Southwest Airlines Pilot Interview Prep

Interview Stages

Behavioral Questions

• tell me about a time questions
• why do you want to work at Southwest

Company Questions

• questions about commitment to Southwest versus other carriers

Tips

• Follow logbook instructions exactly as specified
• Be authentic and avoid scripted answers from prep companies
• Show genuine enthusiasm for Southwest specifically
• Demonstrate you won't leave for another carrier
• Be conversational and relaxed rather than overly formal
• Show you're someone other pilots would want to fly with on trips
• Be professional but have a good personality
• Avoid deception or omitting information
• Don't wear cowboy attire or act out old Southwest stereotypes

Interview Experience

“SWA interview fall 2024. Group of 20-25, only about 8 got CJOs. More relaxed and conversational than I expected. They're really just trying to figure out if you'd be a good person to fly a 4-day trip with. Standard behavioral and WWYD stuff. They hit hard on 'Why Southwest specifically?' and want to hear you're not going to bail for another carrier. Get your logbook exactly how they want it, follow their instructions to the letter. Results take about two weeks because everything goes through a CP review board. The vibe was professional but not stiff. They want real people, not rehearsed robots.”

Interview Stages

Written Test

No formal written test. NDR form must be notarized.

Behavioral Questions

• Tell us about yourself and why Southwest
• TMAAT questions (they love stories)
• What do you expect from an employer?
• Do you really want to go back on the line?

Technical Questions

• How many planes does SWA have?
• What were the first three cities SWA started?
• What is the Wright Amendment?

Company Questions

• Number of aircraft in fleet
• Original three cities
• Wright Amendment knowledge
• If you were a regional pilot sitting in your jumpseat, why would you tell them to come to Southwest?

Tips

• Everyone you interact with can provide input on hiring - be nice to ALL people including shuttle drivers, hotel staff, flight attendants
• Read 'Nuts!' and the SWA One Report
• LOI is the biggest stumbling block - practice CRM framework beforehand
• LOI is points-based: one point for each resource used, half credit for debrief items
• Use all available resources in LOI: ATC, crew members, dispatch
• Don't run out of time in the 7-minute LOI
• Be honest on the whiteboard debrief about what you did right AND wrong
• Be genuine - they claim to dislike overly prepared/canned answers
• Logbook review: have tabs at 2500TT, 1500hrs/ATP, 1000 TPIC, checkride failures, totals for last 5 years broken down by year
• Conservative suit expected; NDR form must be notarized
• Emerald Coast interview prep highly recommended for SWA
• Turn off phone all day
• Decision boards run roughly every 2 weeks; ~70-75% hire rate due to pre-screening quality

Interview Experience

“Southwest is a full day at Dallas HQ. Three parts: the LOI sim (about 7 minutes, CRM-focused diversion scenario), HR panel, and logbook review. The LOI is the hardest part by far. They throw you into a diversion and want to see how you handle CRM. Be yourself and show you're someone people want to fly with. That's what they're looking for.”