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Do employees like working at Southwest Airlines?

People Also Ask about Southwest Airlines Employees rate Southwest Airlines 4.1 out of 5 stars based on 4,228 anonymous reviews on Glassdoor. In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Southwest Airlines employees have voted their company to be one of Glassdoor's Best Places to Work.



Southwest Airlines consistently maintains a reputation for having a strong, positive corporate culture, and in 2026, employee satisfaction remains high with an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on major review platforms. Employees frequently cite the "Warrior Spirit" culture, profit-sharing programs, and the excellent flight benefits as top reasons for their satisfaction. The airline's legendary "servant leadership" style encourages a fun, supportive environment. However, like any large company, there are stressors; many employees mention that operational challenges during peak travel seasons and mandatory overtime can impact work-life balance. Despite a recent transition in leadership and shifts in boarding policies, the majority of "Co-hearts" (as Southwest calls its staff) still report a deep sense of loyalty and pride in the company's "LUV" philosophy.

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Southwest Airlines ranks in the Top 10% of other companies on Comparably with 10,000+ Employees for Happiness Score.

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People come first. We're a Company that takes care of its People and its communities, and our People take care of each other. (We're Cohearts, after all!) Our unique Southwest® Culture is woven into all aspects of our business, from we treat each other to how we provide Next-Level Hospitality to our Customers.

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Average Southwest Airlines hourly pay ranges from approximately $10.50 per hour for Barista to $50.32 per hour for Aircraft Mechanic. Salary information comes from 2,712 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months.

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Southwest Airlines scored higher in 10 areas: Overall Rating, Culture & Values, Diversity & Inclusion, Work-life balance, Senior Management, Compensation & Benefits, Career Opportunities, CEO Approval, Recommend to a friend and Positive Business Outlook.

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Known for its flexible ticket policy and two free checked bags for every passenger, Southwest doesn't charge the fees that come with flying on other airlines.

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In con- trast, Southwest Airlines, recently named one of the country's 10 best places to work, experi- ences the highest rate of employee retention in the airline industry. Satisfaction levels are so high that at some of its operating locations, employee turnover rates are less than 5% per year.

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As the Freibergs write in their book: “The real secret to Southwest's success is having one of the most highly motivated and productive work forces in the world. They are motivated by a sense of fairness that says, 'We want your well-being to be tied to the company's well-being because, after all, you are the company.

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Southwest Airlines reviews Online customer reviews tend to agree with Skytrax's assessment. According to the 2022 Airline Quality Rating report, Southwest was ranked as the No. 1 airline in 2021 and 2020. In addition, Southwest had the second lowest consumer complaint rate in 2021.

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Employees at Southwest Airlines stay with the company for 5.6 years on average.

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Here's the ranking of US airlines from MOST complaints in May 2022 to LEAST complaints in May 2022:
  • American Airlines (575 complaints)
  • United Airlines (400 complaints)
  • Frontier Airlines (301 complaints)
  • Delta Air Lines (281 complaints)
  • Spirit Airlines (269 complaints)
  • JetBlue Airways (244 complaints)


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Spirit. Like Frontier, Spirit has the skinniest rows of any American airline, with a seat pitch of 28 inches — and they don't recline. Spirit lagged at 8 out of 10 American airlines studied in the in The Points Guys' 2021 report.

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The FAA mandates retirement at 65 for the airlines as of now. There are other options to keep flying in the corporate and private sector.

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Southwest boards by boarding group, with groups A and B often getting the best seats.

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