SWA Increasing Bag and EBCI Fees; Adding No Show Charge

[Jestocost]

SWA announced at an investor conference today that they will be increase fees for a third checked bag and for overweight bags from $50 to $75 and the cost for EBCI from $10 to $12.50 per passenger. They also said the will introduce a new fee for no-show passengers but did not provide details about the amount of that fee or how it would work. See LA Times article.

Those details don't appear to be in their actual investor presentation, but check out page 24 for these additional tidbits:

New Ancillary Revenue Initiatives
Selling select boarding positions at the gate, tightening the flexibility associated with our most restricted fares, and increasing existing fee revenue, expect to add over $100 million in 2013, on an annual run rate of $175 million

 

[Danibelle]

Seems reasonable to me and I would still pay for EBCI.

 

[Sweettears]

Seems reasonable to me and I would still pay for EBCI.

I'm with you on that. The baggage fee is also reasonably given that 2 bags fly free ( plus a carry-on)

 

[DebbieB]

tightening the flexibility associated with our most restricted fares

This is what I most want to hear about. Adding change fees to change a flight like other airlines?

 

[jayhawk74]

Adding change fees to change a flight like other airlines?

No SWA is not adding a change fee. They will still let you change your flight for no fee provided you do it before your flight is scheduled to depart. What they are going to do is that if you are not there when the flight leaves then they will charge you the no-show fee. From what I read on the employee website this will apply mainly to the fully refundable fares.

 

[DebbieB]

No SWA is not adding a change fee. They will still let you change your flight for no fee provided you do it before your flight is scheduled to depart. What they are going to do is that if you are not there when the flight leaves then they will charge you the no-show fee. From what I read on the employee website this will apply mainly to the fully refundable fares.

But it says "with our most restricted fares", which would be the "wanna get away".

 

[jayhawk74]

DebbieB
You may be right as I took most restricted to be the Business Select. I guess we will find out when SWA publishes the new policy. In any case there won't be change fee, just a no-show fee.

 

[DVC Daisy]

I wonder what "selling selected boarding positions at the gate" will mean?

 

[LisaS]

I wonder what "selling selected boarding positions at the gate" will mean?

Maybe they are going to sell the empty slots in the Business Select part of the A boarding queue. The first 15 boarding positions are set aside for Business Select but on the SW flights I've been on, there are very few people in that part of the queue. I hope they don't do that but it's the first thing that came to mind.

 

[Lewisc]

I was on a flight where to GA was offering upgrades to BS. They were promoting the extra RR credit, free drink more then the better boarding position. Sounds like they're going to tweak it. How much extra would you pay at the gate for A4? $20? $40? Auction at the gate?

I doubt many passengers check a 3rd bag or go over 50lbs. Just a way to stop those fee passengers who decided paying for a 3rd bag might be cheaper then paying FedX to send stuff ahead for a meeting.

Does anyone remember the Airline reality show? A family was moving. The old luggage rules were in effect. Each family member checked 3 boxes a pound under the maximum. I think it was when the limit was still 70lbs, maybe 50. They said that was the cheapest way to move the items.

The most restrictive fares are the wanna getaway fares. BS fares are fully refundable. Right now a now show passenger with a wanna getaway ticket gets a full credit for use on a future flight. I wonder how much of that credit will be lost if you're a "now show" and how fare in advance you'll have to cancel in order to get a full credit.

 

[bumbershoot]

I wonder how much of that credit will be lost if you're a "now show" and how fare in advance you'll have to cancel in order to get a full credit.

I know that's what I'm wondering, on behalf of my SIL who is an attorney and travels for depositions, etc. She once had a deposition canceled while she was standing in line to board...she simply left the line and airport (no bags checked), and by the time she got home her refund was pending. Now she'll have to have her assistant call to cancel, or cancel online, or something. (cue the violins, LOL) (I love my SIL to pieces, she's the absolute best, but she does have a cushy existence)