Need to delay paying checked bag charges on Southwest Airways for so long as doable? It’s possible you’ll wish to ebook a visit between now and Tuesday.
Beginning Could 28, the Dallas-based service will formally convey its much-maligned bag charges on-line. However here is the catch that might show useful for summer season vacationers: The brand new charges will apply to journeys booked from Could 28 onward.
Meaning vacationers who already booked a summer season flight on Southwest will not owe any bag charges on that journey. It additionally means clients who lock of their fares between now and the top of the evening on Tuesday, Could 27 would not owe charges on these journeys, both — no matter when their flight departs.
Sure, which means in the event you booked end-of-year vacation flights now, your luggage would fly free then, too. In reality, Southwest’s reserving channels at the moment supply flights all the best way into mid-January, 2026.
Learn extra: Cheaper flights and award pricing: Why summer season 2025 may convey air journey bargains
Southwest Airways bag charges
The transfer ended one of the customer-friendly insurance policies nonetheless provided by a significant U.S. airline — and one which executives final 12 months insisted they’d maintain 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 lessons:
- Primary, which is able to exchange the longstanding Wanna Get Away fare as of Could 28
- Wanna Get Away Plus
- Anytime
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Learn extra: Greatest Southwest Airways bank cards
How a lot will checked luggage price on Southwest Airways?
As I write this story, Southwest has not but mentioned how a lot it’s going to cost passengers for his or her first (or second) checked bag — although it is value noting the biggest 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 trade requirements,” and we count on to listen to extra within the coming days.
Learn how to get free luggage on Southwest
There are a few methods passengers will be capable to rating a free bag even after the charges launch.
- Enterprise Choose fares will nonetheless include two free luggage
- A-Listing Most popular elite standing members will get two free luggage
- A-Listing 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 convey a full-size carry-on bag on board, one thing United Airways does on its fundamental economic system fares.
Associated: What you will get with every Southwest Airways fare beginning Could 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 merchandise and replace the advantages of every as soon as it begins promoting assigned seats for 2026.
Within the meantime, although, if I have been pondering of flying Southwest sooner or later this 12 months, I would contemplate reserving a flight between now and the top of Tuesday. It may successfully delay the beginning of paid luggage — for you, no less than — till a lot later in 2025.
Keep in mind: You may ebook with money or Fast Rewards factors to lock in these bookings. And if you do not have a stash of Fast Rewards factors, you possibly can switch them from each Chase Final Rewards and, as of this month, Bilt.
Simply make sure that your plans are set in stone: Southwest does word that fares modified after Could 27 might be topic to bag charges.
What if it’s important to cancel?
If it’s important to cancel a reserving made earlier than Could 28, you will nonetheless be capable to declare full fare credit score with no expiration date. Nevertheless, expiring flight credit are coming, ending one other lenient coverage.
In the event you make a reserving on or after Could 28 after which must 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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