It's a new day at Southwest Airlines: As of Wednesday, May 28, the beloved “Wanna Get Away fares” have disappeared … and the airline is now charging $35 or more each way for luggage that was previously free.
The airline announced those monumental changes in early March, and the day has finally come. Travelers who booked flights before Wednesday will still get the two free checked bags with Southwest – with one troubling exception. But going forward, checking a bag with Southwest will cost you … just like every other major carrier.
There's just one big problem: Currently, you cannot add and pay for a checked bag while booking a Southwest flight during Southwest's booking process … or even after you book by managing your trip online.
A Southwest spokesperson confirmed it Wednesday, saying: “checked bag transactions will happen at the airport with an agent or at a kiosk (no online self-service options).” And the airline provided no timeline for when travelers can expect to pay for a bag online – a given with any other airline that charges separately for baggage.
Overnight, we went from “Bags Fly Free” at Southwest to “No Bags at All.” Yikes.
Even after more than two months of work to get ready for the biggest change in company history, Southwest wasn't ready for prime time. There aren't even any notifications for Southwest credit cardholders that they'll get a free bag when booking online.
It's a troubling start … and it's just the tip of the iceberg. Here's where we stand with Southwest fares today.
Remind Me: What's Changed?
Arguably the biggest change for Southwest LUVers is the end of its longstanding “Bags Fly Free” policy.
Long after other airlines began charging separately for bags, Southwest continued giving passengers two free checked bags on each and every flight. It was supposed to be untouchable. Just last fall, the airline swore this policy wouldn't be going away.
Starting today, however, most travelers will be forced to pay – at the airport only, for now – $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for their second. Business Select fares will get two free bags as normal, as well as travelers with top-tier A-List Preferred status. One free bag will be given to A-Listers, as well as travelers with Southwest credit cards.
Read Next: A Full Timeline of Southwest's Changes in 2025
Part of Southwest's motivation for gutting its free baggage policy is to encourage flyers to grab (and spend on) one of its co-branded Chase credit cards. The airline is adding more perks to those cards to sweeten the appeal.
Last but not least, say hello … to “Basic” – a stripped-down basic economy fare.
While Wanna Get Away has officially disappeared in favor of a “Basic” fare, other new fare names haven't yet been implemented:
- Basic fares will be the cheapest, charging extra for a checked bag, boarding last, banning changes, and giving flyers just six months to use flight credits if they cancel a ticket
- Choice fares replace the relatively new “Wanna Get Away Plus” tickets, still charging for even a first checked bag but boarding earlier than Basic passengers, including a free seat selection, and giving them 12 months to use flight credits – still a far cry from the airline's current policy with no expiration whatsoever
- Choice Preferred takes the place of the airline's previous “Anytime” fully refundable fares, still charging for a checked bag but boarding even earlier and giving them Priority security access
- And the airline's top-of-the-line “Business Select” fares will disappear, becoming Choice Extra with early boarding, up to two complimentary premium drinks, and free inflight Wi-Fi
Did Fares Get Cheaper? No.
Airlines always try to sell these changes as a win for cost-conscious consumers: Unbundled fares lead to lower prices for travelers who don't need a bag or care about seat assignments, they say.
It's an act.
On day one, fares have not gone down to account for the lack of bags. Our team of flight deal analysts has seen no meaningful decrease in Southwest fares thus far.
Here's one quick example: Just yesterday, we found roundtrip fares to Denver (DEN) for as low as 7,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards. For those who booked it before the clock struck midnight, you'd get two free checked bags.
But book that same ticket today, and you're getting a stingy “Basic” fare that'll charge you an extra $70 roundtrip to check one bag … or another $160 if you plan to check two bags. You're paying the same and getting less.
That said, things could change. I wouldn't be surprised if Southwest is cooking up a big sale in the days or weeks ahead as a way to counter the negative press and consumer outcry stemming from this big change
But for now, it's clear: Southwest is charging for bags to pad its pockets and to “return to the levels of profitability we all expect,” as CEO Bob Jordan previously put it – not to cut customers a better deal.
If I Change My Already-Booked Fare, Do I Still Get Bags?
Look … there's not going to be any good news in this post. The answer here is a resounding: No.
In the fine print during the booking (or re-booking) process, Southwest said bag fees will be applied to all Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime fares changed after May 28 – not just new bookings.
Ouch.
A Southwest spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that customers who booked flights before May 28 but change flights later on will still be subject to the new bag fees – assuming they change into Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime fares, of course.
What's Going on With Google Flights?
Southwest made big news when it joined the best airline search engine, period: Google Flights.
And now that Southwest has Basic Economy fares like most other airlines, it seems like everything would be pretty seamless and easy-to-understand on the search engine, right?
Of course not.
Starting this morning, only Southwest's Wanna Get Away Plus fares are appearing on Google Flights searches. The cheapest, Basic fares are not appearing in Google Flights searches. When you click the “Continue” link, it takes you to the $317 fare…but it's not the lowest one.
If you do the search manually on Southwest's website, you can find the lower, Basic fare no problem!
It's not a devastating blow like the lack of free checked bags, but this is a flight search annoyance that might complicate things for prospective Southwest flyers in what we hope is just the short-term.
What About Seat Assignment & Extra Legroom?
Sometime in 2026 (a date yet-to-be-announced), the airline will introduce both assigned seating and some premium, extra-legroom seats to its planes, too.
Southwest is planning to ditch their novel boarding process with signature stanchions at each gate and instead move to a nine-group boarding procedure with assigned seats for all. If that nine-group boarding format sounds familiar, it should. Group-by-group boarding processes – with first class customers and top elites at the front and basic economy passengers getting onboard last – have become a mainstay among other major U.S. airlines.
The airline is also planning to reconfigure its planes with extra legroom and preferred seats.
The exact timing of when these changes will go into effect is still up in the air, but the airline intends to roll this out in the third quarter of 2025 – for flights beginning in early 2026.
If you book one of Southwest's priciest Choice Extra fares, you'll get to choose any seat on the plane … including those with extra legroom and “preferred” seats towards the front of the plane. Meanwhile, Choice fares include a preferred seat at time of booking – everyone else will be free to pick any standard seat (generally towards the back of the plane).
It's not entirely clear whether Southwest is planning to sell extra legroom and preferred seating a la carte. But based on the success other airlines have had with this, you can bet it's in the works. Exactly how much it will cost you remains to be seen…
Bottom Line
It's the day we've all been dreading at Southwest Airlines … and it's even worse than we expected.
On the first day Southwest began charging for checked bags in its storied, 54-year history, the airline still can't let travelers add and pay for a bag online. If you want to check a bag, you'll need to pay in-person at the airport – with no clear timeline for when it will be available online.
Well-written and informative article BUT:
“…the best airline search engine, period: Google Flights.”
Take a look at matrix.itasoftware and I think you’ll (you should) re-phrase that.
Matrix is flights.google’s bigger and smarter brother on steroids.