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https://southwest.com

Accessibility

· 13 checks — Landmarks, headings, alt text, forms, and link quality rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
46
GRADE
F
FIX
7
REVIEW
3
PASS
3
INFO
0
Checks
13
3 PASS 3 REVIEW 7 FIX
F
404 Error Page
Action
HTTP 403, bare page
FIX
HTTP 403, bare page
Warning::
Unexpected status code: HTTP 403
Expected HTTP 404 but received 403. This may confuse search engine crawlers.
Got: HTTP 403
Warning::
Bare server default 404 page
The 404 page has no custom styling. Users hitting a broken link see a generic error with no way to navigate back. Add a custom 404 page with your site navigation and a search bar.
404 Page Quality Default 404 Page
Status Code HTTP 403 ✗Page Title Access Denied ✓Custom Styling ✗Navigation ✗Homepage Link ✗Search Form ✗
F
Favicon & Branding
Action
No icons detected
FIX
No icons detected
Warning::
No favicon.ico at site root
Some older browsers, bookmark tools, and RSS readers look for /favicon.ico. Add one as a fallback.
Info::
No apple-touch-icon detected
iOS devices use this when users add your site to their home screen. Add <link rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='180x180' href='/apple-touch-icon.png'>.
Critical::
No favicon or icon links detected
Your site will show the browser's generic page icon in tabs, bookmarks, and home screens.
✗ favicon.ico Missing
✗ PNG Icons Missing
✗ Apple Touch Missing
✗ SVG Favicon Missing
✗ Manifest Icons Missing
✗ Multiple Sizes Missing
D
Web Manifest
Action
Not found
FIX
Not found
Info::
No web manifest found
No manifest at standard paths (/manifest.json, /site.webmanifest). A manifest is optional but enables PWA features like home screen installation and standalone display.

No web manifest found.

D
Dark Mode Support
Action
No dark mode signals
FIX
No dark mode signals
Info::
No dark mode signals detected
Consider adding CSS with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) and <meta name='color-scheme' content='light dark'>.
Info::
Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles
External CSS files may contain prefers-color-scheme rules not visible to this scan.
Dark ModeNo Dark Mode Detected
color-scheme meta Not set ✗Dark theme-color Not set ✗CSS indicators Not detected ✗

Detection limited to meta tags and inline styles.

D
Print Stylesheet
Action
No print styles
FIX
No print styles
Info::
No print-specific styles detected
When users print this page, they get the screen layout including navigation and non-essential elements. Add @media print rules to hide navigation and optimize layout for paper.
Print Stylesheet No Print Styles
Print stylesheet Not found ✗Inline @media print Not detected ✗
F
Navigation UX
Action
1 navigation pattern(s)
FIX
1 navigation pattern(s)
Info::
Skip navigation link detected
Info::
1 navigation landmark(s) detected
Info::
Hamburger menu detected (responsive design)
Breadcrumbs
Search
Skip Link Skip link detected
Labeled Navigation 1 <nav> element(s)
Back to Top
Hamburger Menu
Sticky Navigation Cannot reliably detect (CSS-based)
3 of 6 testable patterns navigation patterns detected. Strong navigation UX with multiple discovery paths.
B
Landmark Structure
5 landmarks
REVIEW
5 landmarks
Critical::
No <main> landmark found
Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.
Info::
1 <nav> landmark(s) found
Info::
Skip navigation link present
Page Structure — as a screen reader sees it
BANNER header NAV "bottom navigation" MAIN (missing!) CONTENTINFO footer

Screen reader users cannot quickly navigate to the primary content. Wrap your main content in <main>.

Why this matters

Without a <main> landmark, screen-reader users can't skip past the navigation to the page content — every page starts with re-reading the menu.

Learn more ▾

The <main> element marks the page's primary content area. Assistive tech offers a 'jump to main' shortcut — but only if <main> exists. Without it, every page navigation forces re-reading the header. Wrap your primary content in a single <main>.

