Independent profile — not affiliated with Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. is a Dallas-based U.S. passenger airline. This page covers its published refund, flight-credit and baggage rules, how to complain to the airline and to DOT, DOT enforcement orders including the 2023 $140 million consent order, and the BBB and Trustpilot figures shown on October 14, 2026.

COMPLAINTS44
VERIFIED PHONE1-800-435-9792
LAST CHECKED2026-10-14
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CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints

USAComplaints currently maintains 44 historical complaints about Southwest Airlines, published between 2005 and 2013. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.

EDITORIAL

Complaint Themes

Refund, cancellation or flight-credit disputes (keyword match)Baggage lost, delayed or items missing (keyword match)Customer service or staff conduct (keyword match)Delays, bumping or missed flights (keyword match)Fares, fees or advertised promotions (keyword match)

Each tag reflects a complaint's single primary theme (not every angle it raised), and complaints outside any problem theme — a positive report, or one later retracted by its author — aren't tagged. Counts may total less than the full complaint count above.

EXTERNAL SOURCE

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

BBB: 159 reviews, 1390 complaints
Trustpilot: 990 reviews,
VERIFIED

Contacts

VERIFIED

Locations

TypeAddress
Headquarters2702 Love Field Dr Dallas TX 75235
Mailing addressP.O. Box 36611 Dallas TX 75235-1611
EDITORIAL

Southwest refunds, flight credits, baggage claims and how to complain (checked October 14, 2026)

Southwest's Customer Service Plan (effective 06/04/2026), its Contract of Carriage (58th Revised, effective 09/24/2026), its Help Center, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) refund and complaint pages, DOT enforcement orders, BBB and Trustpilot were opened on October 14, 2026. The complaints in this site's archive about Southwest are old (2005 to 2013), so the steps below come from the airline's and DOT's published rules, not from those posts.

Contact the airline first. The plan gives 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) for Customer Representatives. On complaints it says: 'Written complaints will receive an acknowledgment in writing indicating receipt of the complaint within 30 days of receipt. You will also receive a substantive response no later than 60 days after our receipt of your complaint.' The plan points to Southwest.com for contact information.

Cancelling a booking. The plan allows cancelling an unchanged reservation without penalty within 24 hours of booking for a full refund if it was made one week or more before departure. Under the Contract of Carriage, a voluntary cancellation of a nonrefundable Basic fare is returned as a Flight Credit 'unless it has been six months or more between the initial ticketing date and the date of cancellation', in which case the passenger 'will forfeit all funds associated with the fare segment'. Choice fares are returned as Transferable Flight Credits. The contract says Flight Credits created from tickets issued or changed on or after May 28, 2025 'have an expiration date by which travel must be booked and flown'. In its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, the company says credits created on or after May 28, 2025 'will typically have a specified expiration date of one year or less, depending on the type of fare purchased and form of payment used'. The airline's own Help Center page for travel funds and refunds is the place to request a refund or reimbursement.

When Southwest cancels or significantly changes a flight. DOT's refund page says that if you purchased your tickets directly from an airline, you are entitled to an automatic refund when the airline cancels or significantly delays or changes your flight and you do not accept the changed flight, a rebooked flight, a travel credit or voucher, or alternative compensation. One bullet on that page gives the deadline as 7 business days for credit-card purchases and 20 calendar days for other forms of payment; another bullet says '20 business days (for cash purchases)'. For tickets bought through a travel agent or online travel agency, DOT says the merchant of record is responsible for the ticket refund, while a checked-bag fee refund is requested from the airline. The Contract of Carriage defines a Significantly Delayed or Changed Flight as a Southwest-imposed change of three hours or more for domestic itineraries and six hours or more for international itineraries, and says 'A refund to the original form of payment is your exclusive remedy in the event of a Southwest cancellation or Significantly Delayed or Changed Flight'. The plan adds that for delays of three hours or more within the airline's control, Southwest will rebook on the next available Southwest flight, provide a meal voucher on request, arrange or reimburse lodging where an unscheduled overnight stay results, and that for travel beginning April 30, 2024 a customer may be eligible for a transferable 'Southwest LUV Voucher' of at least $75 if Southwest canceled or delayed the flight within seven days of the scheduled departure, the customer arrived three or more hours after the scheduled arrival time, and the request is submitted at Southwest.com/DelayForm within one year.

