Southwest Airlines will start charging for checked bags on tickets purchased on or after 5/28/25

[Janann]

Also, flight credits issued after 5/28/25 will have a one year expiration date.

Its the end of an era.

I've had lots of frequent flyer points and a Companion Pass since April 2023, so my husband and I haven't paid for plane tickets or luggage since that date.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/11/southwest-airlines-charge-checked-bags.html

 

[jwalk03]

Why on earth do they want to make Southwest just another airline?? They are removing everything that made it special and built brand loyalty!! I have been a loyal SWA flyer forever- but that is about to change. They already offer the worst flight times 90% of the time- but I have always just accepted that due to the other customer friendly policies. Now that those are going- I guess I will be able to chose among all the airlines instead of being married to SWA. Such a damn shame.

 

[Superchief]

Southwest has slowly eliminated all of the policies that gave them a competitive advantage. There is now really no reason to fly them unless they have more convenient non-stop flights. They don't even show up on most travel websites, so will profits will likely decline even more. The focus on increasing margins by cutting cost without concerns about customers usually leads to failure in the long term.

 

[Cornell]

Giant bummer.

 

[TolmiePeak]

Why on earth do they want to make Southwest just another airline?? They are removing everything that made it special and built brand loyalty!! I have been a loyal SWA flyer forever- but that is about to change. They already offer the worst flight times 90% of the time- but I have always just accepted that due to the other customer friendly policies. Now that those are going- I guess I will be able to chose among all the airlines instead of being married to SWA. Such a damn shame.

How much competition is there on most routes if you want to fly non stop?

 

[Janann]

How much competition is there on most routes if you want to fly non stop?

It depends on where you live. I'm in the Dallas area, which is a major hub for Southwest. I can fly plenty of places non-stop.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Why on earth do they want to make Southwest just another airline?

I hear you, but ... maybe the other airlines are more profitable and the CEO makes bigger bucks? The simple, short-term answer often works. Long-term?
maybe they couldn't get enough people to sign up for their CC, since "free bags" seems to be the big draw for the entry-level airline CCs.
maybe I have NO IDEA.
and as Tolmie said, competition is more about flight sched on specific routes for many routes

 

[jwalk03]

How much competition is there on most routes if you want to fly non stop?

I can barely fly non-stop on SWA anymore. Ever since COVID they have drastically reduced their schedule and it seems what few non-stops they do offer are at the worst possible times.

I do have a non-stop booked to Phoenix next month for a work trip and SWA was the only non-stop option for that. But the other 7 flights I have booked currently all have layovers.

 

[jwalk03]

I hear you, but ... maybe the other airlines are more profitable and the CEO makes bigger bucks? The simple, short-term answer often works. Long-term?
maybe they couldn't get enough people to sign up for their CC, since "free bags" seems to be the big draw for the entry-level airline CCs.
maybe I have NO IDEA.
and as Tolmie said, competition is more about flight sched on specific routes for many routes

I want to see the actual free bag details on the card. I have the priority card which is their top one already, but will it just be 1 free bag for me?
What about my wife who is an Auth User- will she get one too?
Or my kids? If it gives me 1 free bag for each I suppose that's ok.
But if its just one for me that perk is not great.
Also do I get 1 free for being A-list and 1 free for the card? Or just 1-free total?

The devil is in the details which they conveniently did not provide.

 

[Janann]

I can barely fly non-stop on SWA anymore. Ever since COVID they have drastically reduced their schedule and it seems what few non-stops they do offer are at the worst possible times.

I do have a non-stop booked to Phoenix next month for a work trip and SWA was the only non-stop option for that. But the other 7 flights I have booked currently all have layovers.

I just checked the schedule from Dallas Love Field. The airline serves 75 continental U.S. cities non-stop from this airport.

If we are flying to Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean, we have to change planes somewhere in the U.S. Dallas Love Field doesn't have international immigration.

 

[jwalk03]

I just checked the schedule from Dallas Love Field. The airline serves 75 continental U.S. cities non-stop from this airport.

If we are flying to Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean, we have to change planes somewhere in the U.S. Dallas Love Field doesn't have international immigration.

Yes being at a Hub airport (for any airline) makes a huge difference! Unfortunately- Ohio has no airport hubs anymore.

