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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Southwest Airlines vs Booking.com

Southwest Airlines 4.8★ · Free to download 65
Winner Booking.com
Booking.com 4.8★ · Free to download 70

Booking.com is generally preferred for its wide selection and ease of finding deals, while Southwest Airlines is favored by loyal customers despite recent changes to its boarding and seating policies.

Full reviews: Southwest Airlines · Booking.com

Southwest Airlines is praised for its friendly staff and easy booking process, but recent changes to seating and baggage policies have frustrated many long-time customers. Booking.com offers a vast selection of accommodations and good deals, though it faces criticism for customer service, hidden fees, and issues with fraudulent listings.

Head to head

Features & Functionality (App) edge: Booking.comR5R7R8R9
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines' app is described as easy and user-friendly by some R5R8, making it simple to manage travel and receive alerts R5. However, many users report significant issues, including difficulty scanning passports R7, problems creating accounts , inability to save confirmation numbers R9, slow loading of boarding passes , and issues adding boarding passes to Apple Wallet . Some also find the UI cluttered and hard to navigate, suggesting it's outdated compared to competitors .
Booking.com Booking.com's app is widely praised for being easy to use and navigate, helping users find the best booking options and deals . Users appreciate features like free cancellation and the ability to view opinions . However, there are complaints about the favorites feature creating new lists for every town and some users experience login errors . A significant issue reported is the inability to chat with customer support due to email verification loops .
Service & Reliability tieR2R6R8R11
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines receives high praise for its staff, described as great, helpful, friendly, patient, and accommodating R8R11. Many loyal customers express satisfaction with the overall flight experience and service R2. However, some recent reviews indicate a decline in customer service and frustration with new policies that make the experience less convenient R6.
Booking.com Booking.com is lauded by many for its excellent customer service, with agents resolving problems quickly and without hassle R65R82. Users appreciate the reliability and peace of mind when booking family travel . Conversely, a significant number of reviews highlight extremely poor and unhelpful customer service R79R87. Issues include unaddressed refund requests , being double-booked , bookings being cancelled by hosts , and being hung up on by representatives .
Pricing & Value tieR1R3R6R16
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines is praised for offering extra legroom for cheap and for its Rapid Rewards program . However, many long-time customers are unhappy with new fees and increased costs, specifically for seat selection and checked bags R1R3R6R16. Some feel that the airline has become just like other "nickel and dime" airlines and no longer offers the same value R1.
Booking.com Booking.com is frequently noted for offering great deals and the best prices for hotel stays . Users appreciate finding good value and opportunities . Conversely, many users report hidden fees and misleading pricing, such as not including final taxes R63, charging foreign transaction fees when prices are shown in USD R83R85, and unexpected cleaning fees R81. Some feel that the advertised "insurance" for car rentals is not honored R63.
Booking & Travel Experience tieR5R6R12R13
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines is appreciated for its uncomplicated procedures and easy booking process . Loyal customers, especially A-list preferred members, find the app makes it easy to manage travel and changes R5. However, recent changes to seating and boarding policies have caused significant dissatisfaction, with users disliking assigned seats and the need to pay for priority boarding R6R13R16. Issues with the app not allowing seat selection or adding free checked bags R12 are also reported, along with difficulty managing reservations for minors .
Booking.com Booking.com provides a wide selection of booking options for hotels, flights, and other travel needs . Users find it easy to book and extend stays . However, there are serious concerns about fraudulent listings and hotels being falsely misrepresented . Some users report the app changing flight times without notification or confirming bookings that are later cancelled by the host .
Pick Southwest Airlines if

You are a frequent Southwest Airlines flyer with A-list preferred status, as the perks and app functionality are highly beneficial for managing travel R5. You prioritize friendly staff and a generally positive flight experience over specific seat selection R8R11.

Pick Booking.com if

You are looking for a wide variety of accommodation options and good deals, and you appreciate an app that is generally easy to navigate for booking . You value features like free cancellation and user opinions to guide your choices .

Evidence note: Southwest Airlines reviews are heavily skewed towards recent negative changes in boarding, seating, and baggage policies, impacting overall satisfaction despite many positive comments about staff and general service. Booking.com reviews show a strong dichotomy between those who find it excellent for deals and ease of use, and those who experience severe issues with customer service, hidden fees, and fraudulent listings.

