After more than 50 years, Southwest Airlines’ “bags fly free” policy is finally coming to an end.
Southwest on Tuesday announced the first checked bag will cost $35, while a second checked bag will cost $45. The policy will begin tomorrow, when some passengers may be subject to a checked bag fee when booking a flight on the discount carrier. Weight and size limits for bags will apply.
The new policy only applies to flights booked on May 28 or later, which means today is the last day to book if passengers want to avoid the new fee.
There are, however, some carve-outs to the new policy: Business Select/Choice Extra and A-List Preferred customers will receive two free checked bags, while A-List and Chase Rapid Reward credit card members will get one free checked bag.
In addition to the checked bag fees, a new flight credit policy will also take effect tomorrow, affecting how long Southwest customers can use their travel vouchers.
Flight credits issued May 28 or later will expire in six months or a year, depending on the fare type. This marks a change to the airline’s previous policy in place for three years, which had said flight credits never expire.
The airlines stock price was up 2.1% in pre-trading.
Southwest announced the end of its free bag check policy in March amid mounting pressure from activist investors to improve its financial performance. The airline in September predicted that the change would lead to $1.5 billion a year in revenue but said it also stood to lose $1.8 billion in business from loyal customers who flew Southwest because of its unique baggage policy.
The new checked bag policy is part of a broader set of changes announced by Southwest. The airline said last July that it would start selling assigned seats, a major departure from its longstanding open seating policy.
In April, the airline gave customers their first glimpse of what new seating options would look like when it announced its new fare structure. As part of the offerings, customers will now be able to pay for extra legroom.
Customers can start booking the new fare bundles in the third quarter of 2025 for flights that depart in 2026, according to the airline.
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