Southwest Airline Career Page · 2 days ago
Business Development Summer 2026 Internships
Southwest Airlines is committed to providing a stable work environment for its employees and is seeking a Business Development Intern for Summer 2026. The intern will assist the Direct Sales Team by managing corporate travel portfolios, qualifying leads, and providing customer support.
Airlines/Aviation
Responsibilities
Prospect and qualify inbound and outbound leads through cold calling and email campaigns, engages Customers and builds rapport in a professional manner
Schedule appointments and maintain relationships with qualified leads for account manager
Complete timely and accurate documentation of all sales activities in Salesforce
Meet or exceed weekly/monthly lead generation goals
Provide Customer Support to Southwest Business Team and Customers by responding to and managing sales inquiries
Participate in ad hoc sales projects, promotions, and planning
Negotiate and implement corporate agreements, including Rapid Rewards Business and the Meetings program
Qualification
Required
U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. required and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available
Ability to engage in lead generation tactics, including prospecting and qualifying new Customers via phone and email
Professional written and verbal communication skills, and ability to speak publicly before an audience
Ability to work independently and the willingness to function as a part of a team
Ability to coordinate multiple tasks and complete assignments with tight deadlines
Must be detail oriented and able to work with a sense of urgency
Must maintain a professional appearance and attitude
Ability to identify areas of opportunity, create a plan for improvement, and implement
High School Diploma, GED or equivalent education required
Progress towards degree, major or minor in Professional Sales, Marketing, Business, Hospitality or similar degree required
To be eligible, you must be currently enrolled as a full-time student (as defined by your university) at the time of application and during the internship
Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time of application
Must be at least 18 years of age
You must have a valid U.S. Social Security Number to complete the full hiring process
Preferred
Progress towards a 4-year undergraduate degree preferred
1-2 semesters remaining at the time the internship ends is preferred
Experience cold calling, sales role play, customer engagement and prospecting preferred
Sales experience/interest
Previous Internship in similar fields including sales, marketing or general business
Previous Customer Support experience preferred
Experience using Salesforce
Basic knowledge of Southwest Business products
Familiarity with online travel sites (agencies and corporate booking tools)
Sales Classes or a part of a collegiate Sales program
Involved in campus activities or organizations
Benefits
Free, unlimited space available travel privileges for yourself (taxes and fees may apply on international travel)
Interns will be provided any required equipment, such as a laptop, for the internship.
Company
Southwest Airline Career Page
At Southwest Airlines we connect People to what’s important in their lives—that also means connecting our Employees to what’s important in their lives! Our Employees value the opportunity to work hard, be creative, and have fun on the job.
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageCompany data provided by crunchbase