Southwest Airlines hires in the same broad order for every job: you apply online, a Recruiter reviews your application, you go through one or more interviews or assessments, and you get an offer followed by pre-employment screening and training. Southwest says the steps vary by role, and that candidates aren't guaranteed to advance through every step.
Everything below comes from Southwest's own careers pages and its flight attendant candidate FAQs, linked as we go. Where Southwest doesn't say something, we say so rather than guess. The interview questions further down are ones to prepare for, built from Southwest's values and what its careers pages say.
The Southwest hiring process at a glance
| Stage | What happens | What Southwest says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application | Apply at careers.southwestair.com with a resume. | Save the job description to prepare from |
| 2. Recruiter review | A Recruiter reviews your application and contacts you. | Book interviews "at your earliest convenience" |
| 3. Interviews and assessments | Phone screen, virtual interview, in-person interview or other assessments. | Depends on the role |
| 4. Offer | An offer letter with compensation, timeline, start date and next steps. | Relocation may be available for some positions |
| 5. Pre-employment screening | Background check, plus role-specific checks. | Starts after you accept the offer |
| 6. First day and training | On-the-job training, a formal programme or both. | You may be invited to the Corporate Campus in Dallas |
What is the Southwest hiring process?
You apply online, a Recruiter reviews your application, you interview, and if you're selected you accept an offer, clear pre-employment screening and start training. Southwest sets this out on its hiring process page.
The application
- Apply only at careers.southwestair.com. Southwest says this is the only way to apply for a job there.
- Save the job description so you can refer to it when preparing for interviews.
- Prepare your resume with your contact details, relevant experience and the job-specific skills that qualify you for the role.
- Join the Talent Community if nothing is open. Some jobs, including flight attendant and pilot, only accept applications during open hiring windows.
If you need an accommodation because of a disability, Southwest asks you to email Accommodations.Team@wnco.com with "Accommodation Request" as the subject line.
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What is the Southwest interview process?
It depends on the job. Southwest's hiring page says you may have one or more of a phone screen, a virtual interview, an in-person interview or other assessments, and that your Recruiter will explain what to expect if you move forward. A Recruiter contacts you to schedule, and Southwest suggests booking a slot at your earliest convenience and preparing examples of your work and accomplishments.
Southwest doesn't publish its interview length or what its "other assessments" contain.
The flight attendant interview process
Southwest's flight attendant candidate FAQs (updated September 2026) give the most detail of any role:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Application | You answer online questions about your qualifications, which are checked against the minimum requirements. You get a confirmation email within 48 hours. |
| 2. One-way video interview | Qualified candidates are invited in batches; this can take longer depending on how many people applied. |
| 3. In-person interview in Dallas | An information session, Q&A with the Flight Attendant Interview Team, and a panel interview with a Recruiter and a current Southwest Flight Attendant. |
| 4. Training class choice | If selected, you pick a preferred training class date. |
| 5. Employment screening | Background screening, drug testing and more. |
| 6. Training details | You get class details and study resources, with 2 to 4 weeks' notice. |
| 7. Training | Four weeks in Dallas, Texas. |
| 8. Graduation | You start flying as a Southwest Flight Attendant. |
Southwest says it doesn't hold group interviews: you meet other candidates at the Dallas session, but your interview is individual. It also says candidates can't wear smart glasses at the in-person interview, and can't use phones, smartwatches, earbuds or similar devices to record conversations during the process.
Our one-way video interview guide explains how recorded interviews work.
The pilot process
Southwest's pilot page says you apply to the First Officer role during an open window, keep your Flight Hours grid up to date, and should have three letters of recommendation ready, since they may be requested right after you apply. The Pilot Recruitment Team reviews applications. The page doesn't describe the pilot assessments or interviews. On 27 October 2026 it said the First Officer application was closed.
Does Southwest have an assessment?
Southwest's hiring page says interviews may include "other assessments", depending on the role, without saying what they are. For flight attendants, the application itself includes online questions about your qualifications, and training includes frequent exams and skills checks: Southwest says trainees need 90% or better on each required exam and must memorise airport city codes and Public Announcements word for word.
If you're given an assessment with customer or workplace scenarios, it's a situational judgement format; our situational judgement test guide explains how that works in general.
What happens after the Southwest interview?
If you're selected, you receive an offer letter with your compensation, timeline, start date and next steps, and relocation details if your position includes them. After you accept, pre-employment screening begins. Southwest says it involves several steps to clear a background check, and that depending on the role it may include a Motor Vehicle Report, education verification, safety-sensitive items and SIDA-related screenings. You don't need to prepare for it in advance, but you should act on the emails promptly.
Your first-day details arrive by email. Southwest says you may be invited to its Corporate Campus in Dallas to learn about its benefits and culture, and that training is on the job, a formal programme, or both, depending on the role.
How long does the Southwest hiring process take?
Southwest doesn't publish a general timeline, but its hiring page says you should hear back from a Recruiter in the following business days. For flight attendants, its FAQs say the whole process can take up to six months, and that the timeline can change with operational needs. Flight attendant candidates who interviewed (by phone, one-way video or in person) and weren't selected, or who didn't pass training, must wait six months from their last interview before reapplying.
