Southwest’s ‘Sip and Ship’ perk

Southwest Airlines will let some California travelers check one case of wine for free starting April 24, weeks after raising checked-bag fees by $10. (swamedia.com) The airline said the new “Sip and Ship” program applies at select West Coast locations and begins with its new Santa Rosa service at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, which launched April 7. (swamedia.com) Southwest separately raised its first checked-bag fee to $45 and its second checked-bag fee to $55 for reservations ticketed or voluntarily changed on or after April 9. The company said A-List Preferred members and Choice Extra customers still get two free checked bags. (southwest.com) That $10 increase works out to about 29% on the first bag, up from $35, and about 22% on the second, up from $45. Southwest said the fee change came after an “ongoing analysis of the business” and an “evolving global backdrop.” (southwest.com) (swamedia.com) The wine perk lands as Southwest keeps dismantling one of its longest-running selling points. In 2025, the carrier ended its decades-old policy that let all passengers check two bags free, then replaced it with fare- and status-based baggage rules. (apnews.com) (southwest.com) Other large United States carriers have also raised bag fees this year. CNBC reported April 7 that Delta Air Lines and Southwest joined United Airlines and JetBlue Airways in adding $10 to checked-bag prices as jet-fuel costs climbed. (cnbc.com) Santa Rosa gives Southwest a foothold in Sonoma County wine country, its 14th airport in California. The airline said the wine-case offer is tied to that expansion and pitched it directly to travelers flying home from vineyard trips. (swamedia.com 1) (swamedia.com 2) For passengers, the math is narrow: a free case of wine helps only on eligible routes, while the higher bag fees apply across Southwest’s broader network for many new bookings. (southwest.com) (swamedia.com)