Southwest Airlines is making a splash, announcing that it will soon cut short its “bags fly free” mantra as it will no longer allow free checked bags for some passengers.
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The departure from the airline’s 54-year history of allowing free checked bags is set to come on May 28, as now only select flyers will be able to check their luggage without an extra charge.
Southwest shared that only its most elite Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members and passengers who book their top-tier Business Select fares will be able to check two bags for free.
Frequent flyer A-List Members, Southwest-branded credit card holders, and other select passengers will also be allowed one checked bag.
However, all other passengers will be charged for their first and second checked bags on flights booked on or after May 28.
“We understand this is a significant change for our customers, but it's necessary to ensure the long-term success of our airline,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said.
The switch up comes after Jordan said in an interview in September that bags would continue to travel without charge.
“Bags will still fly free,” Jordan said. “It’s the third thing customers look for after fare and schedule: Bags fly free, on us. Ninety-seven percent are people who are aware of our policies. So it’s a huge consumer advantage. So bags will absolutely fly free.”
Still, even in September, Jordan admitted he couldn’t rule out a fee for checked bags in the future, saying he could “never say never.”
“It’s like saying open seating would never change 20 years ago. Consumer preferences change, but from everything that we see, there’s no reason to reconsider this at all, especially right now,” he said.
The airline has yet to share how much it will charge consumers for checking a bag.
The news comes after Southwest recently announced its first-ever layoffs, launched its first redeye flights, and said that it is planning to end its open seating policy next year.
On Tuesday, the airline said it plans to start dynamic or variable pricing for points redemption across flights that have varying levels of demand.
Jordan shared in a video statement that the changes are expected to “help us return to the levels of profitability we all expect, and to support our collective long term success. It’s also about adapting to what our customers want.
“Many things have changed post-Covid: the loss of short-haul demand, a rise in premium demand, and a change in customer preferences.”
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