Need to delay paying checked bag charges on Southwest Airways for so long as attainable? You might need to e book a visit between now and Tuesday.
Beginning Could 28, the Dallas-based service will formally carry its much-maligned bag fees on-line. However here is the catch that might show useful for summer time vacationers: The brand new charges will apply to journeys booked from Could 28 onward.
Which means vacationers who already booked a summer time flight on Southwest will not owe any bag charges on that journey. It additionally means prospects who lock of their fares between now and the top of the night time on Tuesday, Could 27 would not owe charges on these journeys, both — no matter when their flight departs.
Sure, meaning when you booked end-of-year vacation flights now, your luggage would fly free then, too. Actually, Southwest’s reserving channels at present supply flights all the best way into mid-January, 2026.
Learn extra: Cheaper flights and award pricing: Why summer 2025 could bring air travel bargains
Southwest Airways bag charges
Southwest announced its dramatic shift away from its longstanding coverage that supplied prospects two free checked luggage on each fare sort again in March, citing a necessity to spice up its sagging earnings.
The transfer ended probably the most customer-friendly insurance policies nonetheless supplied by a significant U.S. airline — and one which executives last year insisted they’d preserve in place even because the airline underwent wholesale modifications.
Starting Could 28, Southwest passengers should pay for all checked luggage when flying on the next fare courses:
- Fundamental, which is able to change the longstanding Wanna Get Away fare as of Could 28
- Wanna Get Away Plus
- Anytime
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Learn extra: Best Southwest Airlines credit cards
How a lot will checked luggage price on Southwest Airways?
As I write this story, Southwest has not but stated how a lot it will cost passengers for his or her first (or second) checked bag — although it is value noting the most important U.S. carriers every cost round $35 for the primary bag, topic to sure phrases on some airways.
Southwest did say its charges “will align with business requirements,” and we anticipate to listen to extra within the coming days.
The best way to get free luggage on Southwest
There are a few methods passengers will have the ability to rating a free bag even after the charges launch.
- Enterprise Choose fares will nonetheless include two free luggage
- A-Record Most well-liked elite standing members will get two free luggage
- A-Record members will get one free bag
- All cobranded Southwest credit score cardholders will get one free bag, too
Notably, Southwest is not charging passengers to carry a full-size carry-on bag on board, one thing United Airways does on its fundamental economic system fares.
Associated: What you’ll get with each Southwest Airlines fare starting May 28
Extra modifications coming
This is not the final wave of modifications on the airline. As I reported final month, Southwest later this 12 months will rename all of its fare products and update the benefits of every as soon as it begins promoting assigned seats for 2026.
Within the meantime, although, if I had been considering of flying Southwest sooner or later this 12 months, I might contemplate reserving a flight between now and the top of Tuesday. It might successfully delay the beginning of paid luggage — for you, at the least — till a lot later in 2025.
Keep in mind: You possibly can e book with money or Rapid Rewards points to lock in these bookings. And if you do not have a stash of Fast Rewards factors, you’ll be able to switch them from each Chase Ultimate Rewards and, as of this month, Bilt.
Simply make sure that your plans are set in stone: Southwest does note that fares modified after Could 27 will probably be topic to bag charges.
What if you need to cancel?
If you need to cancel a reserving made earlier than Could 28, you will nonetheless have the ability to declare full fare credit score with no expiration date. Nonetheless, expiring flight credit are coming, ending one other lenient coverage.
In the event you make a reserving on or after Could 28 after which should cancel, the flight credit score you will get will include a one-year expiration date, or six months for fundamental fares.
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