What does Southwest look for?
Southwest's careers site groups its values into three sets:
| Group | Values |
|---|---|
| Me | Pride, Integrity, Humility |
| We | Teamwork, Honesty, Service with LUV |
| Southwest | Efficiency, Discipline, Excellence |
Its Employee Promise talks about a Warrior Spirit, a Servant's Heart and a Fun-LUVing Attitude. Its culture page says "People come first". Southwest's purpose is to connect people to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable and low-cost air travel.
Common Southwest interview questions
Southwest doesn't publish its interview questions. These are the ones to prepare for, based on its values and careers pages. Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) for questions about past experience; our STAR method guide shows how.
1. Why Southwest?
Southwest tells flight attendant candidates to know its Purpose, Vision and Values. Pick one value or part of the purpose that means something to you and say why, with an example.
2. Why do you want this role?
Show you know what the job involves. Southwest's flight attendant FAQs describe it as a lifestyle change, with nights away, schedule changes and bases set by seniority. Say why that suits you.
3. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a customer.
Service with LUV is a Southwest value, and its culture page talks about hospitality and customer service with a smile. Choose an example where you anticipated what someone needed.
4. Tell me about a time you put the team first.
Teamwork is a value, and Southwest describes it as putting the team first. Describe helping a colleague or taking on an unglamorous task so the team succeeded.
5. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Humility and honesty are both Southwest values. Own the mistake, say what you did to fix it and what you changed afterwards.
6. Tell me about a time you spoke up about something.
Southwest's honesty value includes speaking up and transparency. Choose a time you raised a concern or gave difficult feedback respectfully.
7. Describe a time you kept going through a hard day.
Southwest's Employee Promise talks about a Warrior Spirit. Pick a time when plans changed or the pressure was high, and show how you stayed calm and kept things moving.
8. How do you follow safety procedures when things are busy?
Discipline is a Southwest value, which it ties to safety and reliability. Give an example of following a procedure even when it slowed you down.
9. How would you bring some fun to your work?
The Employee Promise includes a Fun-LUVing Attitude, and the culture page says "We work hard, play hard". Give a real example of lifting a team's mood without losing focus on the job.
10. How flexible is your schedule?
Check the shifts in the job posting before you answer. For flight attendants, Southwest's FAQs say new hires start on reserve, or "on call", and must report to their assigned base. Be honest about what you can work.
11. For flight attendants: how would you handle an upset passenger?
Listen, stay calm, solve what you can and explain what you can't. Tie your answer to hospitality and to keeping everyone safe.
12. Do you have any questions for us?
Have two ready, for example what training looks like and what the best people in the role do well.
For more practice, see our list of behavioural interview questions.
How to prepare for a Southwest interview
- Save the job description and match your examples to it, as Southwest suggests.
- Learn the nine values, the Purpose and the Vision, and prepare a STAR story for at least four of them.
- Answer Recruiter emails quickly and book your interview slot early.
- For a one-way video, test your camera and sound and practise answering to the screen.
- For the Dallas interview, leave smart glasses and recording devices out of it.
- Be wary of third-party prep. Southwest says some outside information about its hiring process is inaccurate or out of date. Use its own pages first.
- Practise out loud, ideally in a mock interview.
Practising realistic work tasks
Interviews reward prepared stories. Customer and operational work rewards judgement, and that improves with practice on realistic tasks. Cohesyve, which publishes this guide, runs free practice job simulations for job seekers. It isn't affiliated with Southwest Airlines and doesn't use Southwest's assessments or questions.
FAQs
How old do you have to be to be a Southwest flight attendant?
At least 20 at the time you apply, with a high school diploma or GED. You also need US work authorisation and a valid passport.
Does Southwest do group interviews?
Not for flight attendants. Southwest says the Dallas session includes an information session with other candidates, but each panel interview is held individually.
How long does it take to hear back from Southwest?
Flight attendant applicants get a confirmation email within 48 hours, then qualified candidates are invited to the video interview in batches. For other roles, Southwest's hiring page says you should hear back from a Recruiter in the following business days.
Does Southwest drug test?
For flight attendants, yes: employment screening includes background screening and drug testing. Other roles go through a background check, with extra checks depending on the job.
Can I reapply to Southwest?
Flight attendant candidates who interviewed (by phone, one-way video or in person) and weren't selected, or who didn't pass training, must wait six months from their last interview before reapplying. Southwest doesn't publish a reapplication rule for other roles.
How do I spot a fake Southwest job offer?
Southwest says it will never ask for payment or personal financial information during hiring or training, and only posts jobs at careers.southwestair.com. You can check a posting with SWAPeople@wnco.com.
Sources
Southwest Airlines' own pages, checked 27 October 2026:
- careers.southwestair.com: Hiring process
- careers.southwestair.com: Careers home and Culture
- careers.southwestair.com: Flight attendants
- Southwest Airlines: Flight Attendant Candidate FAQs (PDF, updated September 2026)
- careers.southwestair.com: Pilots