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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.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tuesday is the last day to get free checked bags through Southwest Airlines: What you need to know
For decades, Southwest Airlines has been known for the fact that all its passengers get two free checked bags, but starting Wednesday, that will no longer be the case. Southwest's offering of checked bags without a fee has been a staple of the airline and has differentiated the company from its rivals. Until now, Southwest was the only major airline in the U.S. that allowed passengers to check two bags with no extra cost. The airline had built years of advertising campaigns around its passengers' ability to check up to two bags for free. The change was first announced in March, and is just one of a number of recent changes made by the airline in an effort to increase revenue and cut costs, according to The New York Times. According to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Southwest said that starting on Wednesday, checking one bag will cost $35 and a second bag will be $45. These fees are in line with other major airlines in the U.S., which on average charge between $35 and $45 for the first checked bag. The checked bag fees will apply to any tickets booked starting on May 28 for Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus and Anytime fares. Free checked bags will still be available for some people. Passengers who have reached the top tier of the Rapid Rewards loyalty program or booked a Business Select ticket will receive a credit for two checked bags, as previously reported by the Deseret News. Passengers who have A-List status with the airline or have a Southwest Airlines credit card will receive a credit for one checked bag. Southwest is one of the major airlines that flies out of Salt Lake City International Airport on a daily basis. Each day, there is an average of 29 Southwest flights out of the airport, according to the airport's website. This is the third-highest number of daily domestic flights for an airline out of Salt Lake City, after Delta Air Lines and SkyWest Airlines. Southwest's most common destinations out of Salt Lake City are Denver with six daily flights, Phoenix with five and Las Vegas with four. The addition of fees for checked bags is just one of a number of changes recently announced by Southwest Airlines. Also starting on Wednesday, all Southwest flight credits will have an expiration date. Before now, all flight credits through the airline were limitless, as previously reported by the Deseret News. Any credits issued before May 28 will be exempt from the new policy. Depending on the ticket purchased, expiration ranges from six to 12 months. Another policy that will take effect on Wednesday is the airline will start requiring passengers to have their portable chargers in plain sight while in use, according to The Associated Press. This is due to concerns about the growing number of lithium-ion battery fires. The airline also announced last year that it will be getting rid of the open-boarding system that it has used for over 50 years, per the AP. It will begin to implement assigned seating on its flights starting in 2026. It will also begin offering more legroom at an extra cost and will begin having red-eye flights.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tuesday is the last day to get free checked bags through Southwest Airlines: What you need to know
For decades, Southwest Airlines has been known for the fact that all its passengers get two free checked bags, but starting Wednesday, that will no longer be the case. Southwest's offering of checked bags without a fee has been a staple of the airline and has differentiated the company from its rivals. Until now, Southwest was the only major airline in the U.S. that allowed passengers to check two bags with no extra cost. The airline had built years of advertising campaigns around its passengers' ability to check up to two bags for free. The change was first announced in March, and is just one of a number of recent changes made by the airline in an effort to increase revenue and cut costs, according to The New York Times. According to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Southwest said that starting on Wednesday, checking one bag will cost $35 and a second bag will be $45. These fees are in line with other major airlines in the U.S., which on average charge between $35 and $45 for the first checked bag. The checked bag fees will apply to any tickets booked starting on May 28 for Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus and Anytime fares. Free checked bags will still be available for some people. Passengers who have reached the top tier of the Rapid Rewards loyalty program or booked a Business Select ticket will receive a credit for two checked bags, as previously reported by the Deseret News. Passengers who have A-List status with the airline or have a Southwest Airlines credit card will receive a credit for one checked bag. Southwest is one of the major airlines that flies out of Salt Lake City International Airport on a daily basis. Each day, there is an average of 29 Southwest flights out of the airport, according to the airport's website. This is the