“Very disappointed with how I was treated by Southwest today while traveling on military orders.
My original itinerary was HOU → LAX → SJC, but due to delays out of Houston I was going to miss my connection in LAX. Southwest rebooked me on Flight #3378 from HOU → DEN (Gate 48) to get me to SJC instead. I remained patient and didn’t make a fuss about the change.
After boarding, while passengers were still getting seated, I briefly called my sisters. A flight attendant asked me to get off the phone and I immediately wrapped up the call (about 10 seconds to say goodbye).
About five minutes later, I was unexpectedly asked to gather my things and was escorted off the aircraft for being “non-compliant.” I was extremely confused because I had already complied with the instruction given. I was never asked a second time, never warned, and was not given the opportunity to explain what happened.
The manager assisting, Leela Jackson, said she would rebook my flight free of charge, but that misses the point — I should not have been removed from the aircraft in the first place. When I asked for the name of the flight attendant involved so I could properly document the situation, I was told it was “against policy” to provide that information.
I am requesting that Southwest review the incident reports and crew documentation from Flight #3378 to understand why a passenger who complied with an instruction was removed without warning or further communication.
Passengers deserve fairness and the opportunity to clarify misunderstandings before being removed from a flight.”
“staff not very helpful they need more training and the the website and text message service sends out wrong flight information making you miss flights or have you thinking you missed a flight..Southwest is just all over the place!”
“If I could I would give a negative 1. I Been a loyal member for 15 years. Look for another airline asap. They keep you on hold when calling customer service for over an hour. They have no chat bots to even try and navigate you. You are penalized for choosing basic plans. Southwest if there is no people, there is no money. Do better.”
“Southwest Airlines has the absolute rudest gate personnel I’ve ever had to deal with in Cleveland, Ohio. Your new seating/ boarding policy is horrible. Depending on where you sit is the order you board. So I had an isle sit so
I got to board last and was told there was no room for my carry on so I had to check
It. How is there fair? Not all passengers are treated equally? I had to get out of line and go have my bag checked in. The attendant kept telling me what destination I was going to and I said NO. The attendant said I’ll take your bag right over to have loaded. NO that did not happen
I arrived at my destination with no luggage and it has been 24 with nothing. My bag cannot be found and I have yet to be able to talk to a human. Everything is automated. DO nOT waste your time and money on this airline. RUDE and IRRESPONSIBLE. If I pick up my bag from the airport (when and if) they will give me $150 voucher. If not they will deliver it and I get nothing. Big deal $150 isn’t going to replace what is in my bag. Get it together Southwest because you are currently the worst airline out there.”
“Here was my formal complaint.
I purchased 3 Southwest basic fares for a one way flight on March 20. One of the fees was for my 2 year old grandson. I asked Southwest if they could make sure to have him sit next to me. They said that due to their policy on basic fares they could not guarantee that he could be seated next to us unless I upgraded the price of the seats. I asked them if they understood that this could mean the gate agent may choose to sit my grandson next to complete strangers. They said they understood, but this was their seat policy and that it could only be accommodated if I paid extra.
Southwest is attempting to "paywall" the safety of a minor. Cite the DOT 2023 Family Seating Dashboard, which explicitly states that airlines should ensure children 13 and under are seated next to an adult at no extra cost.”
“Customer service reps want to “navigate” my issue to the website. Why would I need to go to the website when I’m already speaking with someone?! TERRIBLE experience!”
“Dear Southwest Airlines Customer Relations,
I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my experience on Flight WN2608 from Orlando (MCO) to San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 6, since has been imposible to reach out someone.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 8:50 PM but was delayed until 10:20 PM. While waiting at the airport, the departure gate changed multiple times between Gate 105, 108 and Gate 103, which caused confusion for passengers. We were informed that the delay was related to the aircraft arriving late from Denver.
Once the aircraft arrived, boarding began around 10:20- 10:25PM. After all passengers were seated inside the plane, we were informed that the scheduled pilot was unable to operate the flight because he had reached the maximum allowed flight hours. We were then told that the airline was searching for another pilot.
At approximately 11:00 PM, we were informed that another pilot who had just landed at 10:40 PM would be coming to operate the flight after completing the required check-in and safety procedures. During this entire time, all passengers remained seated inside the aircraft.
While we waited, communication with passengers was very limited. Many people were asking for updates, but very little information was provided. Passengers remained seated on the aircraft for over an hour without any refreshments or clear communication regarding how much longer the delay would last.
At approximately 11:35 PM, an announcement was made that the pilots would arrive in about eight minutes. Shortly after, at around 11:33PM, the aircraft door was closed and the safety briefing began. The flight finally departed at 11:45-11:50PM.
Overall, this experience was extremely frustrating due to the multiple gate changes, the long delay, and the lack of clear communication while passengers were already seated on the aircraft. Situations like this require better communication and customer care to help passengers understand what is happening and feel properly supported.
