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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Southwest Airlines Starts Charging for Checked Bags
Southwest Airlines has implemented their bag policy change that was announced in March, now charging fees for checked bags on flights booked Wednesday or later. This marks the end of the airline's long-standing 'bags fly free' policy, which had set the airline apart from competitors for decades. Southwest revealed to customers on Tuesday that moving forward, it will charge $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second, applying the usual weight and size restrictions. Though most passengers will be charged, Southwest will continue to honor its two-free bag policy for select groups, including Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and those flying Business Select. A-List members and Rapid Rewards credit card holders will receive one free checked bag. There are a few other changes taking effect on Wednesday, according to Southwest's announcement in March, including a basic fare being attached to its lowest-priced tickets, and a rule that portable-chargers be used in plain sight of the flight crew to prevent lithium-ion battery fires. Southwest still has a few changes planned for the future, including phasing out its signature open-boarding system. The airline expects to begin assigning seats to passengers by next year.
Time Out
3 days ago
- Business
- Time Out
Southwest is now charging for checked bags
It was a policy too beautiful and too fragile to live for long: Southwest's beloved 'two checked bags free' policy ended today, as reported by ABC 10. We can expect to see suddenly emptied baggage carousels and a tougher seating situation when boarding, because now the stakes are higher for passengers. They'll not only be scouting for the best seats they can (Southwest doesn't assign seating but only releases passengers into the aircraft by boarding group to grab their preferred seats) but now also vying for overhead bin space. Wait! I already booked a flight. If you booked a flight before today, May 28, don't worry. You'll still get to check your two bags for free. What is the new cost for checking bags? It's $35 for the first bag and $45 for a second. Does everyone have to pay the new rates? No. If you're a Rapid Rewards A-List preferred member or are traveling on a Business Select ticket, you can still get two free checked bags. If you're an A-List member, you can get one free checked bag. If you hold a Rapid Rewards credit card, you'll get a credit for one checked bag. Are there any other ways Southwest is changing how things work? Yep, unfortunately. The way it organizes fares is changing. There's a new "Basic" tier, and the existing ticket tiers of "Wanna Get Away Plus," "Anytime," and "Business Select" will be renamed "Choice," "Choice Preferred," and "Choice Extra.' Ugh. Can't they come up with more fun names? This is supposed to be the wacky, edgy airline! When do the new fare options start? In the third quarter of 2025. Anything else? Yes. Your portable chargers and power banks will have to be kept in plain sight while you're using them. This means if they burst into flame, the fire can be quickly addressed. This seems like a good idea. So, that's all? No. Starting next year, seating will be assigned and the whole zany 'grab that window seat before that other person does' zoo will become a memory. We're relieved, to be honest. Human nature has become increasingly unpleasant, with people reserving seats for others by throwing down bags and deliberately boarding with a better group number. It therefore makes sense to assign seats.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Southwest Checked Bag Fee, Policy: What to Know as Prices Change Tomorrow
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Southwest Airlines has updated its checked bag policy, and passengers will start paying extra tomorrow. Why It Matters Southwest has long allowed passengers to bring a guaranteed free checked bag, but that is changing tomorrow as the airline adopts a new policy. Airlines have faced headwinds in recent years due to larger economic uncertainty. Tariffs, shifting demand and higher jet fuel prices have all forced airlines to make changes to their business models, potentially leading to higher prices for consumers. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 taxis at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 16, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 taxis at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 16, 2025 in Arlington, To Know Southwest Checked Bag Fee Beginning Wednesday, Southwest passengers will no longer get two guaranteed free checked bags when purchasing a flight. That prior rule is disappearing as the airline starts charging fees for checked bags for the first time ever. The first checked bag will cost $35, while the second checked bag will incur a $45 charge for most tickets. Higher costs will apply to overweight and oversized bags. Southwest Baggage Policy Southwest opted to switch its baggage policy as it makes larger business changes. The airline will also no longer allow passengers to self-select their own seats. There will also be added legroom for flyers. How to Still Get Free Bags on Southwest Customers may be able to skirt around the new baggage fee if they qualify for specific perks or rewards under Southwest. That includes Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and customers traveling on Business Select or Choice Extra fares. This will allow you to still get your two free checked bags. Rapid Rewards A-List Members and Rapid Rewards credit card holders also get one free checked bag. What People Are Saying A Southwest spokesperson told Newsweek: "Southwest will be charging $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second checked bag (weight and size limits apply) for flights booked or voluntarily changed on or after May 28." Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "There's a running joke: if you want to become a millionaire, have a billionaire invest in an airline. I say that tongue in cheek, but it reflects a deeper truth. This industry is going to continue consolidating. Airlines will cut routes, cut costs, and push profitability as far as they can." Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "For many longtime Southwest flyers, the changes coming this week seem unfathomable. The airline has for decades prided itself being fee-free when it came to bags as many of its rivals started charging for them years ago... The online chatter was highly negative when the changes were first announced, with many claiming they would abandon Southwest. At the same point, talk doesn't always equate to business. It will be interesting to see if the initial angered feedback results in fewer profits moving forward." What Happens Next In February, Southwest Airlines said it would be laying off 1,750 employees for the first time in 50 years. Thompson said more layoffs and higher prices are likely ahead for the airline industry. "Expect activist investors to push changes the original founders never would've touched. We're already down to a few major carriers and if this trend holds competition will shrink as passengers end up paying more for less," Thompson said.
4 days ago
- Business
Southwest Airlines to start charging checked bag fee this week
The era of free checked bags while flying Southwest Airlines is coming to an end. Starting on Wednesday, the Dallas-based carrier will charge customers $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for their second checked bag. The bag fee change will also apply to existing flight itineraries changed on or after May 28, Southwest confirmed to "Good Morning America." Southwest, which previously announced the change in March, said the checked bag fee will put the airline in line with "with industry standards" and hopes the move will boost business. To travel with free checked bags moving forward, Southwest customers will have to be preferred members of the airline's Rapid Rewards A-List program or traveling on Business Select or Choice Extra classes. A-List members and Rapid Rewards credit card members will also get one free checked bag, according to Southwest. Southwest will also begin offering a cheaper Basic fare starting May 28. Checked bag fees will apply to Southwest's Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime fares from Wednesday onward, the carrier said, but not to passengers traveling on Southwest via partner carriers. Previously, Southwest offered passengers the opportunity to travel with up to four bags – first carry-on bag, second carry-on bag or personal item, first checked bag, and second checked bag – at no extra cost.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Final boarding call for free bags at Southwest as airline abandons a cherished perk
Southwest had built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free. Under its new policy, people who haven't either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline's credit card will have to pay for checked bags. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Southwest will continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag. Advertisement People who don't qualify for those categories will get charged to check bags. The airline said in March that it also would roll out a new, basic fare on its lowest priced tickets when the change takes effect. The airline estimated in September that charging bag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion a year but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost business from customers who chose to fly Southwest because of its generous baggage allowance. Advertisement Another policy that will take effect on Wednesday is Southwest requiring passengers to keep their portable chargers in plain sight while using them because of concerns about the growing number of lithium-ion battery fires. These aren't the only changes at Southwest. The Dallas airline previously announced that it was leaving behind another Southwest tradition, the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flights with passengers in assigned seats next year. The airline also said last year that it would charge customers extra for more legroom and offer red-eye flights. Southwest has struggled recently and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline reached a truce in October with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to avoid a proxy fight, but Elliott won several seats on the company's board. The airline announced in February that it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company's 53-year history. Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. rose 3% at the opening bell Tuesday along with other carriers in an up day for the sector.