Source: WAI-ARIA / WCAG 2.4.1

C
Heading Hierarchy
Action
14 headings, 1 skip(s)
REVIEW
14 headings, 1 skip(s)
Critical::
No H1 heading found
Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.
Warning::
Heading level skipped: H2 → H5 (missing H3)
Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.
  • H2 Join Rapid Rewards®. Get rewarded rapidly.
  • H2 Bundle and save with new Getaways by Southwest™
  • H2 Special Offers
  • H5 About Southwest skipped
  • H5 Flying Southwest
  • H5 Southwest Products
  • H5 Help Center
  • H2 Cookie Preferences
  • H3 Manage Preferences
  • H4 Strictly Necessary
  • H4 Functional
  • H4 Performance
  • H4 Targeting
  • H3 Cookie List

Every page should have one H1 that describes the page content.

Why this matters

No H1 means screen-reader users can't identify the page's primary topic, and Google's content-extraction degrades.

Learn more ▾

The H1 is the document title for assistive tech and a strong signal to search engines about page topic. Pages without one force screen readers to fall back to the <title> attribute or page chrome. Add a single H1 that names the page's primary subject.

Source: WCAG 2.4.6 / Google Search Central

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline. Screen readers may interpret missing levels as structural errors.

Why this matters

Skipping heading levels breaks the document outline — screen-reader users lose track of section nesting.

Learn more ▾

Screen reader users navigate by jumping between headings (H1 → H2 → H3). Skipping (H1 → H3) breaks the sense of hierarchy. Use sequential levels even if you don't like the default styling — restyle with CSS instead. WCAG 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) treats this as an A failure.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.1 / W3C WAI

C
Color Contrast (Screenshot)
Action
20 text elements analyzed, 11 fail WCAG AA
REVIEW

Analyzes text contrast against the actual rendered page, including background images, gradients, and overlays that CSS-based tools cannot detect.

9 pass 11 fail WCAG AA
div Flight | Hotel | Car | Vacations | Cruis…
1.78:1
#000000
on
#012999
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
div Special Offers
1.76:1
#000000
on
#002899
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
div Rapid rewards
1.76:1
#000000
on
#002899
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
div first
1.76:1
#000000
on
#002899
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
div last
1.76:1
#000000
on
#002899
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
div first
1.78:1
#000000
on
#002999
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
div last
1.80:1
#000000
on
#012A9A
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · above the fold
p Earn 50,000 points + first checked bag i…
1.80:1
#000000
on
#002A9A
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page
a Learn more
1.78:1
#000000
on
#00299A
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page
div The current page is
1.76:1
#000000
on
#002899
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page
div Flights
1.73:1
#000000
on
#012697
needs 4.5:1 (normal text)
16px · mid-page
Show all checked elements (20)
ElementRatioRequiredFGBGResult
h2 Cookie Preferences11.76:13.0:1
#000000
#B4C2E2
Pass
h3 Manage Preferences11.76:13.0:1
#000000
#B4C2E2
Pass
h3 Cookie List11.76:13.0:1
#000000
#B4C2E2
Pass
title Southwest Airlines |…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
div Southwest Airlines |…21.00:14.5:1
#000000
#FFFFFF
Pass
a Skip to content19.09:14.5:1
#000000
#F4F4F4
Pass
div Log in19.09:14.5:1
#000000
#F4F4F4
Pass
div first19.26:14.5:1
#000000
#F5F5F5
Pass
div last19.26:14.5:1
#000000
#F5F5F5
Pass
div Flight | Hotel | Car…1.78:14.5:1
#000000
#012999
Fail
div Special Offers1.76:14.5:1
#000000
#002899
Fail
div Rapid rewards1.76:14.5:1
#000000
#002899
Fail
div first1.76:14.5:1
#000000
#002899
Fail
div last1.76:14.5:1
#000000
#002899
Fail
div first1.78:14.5:1
#000000
#002999
Fail
div last1.80:14.5:1
#000000
#012A9A
Fail
p Earn 50,000 points +…1.80:14.5:1
#000000
#002A9A
Fail
a Learn more1.78:14.5:1
#000000
#00299A
Fail
div The current page is1.76:14.5:1
#000000
#002899
Fail
div Flights1.73:14.5:1
#000000
#012697
Fail

