Southwest to start charging for bags

[reddog21]

If you didn't see this coming you had your eyes closed.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladi...art-charging-for-checked-baggage-from-may-28/

 

[sponica]

I was willing to tolerate open seating because of the free checked bags.

This was in my email this morning:



My default is usually SW because it's non-stop to MCO and I can fly out of MHT in my backyard vs the time/expense to get to logan and fly another airline.

 

[Disnsyncey]

UGH....I wasn't happy since their lessened presence in Atlanta, more inconvenient schedules, and increasing prices.....soooooo I might give in and get a Delta AMEX I squeaked out my last free trip from covid points this May, I had 215 left!

 

[Smugpugmug]

I fully expected this so not a surprise to me but this is going to mean an increase in carry on bags (as if it wasn't bad enough already). Doesn't help that at least where I'm from Southwest consistently has the highest nonstop fares to/from MCO.

 

[katallo]

What I don't like is the time limits for credits. It's been more difficult to accumulate RR points with SW Visa. Luckily we have other options, but sad. Have they published the cost for bags?

 

[zemmer]

What I don't like is the time limits for credits. It's been more difficult to accumulate RR points with SW Visa. Luckily we have other options, but sad. Have they published the cost for bags?

What time limit? I skimmed the swa site and missed any changes about that.
ETA: I think I’m mixing up flight credits and rapid rewards credits. Has there been any change to the rapid rewards credits if you cancel a flight?

 

[jujubiee4]

Sad. Yes a lot of us saw it coming. We don't fly them often but will if schedule/price worked. I also
loved the fact you didn't have to have their credit card to not be charged for bags.

More and more businesses are not setting themselves apart but just falling in line lock and step. I really
feel bad for families as having free checked bags really helped.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

What time limit? I skimmed the swa site and missed any changes about that.
ETA: I think I’m mixing up flight credits and rapid rewards credits. Has there been any change to the rapid rewards credits if you cancel a flight?

It looks like you only have 6 months to a year to use them, depending on fare. If you cancel a flight. But I might also mixing up the different credits

Honestly, after these changes take effect, is there really a benefit to using Southwest anymore?

 

[The Mayor]

Starting with flights booked on or after May 28, 2025, Southwest will:

• Continue offering two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and those flying on Business Select® fares.
• Offer one free checked bag to A-List Members and other select passengers.
• Credit one checked bag to Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers.
• Charge all other passengers for their first and second checked bags, with standard size and weight limits applying.

Southwest is yet to reveal how much it plans to charge to check bags, but a single bag costs $35 to check on Delta, American, and United. This marks a major shift for Southwest, which has long promoted its “bags fly free” policy.

 

[sponica]

What I don't like is the time limits for credits. It's been more difficult to accumulate RR points with SW Visa. Luckily we have other options, but sad. Have they published the cost for bags?

I haven't seen a bag cost yet.

 

[zemmer]

Exactly! Since SWA got so expensive, we’ve mostly switched to using Frontier Go Wild Pass over the last year and used our SWA points (from flights years before and swa credit card accumulation) as back up flights just in case we couldn’t get where we wanted on Frontier. Looks like that’s not going to work for long.

 

[lampshadehead]

Southwest prices have recently been so much higher than they used to be. And now this. Ugh.

 

[sjberg79]

We usually just bring carry-on so it doesn't bother us. REALLY looking forward to the choose your own seating. We are DFW/Love so when we fly it's usually American or Southwest.

 

[BOST99]

Honestly, after these changes take effect, is there really a benefit to using Southwest anymore?

Not for our family. We do have the SW card but sounds like that may only be one free bag and even then it is credited back on your statement.

We have been finding JetBlue to have better times and prices over the last 2 years. With their cc all tickets booked get free checked bags.

 

[irt9206]

Not for our family. We do have the SW card but sounds like that may only be one free bag and even then it is credited back on your statement.

We have been finding JetBlue to have better times and prices over the last 2 years. With their cc all tickets booked get free checked bags.

I was wondering this. If I make a reservation for 3 using my card would I only get one free bag total and not one for each passenger?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I just find it dumb that you go from one extreme to the other.
Like IDK many people that needed TWO checked bags per person so its crazy that was even their policy.

I just told my sister that we're gonna have to drive from now on because there's no longer an airline that I even remotely like and that if we do fly its carry on only especially since you can then skip baggage claim.

 

[RivGirl]

What I don't like is the time limits for credits. It's been more difficult to accumulate RR points with SW Visa. Luckily we have other options, but sad. Have they published the cost for bags?

Saaaaaame. Will definitely make me think twice before purchasing at a higher price point and changing when it goes down. I already wait until it comes down to a range I’m happy with but now I might hem and haw a bit more…yuck.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Southwest prices have recently been so much higher than they used to be. And now this. Ugh.

Have you also noticed how many flights they have for each day from one destination? For the dates I'm keeping an eye on there's like 22 from my airport and half of them are staggered times to the same layover airport and then its all the same flight to the destination airport.
What I notice is as the date gets closer they start dropping the staggered duplicate flights to the layover airport so if you grab the cheapest flights yours is likely to be "changed" and then you can switch to any flight that h as space without being charged to change.
Why not just have less flights to begin with?

 

[RivGirl]

I was wondering this. If I make a reservation for 3 using my card would I only get one free bag total and not one for each passenger?

I automatically assumed it would be one bag reimbursed per passenger, but maybe that’s an incorrect assumption. Guess we’ll need clarification on that point. Delta AmEx extends the benefit to all passengers on the reservation, so I’m hoping SW would follow that model.

 

[mcd2745]

Knew this was coming the moment they completely capitulated to Elliott. Still sad to see. There's no reason to fly SW anymore.