Southwest now charges most passengers $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second on new bookings, with a few important exceptions.

Quick Scoop: What youā€™ll pay

For flights booked on May 28, 2025 or later, the standard checked-bag fees on Southwest are:

  • First checked bag: $35 each way
  • Second checked bag: $45 each way
  • Usual size/weight limits still apply (oversize/overweight bags can trigger extra fees).

These prices put Southwest roughly in line with other big U.S. airlines that also charge for checked bags.

Who still gets free checked bags?

Some travelers can still check bags for free, depending on fare type and status.

  • Business Select / Choice Extra: Up to two free checked bags.
  • A-List Preferred: Up to two free checked bags.
  • A-List members: One free checked bag; second bag $45.
  • Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardholders: One free checked bag for the cardmember (and up to eight companions on the same reservation in some cases), second bag $45.

In other words, if you donā€™t have status or a qualifying fare, plan on paying for each checked bag you drop at the counter.

What if you booked before the change?

Thereā€™s a time twist here that still matters for some trips.

  • Tickets booked on or before May 27, 2025 : You can still check up to two bags for free , as under the old ā€œBags Fly Freeā€ policy.
  • But if you change that older reservation (new dates/routes/reprice), fees can kick in under the new rules.

So an untouched preā€“May 28 booking is like a little time capsule: it keeps the old free-bag perks.

What people are saying (forum vibe)

Travelers and frequent flyers have been venting and joking about this shift on forums and Reddit.

  • Many long-time Southwest fans feel the end of ā€œBags Fly Freeā€ breaks what made the airline special and say they may fly Southwest less now.
  • Others shrug and say Southwest is just catching up to the rest of the industry and that the move was inevitable in 2025ā€™s cost-cutting airline world.
  • A few posters point out that you can still avoid fees by traveling lighter (carry-on only) or leveraging elite status or credit-card perks.

ā€œStarting from flights reserved on May 28 and later, travelers will need to pay $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for a second one.ā€ ā€” popular Reddit thread summarizing the change

One quick example

Imagine youā€™re flying round-trip with one checked bag, no status, and a regular (Basic/Choice) fare booked this year:

  • Outbound: $35 for first checked bag
  • Return: $35 again

Total: $70 in checked-bag fees for that one suitcase on a round-trip.

If you add a second checked bag, that same round-trip would cost $160 in bag fees ($35 + $45 each way).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.