Even more changes are headed to Southwest Airlines, including a new way to get free checked bags
Free Checked Bags Are Coming Back to Southwest—But There’s a Catch!
Published on May 01, 2025
For loyal fans of Southwest Airlines, it’s been a bumpy couple of months. The airline once known for its simple business model that included no assigned seats and two free checked bags for every flier recently announced a major shift: no more free checked bags. While certain passengers with A-List Status will hang onto their free checked baggage perks, the rest of Southwest’s devoted fan base will have to choose between paying to check a bag or packing in a carry-on the next time they fly.
But all is not lost! Southwest recently made yet another change to its baggage policy that offers a ray of hope to some Southwest passengers, as well as a few other extras to plenty of others.
Keep reading to find out what additional changes are being made to Southwest’s baggage policy—and the clever ways around it to avoid paying for your checked bags.
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How is Southwest changing its baggage policy?
Southwest Airlines was once known for giving all passengers two free checked bags, but that’s all changing with the introduction of Southwest’s four new fare products. Instead of all fliers having the option to check two bags for free, only people who book Choice Extra, the most premium fare, will be able to check two free bags. People who book the other three tiers of service—Choice Preferred, Choice and Basic—will have to pay additional fees to check their bags. This is a first for Southwest!
What are the tiers?
Southwest’s fare structure will be totally transformed soon, and if you’ve been a loyal Southwest flier, you might not even recognize the new fare bundles. Southwest’s new structure is more similar to other traditional airlines, a big shake-up from the budget airline‘s previous first-come, first-served model. Fees for the various fare bundles have not yet been announced, as of press time.
These are the new tiers of service:
Choice Extra
Choice Extra will become Southwest’s most premium fare option, offering fliers access to seats with extra legroom and early boarding. Additional perks include:
- Two free checked bags
- Rapid Rewards points worth 14x the paid fare
- No cancellation fees
- 12-month flight credit expiration
- Refundable ticket
- Same-day changes
- Priority Lane access
- Premium drinks
- Complimentary in-flight internet
Choice Preferred
The second tier fare option is Choice Preferred, which gives fliers the option to enjoy a preferred seat and early general boarding. Additional perks include:
- Rapid Rewards points worth 10x the paid fare
- No cancellation fees
- 12-month flight credit expiration
- Refundable ticket
- Same-day changes
- Priority Lane access
Choice
Choice is the third-tier fare option and provides fliers with a standard seat at the back of the plane, which they can select while booking or general boarding. Additional perks include:
- Rapid Rewards points worth 6x the paid fare
- Transferrable flight credit in the event of cancellation
- 12-month flight credit expiration
- Same-day changes
Basic
The most affordable, no-frills fare option from Southwest is the Basic fare, which assigns fliers a seat at the back of the plane only at check-in. Passengers with a Basic fare board last and have the fewest additional perks, which include:
- Rapid Rewards points worth 2x the paid fare
- Nontransferrable flight credit in the event of cancellation
- Six-month flight credit expiration
When does the new policy go into effect?
Southwest Airlines’s new baggage policy goes into effect on all flights booked on Southwest Airlines on or after May 28, 2025. The current Wanna Get Away fare class turns into Southwest’s Basic fare on the same day. You’ll be able to book Southwest’s new fare products—Choice Extra, Choice Preferred and Choice—in the fall for flights starting at the beginning of 2026. Southwest hasn’t announced a specific date yet when the new fare products will be available.
Are there ways to avoid the new checked baggage fees?
Despite all of the changes surrounding Southwest’s baggage policy, there are still ways to avoid the brand-new checked baggage fees. The first and possibly most expensive way is to book Choice Extra tickets for your flights. Choice Extra is the highest tier of service on Southwest Airlines, and it includes early boarding, two free checked bags and complimentary access to extra legroom seats at the time of booking, as well as complimentary internet.
Of course, not everyone can afford to splurge on the fancy seats, but there are other ways to avoid paying for checked bags. Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members will continue to receive two free checked bags, and regular A-List members will receive one free checked bag. The level of status you can earn depends on how often you fly Southwest. You’ll have to fly 40 qualifying one-way flights or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points to earn A-List Preferred Status, or 20 flights and 35,000 points for regular A-List status.
If you don’t travel frequently enough to achieve either A-List status, you can still apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card, which earns cardholders a credit worth the cost of one free checked bag per flight.
Alternatively, you can pack for your trip in your carry-on luggage, which Southwest still allows passengers to bring aboard for free.
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Sources:
- Southwest Investor Relations: “Southwest Airlines Announces Reimagined Fare Products”
- Southwest: “Customer Enhancements”
