About Southwest Airlines®

Welcome! Southwest is proud to offer one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at more than 117 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

Bob Jordan, CEO of 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.

pilot boarding a Southwest plane

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.

Southwest Heart logo

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.

Southwest Employees and Southwest Heart logo

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!

an old Southwest livery plane

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

southwest 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.


Southwest Leaders panel

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.

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 Map

Ready to book? Let’s get going!

Book your next flight

1Fare 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).