Bags fly free no more: Southwest Airlines to end free checked luggage policy
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Southwest Airlines will no longer allow bags to fly free. The airline announced Tuesday that it will begin charging some customers who check luggage in May.
The airline will continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members as well as passengers flying on Business Select fares. One free checked bag will be allowed for A-List Members, while one checked bag will be credited for Rapid Rewards Credit Card members.
All other customers who do not qualify for the free bag options will be charged beginning May 28. The airline did not specify how much it would cost to check a bag.
Southwest will also begin offering a basic fare on its lowest-priced tickets in advance of offering assigned seating and extra legroom options. The airline previously announced it would begin assigning seats to passengers on flights in the first half of 2026.
The changes "create new opportunities to reach customers who value fare above everything else," the airline said in a press release Tuesday.
"We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect," Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan said in the press release.
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