Methodology: The top 20 text elements by font size were checked. Background color was sampled from the desktop screenshot using a 5-point pattern. WCAG 2.1 AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

A
Alt Text Quality
2 of 29 images have issues
PASS
2 of 29 images have issues
Critical::
1 image(s) missing alt attribute
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.
Warning::
1 image(s) with filename as alt text
Info::
13 decorative image(s) correctly marked
Info::
14 image(s) with good alt text
29 images 14 good alt text 13 decorative 1 generic 1 missing
IssueCount
missing1 image(s)
filename1 image(s)

Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers.

Why this matters

Each image without alt text is a WCAG 1.1.1 failure — invisible to screen-reader users, lost from Google Image Search.

Learn more ▾

WCAG 2.1 Level A requires text alternatives for non-decorative images. Empty alt='' is fine for decorative; meaningful images need descriptive text. Common fixes: CMS audit + bulk add, build-time linter (alt-text-required ESLint rule), CI gate on Lighthouse a11y score.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 1.1.1 / WebAIM Million Report

A
Form Accessibility
1 of 12 controls have issues
PASS
1 of 12 controls have issues
Critical::
1 control(s) without accessible label
Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.
Got: <input type="file" name="file" id="fileSelector">
Info::
11 control(s) properly labeled
12 controls
11 labeled
0 placeholder only
1 unlabeled
ControlTypeLabelMethod
#originationAirportCodetextDepart*for/id
#destinationAirportCodetextArrive*for/id
#departureDatetextDepart date in M M, D D formataria-label
#returnDatetextReturn date in M M, D D formataria-label
adultPassengersCounttextPassenger Selectoraria-label
#promoCodetextPromo codearia-label
#vendor-search-handlertextCookie list searcharia-label
#chkbox-idcheckboxcheckbox labelfor/id
#select-all-hosts-groups-handlercheckboxcheckbox labelfor/id
#select-all-vendor-groups-handlercheckboxcheckbox labelfor/id
#select-all-vendor-leg-handlercheckboxcheckbox labelfor/id
#fileSelectorfile(none)none

Form controls need a <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby for screen readers.

<input type="file" name="file" id="fileSelector">

Why this matters

Form controls without labels — assistive tech announces 'edit text' with no context; users can't complete forms.

Source: WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.2

A+
Lighthouse Accessibility Audits
Score 97/100 — 2 failing, 35 passed
PASS
97

Accessibility

These checks highlight opportunities to improve the accessibility of your web app. Automatic detection can only detect a subset of issues and does not guarantee the accessibility of your web app, so manual testing is also encouraged.

Contrast

Low-contrast text is difficult or impossible for many users to read. Learn how to provide sufficient color contrast.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Super sale! Ready. Set. Jet. div.container__3p4xS > div.mainLayout__1jKOZ > div.textContent__3-wMK > div
One-way as low as* div.textContent__3-wMK > div.offerDetails__2zw_j > div > div
89 div.offerDetails__2zw_j > div > div.currency__1vXod > div.displayLarge__1cPop
From New York (LaGuardia), NY div.textContent__3-wMK > div.offerDetails__2zw_j > div > div
*Restrictions and exclusions apply. 21-day advance purchase required. Seats/day… div.mainLayout__1jKOZ > div > div.htmlValue__1ElrM > p

These are opportunities to improve the legibility of your content.

Visible text labels that do not match the accessible name can result in a confusing experience for screen reader users. Learn more about accessible names.

