Southwest Tightens Luggage Policy: Free Bags End This Week – What You'll Need to Pay

Today is your final opportunity to reserve a ticket with Southwest Airlines before they start charging fees for checked baggage. The company recently discontinued this long-standing policy, which was previously highlighted by their executives as crucial for setting them apart from competing airlines.

In March, the airline announced this modification, stating that the updated policy would initially apply to reservations made starting from Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Southwest announced that they will charge $35 for the first checked baggage and $45 for the second one. There will also be weight and size restrictions for these bags.

For many years, Southwest Airlines promoted its service through various advertisements centered on allowing customers to bring up to two suitcases at no extra charge. However, under their updated policy, individuals who do not qualify as top-tier members within their Rapid Rewards loyalty club, purchase a higher-class seat, or own one of the airline’s branded credit cards will now be required to pay fees for checking baggage.

Southwest plans to keep offering two complimentary checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members as well as those flying on Business Select fares, while providing one free checked bag to regular A-List members and certain selected travelers. Additionally, passengers who hold Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards will be granted a credit covering one checked bag fee.

Individuals not meeting the criteria for these groups will be required to pay for checking luggage. In March, the company announced that they would introduce a new base fare option for their most affordable ticket types once this modification comes into play.

FAA plans to decrease Newark flights to alleviate congestion

In September, the airline projected that implementing baggage fees would generate approximately $1.5 billion annually; however, this could result in a loss of around $1.8 billion per year due to customers opting for Southwest Airlines because of their more lenient policies regarding luggage allowances.

An additional policy coming into force on Wednesday requires Southwest Airlines passengers to have their portable chargers visible while in use due to worries over an increasing incidence of lithium-ion battery fires.

These aren’t the sole modifications at Southwest. The carrier from Dallas had earlier declared that it would abandon yet another long-standing practice: its open-boarding policy which it implemented over five decades ago. Next year, Southwest plans to start running flights where passengers will be seated according to assigned seating arrangements instead.

The airline additionally announced last year that they would charge passengers an additional fee for increased legroom and provide red-eye flight options.

Recently, Southwest has faced challenges and is under pressure from activist investors who want to see increased profits and revenues. In October, the airline entered into an agreement with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to prevent a proxy battle; however, Elliott secured multiple positions on the firm’s board as part of this arrangement.

In February, the airline declared that it would be cutting down 1,750 positions, which represents 15% of its corporate staff, marking the largest job reductions in the firm’s 53-year existence.

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