How do I talk to a live human at Southwest Airlines?
A:Say, "Something else" at the first menu and again at the second menu.You can also use our free service that can talk to Southwest Airlines for you and report back.
Q:
Does Southwest Airlines offer 24 hour customer service?
A:Yes! This call center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.The least busy day is Sunday, and the most busy day is Tuesday.
Q:
How long will I wait on hold?
A:The average hold time is 3 minutes and 13 seconds.The longest hold times are on Sunday, and the shortest are on Saturday.You can skip the hold time for free.
Toll-free · 24 hours, 7 days · Press 5, and 0 OR Press 2 then 1 · Baggage services and support - Do you have a claim number for luggage that has been delayed by 6 days or more? Say yes or no. · Free tools available: Talk for me, Skip the wait, Schedule my call
Toll-free · 24 hours, 7 days · Calling this Southwest Airlines number should go right to a real human being · Rapid Rewards - Please say your date of birth associated with your Rapid Rewards number. · Free tools available: Talk for me, Skip the wait, Schedule my call
How do I get through the phone menu to a live person?
Consider using our free service that calls and talks to customer service for you, then sends you a report. Or use our free service that waits on hold and tells you when a human rep is on the line. But if those options don't appeal to you, our team has also documented the phone menu for Southwest Airlines below.
Our AI powered phone can dial, navigate the phone menu, wait on hold, and even talk to customer service for you, for free. You don't even need to learn about the path through the various phone options.
That same, free GetHuman Phone can call and navigate the menus and wait on hold for you, but you can opt to do all the talking. We notify you when a rep is on the line and ready to talk, so no need to worry about changing menu options and weaving your way through the maze.
Of course, we completely understand if you prefer to do all the dialing, waiting, and talking yourself. All of these free tools are optional.
GetHuman researchers routinely call this Southwest Airlines phone number to document the phone system.
Here is how our research team describes the way the Southwest Airlines phone system greets you: Which best describes why you are calling? Please say "Rapid Rewards" or press 1. Make a new reservation or press 2. Change an existing reservation or press 3. Flight status or press 4. Or calling for another reason, press 5
Here is our latest tip for weaving through the phone menu to get to a real person the fastest:Say, "Something else" at the first menu and again at the second menu.
Below are some clips we've found from Southwest Airlines's phone menus and tips that help give an idea of what you will encounter when you call. We've highlighted why they are important as well:
Heard when the phone system first answers
"Thank you for calling Southwest Airlines.
You'd like to speak with a customer service representative. Is that correct?
I didn't get that.
If you'd like to speak with a customer service representative, say yes.
Or press one. Otherwise, say no or press two.
I didn't get that."
Excerpt from a call with Southwest Airlines
Thursday, January 18, 2024 4:26 PM
They may ask your reason for calling (instead of a menu)
"Thank you for calling Southwest Airlines.
Which best describes why you're calling? You can say Rapid Rewards, a new reservation, change an existing reservation, flight status, or say it's something else."
Excerpt from a call with Southwest Airlines
Tuesday, June 11, 2024 3:18 PM
They may ask you to say or enter information
"Thank you for calling Southwest Airlines.
The phone number you're calling from is associated with multiple Southwest customers.
To personalize your experience, please say or enter your date of birth."
Excerpt from a call with Southwest Airlines
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 10:57 PM
The first phone menu
"Thank you for calling Southwest Airlines.
Which best describes why you're calling?
You can say Rapid Rewards, a new reservation, change an existing reservation, flight status, or say it's something else.
I didn't catch that. Please say Rapid Rewards or press one, a new reservation or press two, change an existing reservation, or press three.
Flight status information or press four."
Excerpt from a call with Southwest Airlines
Saturday, May 18, 2024 4:24 PM
What are the hours and when should I call?
Southwest Airlines operates the call center for this 800-435-9792 phone number 24 hours, 7 days.The short answer is that you should call on a Saturday.This observation and the following section are based on analysis of a sample set of 2,510 calls made in the last 90 days using our free, web-based phone (see above).
