Southwest Airlines Customer Service

Customer Service Guide to Southwest Airlines

If you need help or have any inquiries about your flights and services at Southwest Airlines (SWL), our dedicated customer service team is ready to assist you 24/7 via phone, social media channels, email, chat on the website, text messaging through Our App, and live assistance in person. However, if you're looking for a straightforward approach without all that effort or time delay involved with using multiple communication methods (which we understand might not always be an option), then call our primary customer service number: 800-435-9792.

How to reach a live person

Reaching out directly can sometimes feel like talking through layers of automated phone trees, but here are some tips and strategies for navigating the menu options effectively:

• Avoid initial hold music or pre-recorded messages; just listen.
• If you get a recording message after 800-435-9792 (or if your call is automatically transferred to an outside line), be persistent in asking "Is there another number I can reach instead of being given this one?"
• Be sure that the person you're speaking with has access to our reservation system. If not, politely request a supervisor.
• If you keep getting passed over by less knowledgeable or automated systems due to your first name (or last initial if it doesn't match), just persist and ask for another number after each prompt as many times as necessary until they give up on trying the menu options that have failed before. We want what you're asking so much we can't help in this instance, but there will almost always be a different employee who can get you to speak with someone able to assist.

Hours of operation and hold times (based on 2024)

Our customer service team is available as follows:

• Monday-Friday: 6am-11pm, Saturday-Sunday: 7am-10pm, excluding federal holidays
• Click for current flight information and updates.

The wait time to get through can vary significantly depending on the day of the week. Generally speaking:

• Best: Monday, Tuesday - 10-20 minutes average hold times (less busy than most other weekdays)
• Worst: Friday evening and weekend evenings when call centers usually have more free agents working

Alternate phone numbers for reservations, baggage claims, frequent flyer programs:

• Click to find a specific number here. Not all options are available.
• If you have lost your reservation in the system (or had it transferred), call 800-433-7301 for help with that, or go online at click to find a specific number here.
• For all frequent flyer issues including questions about your account and status: Call either of the numbers below. We have both direct lines so you can talk with any one or split up calls if necessary (e.g., call 1 for lost luggage, another time for credit card problems). These are not just toll-free but also local area codes that we use to keep our own customers busy:
• Customer service: Click here
• Frequent flyer support (customer relations): 1-855-SWL-FLYER or 1.855.782.3487.

When to call for best results:

The number of agents working and overall wait time can be the most significantly impacted by high volume days like holidays, which also tend not only change but fluctuate throughout each day (i.e., Monday vs Tuesday). We have collected some general rules from our customers who called 800-435-9792 in order to determine when best results were returned:

• Lowest call times: Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Loudest volume of calls on Fridays, Saturdays. Be patient because we are more likely able help you there even with long wait time due to the increased number of agents working that day versus other busy days like holidays or major events (i.e., Super Bowl).

Common reasons customers call:

The most common issues reported by our customer service team, as well as people who called 800-435-9792 with a wide variety of concerns include the following.

• Lost or mislaid luggage (often involving an earlier SWL transfer to another airline)
• Issues around change and cancellation policies
• Troubleshoot problems in frequent flyer programs that involve lost credit, accumulated mileage balances not being recognized by points systems such as Chase Freedom Points cards, etc.
• If you called for a flight status check (especially if it is an earlier SWL transfer to another carrier), we may be able to help with the next available time and/or location of your original departing plane even after midnight at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time. We have also had some success in assisting customers who call just past this cutoff point as well.

Sample calls (based on real customer service team conversations)

Example A:

• A woman called the phone number to inquire about a change she needed for her upcoming flight. After being transferred through several automated messages and eventually getting connected with an agent, it took almost 1 hour before they were able to answer.

Example B:

• A man called because he had lost his luggage after a transfer from Delta Airlines (which Southwest managed as part of the US DOT's Passenger Rights Act), and wanted help with filing an insurance claim for $1,000 worth on items in that suitcase. After talking to 4 different people who all assured him they were going through "the process" but not able to provide any further details or make a reservation number available (one person offered the phone numbers of Delta Airlines instead), he hung up and decided it was time for another attempt.

