If you have ever seen an advertisement for Southwest Airlines, it was almost certainly having to do with their tag line of “Bags Fly Free.” That was part of who they were as an airline and what they would offer to their customers, while all the other airlines were raking in hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars (American Airlines pulled in $1.24 billion in bag fees last year).
Southwest No Longer Makes the Most Sense for Many Travelers
However, that has come to an end today as Southwest went the way of other airlines in putting profits ahead of customers. Now, I know that they are a company who is in business to make profits and I am not faulting them for that. My fault with them is that they made themselves the customer-friendly airline on all levels and now they have sold that out in return for more money – except, it may not work out like they think in the long run.
Here’s the thing – Southwest has made money on other fees that other airlines haven’t had for years. In fact, 6 years ago, Southwest made $400 million Early Bird checkin fees alone!
Bags Fees for Many Travelers and Restrictions for Cheap Tickets – The New Southwest
In addition to adding baggage feels for all travel booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after today (May 28, 2025), they have also introduced their Basic Fare which essentially replaces their Wanna Get Away fare in the lineup of their fair displays. It is not just a replacement, however. Now, you will have flight credits expiring at 6 months for Basic as well as no longer being able to make changes or same-day change/standby requests. They are also giving you just 2x fare earning on points.
With many people opting for the cheapest tickets, Southwest’s almost weekly sales gave families and solo travelers the chance to get a savings on Southwest pricing (which was often more expensive than the competitors) – with the bonus of being able to change it in less than a minute and getting a refund in credit if paid with cash or a refund of the difference of points. Plus, getting 2 bags free per person was a great reason to fly them.
But, eliminating all of that now for their cheapest fares (you don’t get free bags until you are paying for Business Select or are a certain traveler – more below), flying Southwest does not make as much sense as it used to for many travelers. Here are the reasons.
- Southwest customers were willing to pay a little more before because they could board as a family (if checked in at the same time) and sit together without paying extra for that as well as getting the free bags and the fare flexibility if the prices dropped. In essence, they were paying a little more for the ticket but it was costing them less because of the Southwest benefits. They won’t be willing to pay the higher Southwest prices now if those changes make flying Southwest overall more expensive.
- Southwest customers were willing to get deal with Southwest’s network setup (not using hubs like other airlines) if it meant getting a better customer experience
The problem with the second part is that Southwest’s network system can lead to some delays for later in the day flights since that plane is hopping around 4-6 airports in a day instead of doing flights back and forth between hubs. If there is weather in Denver, Colorado, it can affect your flight from Orlando since that plane may be starting its day from Denver (where early morning weather many months out of the year is a concern). That is not the case if you are flying with Delta (flying out of Atlanta most likely), American (flying out of Chicago, DC, or Miami most likely) or United (flying out of Chicago, Houston, or Washington Dulles most likely). Passengers are going to opt for the cheaper options now since Southwest is essentially making itself identical to the other carriers.
Now, if you happen to be one of the following customers, you will still get 2 bags for free. For everyone else, it will be $35 for the first bag and $45 for the second bag./
- Business Select fare customers
- Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members
- Rapid Rewards A-List Members (they get the first bag free, $35 for the second bag)
- Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers (they get the first bag free, $35 for the second bag)
- Active-duty military customers
Now, one good part is that for those that get the free bag, that free bag will apply up to 8 additional passengers as long as they are on the same reservation as the customer that gets the free bag(s). For more, visit this page.
