CNBC reports:
Set your alarm. Southwest Airlines customers have only one day to go before the company starts charging to check bags for the first time in more than half a century. Starting Wednesday, Southwest will end its blanket “two bags fly free” policy.
It was a perk that was sacrosanct among customers and the airlines’ longtime executives alike, setting the airline apart from competitors. But baggage fees brought in nearly $7.3 billion for U.S. airlines last year, according to federal data.
Southwest announced the policy in March after months of pressure from activist Elliott Investment Management, which took a stake in the airline last year and won five board seats, pushing for major changes at the company like its free checked bags, changeable tickets and open seating.
Read the full article. Flights booked up until the last minute will include free bag checks. My March post about the policy change is here.
Free checked bags will be a thing of the past at Southwest Airlines. Most passengers will have to pay to check luggage on Southwest flights starting on May 28.
ABC News business reporter Alexis Christoforous shares what travelers should know before their next flight. pic.twitter.com/eycFFzyJm9
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) May 20, 2025