third-highest number of daily domestic flights for an airline out of Salt Lake City, after Delta Air Lines and SkyWest Airlines. Southwest's most common destinations out of Salt Lake City are Denver with six daily flights, Phoenix with five and Las Vegas with four. The addition of fees for checked bags is just one of a number of changes recently announced by Southwest Airlines. Also starting on Wednesday, all Southwest flight credits will have an expiration date. Before now, all flight credits through the airline were limitless, as previously reported by the Deseret News. Any credits issued before May 28 will be exempt from the new policy. Depending on the ticket purchased, expiration ranges from six to 12 months. Another policy that will take effect on Wednesday is the airline will start requiring passengers to have their portable chargers in plain sight while in use, according to The Associated Press. This is due to concerns about the growing number of lithium-ion battery fires. The airline also announced last year that it will be getting rid of the open-boarding system that it has used for over 50 years, per the AP. It will begin to implement assigned seating on its flights starting in 2026. It will also begin offering more legroom at an extra cost and will begin having red-eye flights.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Trade crime is soaring, US firms say, as Trump's tariffs incentivize fraud
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up AVIATION Advertisement Southwest Airlines sets baggage fees Advertisement A Southwest Airlines traveler checked a bag at Midway International Airport in Chicago. Erin Hooley/Associated Press Southwest Airline's longtime free luggage policy on basic economy fares will end on Wednesday when the airline begins charging a $35 fee for one checked bag and $45 for the second, according to a spokesperson for Southwest. Until now, Southwest was the only major US airline that allowed passengers to check two bags at no extra cost, but in March, the airline announced that it would start applying baggage fees to boost revenues and cut costs. The airline reported a net loss of $149 million in the first quarter. Under the new policy, customers flying Business Select or those with high loyalty status will be spared the additional fees; passengers with a Southwest Airlines co-branded credit card will be able to check one standard bag at no additional cost. Checked bag fees will apply to tickets booked on or after May 28 for Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime fares. The baggage fees are in line with other major US airlines, which typically charge between $35 and $45 for a first checked bag. — NEW YORK TIMES CRYPTO Trump Media raises money to buy $2.5 billion in bitcoin President Trump spoke to reporters at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 16. AL DRAGO/NYT Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, said Tuesday that it would raise $2.5 billion from institutional investors to invest in bitcoin, continuing its transformation from a social media company into a financial services and cryptocurrency play. Trump Media, whose largest shareholder is President Trump, said it would raise $1.5 billion from about 50 institutional investors by selling roughly 58 million shares. The company is planning to raise an additional $1 billion from the sale of bonds that can also be converted into shares at a later date. The announcement came as the president and his family have become more involved in a number of crypto companies. Trump owns a little more than 50 percent of Trump Media's stock, making his roughly $2.7 billion stake one of his most valuable investments. The sale of the new shares will potentially dilute the value of Trump Media's stock, including the 115 million shares that Trump owns. The president's shares are held in a trust managed by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who also is a Trump Media board member. As part of the deal, which could close as soon as Thursday, the shares will be sold at $25.72. Trump Media, which has a market value of just over $5 billion, said with the cash raised from the stock and bond sale it would create one of the largest corporate reserves to invest in bitcoin. The company did not immediately disclose the investors in the deal. Trump Media went public a little more than a year ago, after completing a merger with a cash-rich shell company. But the company has been losing money ever since, and Truth Social has generated just a few million dollars in advertising revenue, even as the social media platform serves as Donald Trump's primary online megaphone for communicating to the public. — NEW YORK TIMES Advertisement ECONOMY US consumer confidence jumps most in four years on trade truce Shoppers walked past napkins and paper plates at the Walmart Supercenter store in Teterboro, N.J. KARSTEN MORAN/NYT US consumer confidence rebounded sharply in May from a near five-year low as the outlook for the economy and labor market improved amid a truce on tariffs. The Conference Board's gauge of confidence increased by 12.3 points to 98, marking the biggest monthly gain in four years. The figure exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. A gauge of consumer expectations for the next six months surged by the most since 2011, while a measure of present conditions climbed as well, data released Tuesday showed. The improvement in confidence was broad across age and income groups as well as political affiliations, with the strongest gains among Republicans. The cutoff for the survey was May 19, after the United States and China agreed to temporarily reduce high levies on each other's goods while they negotiate a trade deal. About half the responses were collected after the agreement was reached on May 12, according to a statement. 