So you’re planning a trip and wondering, is Southwest a good airline?
Let’s face it, you have a lot of choices when it comes to booking airfare.
Almost too many.
To help you decide, check out these 9 simple reasons why Southwest is a solid airline for family vacations, casual trips, and business travel.
We’ll also address the horrible holiday meltdown Southwest weathered in 2022 and review how the company has worked to redeem itself. No airline is perfect, but being aware of the stats can be a helpful decision-maker.
1. Affordable Price Point
Price is my main question when it comes to flying.
Southwest is considered a low-cost carrier because Southwest prices typically beat older more-established airlines like Delta, American, and United. Only Spirit and Frontier are known to come in with lower airfare prices compared to Southwest.
Next to Spirit and Frontier, Southwest feels like a luxury low-cost airline with:
- a large carry-on bag
- “free” pretzels and soda
- and free cancellations and flight changes included in the already-low ticket price
While these perks typically cost a little extra in base fares compared to Spirit and Frontier, usually it isn’t very much and sometimes it’s even less.
With Southwest, your bank account doesn’t have to cringe just because you want to go on vacation.
2. Is Southwest Airlines a Safe Airline?
Safety is another important question to answer in our Southwest airlines review. While most airlines don’t have perfect safety records with zero emergency incidents, many have excellent histories providing safe transportation to passengers, even during emergencies. Southwest is no different.
AirlineRatings.com rates Southwest with a 7/7 rating for safety. In the 50+ years of operation, Southwest has only had one major in-flight incident where passenger safety was impacted.
While a devastating incident, statistically Southwest is currently ranked as one of the safest airlines in the country.
3. Free Cancellations
When considering if Southwest is a good airline, free cancellations most certainly come to mind. This perk is very rare with low-cost airlines and nonexistent with basic economy at other airlines.
Southwest’s cancellation policy is a huge perk for those of us who have uncertain schedules. With my husband’s work schedule, for example, we have saved tons in potentially lost airfare by booking through Southwest and canceling the flights when his schedule changes.
You have up to 10 minutes before your scheduled departure to make cancellations or changes to your flight and get a full refund. The type of ticket will determine the type of refund.
- Wanna Get Away – is nonrefundable, but you get a flight credit that doesn’t expire
- Wanna Get Away Plus – is nonrefundable, but you get flight credit that doesn’t expire
- Business Select Flights are refundable
The same goes for flights booked with Rapid Rewards points. After a timely cancellation, your points will revert to your account immediately and the taxes paid will go back to your method of payment.
4. No Flight Change Fees
Southwest understands that plans change and therefore operates a reasonable flight change policy. The policy is simple: there are no fees for changing flights. The customer is only responsible for the difference, if any, between a flight change.
If you change a flight to a lower ticket amount, you will get a flight credit that doesn’t expire or a refund, depending on the type of fare and time of booking. Additionally, Southwest (like many airlines) allows a 24 hour free change policy. Meaning, if you call to change a flight within 24 hours of booking you can get a full refund, no matter the ticket type.
5. Rapids Rewards Points – Southwest Credit Card Chase
Every airline operates a loyalty program. Southwest is no different. The Rapid Rewards program is a way for passengers to earn points on travel that can add up to a free flight. All you have to do is have a rapid rewards account and use that account when booking and your fight. Points will be automatically added to your account. Plus, you can get the rewards for flights booked in the past year, just by having your confirmation number.
The other way to earn points is by signing up for a Southwest credit card. Chase Bank is the operating team behind Southwest’s credit card offerings. The point system and card perks are some of the best in the travel hacking game.
Rapid Reward points are worth 1.4 cents per point. The credit card sign-on bonuses off the most points. Play it right and you can easily score free flights. Points bonuses range from 30,000 points to 100,000 (rare).
6. Southwest Companion Pass
This Southwest perk is extremely unique. Make sure the Companion Pass opportunity gets doubly considered when answering the question, ‘is Southwest a good airline?’.
The Companion Pass allows the holder to select one lucky friend, family member, or significant other to fly for free with them for a year. Play it right and you can earn the pass for more than a year. You can also change who your companion is up to three times each calendar year.
While Southwest has made it more difficult to earn the Companion Pass, it is still a worthwhile endeavor. I have booked free flights to Hawaii and Lake Tahoe using this perk. Southwest is currently running it’s promotional Companion Pass credit card deal right now.
7. Domestic Flight Options in the U.S.
Southwest currently operates at 121 airports in 11 countries. The company competes with top airlines for providing a large number of non-stop domestic flights to passengers in the U.S. While there aren’t always direct flights, as a consumer, I can typically count on Southwest for at least one nonstop option, depending on my destination. Not to mention, Southwest also offers affordable flights to Hawaii.
8. No Assigned Seating
Many people view this aspect of Southwest Airlines as a con, but I see it as freedom and most definitely a pro.
No assigned seating means avoiding awkwardly asking someone to switch with you so you can sit with your friends or family. The boarding group is determined by the time of check-in. Seating is free for all after that.
Business Select passengers or those who qualify for early bird check-in can choose to sit in the first 15 rows of the plane.
9. Free Carry-on Bag
Another reason Southwest is a good airline is the free bag that is included in every flight.
Free is not entirely true as the price is factored into the cost of the tickets. But the overall ticket price typically beats other basic economy flights that do not include bags. Plus, the carry-on bag size is a healthy 24” x 16” x 10” bag. This is the size of most roll-along luggage items.
Plus, the legroom on Southwest planes is one of the best in the air, coming in at 32 inches.
10. Southwest’s Horrible Holiday Meltdown and How They Redeemed Themselves
During the holiday season in 2022, Southwest suffered what appeared to be major networking issues. The issue came during a disruptive snowstorm that affected almost every U.S. airline.
The issue continued to escalate for Southwest, however, when the airline experienced technical issues that caused thousands of flights to be canceled over Christmas and New Year’s. Phone lines were unable to keep up and flight attendants and pilots alike were also stranded during the meltdown.
In the wake of thousands of canceled flights, disrupted passengers, and lost luggage, Southwest plans to invest 1 billion to make technological upgrades and perform system maintenance.
In addition, Southwest extended 25,000 Rapid Rewards points to passengers who were impacted by the delays and cancellations. This gesture of goodwill is $300 in value. The airline has also extended measures to reimburse meals, lodging, and transportation required for disrupted passengers to make it home during the December cancellations.
While these efforts can feel minimal compared to missing Christmas or New Years with family, it is a reasonable step towards improvement and mitigation.
Final Thoughts: Is Southwest a Good Airline?
While Southwest has had its hiccups along the way (with December 2022 being one of the biggest in recent history), the airline continues to offer excellent service at a low price.
Bottom line: Southwest is a good airline.
Personally, Southwest is one of my favorite carriers. I can usually find nonstop flights for a great price. Taking advantage of the Rapid Rewards program and Southwest credit card offers has also afforded me quite a few free flights.
The biggest perk for me is the flexibility Southwest offers its passengers. I enjoy knowing that when I book with Southwest I can cancel or change my flight for free when life happens and plans need to change.