When you use our free AI-powered phone to call and talk, wait on hold, or navigate for you, it will automatically wait until the Southwest Airlines call center opens before trying to call. It will ask your permission before it places the call, so you can also further delay that scheduled call until you are ready. But that means you can "set it and forget it" ahead of time.
An important note: busy times vs hold times vs best time to call
When we refer to busy or less busy times, we are talking about the volume of calls. The busiest times are when the most people are calling this Southwest Airlines phone number (least busy times have fewer people calling). This high call volume does not necessarily mean that you will have a long hold time when you call. Companies like Southwest Airlines staff their call centers differently based on the time of day and day of the week, so you may experience a shorter wait on hold at the busiest of times. When we refer to the best time to call, we are referring to the optimal combination of lower call volume and shorter wait times.
The least busy time to call
The least busy day to call Southwest Airlines is Sunday.The most busy day to call is Tuesday, which averages 49% more phone calls by comparison.Again, this is based on a sample of 2,510 calls made with our AI-powered, web-based phone in the last 90 days.
Sun
Quietest
Mon
Tue
Busiest
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
The shortest wait on hold
We measured the shortest hold times to be on Saturday.The longest wait in the queue on average occurs on Sunday, which is 20746% longer than the minimum.As you can see, there is more fluctuation in hold time over the course of the week than there is in call volume.
In summation, the best day to call Southwest Airlines is Saturday.It isn't the least busy day, but the fact that hold times are shortest combined with it being on the busy side tells us that Southwest Airlines staffs up on Saturday to handle the higher call volume, and that makes it the best time to call.
Calling this phone number appears to be hit or miss, as I ran into problems when calling Southwest Airlines. Initially, this was a good experience, as I had no problem either getting connected to Southwest or getting to the automated system. I found it very easy to find a selection from Southwest's vast menu of options, and I had no issue getting the system to send me to a representative when needed.
Among the choices available in the automated system are booking a flight, checking your Rapid Rewards account balance, changing an existing reservation and checking a gift card's balance. If you don't like the options that are presented, you can tell the system that it's something else and get new options.
However, I ran into problems when I asked to speak to a representative. Initially, this had no issues, as I was placed on hold and told that someone would be right with me. I was also told that I could book a flight by going through Southwest Airlines' website, where it would be faster. After two loops through the messages, I heard a dial tone play and thought I was going to be taken to a representative.
However, nobody was on the other end when I was supposedly connected. I waited for someone to actually answer, but I only heard silence on the other end. I waited another minute for someone to answer, but nobody ever responded before I hung up.
Upon checking, this is the main number for Southwest and it's supposed to be open 24 hours a day, so that shouldn't have been an issue. This call appears to have run into technical difficulties. Based on that, I'd still use the number because the automated system works well, but I'd prep for potential issues with a response.
Adam has been tirelessly trying to help customers find the best tips and tricks to get through phone trees and writing many guides for prickly customer service problems. He's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Edition and Bloomberg.
Why Customers Call Southwest Airlines
If you have time to do a bit of reading before you call Southwest Airlines, we recommend you read over some of our problem-specific articles.
Southwest Airlines allows passengers to bring one carry-on bag and one personal item onboard free of charge. The carry-on bag must fit in the overhead bin, while the personal item should fit under the seat in front of you. The maximum dimensions for the carry-on bag are 10 x 16 x 24 inches, including handles and wheels. Additionally, Southwest Airlines permits passengers to bring certain items, such as strollers, assistive devices, and outerwear, in addition to the standard carry-on and personal items. There is no weight restriction for carry-on bags, but they must be manageable and adhere to the size requirements. If a bag is too big or exceeds the limit, it will be gate-checked, and fees may apply.
Southwest Airlines' policy on unaccompanied minors is designed to ensure their safety and well-being throughout their journey. Children aged 5 to 11 years, traveling alone, are considered unaccompanied minors and are eligible for the Unaccompanied Minor service. This service requires an additional fee and guarantees dedicated care and assistance by Southwest employees. The service includes supervision during the flight, assistance with connections, and the child's handover to the designated guardian at the destination airport. Southwest Airlines does not provide this service for children aged 12 years and older. Parents or guardians are required to complete necessary paperwork and provide accurate contact information of both the child and the designated guardian. Southwest Airlines' commitment to safety and personalized attention makes their Unaccompanied Minor service a reliable option for children traveling alone.