Frequently asked

Are there issues with seat selection on Southwest Airlines?
Yes, many Southwest Airlines users are unhappy with the new seating process, reporting that they have to pay for specific seats or priority boarding to avoid undesirable assignments, even after checking in early R6R13R16R22.
Does Booking.com have good customer service?
Customer service on Booking.com receives mixed reviews; while some users report excellent and responsive support R65R82, a significant number describe it as terrible, rude, and unhelpful, with issues like being hung up on and unaddressed refund requests R79R87.
Are there hidden fees when booking with Booking.com?
Yes, several Booking.com users report hidden fees, including unexpected cleaning fees R81, foreign transaction fees when prices are displayed in USD R83R85, and additional taxes not included in the initial price shown R63.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R5] Southwest Airlines 5/5 · US Love SW!!: My hubby and I fly SW all the time! To be fair, we’re A-list preferred so our perks are fantastic!! The app makes it super easy to manage and keep track of all our travel, alerts, and any changes
  2. [R7] Southwest Airlines 1/5 · US Worst App: It has taken forever just to scan passports I’ve had to restart each time I finish one because it can’t refresh…uuugggh!
  3. [R8] Southwest Airlines 5/5 · US LOVE SWA: The app is easy and user friendly. Staff are always great, helpful and friendly!
  4. [R9] Southwest Airlines 3/5 · US Typing in confirmation number: I booked our flights online, but I have to enter the confirmation number every time I look at the app. Is there a way to save so this isn’t necessary?
  5. [R2] Southwest Airlines 5/5 · US My favorite airline: I love Southwest
  6. [R6] Southwest Airlines 3/5 · US Changes: I heard when southwest decided to make these current changes that you “listened” to what us customers wanted and gave it to us. Well, I personally and know many more that feel the same, do NOT like the new process. I do not like being assigned a seat or being forced to purchase one to avoid that assignment. Simply put, you could have continued to fill your planes the old way, but the
  7. [R11] Southwest Airlines 5/5 · US Not A Flyer: I traveled back to the OC after moving home to Louiville for the first time in 4 years and as I am such a nervous passenger the staff from KY to ARZ was great very patient and accommodating, however the shorter flight from ARZ to CA the OC the staff had more of a Cali vibe and was not so friendly with the passengers as I was observing. I would like to give an extra thank you to the re
  8. [R1] Southwest Airlines 1/5 · US Suckie seats on Southwest!!!: I used to love this airline. Now they have the worst seating just like every other nickel and dime airline. Hello late stage capitalism!
  9. [R3] Southwest Airlines 3/5 · US Upgrades: If I upgrade my seat then my boarding priority should upgrade with it. It’s almost not worth upgrading.
  10. [R16] Southwest Airlines 1/5 · US Seat selection: I shouldn't have to pay to get an aisle seat. I should be able to select it without an additional fee
  11. [R12] Southwest Airlines 3/5 · US Free First Checked bag?: App would not allow me to add my first free checked bag. I booked with the SWA visa, looks like I am going to have to call to add it for free.
  12. [R13] Southwest Airlines 2/5 · US Bad seat: Even though I checked in literally the second that seating arrangements opened up. I still got a terrible seat. I'm not sure like this.
  13. [R22] Southwest Airlines 1/5 · US check in: I check in early and get the last chair
  14. [R65] Booking.com 5/5 · US Excelente app: Me encanta mucho usar booking para mis reservas y el servicio al cliente tambien es muy bueno. Recomendado
  15. [R79] Booking.com 1/5 · US Terrible rude customer service: I’ve been using booking for all my travel for several years and the representatives I spoke with today were some of the rudest, could not care less to accommodate or help at all. If I missed my flight and had to stay with my kids at an airport for several days, they would not have seemed to care at all to go one bit out of their way to attempt to not make that happe
  16. [R82] Booking.com 5/5 · US Happy Member: I have been using booking for years honestly I should be in one of the commercials lol. But any problems I have they always solved it right away no hassle no hesitation the only app I use to book my rooms in my own hometown or out of state I will forever be a customer
  17. [R87] Booking.com 1/5 · US Horrible customer service: We used booking.com quite often for our son’s wrestling tournaments and never had an issue until now. When booking the hotels, I find them by typing in the location that his tournaments are at so I know the hotels are close. This time, the hotel booked was over an hour away. When searching the name of the location, the exact same hotel pops up, but with the location need
  18. [R63] Booking.com 3/5 · US Convenient if you avoid the sinister scammy parts: If you book a vehicle, it includes “insurance.” This is Booking.com’s “service” and it entirely independent from the rental company. This “insurance” is not usually honored and requires a police report. you are essentially wasting your money and will need to buy insurance again with the actual company. Additionally, the prices they show do not inc
  19. [R81] Booking.com 1/5 · US Not with it book direct: When looking for a place to stay in Las Vegas I shopped booking. The rate seemed fair so I took the risk of not booking direct and go with booking. Upon arrival to the hotel I realized I made a bad choice when the hotel charged me 150 for cleaning. During my 2 night stay not once did palms place give us fresh towels or clean our room. I would never recommend booking or pal
  20. [R83] Booking.com 1/5 · US Got charged Foran transaction fees for the prices shown in the US dollars?: I recently made multiple bookings for hotels and day trips using Booking.com all the prices were shown in the US dollars. With no warning or indication that my credit card will be charged in a Foreign currency now I have close $200 in foreign transaction fees. I have other credit cards that do not charge for transaction fe
  21. [R85] Booking.com 1/5 · US Misleading! Be aware!: Shows the prices on the app in us dollars but charge you in euros. Customer service is non existent .

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store