Recent events
Recent events tied to this brand in public sources.
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2026
Southwest Airlines cuts 2026 profit forecast
Southwest Airlines cut its 2026 adjusted earnings-per-share forecast to between $2.60 and $2.85, down from its July forecast of $3.25 to as much as $4.25, citing higher fuel prices.
2026
Southwest Airlines announces plan to install Starlink Wi-Fi on its entire fleet
On Oct. 15, 2026, Southwest Airlines announced plans to expand Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi from a partial installation to its entire fleet, saying it expects to be the first U.S. airline to roll out the technology to all of its jets by the fall of 2027. More than 40 Southwest planes currently have Starlink.
2026
Southwest Airlines announces major overhaul of Rapid Rewards loyalty program
On Oct. 15, 2026, Southwest Airlines announced a sweeping overhaul of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program. Starting in 2027, the 'A-List' and 'A-List Preferred' elite tiers will be replaced by 'Silver' and 'Gold' plus a new top-tier 'Platinum' level that includes unlimited Companion Pass access. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, all Southwest credit card holders will earn 1 tier qualifying point per dollar charged. The airline will phase out 'Companion Pass Qualifying Points' so the Companion Pass is earned via TQPs, with credit card sign-up bonuses no longer counting toward it, and points earning on some fares will be reduced (Choice Preferred to 8 points per dollar from 10; Choice Extra to 10 from 14).
2026
Southwest Airlines launches first-of-its-kind US airline plugin in ChatGPT for flight discovery and shopping
Southwest Airlines has launched a first-of-its-kind US airline plugin in ChatGPT, developed with OpenAI and Amazon Web Services (AWS), enabling travellers to discover and shop for Southwest flights through AI-powered travel planning. The airline describes it as the first phase of its AI-powered booking strategy, aiming to engage customers earlier in their journey and build a secure, scalable foundation for future AI capabilities.
2026
Southwest Airlines appoints Royal Caribbean and Rocket Companies CEOs to board
Southwest Airlines announced the appointment of Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, and Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately, to strengthen leadership as the airline executes its long-term strategic plan.
2026
Passenger dies aboard Southwest flight
A 22-year-old man died aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 958 from Dallas to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said the case remained open and the cause of death was deferred.
2022
Southwest announces plans to resume alcohol service on flights
Southwest Airlines announced that it plans to resume offering alcohol on flights after February 16, 2022. The article reports that the union representing its flight attendants opposed the plan over concerns about employee safety while the federal mask-use policy remained in place.
2022
Passenger sues Southwest Airlines over removal from flight
A Florida passenger sued Southwest Airlines, alleging she was wrongly removed from a flight after repeatedly lowering her mask to drink water and alleging violations of disability-access and civil-rights laws. The source does not state when the lawsuit was filed.
2021
Southwest announces two technology leadership promotions
Southwest Airlines announced two leadership promotions in its Technology Department, both effective January 1, 2022. The release identifies Kayce Ford as promoted to Vice President of Enterprise Management and Marty Garza as promoted to Vice President of Operations Technology.
2021
Southwest improves fourth-quarter revenue forecast
Southwest Airlines said its fourth-quarter revenue would be 10% to 15% below the same period in 2019, an improvement over its earlier forecast of a 15% to 25% shortfall.
2021
Southwest Airlines and Velocys announce sustainable aviation fuel agreement
Southwest Airlines announced a 15-year offtake agreement with Velocys for 219 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel and a long-term strategic relationship. Southwest plans to begin purchasing fuel from Velocys's Bayou Fuels facility as early as 2026.
2021
Southwest responds to pilot's political comment
After a report that a Southwest pilot used the phrase “Let’s go Brandon” over the aircraft public-address system, Southwest said it did not condone employees sharing personal political opinions while serving customers and vowed to investigate.
2021
Southwest faces boycott calls over pilot's reported slogan
Southwest Airlines faced social-media backlash and boycott calls after a pilot reportedly used the phrase “let's go Brandon” over a flight's public-address system. Southwest said it was investigating the incident and apologized.
2021
Southwest cancels thousands of flights over a weekend
Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 2,000 flights over the weekend, with many more delayed, leaving some travelers stranded for days. The airline said weather and air traffic constraints in Florida disrupted operations and apologized for the cancellations.
2021
Southwest Airlines service disruptions
Southwest Airlines experienced weekend service disruptions that left passengers stranded across the nation and led to widespread flight cancellations. Its CEO apologized and said it would take a couple of days to get operations back on track.
2021
Southwest pilots’ union sues to block vaccination mandate
The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the vaccination requirement from being imposed while its case is unresolved. The union alleged that the airline’s unilateral actions violated labor-law and collective-bargaining obligations; Southwest disputed the union’s claims.
2021
Pilots’ union sues Southwest over working-condition changes
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association filed a federal lawsuit challenging Southwest Airlines’ forced time off and other pandemic-era changes to working conditions. The union alleges that Southwest changed schedules and reduced prescription drug and retirement benefits without bargaining, in violation of federal labor law; these are allegations in the lawsuit.
2021
Southwest sues Skiplagged over fare listings
Southwest Airlines filed a lawsuit against flight-search engine Skiplagged in US District Court, alleging that Skiplagged and Kiwi.com broke Southwest's website terms by displaying its ticket prices. Southwest also said the two travel sites appeared to be working together.
2021
Southwest experiences widespread flight delays and cancellations
Southwest canceled about 600 flights and delayed more than 4,000 from Friday through Sunday, then delayed a combined 2,355 flights on Monday and Tuesday. The airline attributed the cancellations to convective thunderstorms across areas of its busiest flight schedules.
2021
Southwest Airlines announces Robert Jordan as incoming CEO
Southwest Airlines announced on June 23, 2021, that Robert Jordan would become its CEO effective February 1, 2022, as Gary Kelly steps down from the role.