It is very simple to choose the right flight for you that also fits in with your budget on Southwest Airlines. When searching for a flight, you are given many options to sort the search results and view what's most important to you. After you have decided on the flight you want to take, just click on it, answer the questionnaire, choose your payment method, and once your flight is paid for, you are all set and ready to go.
Click the link above to get answers to just about any Southwest Airlines customer service question, including step by step guides for the most complex issues. You can also detail a new issue and get answers instantly.
Below is a sample of recent calls to Southwest Airlines, and their purpose. Are any of these similar to the reason you are trying to call?
Change flight information: "I need to modify my flight details."
- From a call lasting 30s , Jul 24, 2024 2:33 AM
Reschedule delayed flight: "Hi Diana, my flight was delayed and I need help rescheduling it."
- From a call lasting 3m 15s , Jul 23, 2024 10:57 PM
Flight delay inquiry: "I'm flying on the 28th and wanted to check if there are any delays due to the recent cyber attacks."
- From a call lasting 9m 50s , Jul 23, 2024 2:58 PM
Account merging inquiry: "I received an email about merging multiple accounts and would like to speak with a live person about it."
- From a call lasting 32s , Jul 21, 2024 6:37 PM
Updating contact information: "Hi Pamela, I need some help updating information on my booking."
- From a call lasting 5m 39s , Jul 20, 2024 3:22 PM
Update reservation information: "I need some assistance updating information on my reservation."
- From a call lasting 32s , Jul 20, 2024 3:20 PM
Update flight information: "I'd like to update some information on my reservation."
- From a call lasting 32s , Jul 20, 2024 3:19 PM
More Southwest Airlines Customer Service Contacts
There are of course other ways to contact Southwest Airlines customer service besides the phone. Below we list the best ones, by medium.
Southwest Airlines Customer Service on X (formerly Twitter)
A general Twitter page for Southwest Airlines that has p-to-date news, as well as Reps who will direct you in getting questions answered
Southwest Airlines, like many companies, provides customer service on the X platform (formerly Twitter). While it rarely entails live dialogue with a customer service rep, this channel can yield rapid response times and can be a useful option if you have an X/Twitter account.
Southwest Airlines Customer Service on Facebook / Messenger
Some customer service teams, like that of Southwest Airlines, accept inquiries through Facebook Messenger. This is a good option if you have a Facebook account, and you may even be able to converse live with an agent this way.
Southwest Airlines Customer Help Desk / Web Support
As a last, sometimes only, resort- Southwest Airlines customer service can be accessed through their website. This can entail digging through help articles before finding a form and "being allowed" to submit a problem to their team, and rarely leads to a real-time conversation, which is why GetHuman does not recommend this unless it's the only way.
Conclusion and closing notes
This is Southwest Airlines's best phone number, the real-time current wait on hold and tools for skipping right through those phone lines to get right to a Southwest Airlines agent. This phone number is Southwest Airlines's best phone number because 162,408 customers like you used this contact information over the last 18 months and gave us feedback. Common problems addressed by the customer care unit that answers calls to 800-435-9792 include Change Booking, Question About A Booking, Flight Inquiry, Special Request, Refund a Charge and other customer service issues. The Southwest Airlines call center that you call into has employees from Texas and is open 24 hours, 7 days according to customers. In total, Southwest Airlines has 3 phone numbers. It's not always clear what is the best way to talk to Southwest Airlines representatives, so we started compiling this information built from suggestions from the customer community. Please keep sharing your experiences so we can continue to improve this free resource.
GetHuman does not provide call center services or customer support operations for Southwest Airlines. The two organizations are not related. GetHuman builds free tools and shares information to help customers of companies like Southwest Airlines. For large companies that includes tools such as our GetHuman Phone, which allows you to call a company but skip the part where you wait on the line to get a live human rep. We continue to work on these tools to help customers like you (and ourselves!) navigate the messy phone menus, hold times, and confusion with customer service. As long as you keep sharing it with your friends and loved ones, we'll keep doing it.
