proceeded to lecture me on how weather works. He rudely dismissed me without helping at all. This is not the mission of southwest and did not help at all.

On April 6th, 2019, my husband and I flew from Austin to New Orleans. We arrived about 1 hour to our flight time and we were told our bags were checked with plenty of time to make the flight. We landed approximately 8am in New Orleans to find my bag had not made the flight and was guaranteed to be arriving on the 1150am flight from Dallas. We left the airport to kill time and came back at 1130am (paying $30 each way for Uber fare). We arrived back to find the plane had not even left yet and was delayed until 125pm. We were given no other explanation or given options to have my bag shipped to our hotel.

We decided to wait at the airport as to not spend another $60 in Uber fees. At 125pm we went back down to find the plane was delayed until an unknown time. We were given no other information. I finally asked if there was so sort of method of having my bag sent to me. I have never been in this situation so I didn't know my options. The woman at baggage claims gave me a paper and told me to call them once I have tracked my bag down by calling the airport throughout the day to see if my bag had arrived. That was all the information she gave me.

I called corporate and bag claims to try and get more information. I was told because my bag was late, but not checked as a late bag, it had not arrived because it was my fault. I was also told had I not been "late" and Southwest lost the bag itself, Southwest would then help me locate my bag. But because that was not the case and they didn't lose it, it was up to me to find my bag. I have never been treated like that especially when I am a paying customer. I was treated like trash and told it was up to me to find my bag and to continue to call until who knows when.

My bag finally arrived about 5pm and I set it up to be picked up by 7pm. It didn't get picked up until 8pm and was delivered approximately midnight the following day, April 7th, 2019. When I got my bag, half my items were soaking wet from being left in the rain and my Bluetooth headphones no longer work. Also, the front pocket of my bag is torn from the stitching and hanging off my bag. Also, come to find out, my bag went through a random search which I am now thinking made my bag miss our flight. When we flew home, they tagged it as torn as to not be help responsible, but that is not the condition my bag was in originally.

I am so upset, frustrated, and disheartened that this has happened. I have never flown another airline because I love Southwest so much and have even convinced others to use your services in the past. Well, that was the past. I will no longer fly with you all and I will never recommend to my entire extended family/friends/coworkers to use your services. I have never been treated like this and told to pretty much deal with it on my own.

I definitely think there should be some compensation between the money spent back and forth to the airport when no one had explained things or given me options; my bag now ruined and my Bluetooth headphones ruined. Not to mention the emotional stress of it all and taking an ENTIRE day away from our anniversary trip. I was also dealing with feminine problems and really needed my clothes then, not the next morning.

I would most definitely like to speak with someone who cares about their customers having a good experience and will not treat/talk to me like I am nothing but a pest. I will be glad to submit photos once I hear from someone regarding this matter.

Departure out of Cincinnati was delayed 2 hours on April 5, 2019-flight 2169.
The madness continues. Layover in Chicago Midway flight overbooked and there was no overhead space for a small backpack.
Southwest airlines sends a lousy we're sorry for the delay. If I was delayed it would have cost me money or I would have been left behind.
April 7, 2019 flight out of St. Louis, the Captain must have forgotten the chapter on smooth landing. Hit the tarmac like a rock. The gate change after a 3 hours of waiting. I feel sorry for parents with children and all the back and forth. What has happened yo this airline which says they think if their customer? They must be thinking about people who don't use their services.
I do nor plan to fly SWA again, what a joke.

I purchased some flights tickets for my sister Anntonette Taylor for 5/2 Q4CWJL & 5/5 VRBPGQ & now she is not traveling with me so I need my tickets put in my name for a later use are refund I spoke with customer service & all they did was take my sister off my reservations I can't afford to just throw my money away like this I'm a second time customer I just bought 3 round trip tickets to Las Vegas in February 11 & 18 I don't think I will fly with Southwest again

My husband and I purchased two airline tickets to Las Vegas NV for Christmas, 2018.
Unfortunately, his cancer became very aggressive and we were unable to go.
Two credits for airline tickets were put into his SW account.
He died from aggressive prostate cancer on March 7, 2019. When I tried to use those airline tickets for the burial of his ashes in Ohio, I was told they were not available because I was not on his account. I have an account with SW as well.
The response from Customer Service was: "Rapid Rewards Points must remain in the account of the person who purchased them."
Since the airline tickets were paid from our joint checking account, this doesn't seem fair. I am in the unfortunate position of awaiting annuities from his AF and Lockheed Martin pension to come into my account and will have problems buying a ticket for his burial in Ohio.
Ellen Buelow

My experience in the San Francisco lobby was terrible. First of all my flight to Dallas was completely cancelled and I did NOT get a notification through the app. I just happened to be digging through my email and saw the flight was cancelled only a few hours before we were set to depart. What is the point of an app and in-app notifications if it wont even tell me when my flight is being cancelled?! Then I cant rebook via the app because it keeps saying "ERROR" and the phone lines are too busy to get through... so I have to get to the airport and talk to a southwest employee to get the situation straight. She tells me there are no more flights in SanFran and that we can catch a flight in Oakland (not being from California I have no idea how far Oakland is) I asked her twice how far Oakland was from the San Fran airport and she told me TWICE "oh you'll have time, just order an Uber now." So we get the tickets, get in our $60 uber (money I did not budget for) and the guy freaks out when we tell him our flight leaves in an HOUR. He drove his butt off getting us there. We got through security and to the gate in just the nick of time! All thanks to our Uber driver. I really cannot believe the Southwest lady at San Francisco did that to us. SO, onto part 2 of this fiasco... we had a layover in Vegas for about 1.5 hours. Our tickets tell us we leave for Dallas from B12 so we decide to take a minute to eat and try to distress from todays adventures. We start to realize that no one is arriving at his gate, so I ask a southwest employee about our flight and he tells me it has been moved to C2. He then explains that its "really far and you need to leave now" So we take off running and IT WAS FAR. We get to the gate again, in just the nick of time. At this point me and my poor mom are completely exhausted and stressed. I was debating before this trip whether or not I should become a credit card holder and I'm so glad I didn't. I had pretty normal expectations going into this trip because I know that stuff happens and its not always smooth ride. But I am highly disappointed in the customer service we received while in California and in the app.

Flight # 487 out of austin to houston was delayed over and over. Everyone asked if we would make our connecting flights before we left. They promised 3 different times that everyone would make their connecting flights. Mostly everyone missed their flights. We could not take a later flight because we had tickets for an event that we are trying to get to. We are now sitting in the houston airport waiting for a flight back home. We have been here for five hours so far with another hour to go to wait on our flight. We've been trying to get a hold of customer relations and have been on hold for 1 1/2 hours. This is by far the worst customer service experience I have ever had with an airline.