Baggage. The Contract of Carriage requires notifying Southwest and receiving a baggage report number not later than 4 hours after arrival for loss or substantial delay, and in person at the airport within 24 hours for damage. For lost baggage a Property Loss Claim form must be returned within 30 days of its issue. The plan says that a checked-bag fee will be refunded if the bag was delayed 12 or more hours (domestic itineraries) or 15 or more hours (international itineraries), or was not recovered, so long as a mishandled baggage report was filed. The Contract of Carriage limits liability for loss, damage or delay of checked or carryon baggage to the proven amount, 'but in no event shall be greater than Four Thousand Seven Hundred and 00/100 dollars ($4700.00) per fare paying Passenger pursuant to 14 CFR § 254.4' unless a higher value was declared at check-in. Per the company's 10-Q, bag fees for most fare products began May 28, 2025 and assigned seating began for travel on January 27, 2026.

If the airline does not resolve it. DOT's page says to give the airline a chance first and then file a complaint with DOT's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection through its online form or by mail to 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590. DOT also says that, except for civil rights complaints, it 'does not investigate every air travel service complaint received' and instead directs the airline to respond to the passenger. Safety concerns go to the FAA and security concerns to TSA, not to DOT's consumer office.

EDITORIAL

DOT enforcement orders and complaints involving Southwest Airlines

The U.S. DOT's enforcement orders list names Southwest Airlines in the orders below. They are administrative orders, not court judgments.

  • Order 2003-3-5 (served March 7, 2003). DOT dismissed a third-party complaint by an individual passenger alleging disability discrimination by Southwest; the order is titled 'Order Dismissing Complaint'.
  • Order 2003-8-30 (served August 28, 2003). An order concerning 14 CFR Part 382 (Air Carrier Access Act) and the in-cabin stowage of one standard-size folding wheelchair on new aircraft with 100 or more seats; it directs Southwest to cease and desist and assesses a civil penalty of $500,000.
  • Order 2010-4-14 (served April 27, 2010). A consent order concerning the oversales rule (14 CFR Part 250): failure to give involuntarily bumped passengers the required written notice and the correct denied-boarding compensation on time. It assesses a civil penalty of $200,000; the order says Southwest agreed to it without admitting or denying the violations.
  • Order 2011-3-20 (served March 15, 2011). A consent order concerning 14 CFR 234.11 (on-time performance data on the website's initial flight listing); it assesses $50,000 in civil penalties.
  • Order 2013-5-1 (served May 1, 2013). A consent order, from an April 2012 DOT on-site inspection, concerning failure to respond in time to disability-related and other consumer complaints received from June 2011 to January 2012 (14 CFR 382.155 and 259.7(c)); it assesses a compromise civil penalty of $150,000.
  • Order 2013-7-20 (served July 30, 2013). An order concerning the full-fare advertising rule (14 CFR 399.84(a)) over fare-sale advertisements; it assesses $200,000 in civil penalties. DOT's Order 2014-5-13 records that $100,000, the portion suspended for one year under this order, became due and was paid after a later violation.
  • Order 2013-8-17 (served August 23, 2013). DOT's Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings declined to institute a formal enforcement proceeding on an individual's Air Carrier Access Act complaint against Southwest and PrimeFlight Airline Services and dismissed the case.
  • Order 2014-5-13 (served May 29, 2014). A consent order concerning the full-fare advertising rule (14 CFR 399.84) for advertised fares for which no seats were available; it assesses $200,000 in civil penalties.
  • Order 2015-1-10 (served January 15, 2015). A consent order concerning the tarmac delay rule (14 CFR Part 259) and adherence to the emergency contingency plan (49 U.S.C. 42301); it assesses $1,600,000 in compromise of civil penalties. The order records that Southwest disputes DOT's per-passenger penalty interpretation.
  • Order 2016-8-33 (August 26, 2016). A consent order concerning the notification provisions of the oversales rule (14 CFR Part 250) and the domestic baggage liability rule (14 CFR Part 254). It directs Southwest to cease and desist from further similar violations and 'assesses Southwest $40,000 in civil penalties': $20,000 was due within 30 days and the other $20,000 would become due if Southwest violated the order within one year; Order 2018-1-5 records that Southwest paid the suspended portion on June 13, 2017. The order says Southwest consented without admitting or denying the violations.
  • Order 2018-1-5 (January 9, 2018). A consent order concerning notification provisions of the baggage liability rule (14 CFR Part 254); it directs Southwest to cease and desist and 'assesses Southwest $50,000 in civil penalties'; the order says Southwest consented without admitting or denying the violations.
  • Order 2023-12-11 (December 15, 2023; listed by DOT on December 18, 2023). A consent order about the operational disruption after Winter Storm Elliott (December 21, 2022 to January 2, 2023). DOT states that Southwest cancelled or significantly delayed over 16,900 flights affecting over two million passengers and that the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection determined Southwest failed to provide prompt or proper refunds to some passengers, prompt flight status notifications and adequate customer service assistance (49 U.S.C. 41712; 14 CFR 259.5 and 259.8). The order assesses a $140 million civil penalty in three components: $35 million payable to the U.S. Treasury in three installments; $72 million offset against $90 million in vouchers to be issued from April 30, 2024 to April 29, 2027; and $33 million credited to Southwest for past compensation that DOT describes as above and beyond existing requirements. The order records that Southwest 'disagrees with the DOT's position' and 'does not admit any violation of any statute or regulation'. DOT's order also says Southwest had paid consumers over six hundred million dollars in refunds and reimbursements, and records Southwest's statement that in January 2023 it provided 25,000 Rapid Rewards points (approximately $300 in value) to every customer significantly affected by the disruption.
  • Order 2025-12-4 (December 5, 2025). An amended consent order. DOT states Southwest 'continues to be assessed $140 million', but credits $11 million, which would have been due to the Treasury by January 31, 2026, against $112.4 million Southwest invested in its Network Operations Control. The voucher obligation of Order 2023-12-11 was not changed by this order.
  • Order 2026-3-9 (March 18, 2026). DOT dismissed a third-party complaint (filed November 16, 2022 by Allergy & Asthma Network and others) alleging that Southwest violated the Air Carrier Access Act by not letting passengers with food allergies preboard. DOT found Southwest had restored preboarding eligibility for passengers with nut allergies and said that extending preboarding to all severe food allergies is better addressed through rulemaking than individual adjudication.