Why this matters

Performance issues directly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

Failing Elements
Show fares in points form.form__3tmnN > div.fareOptionsContainer__2RRWu > span.showFareInPoints___f1CQ > div.checkbox__37tXt
Search with low fare calendar form.form__3tmnN > div.fareOptionsContainer__2RRWu > span.lowFareCalendarCheckbox__3CyCf > div.checkbox__37tXt
Explore package div > div.container__3Riyt > div.layout__3p5eH > a.navButton__3bxN4
Explore package div > div.container__3Riyt > div.layout__3p5eH > a.navButton__3bxN4
Explore package div > div.container__3Riyt > div.layout__3p5eH > a.navButton__3bxN4
See more featured deals div.layout__HiTxF > div#featuredPackagesCarousel > div.callToAction__B_uQT > a.button__uPCsA
Privacy Policy div#onetrust-group-container > div#onetrust-policy > div#onetrust-policy-text > a.ot-cookie-policy-link
○Interactive controls are keyboard focusable
○Interactive elements indicate their purpose and state
○The page has a logical tab order
○Visual order on the page follows DOM order
○User focus is not accidentally trapped in a region
○The user's focus is directed to new content added to the page
○HTML5 landmark elements are used to improve navigation
○Offscreen content is hidden from assistive technology
○Custom controls have associated labels
○Custom controls have ARIA roles
●`[aria-*]` attributes match their roles
●`[aria-hidden="true"]` is not present on the document `<body>`
●`[role]`s have all required `[aria-*]` attributes
●Elements with an ARIA `[role]` that require children to contain a specific `[role]` have all required children.
●`[role]`s are contained by their required parent element
●`[role]` values are valid
●`[aria-*]` attributes have valid values
●`[aria-*]` attributes are valid and not misspelled
●Buttons have an accessible name
●Image elements have `[alt]` attributes
●Form elements have associated labels
●`[user-scalable="no"]` is not used in the `<meta name="viewport">` element and the `[maximum-scale]` attribute is not less than 5.
●`button`, `link`, and `menuitem` elements have accessible names
●ARIA attributes are used as specified for the element's role
●Elements with `role="dialog"` or `role="alertdialog"` have accessible names.
●`[aria-hidden="true"]` elements do not contain focusable descendents
●ARIA input fields have accessible names
●Elements use only permitted ARIA attributes
●ARIA toggle fields have accessible names
●Document has a `<title>` element
●`<frame>` or `<iframe>` elements have a title
●`<html>` element has a `[lang]` attribute
●`<html>` element has a valid value for its `[lang]` attribute
●Links are distinguishable without relying on color.
●Links have a discernible name
●Lists contain only `<li>` elements and script supporting elements (`<script>` and `<template>`).
●List items (`<li>`) are contained within `<ul>`, `<ol>` or `<menu>` parent elements
●No element has a `[tabindex]` value greater than 0
●Touch targets have sufficient size and spacing.
●Heading elements appear in a sequentially-descending order
●Skip links are focusable.
●Document has a main landmark.
●Deprecated ARIA roles were not used
●ARIA IDs are unique
●Identical links have the same purpose.
○`[accesskey]` values are unique
○ARIA `meter` elements have accessible names
○ARIA `progressbar` elements have accessible names
○Elements with the `role=text` attribute do not have focusable descendents.
○ARIA `tooltip` elements have accessible names
○ARIA `treeitem` elements have accessible names
○The page contains a heading, skip link, or landmark region
○`<dl>`'s contain only properly-ordered `<dt>` and `<dd>` groups, `<script>`, `<template>` or `<div>` elements.
○Definition list items are wrapped in `<dl>` elements
○No form fields have multiple labels
○`<html>` element has an `[xml:lang]` attribute with the same base language as the `[lang]` attribute.
○Input buttons have discernible text.
○`<input type="image">` elements have `[alt]` text
○The document does not use `<meta http-equiv="refresh">`
○`<object>` elements have alternate text
○Select elements have associated label elements.
○Cells in a `<table>` element that use the `[headers]` attribute refer to table cells within the same table.
○`<th>` elements and elements with `[role="columnheader"/"rowheader"]` have data cells they describe.
○`[lang]` attributes have a valid value
○`<video>` elements contain a `<track>` element with `[kind="captions"]`
○Tables have different content in the summary attribute and `<caption>`.
○All heading elements contain content.
○Uses ARIA roles only on compatible elements
○Image elements do not have `[alt]` attributes that are redundant text.
○Tables use `<caption>` instead of cells with the `[colspan]` attribute to indicate a caption.
○`<td>` elements in a large `<table>` have one or more table headers.
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

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