Southwest Luggage Policies??

[Goofy's apprentice]

We are flying next week on Southwest from Buffalo. When I checked luggage limits on their website they indicated that each ticketed passenger could have 3 pieces !! This seems incredibly high. Have I missed something?
As well carryon's could be up to 16 by 10 by 24. This is the size of my smallest rolling luggage and one of my rolling duffle bags. Can anyone tell me if I am correct. Would hate to pack those pieces for carryon and then discover I have to check them.

Thanks in advance for the info

 

[usetheforceluke]

The three pieces seems about right.

As for the carryon, I was surprised a number of times at the bag size that they allowed on the plane; they were huge.

Jim.

 

[DMRick]

They allow 3 checked, as well as a personal item. I do know that the 2 1/2 pounds of candy I got Trick or Treating at Disney put my bag over by 2 1/2 pounds and they said I'd have to pay $50...so we had to take the candy out and do it as carry on (my personal item).

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

Kudos to you DMRick for having the candy to check ! I'm sure with my family it would have been long gone by the flight home!!

Still amazed that they allow so much luggage...with carry ons that size we may actually not have to check much (only going a week).

Do carryons have a weight limit ?

 

[Lewisc]

3 checked pieces is correct. The weight limit is now 50 pounds per piece. Suitcases that just meet the size limit for checked luggage are likely to be overweight.

 

[Scratch42]

Plus it also depends if the flight is a full one or not whether they check to see if the carryon meets specs.

On our way home, since I had some Christmas Gifts that would not fit into my luggage carryon, I had a supersize tote. As long as it fit under the seat they were fine with it. They only allow one carryon into the compartments and one under the seat. They do come around to check to make sure that everything is out of the way and you leave a clear path.

They also enforce the rule of no lining up for the bathrooms! You basically have to wait until the person is out of there and you quickly make your way before someone else gets there!

I'm sure with checked luggage they make sure that it is underweight, etc.

janet

 

[DMRick]

They also enforce the rule of no lining up for the bathrooms! You basically have to wait until the person is out of there and you quickly make your way before someone else gets there!
janet

That's just the bathroom up front near the pilot though. You can still wait in line in the back

As far as doing mostly carryon, keep in mind, that if there isn't enough room in the bins and under the seats (as there isn't sometimes if the plane is full), they will check what doesn't fit (and that usually happens to those who have c's, since the A's and B's have taken up all the inside room of the bins..so pack accordingly. Don't put your expensive camera that is breakable, in a carryon that might not make it into the bin. Be sure that is in something that would fit under your seat. Plus the more that have carryon, the longer it takes to load and unload the plane.

As for weight, I have a suitcase where the suitcase itself is heavy, so I have to pack lighter. My old suitcase was much bigger, but weighed less, and I had to work to get that near the 50 pounds.