Southwest Baggage Fees
We got a little inside scoop on the Southwest baggage fees, since some Southwest employees posted it on social media before tomorrow's big reveal. This is going to sting a bit! To go from free bags up to these prices is a substantial jump that is going to make many loyal Southwest flyers turn the same color red that is in the Southwest logo. The good news is that there are still a few ways to keep the Southwest baggage fees at $0 per flight. Most of which come with their own cost though. Let's dive into it.
Southwest Baggage Fees Depend On Route And Fare Type
First up, let's take a look at the Southwest baggage fees broken down by class of service and destination / route type. The only class of service that has the baggage fees included is business bookings. That is except for sports equipment, which used to be free for everyone. Now it appears there is no way to avoid this fee.
Interisland Flights
The lowest baggage fees are on interisland routes, which make sense because the flights are so short. These new costs will be:
- $15 for first bag
- $20 for second bag
- $50 for third bag
You can see the pricing for oversized and overweight bags on the chart as well.
Domestic / International / Mainland Hawaii
The pricing for pretty much all of the other flights are as follows:
- $35 for first bag
- $45 for second bag
- $150 for third bag
Going from 2 free bags on every flight to a cost of $80 now will not go unnoticed. You can see the new Southwest baggage fees for overweight and oversized bags on the chart as well.
How Your Bags Can Still Fly Free
As you can see from the screenshot above, there are still ways to avoid the Southwest baggage fees. The easiest way to have your bags fly free is to be a Rapid Rewards credit card holder. This only gets your first bag covered though. If you want two bags covered you need to be an A-List Preferred member.
Companion pass flyers of A-List Preferred members will also get both bags covered. The chart is a bit deceiving here, since it looks like they will always get free bags. My understanding from past press releases is that they will get pretty much whatever the Companion Pass member gets.
The rest of the chart is for employees or VIPs etc. I did find it interesting that Hawaii residents get interisland flight baggage covered. I guess they really want to encourage the locals to fly them instead of Hawaiian / Alaska.
Southwest Baggage Fees: ToP Thoughts
This is a massive shift in the way Southwest has been run for decades. While we all knew it was coming, it is still shocking to see it on charts like this. To see all of those categories listed as FREE for before, and now have fees, is tough to swallow. I think the sports equipment might be the most difficult for many golfers to handle.
There are still ways to avoid many of the Southwest baggage fees though. Most notably is holding a credit card, which is the much easier route. That is especially true when you consider that they start at $69 a year. If you have been chasing Companion Pass status the last few years then you likely already have one. For those 2 – 3 times a year fliers the overhead bins just became a fight to the death on flights. I guess we will have to see how bad the seating fees are in the near future as well.
Let me know your thoughts over in the ToP Facebook Group.
