Southwest Airlines ending free baggage policy today — this is how much it’ll cost

They’re bagging this beloved rule.

Southwest Airlines has ended its decades-old “bags alert free” policy, wherever passengers were allowed 2 complimentary checked bags sloppy of their summons fare.

Starting tomorrow, passengers aboard nan fund bearer will person to salary to shop their bags successful nan cargo hold, One Mile At A Time reported.

This drastic break from contented was primitively announced successful March as a measurement to bolster revenue and ward disconnected advances from activistic investors.

As dictated by nan policy, flyers will reportedly person to salary $35 for 1 checked container and $45 for nan 2nd one, which is much aliases little successful statement pinch nan manufacture standard.

However, immoderate Southwest Airlines patrons will beryllium exempt from nan checked container fees, including customers pinch A-List Preferred position and those who salary nan astir premium fare, Livemint reported.

Meanwhile, customers pinch nan lower-loyalty A-List position will beryllium capable to cheque 1 container for free, arsenic will passengers holding nan carrier’s co-branded in installments card.

It’s unclear really this move will effect Southwest’s bottommost line.

But past year, nan airline’s executives said this alteration was nan incorrect move, claiming that they could garner up to $1.5 cardinal from baggage fees, but that they’d suffer $1.8 cardinal successful marketplace stock from group who flew nan hose because of nan perk.

The bosses pointed retired that nan “bags alert free” norm was 1 measurement Southwest had distinguished itself from nan competition, Blade reported.

Another was nan beloved “first travel first serve” seating policy, which Southwest is phasing retired arsenic as good successful favour of nan much modular assigned seating format.

Air recreation experts are besides skeptical that this argumentation alteration will salary dividends.

“I fishy that a mates of years down nan road, we’ll spot that this scheme was each a wash, much aliases less,” said Ben Shlappig of One Mile At A Time. “I don’t deliberation this will beryllium immoderate crippled changer that massively elevates Southwest’s profitability, because nan hose is different successful a reliable position, fixed request patterns.”

Many customers besides took umbrage complete nan argumentation alteration aft it was announced successful March.

“Call it what you will — boycott, wide exodus, defecting. Can we do that successful a monolithic activity correct now?” 1 personification wrote successful a Southwest Reddit thread.

Another fumed, “I utilized to favour [Southwest] for nan deficiency of baggage fees. They decidedly will not beryllium my first prime if their prices enactment nan same.”