Southwest to End Bags Fly Free!!

[Rainger99]

If you think of Southwest Airlines, you think of one thing! Bags fly free. Now that is ending. That used to be the main attraction to flying Southwest.

Southwest is getting rid of its free checked baggage | CNN Business (https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/business/southwest-airlines-checked-baggage/index.html)

[Aces4]

If you think of Southwest Airlines, you think of one thing! Bags fly free. Now that is ending. That used to be the main attraction to flying Southwest.

Southwest is getting rid of its free checked baggage | CNN Business (https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/business/southwest-airlines-checked-baggage/index.html)

Hmmm, no longer any reason for us to fly Southwest anymore. They're busy feeding stockholders.

[Stu from NYC]

Sad to see them charge for bags

[fdpaq0580]

Hey! Let the old Bags buy a ticket like the rest of us. 🤬

[kansasr]

And starting next year they're doing away with their process for seating (which, once you got used to it, wasn't that bad.) If you want to pay more, you can pick your seat, otherwise one will be assigned to you the day before your flight!

I for one, don't see any reason to fly SW any more....they're just like the other bargain carriers.

[manaboutown]

I have not flown SW since maybe 1990. I do remember el cheapo peanut flights when SW first started in 1971. I was young and it was fun to fly somewhere for a getaway. Although I have flown American as a frequent flier since the early 1980s I mostly flew AmericaWest which merged into USAirways which merged into American. I can't remember the last time I paid for a checked bag as I have almost 3,000,000 miles with American and get up to three free checked bags and some other perks. It does pay to stick with one airline year after year.

[Topspinmo]

I liked SW due to mostly direct flight where I was going or little layovers. Plus they had good safety record and boarding was controlled. Now days don’t matter too many flying now so it’s cattle car no matter what airline chose full of rude self absorbed think their special.

[JoMar]

Hmmm, no longer any reason for us to fly Southwest anymore. They're busy feeding stockholders.

So what airline will you switch to that isn't feeding their stockholders?

[Dotneko]

I fly SW all the time for weekend business trips. Never needed to check a bag. The new policy wont impact me one bit. I like SW routes - lots of non-stops to TX and the midwest.
Delta cant fly 100 miles without stopping in Atlanta. American has to go through Charlotte. Jet Blue just flies the eastern corridor. United is outrageously expensive for no reason I can fathom. Im currently liking Breeze, but they need more routes.

[CFrance]

So what airline will you switch to that isn't feeding their stockholders?
Whichever one has the best price/most convenient flight for wherever I'm going. They all stink. (That's not the word I would have chosen were it not the forum.)

[CarlR33]

I fly SW all the time for weekend business trips. Never needed to check a bag. The new policy wont impact me one bit. I like SW routes - lots of non-stops to TX and the midwest.
Delta cant fly 100 miles without stopping in Atlanta. American has to go through Charlotte. Jet Blue just flies the eastern corridor. United is outrageously expensive for no reason I can fathom. Im currently liking Breeze, but they need more routes.Same here don’t check a bag and if I do then they charge like the other airlines, right? Pack lighter and combine stuff with the misses and you will be fine.

[Stu from NYC]

Whichever one has the best price/most convenient flight for wherever I'm going. They all stink. (That's not the word I would have chosen were it not the forum.)

The days of having loyalty to a single airline are long gone

[Aces4]

So what airline will you switch to that isn't feeding their stockholders?

Some airline stockholders are greedier than others. Have you seen the profits being raked in lately?

But we don't plan on using airlines any longer. We've done the long, extensive trips through the years and now prefer travel by our own vehicle. We'll leave the stockyards, eh, make that airports to the those people who are willing to endure them. :clap2:

[Susan1717]

I never check a bag so it won’t affect me, but if they start charging for a seat, different story. The only thing they have going for them is the ease of changing flights with no charge. Anyone going to Atlanta? They are about to drop direct flights from airports like lauderdale etc. they may soon not be a good choice as I will not take any flight unless it’s direct.

[Rainger99]

Some airline stockholders are greedier than others. Have you seen the profits being raked in lately?

But we don't plan on using airlines any longer. We've done the long, extensive trips through the years and now prefer travel by our own vehicle. We'll leave the stockyards, eh, make that airports to the those people who are willing to endure them. :clap2:

Tough to get to Europe without flying! Although you could cruise.

I dread flying anymore but in 8 hours you can be in Europe and in 24 hours you can be almost anywhere in the world!

[SoCalGal]

If you think of Southwest Airlines, you think of one thing! Bags fly free. Now that is ending. That used to be the main attraction to flying Southwest.

