One of the major perks of flying Southwest is they never charge for checked bags. They had even trademarked their “bags fly free” slogan and it’s been a key part of its advertising, and a big part of what attracts people to Southwest.
Welp, all good things must come to an end I guess. Southwest announced it is ending it’s free checked baggage. They will start charging for first and second checked bags starting on May 28th. However, they did mention that members of its A-List loyalty program or those traveling on a business fare will be exempt from the fees. Southwest hasn't mentioned what a checked bag will cost going forward.
Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest, said in a press release “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.”