Southwest Airlines Reviews

Pros

Southwest Airlines practices the element of inclusion more than any other company I've worked with. Everyone has a voice, and the element of respect is unconditionally present at all times. NO WORDS will ever describe how indebted I feel to be apart of this company. It's a priceless feeling!

Cons

Honestly, there are no cons currently.

Pros

SWA is the largest domestic carrier in the US and is most likely not going away any time soon.

Cons

Flight attendants only get paid for the actual flight time. When the airplane doors are closed. So the hourly rate, being offered only applies to that time. You get paid zero for All other required duties of the day…. Report times in advance of flights, boarding the plane, cleaning the plane after the flight, ground time between flights, weather delays, plane changes, etc.

Pros

-Great healthcare and sick benefits -Commuter clause is the best in the industry -quarterly PIN allows sick day without occurrences. -Good company culture -Improvements here happen daily, slow progress is still progress.

Cons

-Pay for new hires is not nearly enough to live on. I say this as someone who worked for a regional before this, (YX) so I've worked on salary that was less than this one. ($25/hr) -You will more than likely be relocated to a base that was not your first choice for the first 1-3 months of employment. I had to commute from BWI to OAK and it was Hell. On. Earth. No reimbursement for hotels of course, because that's the industry standard. -Reserve system is outdated and you are on call each day, for 24 hours. -Technology here is in the dumps. The bidding software needs updating. The crew scheduling software needs updating. The whole dang planes need updating. -Get used to disappointing passengers. -Wi-fi? More like Try-fi. 60% chance it doesn't work.

Pros

Good benefits Good CEO Good pay and bonus structure

Cons

People department culture Cut in coheart flight benefits and perks Lack of employee care and recognition No collaboration Limited autonomy and independent judgement

Pros

Lots of flexibility, within the company you are able to apply to different positions if you choose.

Cons

Depending on the position you are working, they all come with drawbacks just like any company, and any position. Working shift type work, nights or early am type work, takes a different kind of toll on folks. You either have it in you or you don’t. It is definitely a lifestyle choice. Missing holiday, kids plans, family functions etc. it is all about seniority. After several years, you earn more seniority and more flexibility. True at any airline. Better to know it going in, than get angry after.

Pros

They seem to be pretty open to advice and counseling on their weaknesses. Our firm gets paid nicely to tell them what their frontline employee have already told them. Management seems like they are smart people on the outside but on the inside thats another story.

Cons

They fail to recognize workflow efficiency metrics and establish a set program. Management seems to think the people they work for are robots. They fail to attract and retain talent due to company bureaucracy. Company branding and corporate has diminished in quality over the years. They seem to have an ego problem or a cult problem and seem to think they are the best. I cant help these people. Ego can destroy companies.

Pros

If you like to fly 737s it‘s 4-5 legs a day it’s fun but you will fly a lot for less than industry pay than even flying 737s at other airlines. I’ve been here almost 2 decades and Southwest has definitely changed, it's become worse than I would’ve ever imagined.

Cons

You will work an extremely busy schedule away from home to get what your peers at other airlines get for working much less with more benefits and a better quality of life. A contract is impossible to get done and forget accurate pay audits. We have to fight for everything and our leadership talks a big game about LUV but treats us as undervalued and under appreciated cost units. The big push now is local chief pilots are harassing pilots you for using negotiated sick time. Pilots get called into the office to explain themselves. I guess they have to make up for the $1 Billion lost for bad leadership decisions. If you have a chance to work at any other airline you’ll have a better career there especially if you’re a younger pilot.

Pros

Pay, opportunities for advancement and culture

Cons

shifts and overtime can be unpredictable

Pros

Free standby air travel, good benefits, overtime available, you can give away shifts or shift trade. Down time between flight assignments can be 1-2hours of rest. Can be fun and easy at times.

Cons

So much mandatory overtime you will not travel, Can be “mando’d” up to 3.75 hours every single day, hard on the body, must lift and throw 300-1000 suitcases that are 50-75 lbs while squatting/kneeling on metal for up to 11.75 hours with one guaranteed day off per week. Can be called in on your day off. Must inhale jet fuel all day. Generally dangerous and extremely demanding on the body, high injury rates.

Pros

When we started the job was pretty productive and laid back. 401K is industry leading.

Cons

Now the work environment is pretty toxic. Some of those clowns in the IT department decided on making decisions that cost the company billions. Now we have to fix their mistakes. Not only is it counterproductive but all those years we spent fixing an existing system was for nothing. I've witness since I been here countless mistakes and the managers keep getting promotions. At other places they would be fired for their incompetence. I guess the shareholders should really consider investing in another airline. I've since moved on to working with another airline in the "Big Four" its just not with Southwest. This was the best thing I could have ever done for myself, my family and my health.