Since the delay was caused by a crew scheduling issue (the pilot reaching maximum flight hours), I respectfully request that Southwest review this incident and consider providing compensation or travel credit for the inconvenience caused.
I have always chosen Southwest Airlines for my travel, but this experience was extremely disappointing. I hope you will consider providing appropriate compensation to restore my confidence in flying with Southwest in the future.
I look forward to hearing from someone regarding this matter soon.”
“This company is irresponsible and I will never travel with them again. Last Saturday, February 28th we had a flight from Orlando to Boston, with a connection in Baltimore. The flight in Orlando was delayed, and we asked if they could change our connecting flight, someone of the staff of Southwest just said you miss it if you don't arrive at the gate on time. it wasn't our fault that the flight didn't leave on time, and he refused to help us because he couldn't do anything about it. I called customer service, and there was only one flight until the next day. we accepted, and they changed both flights without explaining that we had to wait for another flight in Orlando. Then they tell us that the flight was full and there are no seats for us. Finally, after two hours another person helped us change the flight to another city near our destination, and we were able to leave Orlando.”
“I had to switch my flight due to the weather. I have a connection in Baltimore. The customer service lady on the phone altough she did the job, could not assigned me seats. She said it will be assigned when I check in. This morning when I checked in, on my first flight , my seat was assigned, seat 30 D and I was in group 5. I wanted to change the seat because I had a connection. I paid to be in front. The system said I had to check in again, which I did . This time I was in group 7!!! Fat chance to be able to keep my carry-on with me!
That's not all. It also said I had to check-in again after my payment was processed because on my second flight there was no standard seat available and it would not let me click "continue" without a seat selection! That FORCED me to pay for a seat!!! I did not want to pay for a seat on my connecting flight!
I used to prioritize this airline when buying tickets, now I won't take Southwest again if I have another choice. It became worse than the other airlines. I won't recommend Southwest.”
“My wife and I flew from Tucson, AZ to San Diego, CA on
New Year's day to attend the Holiday Bowl on 1/2/2026. Our flight departed Tucson at 9:05 AM, approximately one hour later we were near the San Diego airport when the pilots were instructed by the San Diego flight tower to turn around and return to Tucson International Airport, where we remained for several hours until we were placed on a diverted flight and made the hour trip again to San Diego, finally landing and exiting the plane.
On our way back this morning 1/3/26, we had an 8:30 AM flight to return to TUS. We arrived at the San Diego airport 2 1/2 hours before our flight. We stood in line outside at your SW Airlines Skycap check-in area for an hour. There were ten stations there, yet only two skycaps were present to assist the throngs of passengers. You should have seen the inside ticketing/check-in area where passengers were trying to check-in, obtain boarding passes, and check luggage!
Upon returning home this afternoon, my wife received a $100.00 travel voucher via email. All I received was a lousy survey from SW Airlines. I have been a Rapid Rewards member for many years and even used points for one of the flights. E-mails to two corporate officers went unanswered. Would you feel valued?”
“Southwest was my favorite airline but I will no longer use them. Everytime I went to buy a ticket there is no nonstop. I finally gave up and stated using delta. I would rather pay more than have to make a stop. Good bye southwest. It was fun while it lasted.”
“Staff is snappy when you try to give them garbage they want. My seat when I got it was covered with so may crumbles. The seats are so close in front of you that u can't move or stand to pee. It has become a LA Metro bus ride! Donezo!”
“This is the most ridiculous thing I had to deal with , when you pay for 1st class tickets and don’t have assigned seats and another person who paid 3 times less , gets a seat way in front of me , just because my 5 year old Son got stuck in the bathroom … smh if I can ever avoid this airline , will not fly with them again … pathetic”
“Paid for priority to board after 7-8 “special”classes.
Fiancé of attendant boarded under this special class because he helped a lady in a wheelchair onto the flight and then also proceeded to take a priority seat.
He received more attention than anyone in the area and when another attendant got sick, he helped his fiancé serve passengers AFTER he had at least 2 bottles of alcohol.
I tried to wait for a break in the FAs conversation about her wedding in the Keys costing $15K for 20 people to ask for a drink and she proceeded to finish her entire conversation before moving towards the cart.
She was so busy talking, my husband was directing passengers back to their seat if the bathroom was occupied. She merely said to my husband, “ I wasn’t paying attention.”
I shared all of this with Southwest and they sent me a canned email and a “here’s a $50 voucher on us” response.
I was dismissed about my concerns and now I will NOT go quietly into the night”
“First we travel to Seattle and southwest is 45 minutes late because a crew member was late!!!!! Then we try flying back to Denver and it is delayed over an hour. Southwest is getting worse all the time. Guess I’ll be choosing another airline next time because their time must be more important then mine!!!!!!!!!!”
“Until they go to assigned seating don't bother. TERRIBLE experience for those who want to be seated together and type of seat. I heard they are changing in January 2026. If you are flying solo better but again not if you need a specific seat.”
