Flying with Southwest Airlines? Checked bags will not fly for free, new policy to begin in May 2025

Checked bags at the Southwest Airlines will not fly for free anymore as the airlines is set to introduce a fee from May 2025, ending a long-standing policy which distinguishing the budget carrier from its competitors.

Southwest Airlines passengers may be surprised by the change, as the airline has long been known for allowing travelers to check up to two bags for free. Southwest’s stock rose more than 9 per cent Tuesday after this report.

The Southwest Airlines plans to introduce the fee for checked bags on the bookings from May 28, 2025. The airline has not yet revealed how much a checked bag will be charged when the policy comes into affect. 

The Southwest Airlines hopes to increase its revenues with the imposition of a fee on the checked bags. Also Read | Southwest flight to Phoenix delayed as woman strips naked, parades through plane screaming in bizarre meltdown | Watch

According to a New York Post report, frequent flyers of “A-List Preferred” status will get two free bags. A-List level members will get one free bag. Southwest credit card holders will also get one free checked bag.

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“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.

Southwest has struggled recently and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline announced last month that it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company’s 53-year history.

The job cuts, which were scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June, are part of a plan to slash costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” Jordan said at the time.

(With AP inputs)