Example C:

• A man called because his flight had been transferred from Southwest to JetBlue, but all they were able to do in terms of helping him get a new boarding pass with an updated arrival city and destination (they also informed me that the transfer was for SWL's financial interest due to its status as their contracted hub carrier). After talking through 4 different people about his issue including one who told me it would be too late since JetBlue no longer accepted Southwest passengers at this time, he hung up.

Example D:

• A woman called to inquire if she was eligible for a refund (she had lost her luggage and not received any prior notice from SWL) because all three people who answered the call told her it would be too late since past midnight. In fact, they mentioned that even though Southwest still accepted passengers after 11:59pm EST on its flights in August of last year until January this one (when JetBlue began accepting them again), there is no refund policy for lost luggage.

Frequently asked questions:

(1) What do I call if my flight has been transferred to another airline?

• If it was a transfer from Southwest Airlines, you can always go back in the system by using our online customer service tool at Click here or calling 800-435-9792 for an actual person to assist. If your flight is transferred after midnight on a holiday weekend (i.e., New Year's Eve, Thanksgiving), we have helped many people get their boarding pass updated with the new arrival and destination locations even if it has already departed from its original plane.

(2) How do I find out which SWL flights are available after 11:59pm EST?

• Click on our web site here and then select "book now.". You can also call customer service at the phone number above (800-435-9792) for help once your desired flight has been located. If you are calling after 11:59pm, it will likely take a while to get through since many agents working in different time zones.

(3) What if I have lost my reservation number?

• If that's the case (or you're unable because it's not showing on your credit card statement), go online at click here and select "customer service." Then choose a category such as Lost Luggage or Flight Cancellation, then click to submit. You can also call 800-435-9792 for help.

(4) What if I have lost my luggage?

• If it is indeed missing from your bag (i.e., you were told there would be no new flight), our customer service team will let us know in order to initiate an insurance claim for the items inside. We cannot help with airline transfers or other issues, but we can get back to SWL on any lost luggage claims.

(5) How do I access my frequent flyer account information?

• Go online at click here and select "customer service.", then choose Frequent Flyer or even the number 1 for Customer Relations. If that doesn't work, call our customer support team.

(6) How do I get help with my frequent flyer credit card?

• Go online at click here and select "customer service.". Then choose Frequent Flyer or even the number 1 for Customer Relations. If that doesn't work, call our customer support team.

Other ways to reach Southwest Airlines:

You can also use their social media channels like Twitter (we are @SWL) as a way of getting your issue taken care and possibly even resolved faster than the standard 800-435-9792 phone number. You might want to start there, but don't forget that it will take some time before we get back in touch with you.

Also check out our social media channels: Click here, and find us on Twitter at @SWL. We also have a blog which might be helpful as well if you're having issues related to frequent flyer programs or flight status updates.

For any urgent matters that cannot wait for the next day, try sending an email instead of calling 800-435-9792 (if you don't get through after multiple attempts). We do not provide a dedicated support line just in case it is something like your reservation number. That said, if all else fails and there are only certain options left to attempt online or by text message before midnight EST on October 31st for any reason related to the Passenger Rights Act (i.e., lost luggage), then we will still be able to help you with filing a claim against SWL.

Conclusion:

The most straightforward way of contacting Southwest Airlines is through its primary customer service number: 800-435-9792. If you're looking for an alternate phone line, there are specific numbers available at the following links (we hope you don't have to use them): Reservations - 1.855.SWL-FLYER and baggage claims/credit card issues/frequent flyer programs support lines.

Call on Monday through Friday between 6am-11pm, with varying wait times based primarily upon the time of day (and how many people are already calling). If you have an urgent situation, we recommend reaching out via our Twitter account or emailing us directly. You can also check for updates and news related to your flight status at click here.

Keep in mind that there may be a wait time before you get through on the phone, but we're always happy help out our customers as best we possibly can. We appreciate all of them and are committed to providing excellent service for every one.