DALLAS (AURN News) — Southwest Airlines is continuing to move away from long-standing customer-friendly policies with a series of new changes that include ending its free checked baggage benefit for most passengers.
The announcement comes less than a year after the airline said it would end its signature open seating policy.
Under the new baggage policy, A-List Preferred Members and Business Select customers will still be able to check two bags for free, while A-List Members and certain other customers will be limited to one free checked bag. Other passengers will now face baggage fees.
Southwest is also revising how customers earn points, adjusting the number of Rapid Rewards points earned on qualifying flights.
Additionally, the airline is implementing stricter expiration policies for flight credits. Credits issued for tickets purchased on or after May 28, 2025, will expire one year or earlier from the date of ticketing. The airline described all of these changes as “implementing new initiatives that support business objectives.”
“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future Customer needs, attract new Customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our Shareholders expect,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.
These policy changes represent a significant shift for the airline, which has traditionally differentiated itself in the market through customer-friendly policies like free checked bags and no change fees.
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