For years, Southwest Airlines stood out in the U.S. airline industry, offering two free checked bags and free change and cancellation on every ticket, even as other carriers piled on fees. But those days are coming to an end.
Southwest announced a sweeping set of changes that will upend many of the passenger-friendly policies the airline was once known for. The reaction? Many loyal flyers were stunned – and some are ready to move on.
Say goodbye to free checked bags and hello to stingy basic economy-style fares that strip away even more benefits in the name of lower prices. On top of that, Southwest plans to reconfigure its cabins with extra legroom seats (for a fee), explore new partnerships with international carriers, and even roll out assigned seating – a major shift for an airline famous – maybe infamous – for its open seating policy.
But these changes didn't take effect overnight. There's still a short window to book flights under the current rules and policies before free bags disappear and seat fees become standard. But even so, Southwest's transformation won't happen all at once.
Here’s a full breakdown of what’s changing at Southwest Airlines – and when.
May 28
Wednesday, May 28, will go down as a day of infamy in Southwest's storied history.
That's the day the airline will officially do the unthinkable and ditch its “Bags Fly Free” policy. It'll also begin hitting customers with extra restrictions when booking its new, cheapest “Basic” fares.
That means you can still get free bags and avoid the pain so long as you book by Tuesday, May 27. That's right: The one-week countdown is on.
Let's take a closer look at these changes and what they mean for Southwest flyers.
Say Goodbye to Free Checked Bags
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, all Southwest passengers still get two free checked bags on each and every flight. That makes the airline an ideal choice for family travelers, as it allows them to bring all the comforts of home with them on vacation … without paying an arm and a leg for it.
It was supposed to be untouchable. Just last fall, the airline swore this policy wouldn't be going away.
“This makes us unique. It places us in a category of one,” a top executive said. The airline even cited research showing that charging for bags would lose the airline money, suggesting that many flyers seek out Southwest specifically for free baggage.
But that was then, and this is now. Starting May 28, most travelers will be forced to pay for even their first checked bag. Still want free luggage?
- Travelers who book the priciest Business Select fares will get two free checked bags
- Same goes for flyers with the airline's top-tier A-List Preferred status
- Got one of Southwest's co-branded Chase credit cards? Whether you've got the entry-level *southwest plus* or the top-of-the-line *southwest priority*, you can get your first checked bag free (more on that in a bit)
- With Southwest A-List status, you'll get one free checked bag, too
With baggage fees coming in just a week, Southwest still hasn't said what it will charge for luggage – in response to a request for comment, an airline spokesperson previously said those costs “will be detailed soon.” After the entire U.S. airline industry raised the cost of a checked bag to $35 last year, we'd be shocked if Southwest didn't do the same.
Cardholders Get Free Bags, Special Seats
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.
Starting May 28, cardholders will get a slew of new benefits. And Southwest says additional perks are on the way in the months to come.
- All Southwest credit cards will get a first checked bag free … plus a free bag for up to eight total passengers booked on the same reservation. Importantly, you won't have to purchase your flights with that card in order to get that benefit – it's simply attached to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account so long as you have a card open.
- Travelers with the *southwest plus* (and a small business version) can select a standard seat for free within 48 hours of departure and an automatic earlier boarding benefit
- The *southwest premier* gets a boarding benefit plus the ability to select a standard or preferred seat closer to the front of the plane within 48 hours of departure
- With the *southwest priority* or *southwest premier biz*, you can pick from a standard or preferred seat when you book, then upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours of departure when available
Like many of the changes to Southwest fares, these additions for cardholders won't take effect until sometime in the third quarter of 2025 – and only for flights in 2026 and onward. Southwest is also teasing cardholders about “new ways to earn” Rapid Rewards points, but provided no additional detail.
Travelers who have worked their way up to Southwest status will get some new perks, too.
- A-List flyers can get their first checked bag for free, while A-List Preferred customers get two bags complimentary
- Both tiers can pick preferred seats at the time of booking
- Top A-List Preferred flyers will also be able to pick an Extra Legroom seat for free at booking, while A-List members can bump up within 48 hours of departure when available
Say Hello to Basic Economy
Starting May 28, the airline's signature “Wanna Get Away” fare branding will officially disappear. A stripped-down basic economy fare will take its place with the name … you guessed it: “Basic.”
- 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
Wanna Get Away fares will be replaced by Basic fares May 28 – the same day the airline's new checked baggage policy takes effect. Other fare changes as well as some new perks for cardholders won't kick in until sometime in the third quarter of the year – the same time the airline begins selling seat assignments.
After decades of doing things differently, it's just the latest instance of Southwest joining the rest of the herd.