Southwest is getting rid of its free checked baggage | CNN Business (https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/business/southwest-airlines-checked-baggage/index.html)

CEO Bob Jordan stated this change, as well as assigned seating, could add $1.7 billion in earnings before interest and taxes by 2026. Southwest needs the money.

[jimkerr]

Never been a fan of Southwest because of their seating. Delta is the only way to fly!

[westernrider75]

If you think of Southwest Airlines, you think of one thing! Bags fly free. Now that is ending. That used to be the main attraction to flying Southwest.

Southwest is getting rid of its free checked baggage | CNN Business (https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/business/southwest-airlines-checked-baggage/index.html)
If you fly that much that it matters all you need is the Southwest credit card and your bags are still free. Who needs to take 2 bags anyway?

[Dotneko]

Never been a fan of Southwest because of their seating. Delta is the only way to fly!

LOL and I avoid Delta like the plague. I got caught up in that computer issue last year and had to drive home from Atlanta. I will fly them once more to use up the credit they gave me but Atlanta is a hot mess with their changing gates willy nilly. I came in Terminal E, my connection was terminal A, got halfway there and found, no, it was now Terminal B. Got to that gate and found it was switched again to Terminal E - 2 gates down from my original arrival. I walked 3 miles in Atlanta that day even with using the train. My return trip got me stuck in Atlanta along with a few thousand other happy travelers. Luckily got a car.

[txfan]

I’ve always loved the current seating approach because I can avoid the “land mines.”

The new process means you will never know whether a child, or larger person is going to be crowding your space.

The bags situation is another perk that frequent travelers can still enjoy.

[msilagy]

After reading thru these replies I failed to see any gratitude for the years of 2 free bags. The airlines are not the only greedy ones

[LeDia]

If you have a southwest credit card, they will charge you for one bag but then you get reimbursed. I fly Southwest because it goes direct to where I need to go.

[RoboVil]

I fly SW all the time for weekend business trips. Never needed to check a bag. The new policy wont impact me one bit. I like SW routes - lots of non-stops to TX and the midwest.
Delta cant fly 100 miles without stopping in Atlanta. American has to go through Charlotte. Jet Blue just flies the eastern corridor. United is outrageously expensive for no reason I can fathom. Im currently liking Breeze, but they need more routes.
That is what I have found as well. The only exception is United is less expensive than SW from Orlando to Houston usually, but they fly into different airports. Having had the airline lose luggage (OK delay getting me the luggage for 2-3 days) more than once, I never check luggage any longer.

[Freeda]

Now Frontier just recently started offering two free checked bags for those paying for their tickets using their Frontier Mastercard.

[CybrSage]

Allegiant gives two free checked bags, up to 100 lbs each, and a free carry on to Veterans and Active Duty.
Free early boarding as well.
Having their credit card gets you a free drink on board and early boarding.

As a veteran, I simply check my bag and my girlfriend's bag undery name to get both for free.

[Aces4]

[QUOTE=msilagy;2415699]After reading thru these replies I failed to see any gratitude for the years of 2 free bags. The airlines are not the only greedy ones[/QUO

Lol, seriously? They're busy rebuying their stock, poor, broke Southwest. They're doing what they have to do but their no charge for baggage was a business decision to grab a large share of the market. They weren't providing that service out of the goodness of their heart.

[Beyond The Wall]

If you think of Southwest Airlines, you think of one thing! Bags fly free. Now that is ending. That used to be the main attraction to flying Southwest.

Southwest is getting rid of its free checked baggage | CNN Business (https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/business/southwest-airlines-checked-baggage/index.html)

The things that set SW apart, free bags and free for all for seats🤣 are being changed. Upper tiers get 1 free bag and seat selection. Unfortunately for me, they from non stop to my home area, which for me is important. We rarely check more than 1 bag each , so the upper tier it will be.
I will not miss lining up like cattle!

[darkim]

Credit to Southwest Airlines ... they've had 2-bags Fly Free for over 60-years when they began flying. No major airline has ever attempted anything like it for that long.

[Stu from NYC]

Credit to Southwest Airlines ... they've had 2-bags Fly Free for over 60-years when they began flying. No major airline has ever attempted anything like it for that long.

Do not like it when a vendor takes away something we have always enjoyed without adding something. Why be loyal to them?

[tophcfa]

Are the changes Southwest is making friendly for some customers, no. That being said, they need to stay competitive and remain a viable service provider. I would hate to see them fold or cut service routes. Without them there is less competition and nobody would benefit from that except for their competitors.