Southwest hikes baggage fees
Southwest has raised first‑ and second‑checked‑bag fees by $10 on tickets bought after April 9, so travelers will pay more for baggage than they might expect. (CNBC reports the fee increases took effect for purchases after April 9, 2026.) (cnbc.com) (Separately, Southwest is limiting customers to one portable charger per person on board, a new safety rule cited by travel press.) (zerohedge.com)
A Southwest ticket bought on April 8 and the same ticket bought on April 10 can now come with a different bag bill, because the airline raised checked-bag prices for purchases made on or after April 9, 2026. Southwest’s fee page now shows $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second on most mainland fares, up from $25 and $35. (southwest.com) That change matters because Southwest spent decades selling itself as the airline where “bags fly free,” then started unpicking that promise in 2025. Its current fare rules now tie free bags to pricier bundles like Choice Extra or to elite status such as Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred. (southwest.com 1) (southwest.com 2) The timing is not random. CNBC reported on April 7 that Southwest and Delta Air Lines were both adding $10 to checked-bag fees as carriers dealt with higher jet fuel costs, following earlier increases by United Airlines and JetBlue Airways. (cnbc.com) Southwest’s own fee chart shows how sharply the old model has changed. On a Basic, Choice, or Choice Preferred ticket, a traveler who checks two bags on a one-way mainland trip now pays $80 total, while a Choice Extra traveler still pays $0 for those same two bags. (southwest.com) That means baggage is becoming part of the fare ladder, like extra legroom or early boarding. Southwest’s fare page says Choice Extra includes an Extra Legroom seat and two free checked bags, so the airline is pushing travelers to compare bundles instead of just looking at the base ticket price. (southwest.com 1) (southwest.com 2) There is a second rule change hitting travelers this month, and it has nothing to do with price. Multiple outlets reported that Southwest will limit passengers to one portable charger per person starting April 20, 2026, as the airline tightens lithium-battery safety rules. (cbsnews.com) (consumeraffairs.com) The charger rule is stricter than the bag rule in one important way: it changes what you can bring, not just what you pay. Reports on the new policy say portable chargers cannot go in overhead bins and must stay visible during use, because lithium battery fires are easier to spot and handle when the device is in sight. (consumeraffairs.com) (foxbusiness.com) Put together, the two April changes show what Southwest looks like in 2026: more fees attached to the cheapest fares, and tighter onboard rules attached to common travel gear. A passenger who last flew Southwest when two checked bags were standard and backup batteries were an afterthought now has to read the fine print before getting to the airport. (southwest.com) (cbsnews.com)
