Southwest raises bag prices

# Southwest raises bag prices Southwest Airlines is raising the price of checked bags again, less than a year after ending the policy that made the airline famous for letting most passengers check two bags free. Starting with reservations ticketed or voluntarily changed on or after April 9, 2026, the first checked bag will cost $45 and the second will cost $55 on many fares, up from $35 and $45. (cnbc.com) That change puts Southwest in line with a broader shift across the United States airline industry. CNBC reported on April 7, 2026 that Delta Air Lines is making the same $10 increase, and that United Airlines and JetBlue Airways had already raised checked-bag fees the week before. (cnbc.com) For decades, Southwest built part of its identity around a simple promise: “two bags fly free.” That ended on May 28, 2025, when the airline began charging many customers $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second, closing the book on more than half a century of a policy that had long separated it from rivals. (cnbc.com) The current increase matters because baggage had been one of the clearest ways Southwest looked cheaper than competitors, even when the base ticket price was similar. Once a traveler adds $45 for one checked bag or $100 round-trip for two directions, the airline’s price advantage can shrink quickly. (southwest.com) Southwest is not charging every customer the same way. On its current fee page, the airline says checked-bag fees apply to Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares, while Choice Extra fares still include two free checked bags. Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members also receive two free checked bags, and Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers get the first checked bag free for themselves and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation when the account number is included at booking. (southwest.com) Those bag rules now sit inside a much larger remake of Southwest’s business model. For travel on or after January 27, 2026, Southwest’s fare bundles include assigned seating, and the airline now sells a ladder of products ranging from Basic fares with more restrictions to Choice Extra fares with perks such as extra legroom seat selection and two free checked bags. (southwest.com) That is a sharp turn for an airline that used to sell simplicity as a product in itself. In 2025, Southwest not only introduced bag fees but also moved away from open seating and toward the kind of segmented pricing used by Delta, American, and United, where the base fare gets you the seat and little else, and extras are sold separately or bundled into pricier tickets. (cnbc.com) The company has already said those fees are producing meaningful revenue. In July 2025, Southwest executives told investors that checked-bag fees had exceeded expectations so far, with Chief Financial Officer Tom Doxey saying the airline estimated more than $350 million in earnings before interest and taxes from bag fees for full-year 2025, with a run rate of about $1 billion if the fees had been in place for the full year. (businesstravelnews.com) Southwest also said in that 2025 update that it did not see a measurable customer impact between the March announcement of bag fees and the late-May rollout, though Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said the airline did see a modest pull-forward in bookings before the change and a temporary decline afterward, primarily in basic economy. (businesstravelnews.com) This week’s increase appears tied to cost pressure hitting the whole industry, especially fuel. CNBC reported that Southwest said the decision came after an “ongoing analysis of the business” and an “evolving global backdrop,” while jet fuel in major United States cities was cited at $4.69 a gallon on April 6, 2026, up nearly 88% since February 28 after conflict involving Iran disrupted energy markets. (cnbc.com) For travelers, the practical effect is simple. People who used Southwest because a checked suitcase was built into the trip will now have a stronger reason to pack into a carry-on, qualify for a card or status benefit, or compare whether a higher fare bundle is cheaper than paying bag fees separately. Southwest’s own fare chart shows how the airline is steering that decision: the lower three fare types can trigger bag fees, while the top-tier Choice Extra bundle still includes two checked bags. (southwest.com) The bigger story is that Southwest now looks more like the rest of the industry than it did even two years ago. A carrier once defined by open seating and free checked bags is now using assigned seats, tiered bundles, and ancillary fees, and the latest $10 bag-price increase shows that this is no temporary experiment but part of a new pricing model. (cnbc.com)