These are the Southwest orders identified in a review of DOT's enforcement orders list on October 14, 2026; the oldest is from 2003.

EDITORIAL

Who operates Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is operated by Southwest Airlines Co., a Texas corporation whose shares trade on the NYSE under LUV; SEC EDGAR lists its business address as 2702 Love Field Drive, Dallas, Texas 75235, telephone (214) 792-4000. BBB's profile lists the business as started and incorporated in 1967 and names Bob Jordan as President/CEO.

Southwest's Rapid Rewards credit cards are offered under a co-branded credit card agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (Chase), according to the company's 10-Q. Complaints in the archive about the card's fees or sign-up bonuses concern that card agreement; the issuing bank and the airline are different businesses.

The same 10-Q states that, effective June 4, 2026, the company suspended operations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.

EDITORIAL

What reviewers, BBB and this site's archive show

BBB, as displayed on October 14, 2026. The BBB profile 'Southwest Airlines Company' (Dallas, TX) shows a BBB Rating of F and says the business is not BBB Accredited. BBB lists the reasons 'Failure to respond to 107 complaint(s) filed against business' and '119 complaint(s) filed against business that were not resolved'. The complaints tab shows 1,390 total complaints in the last 3 years and 458 filed in the last 12 months; the reviews tab shows 1.19 out of 5 stars from 159 customer reviews. BBB also displays a government-action notice that names DOT Docket DOT-OST-2023-0001 (the December 2023 order above). BBB states that complaint text shown may not represent all complaints. BBB also lists several Southwest Airlines Company addresses; this page uses the profile for the headquarters address.

Trustpilot, as displayed on October 14, 2026. The page for southwest.com has 990 reviews and a TrustScore of 1.6, is labelled 'Unclaimed profile' and carries Trustpilot's notice that it does not fact-check reviews. These figures are separate sources and are not combined with the counts below.

This site's archive. 44 approved complaints about Southwest Airlines are linked to this page as the primary subject (posted 2005 to 2013); 5 further approved posts mention Southwest as a brand or partner (the Rapid Rewards/Chase card or a vacation package). Keyword counts over the 44 primary posts, which can overlap: refunds or cancellations 11, baggage 14, customer service or staff 31, delays or bumping 9. Archive posts are unverified reader accounts and allegations.

EDITORIAL

Court matters disclosed by the company

The company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (opened October 14, 2026) describes, among other matters, the following. They are the company's own descriptions of court matters; none is a passenger refund or baggage case.

