Southwest pilot interview: what Southwest publishes and how to prepare

Short answer: Southwest publishes its application steps and first officer requirements, but not its interview format or questions. You apply to the Pilot - First Officer role during an open hiring window, build a Flight Hours grid, and should have three letters of recommendation ready, because Southwest "may request them immediately following your application." For the interview itself, prepare true "tell me about a time" stories that show Southwest's published values (Teamwork, Honesty, Service with LUV and six more) and its Employee Promise (Warrior Spirit, Servant's Heart, Fun-LUVing Attitude), plus about-you and technical answers.

Last checked November 1, 2026.

What Southwest publishes about pilot hiring

From Southwest's pilot careers page:

Southwest's published first officer requirements

• "USA DOT/FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate." It must show "Airplane Multiengine Land" category and class ratings and the "English Proficient" limitation.
• "USA DOT/FAA First Class Medical Certificate" and, if applicable, any Special Issuance (Authorization) or Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA).
• Preferred: "500 hours in a fixed-wing turbine aircraft or successfully completed all aspects of a Destination 225° pathway program."
• Preferred: "actively flying for two of the last five years."
• "Only time in a fixed-wing aircraft is counted, which excludes simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO, and UAV specifically."

Destination 225°, Southwest's pathway

Southwest's press release describes Destination 225° as "pathways to becoming a competitively qualified candidate for future Southwest First Officer positions." It says "participants who apply, interview, and are selected for the Destination 225° program will receive a Southwest mentor during their years of training" and, "ultimately, have the opportunity to apply for selection." The release names cadet, university, military and employee tracks.

Southwest's Destination 225° Military Pathway page says "Southwest Airlines designed this pathway to bridge the gap for pilots with fixed-wing turbine experience," that participants can "bypass the traditional Pilot hiring interview," and that "Applications for the Destination 225° Military Pathway are closed." Check the page for its current status. More in military to airline and cadet and pathway interviews.

Southwest's values, in its own words

Southwest publishes more about its culture than most airlines, on its careers home page.

• Purpose: "Connect People to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel."
• Values, in three groups. "Me" (how I show up): Pride, Integrity, Humility. "We" (how we treat each other): Teamwork, Honesty, Service with LUV. "Southwest" (how Southwest succeeds): Efficiency, Discipline, Excellence. Each comes with short behaviors, such as "Speak up," "Be safe" and "Don't make the easy hard."
• Employee Promise: "I will demonstrate my Warrior Spirit by striving to be my best and never giving up. I will show my Servant's Heart..." and "I will express my Fun-LUVing Attitude by not taking myself too seriously and embracing my Southwest Family."

Many guides say Warrior Spirit, Servant's Heart and Fun-LUVing Attitude are Southwest's values. On Southwest's careers site today they sit under the Employee Promise, and the values are the nine above. Know both.

What Southwest does not publish

• The interview format (panel make-up, length, number of questions).
• Its interview questions.
• Assessments or a simulator evaluation as hiring steps.
• Total-hour, education, age or passport minimums on its pilot careers page, beyond what is listed above.

General guidance, not Southwest's words: most airline panels mix behavioral stories, about-you questions and technical questions. Treat forum reports of Southwest's interview as hints to check, not facts (see gouge).

Questions to practice for Southwest

From the Fourstripe question bank, plus two we wrote for Southwest's values. Southwest does not publish its questions.

• Southwest talks about a Warrior Spirit, a Servant's Heart and a Fun-LUVing Attitude. Tell me about a time you showed one of them.
• Tell me about a time you spoke up about something that wasn't right. (Honesty: "Speak up")
• Tell me about a time you put the team ahead of yourself. (Teamwork: "Embrace Team over self")
• Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a passenger or customer.
• Tell me about a time you helped a colleague or student who was struggling.
• Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult crew member.
• Tell me about a time you felt pressure to depart on time when something wasn't right.
• Tell me about a time a plan changed at the last minute.
• Why do you want to fly for Southwest? (how to answer)
• What do you know about Southwest?
• How do you work out when to start your descent? (technical questions)
• What's a stabilized approach, and when do you go around?

Example answer

Example answer, written by us. It is not a real applicant's story. Question: "Southwest talks about a Servant's Heart. Tell me about a time you showed one."

"I was a first officer when thunderstorms closed our destination and we diverted to a small airport with one gate agent on duty. We were told to expect at least 90 minutes on the ground, and the cabin was getting tense. The flight attendants were handling a lot of call buttons.

I asked the captain if I could go back and talk to the passengers while he worked with dispatch on fuel and a new release. He agreed. I made a short PA first, then walked the aisle with the lead flight attendant and answered questions one row at a time: why we diverted, what we were waiting for, and when the next update would come. Two passengers had tight connections, so I wrote down their details and gave them to the gate agent, who rebooked them before we left.

We were on the ground 95 minutes, and I gave an update every 20. No complaints were filed from that flight, and the lead flight attendant thanked us for not leaving them alone with it. What I took from it: on a long delay, people want a face and a time for the next update. I now offer to do that whenever the captain doesn't need me in the flight deck."

Why it works for Southwest: it shows a Servant's Heart and the Teamwork value in a specific act, asks the captain first, supports the cabin crew, and ends with a habit.

Southwest prep checklist

• Watch for an open hiring window. Southwest says you must apply to an open position for interview consideration.
• Have three letters of recommendation ready before you apply.
• Build your Flight Hours grid carefully. Only fixed-wing time counts.
• Prepare a true story for each value Southwest publishes.
• Prepare "Why Southwest?" from Southwest's own words and something you've seen first-hand.
• Review the technical basics for the airplane you fly now.
• Practice out loud with follow-ups.

How competitive is it?

According to FAPA's pilot hiring history, Southwest hired 294 pilots in 2024 and 187 in 2025. Southwest does not publish how many applicants it interviews.

Practice this on Fourstripe. Pick Southwest and a panel captain asks TMAAT, about-you, technical and scenario questions out loud, follows up on what you said, and scores every answer. 7-day trial, then from $149 a week. Start a practice interview

Fourstripe is not affiliated with or endorsed by Southwest Airlines.