Medical coverage
At Southwest Airlines®, our Employees come first.
It’s more than just a paycheck. A career at Southwest Airlines includes several benefits and perks, from our legendary Culture to travel privileges for Employees and their eligible dependents. Southwest® offers an excellent benefits package, including a generous dollar-for-dollar Company match in the 401(k) Plan, subject to vesting requirements and certain compensation limits, as well as a ProfitSharing Plan.
Health
Health
Employees choose from medical coverage options ranging from preferred provider organizations (PPOs) to a high deductible health plan. Southwest covers a generous amount of the cost, making the monthly amount Employees pay for medical and prescription drug coverage for themselves and their families competitively affordable.
Vision coverage is an available option for Employees and their families, and includes complete eye exams and contact lenses, or lenses and frames.
Dental coverage options include preventive, basic, major, and orthodontic care.
Employees can save money by making tax-free contributions to flexible spending accounts for health care and dependent child care.
If enrolled in a high deductible plan, a health savings account (HSA) is available for Employees to save for eligible healthcare expenses—now or in the future. A Company-paid concierge service is also available to those enrolled in this plan.
Noncontract Employees receive coverage from a Company-paid short-term disability plan if an illness or injury lasts more than one week.
Employees can enroll in long-term disability plans to protect them if they develop a disability and can’t work for an extended period of time. Pilots aren’t eligible, but may elect long-term disability coverage through Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA).
All Employees receive basic term life insurance at no cost. Employees who enroll in a BenefitsPlus program receive $50,000 basic term life insurance and may elect optional life insurance up to 10 times their salary, choosing from various levels of life insurance for their spouse/committed partner and their children.
Other available benefits include adoption assistance reimbursement, paid adoption leave, parental leave (Noncontract Employees), child and elder care resource and referral program, committed partner benefits, a concierge program, supplemental hospital insurance, pet insurance, and auto and home insurance.
Accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance is also available as another way to protect Employees or their families in the event of an accident.
Financial Rewards
Employees earn excellent pay and can prepare for their future with our exceptional retirement programs.
Save for retirement through our 401(k) Plan with pre-tax or Roth after-tax contributions. Southwest matches Employee contributions dollar-for-dollar up to 9.3% of their eligible earnings. Employees can choose from a broad spectrum of investment options and roll over any eligible funds from a previous employer.
Employees share in the success of Southwest with our ProfitSharing Plan, which rewards them for their contributions to Southwest’s profitability. Southwest was first in the airline industry to offer a ProfitSharing Plan.
With our Employee Stock Purchase plan, Employees can purchase Southwest common stock at a 10% discount through payroll deductions after six months of continuous service.
Wellbeing
Programs are available to help Southwest Employees live better on and off the job. They’re centered around supporting the physical, mental, and financial health and wellbeing of our Employees and their families.
Clear Skies—our Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employees and family members have access to free counseling resources and work/life balance tools.
Employees enjoy time off for personal use, vacation, or for care of themselves or a loved one. The amount of time off varies depending on your workgroup and years of service.
Community Outreach
For more than 50 years, Southwest has connected People and championed communities. Southwest Employees play a large role in making a positive difference in the communities we serve.
Employees are encouraged to volunteer for causes that matter most to them, and Southwest supports them through our Tickets for Time program which donates round trip tickets to nonprofits based on Employee volunteer hours. Plus, we offer several volunteer opportunities throughout the year to allow Employees to make a difference with their Southwest Family.
Community Giving Boards comprised of local Employees decide how Southwest gives back to charities in their neighborhoods, tapping into the passion points of their community.
National giving
At the national level, Southwest makes a positive impact on our communities by supporting a number of issues through our charitable relationships. By donating to organizations that support people and the communities we serve, we take pride knowing our donations of time, money, and resources create meaningful impact.
How the Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program helps a child in need
Employee Engagement and Travel
Southwest Employees can visit almost any corner of the world with generous travel privileges and turn recognition into something meaningful with SWAG Points.
Southwest Airlines Gratitude (SWAG) Points
At Southwest Airlines, gratitude is a way of life. We make it easy for Employees to see all of the ways we recognize them in an online recognition platform we call SWAG—Southwest Airlines Gratitude. Employees can send recognition to each other with internal thank you notes we call a “Kick Tail®,” nominate their peers for point-based programs, and receive recognition from local Leadership all the way up to our CEO. Our Employees can earn SWAG Points through some of our recognition and incentive programs and redeem them for rewards like Rapid Rewards® points, merchandise, gift cards, and experiences.
Employees have free, unlimited travel privileges for themselves and eligible dependents on Southwest Airlines. Eligible dependents include spouse or committed/registered partner, eligible dependent children under 19 years old (or up to 24 if a full-time student), and parents. And, with pass agreements from other airlines and discounts with rental car companies, hotels, theme parks, and more, Employees can choose their own adventure.
Training & development
The purpose of SWA U is to equip Southwest Employees with the knowledge and training they need to perform their jobs with Safety, Reliability, Hospitality, and Low Cost in mind. Whether in-person or virtually, we offer training to increase skillsets and to foster personal growth and development.
Days in the field allow Employees to spend time in a department of interest and get an idea for which direction they'd like to steer their Southwest career path.
Leadership development
Our Company Promise is to provide a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. SWA U is dedicated to empowering Leaders to lead at their fullest potential by providing simple and modern development opportunities that ignite a Learning Culture at Southwest Airlines.