  • Military-leave class action (employment). A complaint filed on January 7, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The 10-Q says the court certified a class on February 3, 2021; the settlement 'includes an $18.5 million settlement fund' and prospective relief, and on May 19, 2026 the court granted final approval, entered final judgment and closed the case.
  • California wage-and-hour class action (employment). Filed December 27, 2019 in Santa Clara County Superior Court by a former Oakland airport customer service agent. The 10-Q says the court granted class certification on February 26, 2025 as to the meal-period claim; judgment was entered for the company on September 2, 2025, plaintiffs appealed, and plaintiffs filed their opening appellate brief on May 6, 2026. The appeal was pending as of the 10-Q.
  • Securities class action (investors). Two complaints filed in January and March 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas allege that the company made material misstatements to investors about its internal technology and vulnerability to large-scale flight disruptions, the subject of the December 2022 disruption described above. The 10-Q says the court entered final judgment on May 20, 2026 dismissing all claims with prejudice, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal the same day, and the appeal is in the Fifth Circuit. The company denies the allegations. The 10-Q also describes shareholder derivative demands and suits based on similar allegations.

A court case can resolve differently from a regulator's order or a complaint on this page. The 10-Q was the only court source reviewed for this page; no passenger class-action docket was opened, so none is described here.

EDITORIAL

Is Southwest Airlines Legitimate?

Southwest Airlines Co. is an SEC-registered public company (CIK 92380) with a Dallas headquarters, a published Customer Service Plan filed under DOT's rule 14 CFR 259.5, and a published Contract of Carriage. The U.S. DOT has issued orders against it, listed above, including the December 2023 consent order in which the company disagreed with DOT's position and did not admit a violation. BBB displays an F rating with unanswered and unresolved complaints as described above; the reviewers' ratings on BBB and Trustpilot are individual opinions. Use the airline's own channels first and DOT's complaint page if the airline does not resolve a problem.

CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Related Complaints

Names this company in a role other than the primary subject — not necessarily current or complete.

VERIFIED

Company Relationships

  • Affiliated with: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
EDITORIAL

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I file a complaint with Southwest Airlines?

Southwest's Customer Service Plan gives 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) for Customer Representatives and says written complaints get a written acknowledgment within 30 days and a substantive response no later than 60 days after receipt. Contact information is on Southwest.com.

How long does a Southwest refund take?

The plan says that when a refund is due under 14 CFR Part 260, Southwest will make reasonable efforts to process credit-card refunds within seven business days (card issuer posting can take up to ten more business days) and refunds by check within 20 calendar days.

What happens if I cancel a nonrefundable Southwest ticket?

The Contract of Carriage says a voluntarily cancelled nonrefundable Basic fare is returned as a Flight Credit unless six months or more passed between ticketing and cancellation, in which case the funds are forfeited. Choice fares are returned as Transferable Flight Credits, and a reservation can be cancelled without penalty within 24 hours of booking if made a week or more before departure.

Do Southwest Flight Credits expire?

The Contract of Carriage says Flight Credits created from tickets issued or changed on or after May 28, 2025 have an expiration date by which travel must be booked and flown; the Help Center explains the terms that apply.

What should I do if Southwest loses or delays my bag?

Under the Contract of Carriage, report the loss or delay and get a baggage report number not later than four hours after arrival (damage must be reported in person at the airport within 24 hours), and return a Property Loss Claim form within 30 days of its issue. The Customer Service Plan says a checked-bag fee is refunded if a bag is delayed 12 or more hours and a report was filed.

Has the U.S. DOT penalized Southwest Airlines?

DOT's Order 2023-12-11 assessed a $140 million civil penalty over the December 2022 to January 2023 disruption, with $35 million payable to the Treasury, $72 million offset against $90 million of vouchers and $33 million credited for past compensation; the order records that Southwest did not admit any violation. DOT's Order 2025-12-4 credited the remaining $11 million Treasury payment against investments in its operations control center. DOT's list also has earlier Southwest orders, each with its own stated penalty: $500,000 (2003), $200,000 (2010), $50,000 (2011), $150,000 (2013), $200,000 (2013), $200,000 (2014), $1,600,000 (2015), $40,000 (2016) and $50,000 (2018).

How do I report a Southwest problem to DOT?

DOT says to give the airline a chance to resolve the problem first, then file a complaint with its Office of Aviation Consumer Protection through its online form or by mail; airline safety concerns go to the FAA and security concerns to TSA.

What does BBB show for Southwest Airlines?

As displayed on October 14, 2026, BBB's profile for Southwest Airlines Company, Dallas shows a BBB Rating of F, not accredited, 1,390 complaints in the last 3 years and 1.19 out of 5 from 159 customer reviews. The profile's reasons for the rating include 107 complaints not responded to and 119 not resolved.

When did Southwest start charging for bags and assigning seats?

The company's 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 says bag fees for most fare products began May 28, 2025 and assigned and extra legroom seating began for travel on January 27, 2026.