Early 2026
As if those changes weren't enough, there's still more to come. Next year, the airline is planning to do away with its equally loved and loathed open-seating model and revamp its boarding process.
Assigned Seats for All (and a New Boarding Process, Too)!
One reason why some travelers may avoid Southwest Airlines is its open-seating policy.
Rather than picking a seat in advance, you check in for your flight as soon as possible – within 24 hours of departure – and get assigned a boarding number. The faster you check in, the earlier you can board … and pick from the best seats on the plane.
But that's going away next year. While we don't have a specific date yet, the changes are expected to roll out some time in the third quarter of 2025 – for flights starting in early 2026.
Southwest is planning to ditch that 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.
Southwest's priciest Choice Extra fares get early boarding privileges, while the next most expensive Choice Preferred board next, followed by those who book the cheapest Choice and Basic Economy fares. Carrying a co-branded Southwest credit card or having some level of A-List status will get you on the plane sooner, too. It remains to be seen exactly where those with status or a card board, but it will likely be after anyone paying up for Choice Extra seats.
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).
If you have the airline's top-tier A-List Preferred status, you can choose an extra legroom or preferred seat at the time of booking (regardless of what fare you booked). Regular A-List members will be able to choose a preferred seat at booking and get access to extra legroom seating 48-hours prior to departure.
But having elite status isn't the only way to score a better seat: Co-branded cardholders get a watered-down version of this, too. If you've got the $149 per year *sw priority* or the $199 per year *southwest performance biz* in your wallet, you can select a standard or preferred seat at the time of booking (no matter the fare class). You can also upgrade to Extra Legroom within 48 hours of departure on any fare, when available.
Meanwhile, both the $99 per year Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the *southwest premier biz* will get you a standard or preferred seat within 48 hours of departure on any fare, when available. The $69 per year *sw plus* and the no-longer available Southwest Airlines® Rapid Rewards® Plus Business Card gets you a standard seat within 48 hours of departure, no matter the ticket you booked.
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…
International Expansion?
For years, one of the biggest knocks on Southwest is that the airline simply doesn't fly enough routes to be a viable go-to airline for all travelers. Even after adding flights to Hawaii – a move that's brought prices down across the board – the airline primarily operates within the U.S. and a handful of destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Wanna fly to Europe … or even Canada? You're out of luck with Southwest. Or at least you used to be.
Earlier this year, Southwest began partnering with Icelandair to offer travelers easy one-stop connections to Iceland (and the rest of Europe) through a single airport in Baltimore (BWI). This partnership has since expanded to include connections in both Denver (DEN) and Nashville (BNA). If you're hoping to hitch a Southwest flight to one of Icelandair's other dozen-plus North American gateways, you can forget about it … at least for now.
But it seems Southwest might be dreaming even bigger with plans to operate its own flights to Europe at some point in the future (maybe?). Just last week, Southwest asked the Department of Transportation (DOT) for permission to operate flights to any country that is part of the Open Skies agreement with the U.S. This includes many countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, etc.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves: This does not mean Southwest flights to Europe (or anywhere else) are imminent.
One of the biggest factors holding Southwest back from international expansion is its current fleet. Southwest exclusively operates Boeing 737s – and even its newest 737 MAX 8 aircraft with a greater range could only get from the Northeast to cities like Reykjavik, Dublin (DUB), and London … maybe.
Adding longer-range, widebody aircraft – and getting pilots trained to fly them – is no easy task. So if Southwest is planning (or hoping) to expand its service to Europe, it'll be years before we see it come to fruition.
What About Southwest's Coveted Companion Pass?
It's the question on every diehard Southwest flyers' mind: After all these monumental changes, what will Southwest do with the invaluable Companion Pass?
The airline isn't unveiling any changes to its unique, buy-one-get-one pass – at least not yet. Instead, Southwest is clarifying how some benefits will pass down to travel companions.
Namely, companions will be able to select a seat for free even after Southwest begins charging for seat assignments. And anyone who has both a Companion Pass and status with the airline will pass down the benefits of that status to their companions when traveling together.
Cardholders will continue to get an automatic 10,000-point boost each year – a nice head start on the 135,000 points required to earn a year or more of BOGO flights.
Bottom Line
Southwest Airlines is saying goodbye to the perks that once set it apart – like free checked bags and no-fee changes – as it rolls out major changes starting May 28. Basic economy fares, fees for extra legroom, and even assigned seating are on the way, marking a dramatic shift from the airline's once-beloved policies.
Travelers have just over a week left to book under the old rules before many of these sweeping changes take hold.