'The rebound was already visible before the May 12 US-China trade deal but gained momentum afterwards,' Stephanie Guichard, senior economist at The Conference Board, said in the statement. The gauge's improvement may be an indication that worries about tariffs — a key source of anxiety in the previous surveys — abated in recent weeks. However, President Trump has since renewed threats to increase levies on other countries and products. — BLOOMBERG NEWS Advertisement ACQUISITIONS Salesforce is buying Informatica in deal worth approximately $8 billion The Salesforce Tower in New York. Ted Shaffrey/Associated Press Salesforce is buying AI-powered cloud data management company Informatica in an approximately $8 billion deal. Informatica's shareholders will receive $25 per share, a premium of about 11 percent from Friday's closing price of $22.55. The transaction will give Salesforce access to Informatica's data management capabilities. Informatica was taken private in 2015 by private equity firm Permira and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for about $5.3 billion. It went public again in 2021. Both companies' boards have approved the deal, which is expected to close early in Salesforce's fiscal 2027. — ASSOCIATED PRESS TRANSIT NY wins order against US funding freeze in congestion fight Signs advising drivers of congestion pricing tolls are displayed near the exit of the Lincoln Tunnel in New York on Feb. 19. Seth Wenig/Associated Press New York won a court order temporarily barring the Trump administration from withholding federal approvals or funds for the state's transportation projects, as the president tries to end Manhattan's congestion pricing program. The administration has threatened to hold back the funds and permissions unless New York stops charging tolls to drive into the borough's tolled zone. US District Judge Lewis Liman on Tuesday granted a request by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to block such efforts by the federal government through June 9 while he considers whether the United States has the legal right to terminate the toll. Liman's ruling means the program — meant to reduce gridlock and pollution and raise money to modernize the city's transit system — will almost certainly continue as the legal battle proceeds. It helps reduce uncertainty over how the nation's largest public transportation system will pay to modernize a more than 100-year-old network. The judge ordered the two sides to meet to decide how to speed up the process, saying there is a 'public interest in moving the case along.' — BLOOMBERG NEWS Advertisement
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
All Bags Will No Longer Fly Free on Southwest Airlines, Starting Tomorrow
Southwest Airlines will end its decades-long "two bags fly free" era for new bookings beginning tomorrow. The new fees of $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second will apply to Southwest's Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime fares. Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and customers traveling on Business Select or Choice Extra fares will still receive two free checked bags. Standard A-List Members and Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers will get one free bag. The change is one of a series Southwest has announced over the past year amid activist investor Airlines' (LUV) decades-long "two bags fly free" era is coming to an end tomorrow. The carrier will begin charging certain customers $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for their second on flights booked starting Wednesday, a company spokesperson said in a statement. The change—which brings Southwest in line with domestic competitors Delta Air Lines (DAL), United Airlines (UAL), and American Airlines (AAL)—comes amid pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management to raise revenue. In addition to the bag fees, Southwest on Wednesday is introducing a basic economy ticket option, which the airline describes as its lowest price point but least flexible tier. The new bag fees apply to Southwest's Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime fares. Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and customers traveling on Business Select or Choice Extra fares will still receive two free checked bags. Standard A-List Members and Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers will get one free bag. Southwest last summer announced it would be ending its famed open seating policy, later adding that "reservations for flights with assigned seats are expected to start in the second half of 2025 for flights operating in 2026." Shares of Southwest rose 3% soon after markets opened Tuesday. The airline's stock has fallen about 5% in 2025. Read the original article on Investopedia
