Southwest now charging for checked bags

The old discount airline model appears to be dead.    The good news is Southwest Credit Card holders still get one free checked bag.   Thats probably a good reason to get the card if you fly on them with any amount of regularity.

That was pretty much the last bastion of value. Now, even Southwest is fucking people over. The only way you can fly anywhere for less than a billion dollars at this point is to fly Sardine Can Airlines and pay fifteen supplemental fees, like the $20 bathroom pass and prepaid oxygen.

I'm so glad that I've conditioned myself to drive everywhere, even 1,000 mile trips. Turns out that anything 600 miles or less can be traveled in less time than taking an airliner anyway. And I don't need to rent a car when I get there.

One free checked bag is still kind of pitiful, considering that they used to check two bags for free. And anyone staying anywhere for more than three days needs two bags.

I wonder if there is room in the market for some upstart airline to offer decent comfort, low fares, free checked bags, etc.---you know, like Southwest used to be. Maybe the real barrier is market entry and leasing airport gates. If the Jean airport ever gets built, maybe that's where some low-cost airlines could roost.

We have a Southwest card, what I'm not sure of is if each person gets a free checked bag or just one bag per card?

 For us this just means we'll now shop airfares, something we really don't do when we fly domestically, we would just book Southwest. Next to figure out is how much legroom will be lost in the economy section, it will be less but I'll have to try it to find out if it's comfortable enough.

It's my understanding it's one bag per card but I'm not 100% on that.  It comes as a statement credit.  So you pay for the bag and then it gets refunded the next month.   I use Southwest most of the time because they have by far the most non stop flights from my airport.  I hate connecting flights.  

 Not smart - Southwest is going to charge for checked bags and start expiring flight credits and introduce no seat assignment basic economy. That means the end of a 'differentiated product' for the airline, and when they're just like everyone else it becomes obvious that their product is at the bottom of the pack. There are several (obvious) reasons why charging for checked bags is going to be hard on the airline. It was a real product differentiator. Customers chose Southwest because of this benefit, they usually booked direct (lower distribution cost), and Southwest will lose ticket sales because of it. The airline recently estimated that they'd generate $1.5 billion from the change, while losing $1.8 billion, for a net loss of $300 million. It makes their flying less efficient. People are going to be bringing on a lot more carry-on bags, as they try to avoid checked bag fees. Currently Southwest checks more bags than anyone else - by a lot. Pushing bags into the cabin slows down boarding. It means longer turn times, at a time when the airline has been saying their path towards profitability is more efficient and shorter times on the ground that lets them fly planes more and generate more revenue without greater capital expense. It is going to mean a lot more unhappy customers in the cabin, and delayed flights. All those carry-ons will mean full overhead bins and customers having to gate check bags, something that is a problem on other airlines but much less often on Southwest. Gate checking bags is also going to mean short flight delays, perhaps dethroning Southwest's reliability achievements.

Hi Max.  It won't impact me since Southwest doesn't service GJT.  With Allegiant ending service, only Breeze has a flight from GJT to LAS.  Take care and stay safe with the upcoming storm.  

We last flew to LV just before covid.  Frontier was cheaper but their Airbus had 2" less leg room than the Boeing from SW. That's a big issue for a 6'5" old man and we won't fly again on the Airbuus. 

Kevin had a great point.  Drive and avoid the airline fees and rental car costs. 

We are planning an Alaska vacation for 26.  I can spend the same money flying and renting a car for a 14-day trip compared to driving from Oklahoma, experiencing the ALCAN, and seeing much more over 27 days.  

Spirit was the last of the budget airlines and the government stopped their merger in 2024.  

  Driving has it's pluses - and negatives, such as gas prices, wear and tear on your vehicle, time involved to reach/return from the destination, and one very important one - other drivers.

Driving is fine if it's 5-6 hours IMO.  Anything longer I would only do it if I had plenty of time and wanted to see sites along the way.  When I was a kid we went on some 2 weeks driving trips and it was great, saw a lot of great stuff.  As an adult I haven't done that much.  I just fly because I don't want to take the time to drive.  But one day I'll take some longer, leisurly driving trips. 

I have flown into Vegas and then driven to Utah.  Utah is great, especially if you love hiking as I do. 5 National Parks and lots of other  great hiking areas.  Fly to Vegas, night or two there, drive up to Utah for a week or so, drive back to Vegas for a night, fly home.