 

[GTLINZ]

It appears to me one of the worst changes is no refunds on the cheaper fares .... a show stopper

 

[jwalk03]

It appears to me one of the worst changes is no refunds on the cheaper fares .... a show stopper

Wanna Get Away fares have never been refundable. They have always resulted in a flight credit. Though currently that credit has no expiration date. In the future it will have a 6-month expiration which is a huge downgrade.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Their competitors must be cheering.

A 6 month expiration will be difficult. It previously was one year before they eliminated the expiration.

Bulking up points before the May cutoff to avoid expiration.

 

[Janann]

I want to see the actual free bag details on the card. I have the priority card which is their top one already, but will it just be 1 free bag for me?
What about my wife who is an Auth User- will she get one too?
Or my kids? If it gives me 1 free bag for each I suppose that's ok.
But if its just one for me that perk is not great.
Also do I get 1 free for being A-list and 1 free for the card? Or just 1-free total?

The devil is in the details which they conveniently did not provide.

Did you get an e-mail from Southwest? To me it sounds like one free checked bag per credit card account.

 

[Shiba]

They need to change the layout of their planes. I'm not paying for business select to sit in an economy seat so I can get free bags. Southwest has too many layover flights that other carriers do non-stop. I hope this works for them, but I think they are going to lose customers.

 

[jwalk03]

Did you get an e-mail from Southwest? To me it sounds like one free checked bag per credit card account.

View attachment 107481

I did get the email- and yes I fear you are correct. If its just one bag total per account that is a joke. The United Explorer card has a lower annual fee and offers one free bag per person up to like 9 on the same reservation!

 

[jwalk03]

They need to change the layout of their planes. I'm not paying for business select to sit in an economy seat so I can get free bags. Southwest has too many layover flights that other carriers do non-stop. I hope this works for them, but I think they are going to lose customers.

Its almost assuredly going to lose them customers. Its a colossally short sighted and stupid decision.

 

[jmhpsu93]

I've been a Southwest loyalist for the better part of two decades, as BWI is their east coast hub and has a really convenient flight schedule for us. This is insane. Apparently one of their larger investors (Elite Investment Management) is pushing this as a way to up earnings in the short-term (whether it will or not is HIGHLY questionable) - literally six months ago, in front of investors and reports their CEO stated none of this would be occurring.

Now they have ZERO brand differentiation. SMH

 

[DaveNV]

This was in the email they sent me this morning. Has a chart that compares the new classes of fares, and fees associated.

Help Center | Southwest Airlines

Find answers to all of your travel and flight-related questions and view common FAQ articles regarding your travel experience when you fly with Southwest Airlines.

support.southwest.com

Dave

 

[WaikikiFirst]

one of their larger investors (Elite Investment Management) is pushing this as a way to up earnings in the short-term

exactly what I figured. Is that "Eliot"?

six months ago, in front of investors and reports their CEO stated none of this would be occurring

how many shares does the CEO own? does he like his J-O-B?
Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Now they have ZERO brand differentiation

not hard to surmise that their "brand" was considered to attract the least profitable customers. IDK. I don't follow airline stocks. I do get that impression.
Is that the "brand" they should want?

 

[TolmiePeak]

Now they have ZERO brand differentiation. SMH

Do you really need any brand differentiation? As long as you offer non-stop flights people will book your airline. A nonstop flight on Spirit is far better than a connecting flight on another airline.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

LOL. CEO has no skin in this game. Next.

0.40%	% of Shares Held by ALL Insider (incl CEO, BoD, etc)

Top Holders	Shares	Date Reported	% Out	Value
Vanguard (mostly just index BS)	68.65M	Dec 31, 2024	11.58%	2,107,676,163
Elliott Investment Management	59.67M	Dec 31, 2024	10.07%	1,831,761,595
Capital World Investors	57.53M	Dec 31, 2024	9.71%	1,766,216,756
Primecap Management	48.9M	Dec 31, 2024	8.25%	1,501,231,664
State Street Corporation	38.13M	Dec 31, 2024	6.43%	1,170,480,171
Blackrock Inc.	34.87M	Dec 31, 2024	5.88%	1,070,472,125
Franklin Resources, Inc.	32.98M	Dec 31, 2024	5.56%	1,012,451,303

 

[jmhpsu93]

exactly what I figured. Is that "Eliot"?

how many shares does the CEO own? does he like his J-O-B?
Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel

Yes...Eliott